Dietitian, Nutritionist, Wholesome Mom, Author
About the Recipe
I’m always looking for ways to add veggies into food I serve the family. I really loved the tips from Sneaky Chef (anyone heard of her?), where she gives tips on great ways to incorporate veggies, hence extra nutrition, into foods without anyone realizing it. While I do think it’s important to always put veggies on the plate so the kids get used to seeing and trying them, I don’t see anything wrong with adding them sneakily into other foods. Besides, adding a boost of nutrients in all of our dishes is definitely a great idea!
I promise your kids will love this one, your partner too! Just make sure you warn them that they are savory muffins before they bite in! If your kids won’t eat anything green, just peel the zucchini before shredding. You don’t taste it at all, it really just adds moisture.
Modified from a recipe by Laughing Spatula
Ingredients
1 ½ cups grated zucchini
2 cups freshly ground wheat, spelt or rye flour (or store-bought whole grain flour)
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup milk (I use whole) with 1 Tbsp vinegar or 1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
3 Tbsp butter, melted
1 cup grated mild or sharp cheddar
2 scallions, chopped
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with silicone baking cups (check them out here). Grate zucchini and wrap in a paper towel to absorb some of the moisture. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix liquid ingredients, then pour into the dry ingredients and mix until just blended, but do not overmix or you will get flat muffins! Add zucchini, cheese and scallions, and mix just until combined. Evenly fill the baking cups, you should get around 12. Then pop into the oven and bake for around 20 minutes. Make sure they are firm to the touch, but still with a bounce. If you overcook, they will get dry. Eat them while they are hot and the cheese is melty!