Lockdown snacking out of control? Try these healthier spinach and feta muffins

The lockdown grass is definitely greener when you have a batch of these spinach and feta muffins on hand. Photo / NZH

This lockdown has been challenging for many reasons, but the difficulty around getting groceries (those lines are a killer) and the work/kids juggle has seen my family's vegetable intake shrink exponentially. Trying to get them to eat something remotely healthy is an argument I just don't have time for right now. I am starting to worry a little about them developing scurvy or rickets though, so I thought I would make something that they can grab and snack on whenever they like, something with a little goodness in it.

These muffins can be adapted to include just about any vegetable you have on hand, broccoli, zucchini and carrot work well. I went with spinach as I always have some stashed in the freezer and I am really hating the supermarket lately.

Spinach and feta muffins

Take some of the guilt out of your snacking by packing it with healthy veges like spinach, and cheese, always cheese. Photo / NZH

You will need

250g frozen chopped spinach
1 block feta cheese, roughly chopped
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup plain yoghurt
1/4 cup olive oil
2 eggs
2 cups plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp ground nutmeg

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Defrost frozen spinach in microwave, then wrap in a tea towel and twist over sink to squeeze all of the liquid out.
3. Place the spinach and feta into a large bowl. Add the cheese, milk, yogurt, olive oil and egg and stir until combined.
4. Sift the flour and baking powder together into a separate bowl. Add oregano and nutmeg.
5. Slowly add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Fold in gently, until just combined. Lumpy is okay.
6. Grease a muffin tray with oil or butter. Spoon the mixture, equally, between the 12 muffin sections. Bake for 20-25 mins or until muffins spring back when lightly prodded.
7. Allow to cool fully on an oven tray before eating.

Enjoy these muffins as they are or with lashings of butter. At the time of publication the muffins had been a success with one out of two of my vitamin-deprived children.