Garden goodness muffins

It’s sometimes difficult to persuade youngsters to enjoy their lunches but I believe you can sneak a few veggies surreptitiously into the lunch box in the form of sandwich fillings or muffins like the ones here. Raw baby spinach could replace the broccoli. Add herbs such as coriander and basil, if preferred.

Vegetables

150 g	Broccoli florets (Main)
½	Red capsicums, diced
½	Yellow capsicums, diced
3 small	Tomatoes, quartered

For the muffins

2 cups	Self raising flour
1 cup	Grated tasty cheese, I used tasty cheddar cheese
1 cup	Milk
2	Eggs
1 cup	Canola oil

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Lightly oil a 12-hole muffin pan or line with paper muffin cups.
2. Blanch the broccoli until crisp-tender. Drain well and chop. Prepare the other vegetables and place aside.
3. To make the muffins, combine the flour, cheese and seasonings in a large bowl. Combine the liquid ingredients until smooth then stir into the dry ingredients, until just moistened. Fold in the broccoli and capsicums.
4. Spoon into the prepared muffin pans and top each with¼tomato. Bake for about 30 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

More school lunchbox ideas from Jan

• Surprise meatballs
• Savoury pinwheels