Italian-style Breakfast Muffins
Serves 6
I normally eat muesli or have a freshly made smoothie for breakfast Monday through Friday. On the weekends, I change things up a little. I love wandering the farmers markets of North Carolina on a Saturday morning with a cup of coffee in one hand a freshly made warm muffin in the other. It’s a great way to feel energized for the start of a fun weekend. After I get back, I might make sweet potato pancakes, a big traditional breakfast that my boys love, or sometimes I’ll make these herby little muffins that taste wonderful and smell divine. They only take about 10 minutes to prepare and around 30 minutes to bake in the oven. When you’re adding ingredients like feta cheese, roasted peppers, cherry tomatoes, oregano, and parsley, you know you’ll have a warm, comforting breakfast. They also travel well so you can take them with you while you’re making the most of the weekend.
Ingredients:
1 cup self-rising flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 medium egg
½ cup almond milk or semi-skimmed milk
½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
½ cup roasted peppers from a jar plus 1 teaspoon of oil from the jar
½ cup cherry tomatoes cut into quarters, keeping 6 quarters for decoration
1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
How to make:
Line a 6 deep-hole muffin tray with cases, and preheat the oven to 360◦F.
Sieve the flour, bicarbonate of soda, sumac, and sea salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and stir in the milk and egg, until just combined. Stir in the feta, peppers, oil, tomatoes, and herbs. Be careful not to over mix the batter. Mix it so the ingredients are just combined.
Divide the mixture evenly among the 6 cases and top each with a slice of tomato. Then pop the tray into the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.
Remove the tray from the oven and cool slightly on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with a dollop of Greek yogurt, if liked.