Thai•healthy

Healthy Yummy Green Muffins!

Hot Thai Kitchen recipe - Pan-Asian/Thai

Ingredients

220 g all-purpose flour, (about 11/2 cups )
1/2 cup wheat germ, (toasted )
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 cup plain yogurt, (whole or 2% fat)
1/2 cup sugar
150 g fresh baby spinach leaves, (If using non-baby spinach, trim off the stems to keep the colour intense green)
1/2 cup butter, (unsalted, melted, plus extra for brushing over bananas)
2 eggs, (large)
1 tsp vanilla extract
120 g ripe banana, (roughly mashed (about 1 large) plus 1 more banana for garnish)
2/3 cup toasted pecans, (chopped, or sub walnuts)
2/3 cup dried tart cherries, (or sub dried apricots or dried cranberries

1
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a muffin pan with paper liners, if using. If not using muffin liners, and your muffin pan is not non-stick, grease the pan well with butter or non-stick cooking spray, make sure you get the corners!
2
In a large mixing bowl add flour, wheat germ, salt and cinnamon. Sift the baking powder and baking soda into the bowl and whisk everything together until combined.
3
In a blender, add yogurt, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, spinach and sugar; blend until completely pureed. If you can’t fit all the spinach in at once, add as much as you can, blend to make room, then add some more.
4
Pour some of the puree into the mashed banana to thin it out a bit (so it mixes more easily), then pour both the banana mixture and all of the spinach puree into the dry ingredient bowl. Mix everything together with a rubber spatula, using a folding motion and scraping the bottom of the bowl, until about 80% combined. Add in the dried fruit and nuts and fold just until everything is well combined, do not over mix!
5
Spoon the batter into the muffin tins so that they are about ¾ full. Place one banana slice on top and brush with melted butter. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
6
Let cool for a few minutes and then remove them from the pan and let them cool on a rack. Serve warm if possible, they're super yummy warm!