Summer Squash Parmesan Muffins #MuffinMonday

Just picked summer squash and Parmesan cheese combine to make fluffy, flavorful small batch muffins that are perfect as a snack or for breakfast.

If I were a tv chef, this recipe would make just six muffins. Does it drive anyone else crazy when they just set aside a bowl of batter and don’t even use a spatula to scrape the sides? I know they have time constraints but, come on! It only takes a few seconds. Such a waste. 

One of the reasons I love using my silicone muffin cups is because when there is a bit of batter left over, I am not tempted to overload the cups. It’s just so easy to pop another one on the baking pan and make seven instead of six, or 13 instead of 12. 

Another reason I love them is because they don’t need greasing or lining with paper cups. Muffins slide right out every time. Living the dream. It’s the small things, folks. 

Summer Squash Parmesan Muffins

This recipe makes six or seven muffins, depending on the size of your muffin cups and whether you can be bothered to use a rubber spatula. It was adapted from one on the delicious. magazine website and was published in the September 2019 edition. 

Ingredients

1 summer or crookneck squash (approximate weight after removing seeds: 80g)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup or 80ml milk

1 egg

1 cup or 125g flour

2 oz or 57g grated Parmesan, divided

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Method

Cut the fat part of the summer squash in half and scoop the seeds out and discard (or compost) them. 

Grate the rest of the squash onto a paper towel. 

Fold the paper towel over to cover the grated squash and roll it up in a cloth towel. Wring as much juice as you can out of the squash, set aside. 

Heat the oven to 350°F or 180°C. Line a 7 holes of a 12-cup muffin pan with paper muffin cases. Or use silicone muffin cups on a baking tray.

Separate out a small amount of the grated Parmesan for topping. 

In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, egg and milk. 

Add in the grated squash, flour, Parmesan, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt and cayenne. Fold until just combined.

Divide the batter among the muffin holes and top each with a pinch or two of the reserved grated Parmesan. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and springy to the touch. 

Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy! 

It's the last Monday of July - where has the month gone?! - so that means it's time again for Muffin Monday. Check out the recipe links below!

• Blueberry Basil Jam Muffins from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Double Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Lemon Poppy Zucchini Bread Muffins from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Sourdough Apricot Oat Muffins from Zesty South Indian Kitchen
• Summer Squash Parmesan Muffins from Food Lust People Love

#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all of our lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday can be found on our home page.

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Lentil Mushroom Feta Calzones

These lentil mushroom feta calzones are the perfect picnic food, easy to transport and even easier to eat. The filling is tasty and the crust divine. 

I made these into four large calzones to feed four hungry people but the dough and filling could be easily divided into small portions to make more smaller calzones. The combination of lentils, mushrooms and feta creates a hearty filling that even the carnivores in your family will enjoy. 

Lentil Mushroom Feta Calzones

The folding technique for the edges of the calzones is one that is employed by the bakers of the traditional Cornish pasty. Except I like to leave the little tail out rather than tucking in under. Check out how here: Cousin Jack's Pasty Co.

Ingredients

For the dough:

3/4 cup or 180ml lukewarm water (not hot)

1 teaspoon active-dry yeast

1/4 teaspoon sugar

2 cups or 250g strong bread flour, plus more if needed

1 teaspoon salt

Drizzle olive oil for the dough bowl

For the filling:

1/2 cup or 110g uncooked or 1 1/8 cups or 220g cooked/rinsed Puy (French) lentils (If you are cooking them, boil with 1/2 teaspoon baking soda till tender. Drain and rinse.)

6 1/3 oz or 180g baby portabella mushrooms

2-3 medium cloves garlic

Drizzle of oil for the cooking pan

1 medium tomato – about 4 2/3 oz or 130g, cut into small pieces

1 fresh jalapeño, optional but recommended, chopped 

Method

Put the yeast and sugar in a bowl. Pour in the warm water and give it a stir. Set aside for a few minutes. It should start to get foamy on top. 

In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk the flour and salt together. Pour in the yeast mixture and mix well to form a soft dough.

Using the dough hook on the stand mixer, or kneading by hand against the counter, knead the dough until it forms a smooth, slightly tacky ball that springs back when you poke it, 5 to 8 minutes. If the dough sticks to the bowl or your hands, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until it’s easier to work with.

Avoid adding too much flour if possible. I didn’t add any this time whereas the last time, I added two tablespoons. This is the sort of thing that can change with your flour and the humidity in the air. 

If you're planning to make the calzones today, then give the dough a rise. Clean out the mixing bowl, coat it with a little oil, and transfer the dough back inside. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rise until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Alternatively, you can store the dough in the fridge and make the calzones the next day. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate. 

Either way, make the filling which can also be stored in the refrigerator overnight or cooled and used the same day. 

Put the cooked, rinsed lentils in a mixing bowl that is large enough to hold all of the filling ingredients, with room to stir. 

Clean and chop the mushrooms and mince the garlic. 

Drizzle a little oil into a big the pot and add the garlic. 

Cook it briefly, making sure it doesn’t burn, then add the mushrooms. 

Cook them until golden. Add them to the lentil bowl. 

Add the tomato and jalapeño, if using, to the now empty pot along with another drizzle of oil. 

Cook for 8-10 minutes, until the tomato and jalapeño are well cooked and slump into a paste. Add the paste to the lentil/mushroom bowl and stir well. Leave to cool. 

Once the rest of the filling is cool, crumble the feta and gently fold it in. 

Take the dough out of the refrigerator about half an hour before you are ready to bake. Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Divide the dough into four balls.

Roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle about 7 in or 17.75cm across. 

Put about 1/4 of the cooled filling (about 5 1/3 oz or 150g) on one side of the circle.

Gently lift the other side up and over, pressing the air out as you stick the edges of the two halves together.

Starting on one side of the semi circle, crimp the edges to seal the calzones. (See note above the ingredient list for a link to an instructional video.) Repeat until all of the calzones have been filled and formed.

Transfer the calzones to your baking tray, leaving enough room between them so that they can rise while baking. Brush the tops lightly with olive oil.

Bake in your preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed.

These can be eaten hot or at room temperature. 

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and since it’s National Picnic Month, we are going on a picnic! Hope the weather is fine where you live. Check out all the great recipe links below. Many thanks to our host, Camilla at Culinary Cam!

• A Crostini Array by Culinary Cam
• Bacon & Chive Deviled Eggs with Hot Honey by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Chocolate Truffle Cookies by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Eggless Brookies - Brownie Cookies by Sneha's Recipe
• Grill Cake (and Vanilla Cake Recipe) by Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Lentil Mushroom Feta Calzones by Food Lust People Love
• Lobster Roll Pasta Salad by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Mayo-less Tuna Salad by Our Good Life

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Fresh Blueberry Syrup

The blueberry flavor really shines in this fresh blueberry syrup and, with only four ingredients, it could not be easier to make. Serve it in/on everything from ice cream to pancakes and cocktails.

I was reminded recently during a trip to France, how many different ways we can cook fruit. Syrups, like this one, that are pourable, along with thicker concoctions with more fruit and less sugar like coulis or compote, and, of course, the sweetest of all, straight up jams, preserves and jellies. And I've probably missed out a couple.

When our host for this month’s Foodie Extravaganza chose National Blueberry Month for our theme, I knew I’d make one of the above. I settled on fresh blueberry syrup when I came across a cocktail calling for fruit syrup and I thought, ooooh, great idea!

So there will be a cocktail in our near future. Meanwhile, you can use it to my rhubarb fool one, just sub the blueberry syrup for the rhubarb syrup.

Fresh Blueberry Syrup

This syrup is lovely over pancakes, waffles or ice cream.  Once cooled, I also like to brush it on cakes or muffins as a glaze. This makes about about 2 1/4 cups or 532ml of syrup, unstrained.

Ingredients

1 lb or 450g fresh blueberries

1 cup or 240ml warm water

1 1/2 cups or 300g white sugar

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Method

Put the blueberries, water, and sugar in a medium pot over low heat and stir until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. 

Increase heat to medium and bring a gentle boil, stirring often, until the syrup starts to thickened, about 15 minutes. 

The blueberries should break down but if needed, you can press them with a potato masher to break them down more quickly.

Cook for a further 15 to 20 minutes more OR until the syrup is of your desired syrup consistency, keeping it mind that it will thicken a bit more as it cools. I cooked mine down by about a third, stirring frequently. 

Stir in the lemon juice. You can choose to strain out any blueberry solids, if desired, but I like the little bits of blueberry in the syrup.

Use immediately or cool in a sealed jar. 

Enjoy!

Are you a fan of blueberries? If so, July is your month! As I mentioned above, we are celebrating National Blueberry Month today. Check out the links below. Many thanks to our host, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm. 

• Blueberry Lemon Turnovers from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Fresh Blueberry Syrup from Food Lust People Love
• Grilled Pork Chops with Herbed Blueberry Sauce from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Grilled Peach and Blueberry Salad from Palatable Pastime
• Keto Mini Blueberry Coconut Flour Pancake from Sneha's Recipe
• Oatmeal Spice Cake Mix Cookies with Blueberries from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

Foodie Extravaganza is where we celebrate obscure food holidays by cooking and baking together with the same ingredient or theme each month. Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board.

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