Lunchbox muffins

Monday morning is looming and I can't face making another quiche to last me a week of work lunches.

So hooray for the Guardian food pages! The courgette muffins from the lovely Hugh Fearnley sound just the trick.

I made them without the 'orrible sultanas, and made six big lunch box sized ones instead of the twelve tiddlers that Hugh suggests. I'm a greedy girl by lunchtime!

Here's a link to the original recipe: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jun/05/savoury-muffin-recipes-fearnley-whittingstall

Or my version:

Courgette and pine nut muffins

200g plain flour
40g jumbo oats
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp flaky sea salt
A few grinds of black pepper
8 large basil leaves, shredded
60g parmesan, coarsely grated, plus another tablespoon to sprinkle on top
2 eggs
250g whole milk yoghurt
4 tbsps olive oil
200g courgettes, coarsely grated
40g pine nuts, toasted

Preheat the oven to gas mark 5 (190c/375f ) and lightly grease a 6 cup silicon muffin tin with butter.

1) Stir the flour, oats, baking powder, bicarb, salt, pepper, basil and parmesan in a large bowl

2) Whisk the eggs, yoghurt and oil together in a separate bowl, then add to the flour mixture and fold in until just barely combined – don't overmix (this is quite important. Don’t worry if there are a few floury lumps, it’ll still work!)

3) Add the courgettes and pine nuts and lightly stir in

4) Spoon into the muffin tin and sprinkle over the rest of the parmesan. If you’re making six large muffins, the mixture will come right up to the top of the tin

5) Bake for 25 minutes then check with a metal skewer to see if there is any uncooked batter lurking in the middle. If there is, pop them back in the oven for another 5 minutes then check again

6) Turn out to cool on a wire rack

These are amazing while they’re still warm from the oven and crisp on the outside!