Quick post.
A couple of people have asked me for the recipe for these handy vegetable fingers, so I said I'd jot it down once and for all. They really are a super little thing to have stashed away in your freezer for lunch time, snacks or a dinner on-the-go. They are filling, full of goodness, delicious and salt and preservative-free.
I'm going back to work in a a week's time (after a whole year, sob) and I'm trying to build up a stash of handy finger foods and lunches to send to the childminders while I'm at work. These totally fit the bill. They can be made in whatever vegetable/meat combination you like, can use various different cheeses, and you can flavour with whatever herbs and spices your little one prefers. This recipe also works for muffins. Simply use a muffin tray instead of a loaf tin.
Recipe - Makes about 12 vegetable fingers and 6 muffins.
You will need
2 cups of plain flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
two eggs
200 ml of vegetable oil or coconut oil melted
about 3 cups of vegetables of your choice but this is a very rough idea. Just use whatever you have. I promise you they will work out. For this recipe I used 2 carrots, handful of green beans (from frozen, I just put them in a bowl of warm water and then chopped them), broccoli and sweetcorn. You can use anything though. You could also add torn ham, leftover roast chicken etc.
2 cups of cheddar cheese. Or any cheese of your choice.
Herbs of your choice. I used black pepper, dash of smoked paprika, dash of garlic powder and some coriander.
- Note, the reason I am using "cups" as my measurement of choice is because it's a very visual recipe for me and it's the best way for me to be accurate. I know what a cup of food (roughly) looks like, whereas I wouldn't be confident working out the grams in this original recipe. Just use a small coffee cup, not a mug. The smallest cup you have basically.
Method
Preheat oven to a medium heat - gas mark 6 or about 180'C
1. Sift flour in to a large bowl. Add baking powder, oil and beaten eggs. Mix together.
2. Chop vegetables in to small pieces and fry on a pan until they are quite soft.
3. Add vegetables and cheese to the bowl and mix well.
4. Add whatever herbs and spices you wish to use and mix.
5. Grease a loaf tin. Empty mixture in to loaf tin until it is about half full.
6. Use remaining batter to fill about 6 muffin/cupcake tray spaces.
7. Place filled loaf tin and muffin tray in the oven and cook for 30-40 minutes or until mixture has risen, set and appears cooked.
8. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before emptying vegetable "loaf" from loaf tin. Then allow to completely cool for about an hour.
9. When completely cool (cuts better and cleaner) cut loaf in to little vegetable fingers.
10. Enjoy hot or cold. Suitable for freezing.
Labels: back to work, Recipe, recipes
