Lunchbox Bakes - Pumpkin + Spinach Bread Cases

1 teaspoon olive oil
¼ small onion, finely chopped
150g butternut pumpkin, peeled and diced
25g spinach
12 slices wholemeal bread
1 ½ eggs, whisked
¼ cup reduced fat milk
60g ricotta cheese, crumbled
Olive oil spray

Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat.  Add the onion.  Cook while stirring for 3 minutes, or until softened.  Add the pumpkin.  Cook for 5 minutes or until it is tender.  Add the spinach and cook for 5 minutes or until it is wilted.  Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, using a rolling pin, flatten out the pieces of bread on a flat surface.  Using a 7.5cm cutter (or the rim of a glass), cut out a round from each piece of bread.  Press each piece of bread into a hole of a 12 hole muffin tin.  Lightly spray the bread with oil.  bake for 5 –6 minutes or until just golden.  Remove from oven.
Whisk the egg together with the milk.  Season with salt and pepper.  Spoon the pumpkin and spinach mixture between the bread cases.  Top with the ricotta.  Pour over the egg mixture.  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden and set.

Lunchbox Bakes – Pumpkin Feta Muffins

 
These are delish.  They are super tasty and I will definitely be making them again (especially since there’s heaps of pumpkins waiting to be used up at my house).  Also, aside from the oil that the pumpkin is coated to roast in, there’s no sugar, butter or oil in the muffins :)

Makes 12 muffins

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups cubed pumpkin or butternut squash
salt and pepper to taste
1 large handful of baby spinach, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped parsley or cilantro chopped
3 tablespoons sunflower seeds kernels
¾ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
100g feta, cubed
2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
¾ cup milk
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat the oven to 200°C.  Grease a 12-hole muffin pan and set aside.
Sprinkle the olive oil and some salt and pepper over the pumpkin and toss well.  Spread the pumpkin in a single layer on a baking tray or roasting pan and bake for 15-25 minutes or until cooked through. Set aside to cool.
Transfer two-thirds of the pumpkin to a large mixing bowl along with the spinach, parsley, sunflower seeds, Parmesan, mustard, and two-thirds of the feta.  Fold the ingredients together.  In a separate bowl beat the eggs and milk together, then add to the pumpkin mix.  Add the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper to the pumpkin mix and fold together until the batter comes together.  Be careful not to over mix.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan, filling each hole ¾ full.  Top each muffin with a bit of the remaining squash and feta. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tops and sides of the muffins are golden.  Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

You can find out more about Lunchbox Bakes and  how you can get involved here.