Recipe: Mini Zucchini Banana Muffins with Berry Chia Jam (no oil or butter)

MINI ZUCCHINI-BANANA MUFFINS WITH BERRY CHIA JAM

"These muffins are moist but have no oil or butter in them. Their secret? A banana stirred into the batter. Add grated zucchini and you have even more moisture and beneficial fiber in the mix. The chia jam is an easy way to make your own fresh fruit spread in minutes, no cooking required. The fiber in chia seeds (those nutritional wonders) expands in water, becoming a gel-like substance that thickens mashed berries without altering their fresh flavor."



Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup ground flaxseeds
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1 large egg
1/4 cup lightly packed light-brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups coarsely grated zucchini (from 1 large zucchini), squeezed in a clean dish towel or paper towels
1/3 cup mashed banana (from 1 large overly ripe banana)
Berry Chia Jam (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat 24 mini muffin cups or 12 standard muffin cups with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, flaxseeds, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg until smooth. Whisk in the sugars and then the buttermilk and vanilla and mix. Stir in the zucchini and banana. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Do not overmix or the muffins will be tough. Fill the prepared muffin cups three-quarters of the way with the mixture.

Bake until a skewer inserted into the center has a few moist crumbs attached, 10 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a baking racking for 5 minutes, then remove and let cool for an additional 5 minutes.

Serve with the berry chia jam.

BERRY CHIA JAM
Makes 1 cup

1/4 cup chia seeds (black or white)
2 cups fresh berries or frozen, thawed (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, or a combination)
1 tablespoon all-natural fruit jam
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

In a small bowl, combine the chia seeds and 1/2 cup water and set aside for 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the berries, jam, and lemon juice and mash to a jam-like consistency with a fork.

Spoon the hydrated chia seeds into the berry mixture and stir to combine, using the fork to break up lumps of chia. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the jam to thicken more. The jam will keep for up to a week, covered and refrigerated.

PER TABLESPOON: Calories 25; Protein 1g; Carbohydrates 4g; Dietary Fiber 2g; Sugar 2g; Total Fat 1g; Saturated Fat Og

Makes 24 mini or 12 regular-size muffins

PER SERVING (2 MINI MUFFINS OR 1 MUFFIN; INCLUDES JAM): Calories 148; Protein 5g; Carbohydrates 26g; Dietary Fiber 3g; Sugar 11g; Total Fat 3g; Saturated Fat 1g

Used by permission to Recipelink.com from Clarkson Potter
Source: Bobby Flay Fit: food for a healthy lifestyle by Bobby Flay