Week 18 - Mediterranean Muffins

I made it, I've survived my first marathon! Now this may be stating the bleedin obvious, but man alive 26.2 miles is a long way! Although I'd followed the training plan & was feeling ready for it, I don't think anything can prepare you mentally for the challenge. I also underestimated the difference of walking at night, it's all very well training in the Great Park after a good nights sleep & in the sunshine, but in the cold, depth of night, it's tough! That said it was an amazing experience, I have a huge amount of admiration for the Walk the Walk organisation, they have created a fantastic event & have raised a massive amount of money to support the fight against breast cancer. My own fundraising effort far surpassed my expectations & my total currently stands at £776, so thank you to everyone for their support.

I feel like I've consumed a huge amount of sugar over the last few weeks, so I've opted for a savoury recipe this week. I've chosen to use some of my favourite med style ingredients, but there are lots of other options like mozzarella or sun-dried tomatoes, the worlds your lobster!

300g plain flour
1tbsp baking powder
150g halloumi cheese
125ml milk
40ml olive oil
2 eggs
50g olives
2 tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
Salt & pepper to taste

1. Sift the flour & baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Grate the halloumi & mix it in with the flour.

2. Lightly beat together the eggs & milk, stir in the olive oil, roughly chop the tomatoes & olives & add them to the liquids along with the oregano & some seasoning.

3. Add the eggy, milky mixture to the flour & stir until all the flour is combined. Line a 12 hole bun tin with paper cases & divide the mixture evenly. Bake in the oven at 190c/GM5 for 30-35 minutes until well risen & golden brown on the top. Leave to rest in the tin for 5 minutes, then move to a rack to cool.

I like these best when they're still warm & you could easily pop them back into the oven for 10 minutes to warm them up again. Hope you enjoy this weeks savoury interlude! Next week I'll be digging out another of my mum's old recipes, we have no idea where it came from & have never come across it since, trust me it's a treat!

Also, just wondered if anyone had any tips or suggestions to improve the blog? I'm still new to this (well I've been doing it 18 weeks!) but would be grateful for any advice on how to improve it, or get more people to read it! Have a good week, Rebecca x