Meatless Monday: Blue cornmeal and Parmesan muffins

Meals become more colorful when you serve a batch of blue-hued muffins. These cornmeal muffins are hearty and make a perfect side for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

This Meatless Monday recipe for blue cornmeal and Parmesan muffins is versatile, that’s for sure! They’re perfect popped in the microwave and served with a bit of butter in the morning, with a salad at lunch or with a steaming bowl of soup for dinner. Add a little color to your next meal with these muffins on the side.

Blue cornmeal and Parmesan muffins

Recipe adapted from Vegetarian Times magazine

Yields 12

Ingredients:

• 1-1/4 cups blue cornmeal
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons fresh chopped thyme
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus 2 tablespoons extra
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1-1/4 cups buttermilk
• 2/3 cup corn kernels
• Nonstick cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly spray a 12-count muffin pan with the nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the blue cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, thyme and Parmesan cheese.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the egg and the oil, then add the buttermilk, whisking as you add it to the mixture, a little at a time.
4. Add the milk mixture to the dry mixture gradually, and mix until combined. Stir the corn into the batter.
5. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, just to about 2/3 full. Bake for 12-18 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.
6. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese over the top of each muffin. Allow to cool, then remove from the pan and serve.

Blue-hued food like these muffins is delightful!

More Meatless Monday recipes

Mexican-style pizza
Brown rice- and spinach-stuffed portobello mushrooms
Banana-buttermilk and flaxseed pancakes