Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Protein Packed Quinoa Muffins

Quinoa seems to be a wonder grain, because of its great nutritional value. Its protein content is generally much higher than most other grains.


I have always loved quinoa as a grain, but using quinoa flour has been something new to me. I have tried it in a couple of applications and found that it has a very strong flavour that does not translate well into baked goods. Specifically, quinoa contains components called saponins, giving it a slightly bitter taste. That being said, I made it my mission to figure out a way to use this wonder powder to produce something healthy (and would taste good at the same time). I came up with quinoa muffins.

To make the muffins, combine the following dry ingredients in a mixing bowl:
- 1 cup quinoa flour
- 1 cup white rice flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup sugar
- a dash of cinnamon
- a dash of nutmeg


Once thoroughly combined, pour in the following wet ingredients:
- 1 over-ripe banana (mashed)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 container PC "Just Apples" (100 mL crushed apples)
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1 egg


Combine the dry and wet ingredients together until smooth.


Your batter will be able to fill a regular-sized 12-cup muffin tin. For an added treat, I placed a candied pecan in the center of each muffin. (This step is optional.) Bake the muffins in a 375°F oven for approximately 25 minutes.


These muffins smell and taste incredibly good. They are actually quite light, given their relatively high protein content.

Not only are they high in protein, they have no added fat and are both gluten and dairy-free.

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