Quinoa Muffins

I like to think that if I eat quinoa (a protien that looks like a grain) that I will become a Victoria's Secret supermodel despite my chocolate addiction. I found a recipe for quinoa muffins. They taste great! They take slightly longer to cook than regular muffins, because you have to add the step of cooking the quinoa first (25 extra minutes on the stove). If you have never made quinoa before, it cooks like rice on the stove. I make these muffins because they are a healthy snack that I can just put in my bag or defrost from the freezer when I need them.

QUINOA MUFFINS

Ingredients

Makes 12

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1/8 cup canola/ veg oil
• 1/8 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 2 very ripe bananas
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
• 1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (using some to sprinkle on top of muffins before baking)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup whole milk or 2% milk (your preference)
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan, bring quinoa and 1 cup water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cover, and cook until water has been absorbed and quinoa is tender, 11 to 13 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, brush a standard 12-cup muffin pan with oil; dust with flour, tapping out excess. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, raisins, bananas and 2 cups cooked quinoa; reserve any leftover quinoa for another use.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, milk, egg, and vanilla. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, and stir just until combined; divide batter among prepared muffin cups.
4. Bake until toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 45 minutes. Cool muffins in pan, 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container up to 5 days.

From The Martha Stewart Show, January 2008

Note: These muffins do not rise THAT much, so feel free to fill the non-stick muffin tin to the top. This will make large, filling muffins.