Quinoa Muffins

We are moving in the next couple of weeks. We have been busy with a garage sale, packing up boxes and sorting through all of our stuff! I am trying to use up as much baking supplies and anything in the pantry that I can, so we don't have to move it all. I have a large supply of quinoa currently, so I have been making hot cereal and salads with it.

I usually exercise first thing in the morning and I need a little something to keep my energy and blood sugar up. Usually I have half a banana or a little cereal. I thought some quinoa in a muffin might be just the combination I need. Quinoa brings a perfect balance of carbohydrate, fiber and protein which works great for blood sugar and energy for exercising. I found some pumpkin in the freezer, so I thought I would add that too for moisture and as a replacement for oil. The result- a moist, low-fat, whole grain, high protein muffin with a hint of cinnamon and pumpkin. The quinoa adds a nutty flavor and some dried fruit would be great in these too. I didn't have any on hand, but dried apricot, cherries, or cranberries would be excellent. Enjoy!

Quinoa Muffins
adapted from Every Day Food

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 tbsp oil
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached which flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup skim milk
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, cherries, diced apricots)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan, bring quinoa and 1 cup of water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cover and cook until water is absorbed in quinoa is tender, about 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.
2. Coat a standard 12-cup muffin pan with non-stick spray. In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and quinoa. Add dried fruit if using.
3. In a small bowl combine milk, egg, pumpkin, oil, and vanilla. Add milk mixture to flour mixture and stir until combined. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups.
4. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Cool muffins on pan for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Per muffin: 126 calories, 2g fat, 22g carbohydrate, 2g dietary fiber, 5g protein