Happy Valentines day!! A savory but yet sweet healthy dish for breakfast.
This is my first try making muffins with quinoa and vegetables. I found a good book on whole foods and adapted this recipe with some modifications from one listed in the book which was for herbed black quinoa muffins. This is a protein and fiber rich kid friendly breakfast.
Ingredients:
White quinoa - 1/4 cup
Yogurt /curd - 1/4 cup
Regular milk - 1/4 cup
Oil of choice - 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp
Onion - 1 medium chopped
Salt - as needed
Dried rosemary - 1 tsp
Paprika - 1 tsp
Whole wheat flour - 1 1/2 cups
Baking powder - 1 tbsp
Baking soda - 1/4 tsp
Sweet potato - 1 cup mashed
Water - 1 cup
Vinegar - 2 tsps
Soy sauce - 1 tsp
Preparing the quinoa:
Soak the quinoa for about 12-24 hours. Rinse the quinoa and place it in a pot with about 1/4 cup of water to cook on stove top. Cook on high with a small pinch of salt until the water boils then reduce heat to low for another 10-15 minutes until done. Turn off heat and let it rest covered for 10 minutes off the heat.
Preparing sweet potato:
Wash and cut one medium sweet potato into 6-8 pieces. Then place in a microwave bowl or pan with water to steam cook. Cook until it is soft and the skin peels off easily. If in microwave cook in high for 4 minutes. Peel skin and mash to a smooth paste.
To make the muffins:
In a bowl whisk the yogurt and milk together and let it thicken until the onion is ready.
Heat a skillet and add 1 tbsp oil and saute the onions with a little until brown with a little salt, rosemary and paprika.Remove from heat and set aside.
Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda in a bowl. Add the sweet potato, soy sauce, vinegar and water, a little salt to the yogurt-milk mixture and whisk to a smoth paste. Add the 1/4 cup oil and flour to this sweet potato mixture. Using a rubber spatula to stir mixture gently and add the about 3/4th of the cooked quinoa and onions to this. Whisk the mixture lightly.
Place the mixture in greased muffin cups upto the top. Garnish each muffin with the rest of the cooked quinoa and bake for about 40 - 45 minutes or until done.
Once done remove muffins and let it rest for a few minutes before taking it off the baking pan. Serve once cool as such or warm with butter. Can be refrigerated for a week.
Tips:
1. I soaked quinoa for about 24 hours which initiated some sprouting. Quinoa is healthier when used after soaking and sprouting. Since grains and legumes have phytic acid which can bind with minerals in food and prevent its absorption by the body. So a diet rich in whole grain and legumes can lead to deficiency of these nutrients. Soaking and sprouting initiates phytase which can break down the acid and prevent this.
2. The original recipe used flax seeds instead of yogurt/curd and black quinoa instead of the white.
3. Other spices like fresh ginger, sage or thyme could be used.
This is my first try making muffins with quinoa and vegetables. I found a good book on whole foods and adapted this recipe with some modifications from one listed in the book which was for herbed black quinoa muffins. This is a protein and fiber rich kid friendly breakfast.
Ingredients:
White quinoa - 1/4 cup
Yogurt /curd - 1/4 cup
Regular milk - 1/4 cup
Oil of choice - 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp
Onion - 1 medium chopped
Salt - as needed
Dried rosemary - 1 tsp
Paprika - 1 tsp
Whole wheat flour - 1 1/2 cups
Baking powder - 1 tbsp
Baking soda - 1/4 tsp
Sweet potato - 1 cup mashed
Water - 1 cup
Vinegar - 2 tsps
Soy sauce - 1 tsp
Preparing the quinoa:
Soak the quinoa for about 12-24 hours. Rinse the quinoa and place it in a pot with about 1/4 cup of water to cook on stove top. Cook on high with a small pinch of salt until the water boils then reduce heat to low for another 10-15 minutes until done. Turn off heat and let it rest covered for 10 minutes off the heat.
Preparing sweet potato:
Wash and cut one medium sweet potato into 6-8 pieces. Then place in a microwave bowl or pan with water to steam cook. Cook until it is soft and the skin peels off easily. If in microwave cook in high for 4 minutes. Peel skin and mash to a smooth paste.
To make the muffins:
In a bowl whisk the yogurt and milk together and let it thicken until the onion is ready.
Heat a skillet and add 1 tbsp oil and saute the onions with a little until brown with a little salt, rosemary and paprika.Remove from heat and set aside.
Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda in a bowl. Add the sweet potato, soy sauce, vinegar and water, a little salt to the yogurt-milk mixture and whisk to a smoth paste. Add the 1/4 cup oil and flour to this sweet potato mixture. Using a rubber spatula to stir mixture gently and add the about 3/4th of the cooked quinoa and onions to this. Whisk the mixture lightly.
Place the mixture in greased muffin cups upto the top. Garnish each muffin with the rest of the cooked quinoa and bake for about 40 - 45 minutes or until done.
Once done remove muffins and let it rest for a few minutes before taking it off the baking pan. Serve once cool as such or warm with butter. Can be refrigerated for a week.
Tips:
1. I soaked quinoa for about 24 hours which initiated some sprouting. Quinoa is healthier when used after soaking and sprouting. Since grains and legumes have phytic acid which can bind with minerals in food and prevent its absorption by the body. So a diet rich in whole grain and legumes can lead to deficiency of these nutrients. Soaking and sprouting initiates phytase which can break down the acid and prevent this.
2. The original recipe used flax seeds instead of yogurt/curd and black quinoa instead of the white.
3. Other spices like fresh ginger, sage or thyme could be used.
