Quinoa Muffins

The original recipe came from good 'ole Martha Stewart. I altered it a bit, so here is my version of it:

*these are so good with butter or jam on them! They are easy to make ahead and freeze. They make a good quick hearty breakfast and have lots of protein.

1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups whole wheat flour (white will work fine too)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

2 tsp cinnamon
handful of raisins (it is all I had, you can add more or omit)
3/4 cup warm water plus 4 heaps of powdered milk whisked together

1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse quinoa well. It has a coating on it that will taste bitter if not rinsed well. 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.

Meanwhile, combine all wet ingredients. Whisk together. Add all dry ingredients. Stir until incorporated. Add 2 cups cooked quinoa. Mix together well, but dont over mix. Divide into muffin pans
Bake until toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container up to 5 days. These freeze well too.

Dont let quinoa scare you. It is easy to find. I have seen it at Winco and Broulims carries organic quinoa too.

Here are some interesting facts about quinoa. I have been reading a little about it lately, and what I have found is bottom line: this stuff is good for you. This is what wikipedia has to say about it:

Quinoa was of great nutritional importance in pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, being secondary only to the potato, and followed in third place by maize. In contemporary times this crop has come to be highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (12%–18%), making it a healthy choice for vegetarians and vegans. Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source.[5] It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten free and considered easy to digest. Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being considered as a possible crop in NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long-duration manned spaceflights.[5]