Quinoa Carrot Muffins

I first stumbled upon this recipe here:

http://www.joyoushealth.ca/2011/09/20/quinoa-carrot-spice-muffins-gluten-free/

So far I've only made it once and only slightly changed it but am certainly putting this one aside as a keeper, you know when the kid devours one and asks for another that it was a hit!

Quinoa Carrot Muffins
1 1/3 cup quinoa flour (now, I screwed up and dumped in Kamut flour - next time will use the Quinoa since I love the stuff, but the Kamut was equally pleasing!)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2/3 cup soaked raisins (to plump them back up - soak for 10-20 minutes and then pour off the water before using)
(at this point I also added a few things of my own: 1/2 tsp nutmeg and 1/3 cup sesame seeds)
Mix all of the dry ingredients
In a separate bowl mix:
2 eggs (or 2 tsp chia with 6 tbsp water - let sit for 5 minutes to gel)
2/3 cup coconut sugar (next time I may slightly decrease this amount)
2/3 c plain yogurt or 1/2 cup of almond milk (I used 1/2 cup rice milk since it was open)
2 1/4 cup grated carrot

Mix the dry and the liquid ingredients together and pour into greased muffin tins (makes 12-15 muffins)
Bake at 350 for approximately 20-24 minutes

Enjoy!

Being kid approved means I just scored one more item that I can put into her lunchbox and know that she will eat it.

Update and Quinoa Cookie Recipe

So, a quick update on this elimination diet. I am still holding off on adding a lot of items back in and have actually removed a few more which seem to be possible offenders.

With doing this elimination diet I have been fairly diligent in keeping track of what I am eating and by doing so seem to be finding a few more items that may be contributing to my eczema.

It is still not fully cleared, however it is way better than it was and I have not had any more flare ups since last weekend when I noticed the few more offenders.

Nightshades have now been completely removed. You may be asking yourself, what are nightshades?

Well, let’s sum this up:

Nightshades, also known as Solanaceae family are mainly – Potatoes, Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, Eggplant, which also include such items as pimento, papricka, cayenne, Tabasco, tobacco and morning glory plants.

If nightshades are an issue it would explain why this eczema got progressively worse when I was in early high school (as I smoked), although I quit smoking years ago (10-11 years ago) my diet has changed and I tend to consume a lot of the offending nightshade foods.

This is not a definite diagnosis, at this point it is a suspicion. I have also eliminated bananas and lemon to ensure they are not an issue but have shown no issues with almonds, coffee and dark chocolate….ok so I have my priorities and as always there is room for improvement here but I still love my comforting cup of java and had decided I wanted that comfort back and if the worst of my habits is a caffeine addiction, well, for right now I'll take it....and enjoy it!

Recipe post of the weekend, Quinoa Cookies!
My teacher at school sent out this link a few weeks ago:
http://www.peggyk.com/recipes/peggys-quinoa-cookies/

So, this weekend I decided to test it out and made a few variations, which I actually plan to vary again the next time because lets face it, who really likes to follow the rules, let alone someone else's directions when you can put your own mark on it.

Here is my version (which is not that different, yet!) - makes 24-30 depending on your drop size

Preheat oven to 375
Cream together the following:
Mash 4 bananas (mine were frozen/thawed so a bit too liquidy)
1 scoop of chia seeds (optional)
1 tsp pure vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c coconut sugar (palm sugar) (will decrease next time)
1/4 c almond butter (optional)

Add
1 cup cooked Quinoa
1 cup oatmeal flakes (or quinoa flakes if gluten intolerant)
1 cup unsweetened coconut
pinch of sea salt
1/4 cup hemp seeds (optional)

Mix all together then add
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Instead of chocolate chips you could do the following variations:
1 - add 1/4 cup of cacao powder instead and make them chocolate cookies
2 - 1/4 cup raisins and 1/4 cup of raw walnuts or nut of choice

Drop by spoonfuls on parchment or silicone lined baking pans and bake for approximately 30 minutes

Enjoy!

These are gluten free (if omitting the oats) dairy free, egg free and low in sugar.

Coconut sugar is low glycemic therefore does not send you on such a roller coaster sugar effect, therefore better for you.

Quinoa is actually a seed, although it has all of the regular characterics of a grain. It cooks like a grain, you utilize it like a grain and it looks like a grain.

Quinoa ia a complete protein, it is a great source of magnesium and manganese. It is high in fibre, a great source of minerals, vitamin E and B2. Quinoa is gluten free and an excellent protein source for vegans.

If you happen to check out Peggy's link to the cookie recipe she notes that you can utilize this recipe in 3 ways, as a cookie, as a breakfast cereal and as a pancake. All fantastic ideas. I had a hard time getting the cookies into the oven as I quite enjoyed the cookie dough.

p.s. I borrowed the cookie photo from Peggy's site

Happy Baking!

Chia Apple Pumpkin Muffins

I was perusing the internet this morning and stumbled upon a recipe for Chia Pumpkin Muffins. Since I still had some leftover pumpkin in the fridge I thought I would adapt this recipe to what I had on hand, since following someone’s else’s instructions doesn’t always work for me!

These muffins are not only gluten free but they are a good protein and fibre source and are moist and delicious!

Apple Pumpkin Chia Seed Muffins

• 1 cup pureed pumpkin (canned organic works, just be sure its pure pumpkin)
• 1 cup applesauce (unsweetened), I had some homemade in the freezer
• 1 Tbsp chia seeds (ground in the coffee grinder)
• ½ cup brown rice flour
• ½ cup quinoa flour
• ½ cup tapioca starch
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 2 eggs (or substitute)
• ¼ cup coconut oil (melted)
• ½ cup pure maple syrup (may decrease to ¼ cup next time)
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup chopped nuts are optional (since I plan on sending these to school, I had to sadly omit the nuts)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350
• Mix all ingredients together
• Spoon into lined muffin cups
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until done (when toothpick inserted comes out clean)

I just baked these and all I can say is heaven on a Sunday morning! Yummy!

Nutritional highlights:

• Quinoa – not only is this gluten free, it also has a high protein content as it contains all of the essential amino acids. It is an excellent source of fibre and magnesium as well as a good source of minerals. It has a slight nutty flavor, which pairs well in this recipe.
• Chia seeds – a whole food that is an excellent source of essential fatty acids, high in fibre and contains protein too! It is better known as a “super food”
• Pure maple syrup and honey are used as sweeteners in this recipe as they are a natural sweetener, better for you than processed white sugars.

Apples and pumpkin spices have fall written all over it, paired with a cup of tea these muffins would have a perfect match.