Cooking with Quinoa- Part 2

Last night I introduced my step-teenagers to quinoa. They ate it. They didn't make nasty comments about it, and they actually liked it (or so they said they did). We ended up with extra though, so I wanted to transform it into something tasty. Leftovers are not necessarily consumed with gusto in my house, so I knew I had to transform the quinoa into something where it would be disguised, but we could still enjoy the texture and slightly nutty flavor. Its still been quite warm, but I knew I wanted to bake. Mini-muffins to the rescue! They're bite-sized and quick-cooking, and perfect for little and big hands alike. I adapted my recipe from this one by Martha Stewart.

Apple Cinnamon Quinoa Muffins
Makes 24 mini-muffins and 12 regular muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup grated apple
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 c dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 c whole milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


Directions: Preheat your oven to 350 F. Prepare your muffin tins. I used non-stick spray for my mini tins and used liners for my regular tins. I only have 2 12-count mini muffin tins, I used the rest of the batter in a standard muffin tins to get it all baked off. It was 10 am and already 85 degrees outside, so I wasn't going to leave my oven on any longer than absolutely necessary. Next time I go to the restaurant supply store, I'm picking up more mini-tins so I won't have this problem.
This is a fairly simple muffin batter, I used a bowl with a whisk and a wooden spoon, instead of electric tools. First, grate your apples. I ended up using 2, a Granny Smith and a Fuji, but you could use whatever you have on hand. Mix the grated apple, quinoa, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices together. Whisk oil, milk, egg and vanilla together, and stir into your dry ingredients until combined. Scoop your batter into your muffin tins. I sprinkled a bit of cinnamon sugar onto each before baking, although this step is completely optional but adds a nice crust to the top of the muffin, along with a little additional sweetness. Bake about 20 minutes for the minis and about 30-35 for standard size, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

These muffins are tasty, and I couldn't hardly wait for them to cool before popping one into my mouth. They are denser than some, but have a pleasant chewy texture and aren't too sweet, so you feel good about eating more than one. The quinoa adds to the heartiness if the muffin, and the cinnamon sugar makes the perfect topping, keeping this muffin light but filling.