Leftover quinoa finds its way into waffles

Cooked multi-colored quinoa

Multi-grain waffles with quinoa & blueberries

I make quinoa a lot. I use it as a base to savory dishes. Forget pasta I use quinoa. It replaces brown rice even when I make stir-frys. For lunch, I simply treat it like lettuce. I dress it with a homemade vinaigrette and toss it with whatever ingredients I like in salads. Quinoa is filling, nutritious and versatile. Like rice, it soaks up flavor. But unlike rice, it's gluten free and provides all 9 essential amino acids which makes it a complete protein. It's great for all of the vegans and vegetarians out there who need non-animal sources protein. However, I am neither and I still incorporate this superfood into my diet on a regular basis. Full of fiber, this little whole grain looks like a seed but once cooked fluffs up into a hearty, earthy tasting wonder.

I had leftover multi-colored quinoa so I decided to put it into waffles. I don't remember where I found this recipe but I think it's a keeper. These aren't your traditional waffles; they are waffles that provide a little something extra. Maybe it's flavor, cruch or wholesome goodness. To me it's all 3 and more!

Multigrain Quinoa Blueberry Waffles


3 eggs, beaten
1 2/3 cups nonfat milk or lowfat buttermilk
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup cooked multi-colored quinoa (see note)
½ cup blueberries (fresh or defrosted frozen blueberries)
Grade A or B pure maple syrup

Preparation:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the wet ingredients together. In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and combine them with a fork. Gently stir in the cooked quinoa and blueberries. Don’t overmix. The batter should be on the thin side or the waffles will be too cakey. If batter is too thick, add a few tablespoons of warm water or milk to thin.

2. Coat waffle iron with cooking spray, heat up iron and cook according to your waffle iron’s instructions. Serve warm with grade A or B maple syrup.

Note: to cook quinoa, in a small saucepan bring just over ¾ cup of water to a boil. Once boiling, add ¼ cup quinoa. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until water has absorbed.

Makes 8 waffles

Recipe adapted from somewhere unknown ;)

Irresistible oatcakes

I have been eying this recipe for some time now. It a recipe for oatcakes, whatever those might be, from Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Every Day cookbook. Heidi's stunning photography and off the beaten path recipes captured my heart a long time ago when she started sharing her creations on her website 101cookbook.com. She has since published two cookbooks full of recipes that won't disappoint especially if you enjoy food that comes from the earth.

These oatcakes are a touch sweet and a little more than a touch salty. They are crunchy, oaty, slightly reminiscent of homemade oatmeal raisin cookies from my childhood and like Heidi says shaped like a hockey puck. This is not your average cupcake or muffin. You will just have to try out the recipe for yourself to see why they are so truly irresistible.

Oat Cakes
Ingredients:
• 3 cups rolled oats (not quick cooking oats)
• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or spelt flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ¼ cup chia seeds or whole flax seeds
• ¾ cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
• ¾ cup pure maple syrup
• ½ cup natural cane sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, beaten


Preparation:


1. Preheat oven to 325°. Butter/spray a standard 12-cup muffin pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, flour, baking powder, salt, chia seeds and walnuts.
3. In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the butter, maple syrup, sugar and vanilla extract. Slowly melt together. Stir just until the butter melts and sugar has dissolved. Don’t let the mixture get too hot.
4. Pour butter mixture over the oat mixture. Stir a bit with a spatula, add the beaten eggs and stir again until everything comes together in a wet dough. Using a standard size ice cream scoop with a release lever, portion dough into the muffin cups, nearly filling them to the top.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the edges of each cake are deeply golden. Remove from oven, let cool for a few minutes before running a knife around the edges of the cakes. Tip them out of the muffin pan and onto a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve warm or at room temp.


Note: as they sit, stored in a sealed container, the cakes become more of a pull apart treat rather than biting into them like you would a cupcake. I free leftovers and reheat as needed.


Makes 16


Source: recipe slightly adapted from Super Natural Every Day

Nutrition per serving: 294 calories; 12 g fat; 4 g saturated fat; 40 g carbohydrate; 5 g fiber; 7 g protein; 306 mg sodium