Dried Cherry Pecan Quinoa Muffins—Secret Recipe Club

I loved browsing around my Secret Recipe Club blog these last few weeks.  What great looking food and recipes.  As always, I had a difficult time choosing.  This month my assigned blog was Mellissa’s blog, A Fit and Spicy Life.  Check out her About Me page, but she summed up herself well saying, “I strive to find a balance between healthy foods and the occasional treat, eating healthy food, most if it cooked at home.  You will find me around the Twin Cities (and sometimes world) trying new restaurants, working out, enjoying wine and rarely making the same dish twice.”  She sounds like a great person!  I love finding new-to-me blogs.

Mellissa shares a love for quinoa as do I.  Now if I could just convince the rest of my family how good it is.  Working on it.  In my search of Mellissa’s blog, I found these Quinoa Raisin Muffins and was convinced that is what I needed to make.  Although as soon as I can get my hands on some macadamia nuts, I’m going to make these Paradise Macaroons—coconut macaroons covered in chocolate and sprinkled with chopped macadamia nuts.

I loved the quinoa muffins.  Instead of raisins, I used dried cherries and some pecans.  Before committing to two cups of quinoa, I decided to make just half the recipe.  I will surely make them again, but will probably stick with the half recipe, since I’m the only one here who will eat them.  I enjoyed the muffins for 3-4 days.

Dried Cherry Pecan Quinoa Muffins, by Katrina, Baking and Boys! adapted from Mellissa at A Fit and Spicy Life

1 cup (185 grams) cooked quinoa

2 tablespoons (48 grams) canola oil

1/3 cup (73 grams) light brown sugar

6 tablespoons (3 ounces) skim milk

1/2 a large egg (25 grams or 2 tablespoons)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup (120 grams) whole wheat pastry flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup dried tart cherries, chopped

1/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  If you don’t already have some cooked quinoa, follow the package directions and cook enough for one cup of cooked quinoa, making sure to rinse it well before cooking (about half a cup of dry quinoa).  In a medium-sized bowl, combine the oil, brown sugar, milk, egg and vanilla.   In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Stir the dry ingredients in to the wet mixture and mix well.  Fold in the quinoa, cherries and pecans.  Divide the batter in to 8 muffins in a tin sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake for 20 minutes. 

These are especially good still warm from the oven with a little butter (I use Smart Balance) or reheated.  Get on the quinoa bandwagon! ;)