One of my favorite grains to eat is quinoa, and for some reason I go through phases when I do not eat it but then there are the times when I just eat quinoa for every meal: as a hot cereal breakfast with almond milk and berries, as a side dish, or topped with eggs for dinner. This delicious grain is so versatile that almost any recipe that requires grains can be adapted to quinoa. But let's face it, one of quinoa's cons is its "portability".
Kind of hard to munch on quinoa while on the go. And this is where making it as a muffin comes into play.
Kind of hard to munch on quinoa while on the go. And this is where making it as a muffin comes into play.
This protein packed friend not only absorbs flavors beautifully but also absorbs liquids beautifully, and when you add quinoa + wet ingredients you will have a mix that will hold its shape very nicely, and will allow you to eat these muffins on the go!
Now, even muffins can be B O R I N G! And this is where quinoa's ability to absorbs flavors come into play because you can seriously go crazy with flavors combinations to suit your taste buds. For this particular recipe I went with flavor and heat by adding thai chili garlic paste to the mixture to bring on the heat. I buy my chili garlic paste at a Asian food market but you can also make it yourself. HERE is a good recipe for making your own.
The recipe for these muffins is pretty simple and will not disappoint you. The results are little bundles of warm deliciousness (thank you chili garlic paste... I ♥ you!) and packed with flavors. Not only are they tasty but also you can make them and freeze them for later! I love recipes like this! Give it a try! You won't be disappointed.
THAI CHILI GARLIC QUINOA MUFFINS
by Maria
Ingredients:
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3 cups of red quinoa (I prefer the nutty taste of the red variety for this recipe)
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1/2 cup whole wheat panko crumbs
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1/3 cup of three cheese mix (you can skip this ingredient if desired)
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2 large eggs
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2 tbsp. Thai chili garlic paste
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2 cloves of garlic, pressed
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3-4 green onions, chopped but not too small; I like the texture and the color it adds to the dish.
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2 tbsp. of a combination of parsley and cilantro leaves, chopped
Steps
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Meanwhile spray a muffin tin (12 muffins cups) with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a large bowl mix all the ingredients ensuring it is well mix. You will end up with a sticky mix that will maintain a good shape if you press it into a ball.
3. Fill each muffin cup ensuring you pack it in well until it is filled to the top. Use your fingers for this; works better than a spoon.
4. Bake for 25 minutes keeping an eye that they do not turn too brown. Once done remove from oven and let it cool. Once they are cooled for about 5 minutes, get them out of the tins and serve.
Enjoy!
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We love quinoa and these muffins look TERRIFIC
ReplyDeleteI have no doubt they'd be a hit with my family
Pinning
I love quinoa! Pinning ;)
ReplyDeleteYum! I love quinoa in muffin form or otherwise, but have never thought of making a savory quinoa muffin. Genius!
ReplyDeleteI love your hearty, wholesome recipe for Thai Garlic Chili Muffins.So spicy and delicious! In my case, I would simply substitute the eggs with chia seeds or flaxseed vegan egg substitutes and skip the cheese. Thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe on the Healthy, Happy, Green & Natural Blog Hop! I appreciate it!
ReplyDeleteAll the best, Deborah
Deborah, great point and one I failed to address in the post. You can skip the cheese and it really still taste really good. I just happen to love cheese and wanted to add something extra. :D
DeleteThis recipe looks amazing!! Def pinning! I wonder what I could use as a gf substitute for the panko?
ReplyDeleteJill, the panko in this recipe is more as a binder (when combined with the wet ingredients) than anything else, so I am thinking if you blitz GF bread on a food processor until you get that crumb shape and then put it in the over for a while (to get that crunchy crumb effect} it will probably work.
DeleteSmart idea! I recently started a "Shaping Up For Summer" link-up, which will run every Saturday through May, and I would LOVE it if you wanted to link up your fitness posts. Hope to see you there!
ReplyDeleteThese look delicious and they are so high in protein too. Thanks for sharing your muffins with us on foodie friday.
ReplyDelete