Quinoa Banana Muffins - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
1 1/2 bananas
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated maple sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup almond milk
2 cups water
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon flax seed
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
cinnamon (for garnish)

Preparation

Rinse quinoa thoroughly under running water using a fine mesh strainer. Put the rinsed quinoa in a pot and add 2 cups water. Bring up to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cover with a lid. Cook for 15 minutes then remove lid and fluff with a fork. Set aside to cool off.
Mix together the flours, maple sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Stir in 2 cups of the cooked quinoa (reserve the rest to eat another day) and set the bowl of dry ingredients aside. In another bowl, combine the ground flaxseed with the 3 remaining tablespoons of water. Whisk together and let it rest for 5 minutes. The flax and water mixture will become gooey. Add in the almond milk, vanilla, and coconut oil. You may need to warm the coconut oil to liquefy it before mixing it inches Whisk the wet ingredients together, then pour into the dry ingredients all at once. Mix until all the ingredients are just combined.
Spoon out half of the batter into a muffin tin. Use muffin cups if you're pan is prone to sticking. Peel the bananas and cut into 1-inch pieces. Place one piece of banana in the center of each muffin then cover with the rest of the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Sprinkle a little cinnamon on top for extra flavor (optional).
Tip 1: You can find granulated maple sugar at the health food store. If you can't find it, try another substitute such as coconut nectar or just regular brown sugar. Tip 2: If you're wondering about the ground flaxseed and water mixture, it's a vegan substitute for an egg. It works great to gel things together! You can also find ground flaxseed at your local health food store.