Quinoa Carob Blueberry Muffins

Why are photos of fresh food and unique recipes so enticing? Why do I find myself spending hours upon hours of my life keeping up with my favorite food blogs? There is something about beautiful food, not to mention fresh food, and healthy recipes. It's a hobby I guess, but really it's more like daily inspiration. I think it is a sense of support, or community. When you can check up on new recipes, and create ones of your own... you are participating in a greater audience than yourself. I would encourage anyone that is taking the gluten-free jump to investigate recipes from food bloggers and experiment with new foods. It will give you a sense of support and have you coming back for more. And probably you will learn a lot of how to cook, bake and eat gluten-free with real flavor and healing nutrients...

Kinda like quinoa, carob, blueberry muffins. Yeah, these muffins may be a huge stretch for the conventional American eater. I mean, who knows what quinoa is until you are interested in gluten-free, or vegetarian menus. And carob... what is that anyways. Eating real food may be a learning curve for a while, and you may need months, or years to learn new habits in the kitchen, but I bet you won't regret it. So don't be afraid to learn, ask questions, and you may need to make google your best friend to research new ingredients.

These muffins were created out of what I had left in the cupboard one day. Some quinoa, some carob and then some fresh berries in the fridge. That is the kind of baker I guess I am...I like to use up the ingredients I have on hand and be resourceful with what I have available and what is in season. So, a yummy nutritious muffin made it's way to the mixing bowl....yum! I like to think they are beautiful as well... the blueberries are so perfectly blue and delicious looking. Almost like gumdrops on top of a cupcake.

Quinoa Carob Blueberry Muffin Recipe

3/4 cup quinoa flour (or grind the whole quinoa in a coffee grinder or small food processor)

3/4 cup of almond meal flour (or if you can't do nuts then try, GF oat flour )

1/2 cup of white rice flour

1 1/2 ts. of baking powder

1/4 cup of carob powder

1/2 cup of sucanat

1/2 cup of applesauce

1 TB. fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup light olive oil

1/2 cup of So Delicious coconut milk beverage (add more if you need a tad more liquid)

2 farm fresh eggs

1 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries

Mix all of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. You can use whole almonds and whole quinoa, just grind them in a coffee grinder or small food processor to get a flour like consistency. Or if you have almond meal flour on hand, or quinoa flour on hand... those will obviously work as well. If you are trying to avoid nuts in this recipe, then substitute the almond meal for GF oats or millet flour. Then mix in the wet ingredients and mix well before adding the blueberries. I added 1 cup of berries to the batter, and saved about 1/2 cup to decorate the tops of the muffins before baking. This recipe will make about 12 large muffins. Bake in a pre-heated oven of 350 degrees for about 22-25 minutes. Check to see if the muffins have been baked all the way through with a pic.

Then enjoy warm, or freeze half of them (I froze half to start storing up some GF goodies in the freezer for after my baby is born). I know... crazy that I am thinking ahead... but I do love how easy it is to pull out a nutritious gluten-free baked good from the freezer to enjoy on a weekly basis. These would be a perfect breakfast or snack and who doesn't like a hearty healthy muffin to start their day?! I hope you enjoy and find your experimental spirit in the kitchen today.

Much love to you!

xoxo

Stephanie