Cinnamon Breakfast Quinoa

1 cup  milk
1 cup water
1 cup quinoa, (hs note: rinse quinoa)
2 cups fresh blackberries
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted*
4 teaspoons agave nectar or maple syrup

Combine milk, water and quinoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Turn off heat; let stand covered 5 minutes. Stir in blackberries and cinnamon; transfer to four bowls and top with pecans. Drizzle 1 teaspoon agave nectar over each serving.

Serves 4.

*While the quinoa cooks, roast the pecans in a 350F degree toaster oven for 5 to 6 minutes or in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes.

Recipe taken entirely from 101 Cookbooks. 

Glorious Morning Muffins

2 eggs or equivalent of egg replacement powder
3/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
1/2-1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1.5 cups shredded carrots
1 cup shredded peeled apple
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup raisins
3/4 cup sliced almonds

Heat oven to 350. Prepare muffin tins with liners or by greasing them. In a large bowl mix egg, apple sauce, milk & vanilla. Add flour brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in carrots, apple, coconut, raisins and 1/2 cup almonds.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup almonds over batter. Bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes.

Recipe adapted from Gold Medal Flour. 

Banana flax walnut muffins

2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or 1/2 wheat, 1/2 white)

1/2 cup raw sugar

3 tablespoons flax meal

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 overripe bananas, mashed

1 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 1/4 cup water

1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat over to 350 degrees and grease muffin tins. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, flax meal, and salt until well combined. Add mashed bananas and continue to mix until mostly incorporated. 

Add maple syrup to water and stir until mostly dissolved.

Make two wells in the bowl (i used the back of a tablespoon) and pour vinegar in one and oil in the other. pour water mixture over everything and stir until just combined.

Fill muffin tins until 3/4 full and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

yields 12 large muffins (can stretch it out and make 18 smaller muffins)

Recipe taken from Girl Who Bakes.

Granola

5 cups rolled oats
3 cups mixed nuts and seed (sunflower, chopped walnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews & sesame seeds)
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2-1 cup honey or maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla (optional)
1-1 1/2 cups raisins to shopped dried fruit
salt

Preheat the oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, except raisins, and sprinkle with a little bit of salt. Toss well. Spread mixture on rimmed baking sheet and bake 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The granola should brown evenly: the darker it gets without burning, the crunchier it will be.

Remove pan from oven and add raisins. Cool on a rack, stirring now and then until the granola reaches room temperature. Put in sealed container and store in refrigerator; it will keep indefinitely.

Recipe taken from Food Matters, by Mark Bittman. 

Whole Wheat Carrot Cake Muffins

Carrot Cake Muffins
Slightly adapted from Fannetastic Food.
Makes 12 muffins

Dry:


1 1/2 c whole wheat pastry flour (or 3/4 c wheat & 3/4 c all-purpose flour)
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c shopped walnuts
1/4 c raisins
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Wet: 


1 1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
1 c shredded carrots (generous)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix wet & dry ingredients separately, then combine. Stir until just mixed. Put into greased muffin tins and bake 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Whole Wheat Poppy Seed Muffins

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Slightly adapted from Not the Normal Teenage Fare
Makes 6

1 Tbsp poppy seeds
1 tsp grated lemon zest
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 c non-dairy milk
1 c whole wheat pastry flour (or 1/2 c wheat 1/2 c white flour)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp maple syrup
1/4 c unsweetened applesauce
2 Tbsp sugar

Preheat oven to 355degree. Mix wet ingredients & dry ingredients separately, then combine. Don't over mix.

Divide between 6 muffin cups or 12 mini muffin cups, that have been oiled or have paper liners.

Bake about 18 minutes (for normal minutes) or 10-12 minutes (for mini muffins), or until a toothpick comes out clean.