Quinoa (keen-wah) Muffins

Recipe from Everyday Food magazine and Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Makes 12 muffins

This was my first experience using quinoa. (Information about quinoa is found at the end of thsi recipe.) I saw a picture of these muffins in an Everyday Food magazine and thought I'd give it a try. Jim's been snacking on these for the past couple of days, so they've passed the husband test! These were very easy to make and smelled great while baking. I think they'd be a perfect addition to your lunchbox. The recipe makes just a tad more quinoa than you'll need to make the muffins. The quinoa cooks while you measure the rest of the ingredients. My plan is to try another recipe using quinoa (a salad) and then make extra quinoa when I prep the salad to use for another batch of muffins and use some of the muffin variations listed at the end of this recipe. You'll find quinoa (red and white varieties) in boxes in aisle 3 and in the bulk section at Lost River Market & Deli.

· 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
· 1/4 cup vegetable oil, such as safflower, plus more for pan
· 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
· 3/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar
· 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
· 1 teaspoon salt
· 1/2 cup raisins
· 3/4 cup whole milk
· 1 large egg
· 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan, bring quinoa and 1 cup water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cover, and cook until water has been absorbed and quinoa is tender, 11 to 13 minutes.
Meanwhile, brush a standard 12-cup muffin pan with oil; dust with flour, tapping out excess. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, raisins, and 2 cups cooked quinoa; reserve any leftover quinoa for another use.
In a small bowl, whisk together oil, milk, egg, and vanilla. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, and stir just until combined; divide batter among prepared muffin cups.
Bake until toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool muffins in pan, 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container up to 5 days.

Variations: Add walnuts or almonds. Use dried cranberries or cherries or apricots. Add chocolate chips. One reviewer on the Martha Stewart website said she substituted whole wheat flour and used plain Kafir.

About Quinoa:
Cultivated in South America for thousands of years, quinoa was a cornerstone of the Inca diet. The grain -- which is actually the fruit of the Chenopodium quinoa plant It has an exceptional nutritional profile, which boasts a protein content as rich as milk and an alphabetic list of vitamins and minerals (including B vitamins, and vitamin E, calcium, iron, phosphorus, and potassium). Its gentle nutty flavor and speedy preparation time (it cooks more quickly than rice and is just as easy to make) only heighten its appeal.
The grain is most commonly available in red or white -- each of which grows on a different variety of the plant -- and should be stored in the refrigerator. Red is less prevalent, so if you can't find it use white instead. Either can be served hot or cold and will add a lovely texture to baked goods -- not to mention, of course, a whole roster of nutrients.