Leftover Quinoa Pancakes

Some mornings, I wake up ravenously hungry.  You would think I had put in a long run the day before but nope, it's just my new lap swimming and walking routine and oh yes, growing twin girls!

Yes unfortunately I'm no longer allowed to run for the duration of my pregnancy, but it has been a surprisingly easy adjustment to slip into swimming laps a few times a week, and maintain gentler yoga and barre-type workouts combined with long dog walks and the occasional easy bike ride.  I'm definitely moving slower these days and at a lower intensity, but I'm pretty much hungry all the time.

heading out to walk and swim...all the while thinking of what to eat for lunch

Often I lay in bed a few minutes after I wake, dreaming up what I'll have for breakfast.  This morning, I couldn't be bothered to cook anything, so I ate a leftover organic veggie patty and spinach from last night's dinner, followed by an umeboshi onigiri an hour later (Japanese snack of sushi rice, seaweed and umeboshi that I could eat everyday).

Yesterday though was a different story.  I wanted pancakes, and as I pondered what kind to make, I remembered the leftover quinoa in the fridge.  I wondered if I could do an easy eggy quinoa pancake, and it turns out--yes!  It's easy, fast, nutritious and pretty filling.  So whether you're toting around a baby or two, or just heading out for your typical active day, you'll appreciate this easy quinoa pancake.

Quinoa Pancake
yields 4

Ingredients:
1-1/4 cup leftover cooked quinoa
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon crystallized honey or date sugar (optional)

Directions:
1.  Mix all ingredients into a bowl.
2.  Heat a pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat and add a spritz of coconut oil or avocado oil or oil of choice.
3.  Spoon batter into the pan, in a circle shape.  I cooked two at once, and ended up with 4 medium pancakes.  Flip once batter is set and golden brown, about 3-4 minutes, and flip for the other side for a remaining 2 minutes.
4.  Serve with honey or syrup or fresh fruit.  Enjoy!

*I drizzled mine with raw honey.  These pancakes soak up moisture fast, so it ended up being a fluffy spongey honey quinoa taste, which I loved.

By late afternoon, it's pretty much reading, resting and cuddle time with Yogi...we're both wishing we had more pancakes

Gluten-Free Morning Glory Muffins

I actually made these up awhile ago; I was inspired by a very delicious muffin I had in San Francisco awhile ago, at the only gluten-free bakery I could find that I could actually have.  It was such a great muffin that I made my husband walk about 4 miles two days in a row to get one, and I'm still regretting not stocking up and freezing some.

Luckily they listed their ingredients online, and though I didn't have all the ingredients, nor did I use the large amount of sugar they definitely did, I was still able to come up with a pretty hearty and tasty morning muffin.  I also love that they fill you up for hours, especially when you bake giant, jumbo-sized ones like I did.

Gluten-Free Morning Glory Muffins

 yields 14 regular muffins or 6 jumbo and 1 mini loaf

Ingredients:

½ cup raisins

1 granny smith apple

3 carrots

1-1/4 cup gluten-free oat flour

1 cup brown rice flour

2 tablespoons tapioca flour

½ cup sucanat or coconut sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

 1-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/3 cup chopped pumpkin seeds or walnuts

1/3 cup sunflower seeds

3 eggs

2/3 cup avocado oil or melted coconut oil

2 teapsoons pure vanilla extract

¼ cup orange juice

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 375°F.  Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin or 6-cup jumbo tin with coconut oil or line it and spray the insides of the muffin cups.

2.  In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup raisins with hot water, and set aside to soak.

3.  Cut a apple into 5-6 pieces and place in food processor with 3 medium carrots and pulse until chopped pretty fine.

4.  Stir dry ingredients together.  Add drained raisins, carrot and apple to bowl, along with coconut, walnuts and sunflower seeds.

5.  Whisk eggs, oil, vanilla and juice and add to the above mixture, mixing just until combined.  Fill each muffin cup almost to the top and bake for 20-25 minutes for regular muffins or 30-34 min for jumbo, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

6.  Cool several minutes on a wire rack, and enjoy!