Blueberry Muffins

Blueberry Muffins
Excerpted from The Vegetarian's Complete Quinoa Cookbook, by Mairlyn Smith, P.H.Ec. Reprinted with permission of Whitecap Books, 2012.
By Emily Richards, P.H.Ec.
These muffins are brimming with the antioxidant power of blueberries. Use fresh local berries in season or frozen local berries out of season.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup (125 mL) quinoa, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup (185 mL) 1% milk
1 cup (250 mL) whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) baking powder
1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking soda
1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground cardamom
1/3 cup (80 mL) non-hydrogenated margarine
1/2 cup (125 mL) brown sugar, packed
1 omega-3 egg
1 tsp (5 mL) grated lemon rind
2 Tbsp (30 mL) fresh lemon juice
1 cup (250 mL) fresh or frozen blueberries

METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 400F (200C). Line 9 muffin cups in a 12-cup pan with paper liners or spray with canola oil.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the quinoa with the milk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the four, baking powder, baking soda and cardamom.
4. In a large bowl, using a wire whisk or handheld mixer, beat together the non-hydrogenated margarine and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, lemon rind and juice until combined. Stir in the quinoa mixture. Add the flour mixture and stir until moistened. Gently fold in the blueberries.
5. Divide the batter among the 9 muffin cups. Add about 1 Tbsp (15 mL) of water to each empty muffin cup to prevent the pan from warping.
6. Bake in the centre of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of a muffin comes out clean.
7. Set the pan to cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove the muffins from the pan and let them cool completely on the wire rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.

Makes 9 muffins. One serving = 1 muffin

Nutrition per serving
218 calories                   9 g total fat                2 g saturated fat
22 mg cholesterol        192 mg sodium         32 g carbohydrates
3 g fibre                          15 g sugars                 5 g protein