I’ve been trying to cut back on gluten in my life. Laughable, right? I bake nearly every day and I LOVE gluten. The more I look into gluten free options, the more I realise how hard it is to cut it out of your diet.
I’m not doing too badly – I don’t miss bread as much as I thought I would; I actually have to have a think about the things I put into my body; I’m enjoying the challenge of looking for alternatives.
But I like soy sauce, I like chocolate and lollies, I like oats! But most of all, I like the versatility of flour – it’s in cakes, pastries, cereals, gravies, my mother’s delicious omelette and most of the foods I like to eat.
I’m developing a taste for gluten free bread and am experimenting with lots of different non-wheat flours. It’s not impossible, you just have to pay a little more attention to your food. That’s why this delicious brekkie muffin is going to be on regular rotation – I know that it’s simple, delicious, packed with good nutrients and uses up left over quinoa.
Quinoa breakfast cups:
Makes 12
- 1 cup quinoa, cooked
- ¾ cup parmesan
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup baby spinach leaves
- ½ cup roasted pepper
Cook your quinoa according to the instructions on the packet*. If you’re using leftover quinoa, warm it up.
Preheat your oven to 180°C and grease a 12 hole cupcake tin.
Add the parmesan and garlic to the warm quinoa and mix until all of the cheese has melted. Crack the eggs straight into the mixture and mix them in thoroughly. Chop the baby spinach and roasted pepper into small pieces and mix them in as well.
Scoop about two tablespoons of mixture into your cupcake moulds. Try to shape them a little, because this mixture does not expand or smooth out – it will cook in whatever shape you plonk it down in.
Bake for 20-23 minutes, until the edges start to brown.
Enjoy with a fresh glass of orange juice and a sense of accomplishment, because this is one super healthy breakfast! Add a side of garlic mushrooms for an extra kick of Vitamin D and antioxidants.
* If your packet doesn’t have instructions, it’s generally safest to soak 1 cup of uncooked quinoa in 1.5 cups of cold water for ten minutes, then bring them to a boil and simmer with the lid on for ten minutes. You may need to add some extra water as it’s simmering, so keep an eye on it.
Take it off the heat when the water has evaporated and fluff up the quinoa with a fork. Let it rest for a further 10 minutes and fluff up again.
I’ve recently attempted the gluten free train too, but sadly failed not 24 hrs after it began, I just can’t not eat bread 😛
But this looks like a great little recipe to keep my gluten intake at a minimum 🙂 great post again Gab! Xx
Best of luck going gluten free, it can be challenging but there are so many different types of flours that don’t contain gluten that are perfectly delicious. I actually love spelt and oat flour. The muffins are wonderful!
All my admiration Gab, even though I love quinoa or all the other cereals without gluten, I think i could’t be able to cut back on gluten from my ordinary diet…
Haha it’s definitely a challenge. There will be gluten-filled goodies on the blog all this week, so I’m a long way from completely cutting it out of my diet!
These look great! I’m not gluten free, but I often find myself eating that way just because I like it and like to give my body the occasional break. I eat quinoa nearly every day, these look fun! Looking forward to reading more from you 🙂
I completely agree – sometimes it’s good to let your body have a bit of a break! Thanks for commenting 🙂