Good morning! & happy Friday :)

Boy, am I excited to share this recipe with you! My tummy is so so happy at the moment, digesting the delicious and highly-nutritious breakfast I just fed it. I am fueled up for some Friday fun!

Ever since I discovered my love for the psuedograin quinoa, I can’t get enough of it. It’s ideal for my vegetarian college diet as it’s super quick to prepare and loaded with protein. I eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner weekly. Last night I made a pot [2 c. water + 1 c. quinoa] and had plenty of leftovers.

Then I started dreaming of pancakes. See where this is going!?  

 

Quinoa ‘Cakes

recipe inspiration a la FitSugar.

• 1 c. cooked quinoa

• 3/4 c. whole wheat flour

• 2 tsp. baking powder

• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp. course salt

• 1 large egg + plus 1 large egg white

• 1T canola oil

• 1/2 tsp. vanilla

• 1/4 c. + 2T  unsweetened vanilla almond milk

• 2T pure maple syrup, plus more for serving

In a medium bowl, whisk together quinoa, flour, baking powder, cinnamon + salt. In another medium bowl, whisk together egg, egg white, oil, vanilla, milk, and syrup until smooth. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and whisk to combine.

Lightly coat a skillet or griddle with chlorofluorocarbon-free canola oil spray and heat over medium-high. Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls into skillet. Cook until bubbles appear on top, 2 minutes. Flip cakes and cook until golden brown on underside, 2 minutes. Wipe skillet clean and repeat (reduce heat to medium if overbrowning). Serve ‘em up with your heart’s desire: maple syrup, banana, chia and walnuts!

Oh, my! BEST pancakes to date (despite their burnt appearance). These are incredible: fluffy, slightly crunchy, mildly sweet – yum! The cinnamon and vanilla were excellent additions to the original recipe.

Nutrition Note:

Research has linked cinnamon with helping lower blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels in people with type 2 diabetes, and a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that adding the spice to rice pudding even helped tame blood sugar in people without diabetes. Cinnamon also contains polyphenols, antioxidants that create healthier arteries and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. In addition, cinnamon benefits include an energizing scent that has also been found to help increase alertness.

Source: Women’s Health, Cinnamon’s Health Benefits

I was thrilled when I came across this article the other day. Oddly enough, I’ve been adding cinnamon to everything lately (i.e. I’m drinking a glass of cinnamon-spiked iced coffee as I type)!

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Now go cook up a pot of quinoa, so you can flip a few of these flapjacks tomorrow morning… and, if you haven’t already done so, enter my oatmeal on the run GIVEAWAY.

Have a tasty day! :)

Hill