To continue on with our popular Magnesium-Rich Quinoa Recipes, I thought I might dabble in some more gluten-free recipes that are both tasty as well as nutritious. For the most part, these are also Paleo-friendly as well, barring a couple of easily substituted ingredients.
This time, I thought to add on a little bit of dessert for all of you chocolate lovers out there. Chocolate, as well as almonds (which are also in the dessert recipe) are magnesium-rich foods – hurray! – so you don’t have to feel too guilty in eating it.
Enjoy!
Brunch
Quinoa Asparagus Breakfast Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup of quinoa
- 1 and 1/2 cups of water (purified)
- 2 tbsp of coconut oil
- 1 garlic glove, cut up into large slices
- 1/8 cup chopped parsley
- 2 bundles of asparagus cut into small pieces (only use the top 1/3 of the asparagus)
- 1 lemon, zested
- 2/3 cup of dry white wine
- 1 and 1/2 cups of finely grated parmesan cheese (preferably fresh)
- 2 tbsp of pastured butter
- 1 organic pastured egg, beaten
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- prosciutto or bacon for the topping, cut into small pieces (as much as you prefer)
Instructions
Cook quinoa. (See Cooking with Quinoa)
Transfer quinoa to a bowl and add 2 Tbsp of butter, stirring until well incorporated. Allow to cool.
While the quinoa is cooking…
Heat a couple Tbsp of good coconut oil in a saucepan until hot. Add the garlic, and cook until it begins to turn golden.
Add the asparagus with salt and pepper to taste, and cook for a few minutes. Remove the large pieces of garlic and throw away (do you compost?). Add the lemon zest, stir, and then add the white wine, continuing to cook until the liquid has all evaporated.
Remove the asparagus from the heat, and let cool.
Once the quinoa has cooled…
To quinoa, add the parmesan cheese, parsley and asparagus, stirring well. Finally, add one egg, beaten and mix well.
Grease the muffin tin, and pack the quinoa mixture until it’s a little above the rim. Bake in the oven at 350 F for 15-20 minutes.
While the quinoa muffins are baking, slice the prosciutto or bacon into thin pieces, and cook in a small frying pan until preferred crunchiness has been reached. Remove from the pan and place on a paper towel to remove excess oils.
Take the the muffins out the oven, and let cool slightly, before removing from the molds. Transfer to a plate, and top with the prosciutto or bacon.
Appetizer/Snack
Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Fritters
(slightly modified) from Closet Cooking
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup quinoa
- 1 cup chicken, cooked and shredded
- 1/4 cup hot sauce or to taste
- 1/4 cup onion, finely diced
- 1/2 cup cheddar, shredded
- 1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled
- 1 organic pastured egg
- 1/4 cup almond meal (or bread crumbs)
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- olive or coconut oil for frying
Instructions
Cook the quinoa. (See Cooking with Quinoa)
Mix the cooked quinoa with the chicken, hot sauce, onion, cheddar cheese, blue cheese, egg, almond meal, salt and pepper, adding more almond meal if required to allow it to hold its shape.
Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.
Spoon the mixture into the pan and form patties of any size that you desire – smaller, tablespoon scoops work well in creating – and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 2-4 minutes per side, and set aside on paper towels to drain.
Dinner
Meatloaf with Quinoa
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups beef or chicken stock
- 3/4 cups quinoa
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (plus some for greasing pan)
- 1 large celery stalk, finely chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 10 ounces crimini mushrooms, trimmed and chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or crushed
- 2 pounds ground grass-fed beef, buffalo, or turkey
- 2 large organic eggs, beaten
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon each sea salt and pepper
- 1 cup organic ketchup or more to cover meatloaf
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Cook quinoa using beef or chicken stock (See Cooking with Quinoa). Allow quinoa to cool.
While quinoa is cooking, heat coconut oil in a large skillet and cook onion, celery and carrot over medium heat, until softened, around 4 minutes. Add mushroom and garlic, stirring occasionally, and cook until liquid mushrooms give off are evaporated and vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Let mixture cool.
Place beef in a large bowl and mix with cooled vegetables, quinoa, parsley, eggs, and oyster sauce with salt and pepper until just combined (do not over mix).
Form mixture into loaf (9- by 5-inches) onto a lightly greased sheet pan and bake in middle of oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and spread ketchup on top and sides of meat and continue to roast for another 30 to 45 minutes until meat registers 155°F on an instant-read thermometer. Let meatloaf sit cooling for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
Dessert
Almond Butter, Chocolate Chip, Quinoa Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked quinoa (cooled – not hot)
- 1/2 cup almond butter (chunky or smooth)
- 3 tablespoons pure organic maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup almond meal
- 1/4 cup flax seed meal
- 1/2 cup unsweetened, finely shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
*If you aren’t gluten-free or Paleo, you can substitute the almond and flax meal for 3/4 cups of oats.
**Hazelnut butter is also fabulous in this recipe if you have it available!
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine quinoa, almond butter, maple syrup, salt, almond meal and flax seed meal in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer on low/medium speed, combine ingredients well.
Stir in coconut and chocolate chips.
Scoop and mold dough into round, tablespoon-sized cookies. Place cookies on parchment-paper-lined baking sheets and bake for approximately 20 minutes, until bottoms are nicely browned.
Allow to cool completely before eating or storing.
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As always, if you’ve enjoyed these recipes, stay tuned for more as we continue with more Magnesium-Rich foods.