Quinoa orange cinammon muffins

I don't know if you are a creature of habit or like to shake things up every once in a while but whatever you are, with respect to your morning breakfast, I think you are going to love this muffin. I know people that are perfectly happy to eat cereal or oatmeal every single morning. At most, adding a banana or berries. Not that there's anything wrong with that but if you want something to grab-and-go, a healthy muffin seems like a pretty good choice.

Now I know y'all are thinking quinoa.. in a muffin.. meh. or worse... yuck? Not so. I've made another version of quinoa spice muffins but I think I like this one better because of the citrus in it.  It's healthy and if you make it with whole wheat pastry flour it would be quite filling.  I made a few substitutions based on what I had in the pantry and fridge.

[Original recipe from ledelicieux.]

Ingredients:

-  1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
-  1/2 cup cooked quinoa
-  1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
-  1 egg
-  1/2 cup sugar
-  1/4 cup agave
-  1 tsp vanilla extract
-  1 1/2 tsp baking powder
-  1/2 tsp baking soda
-  1/4 cup vegetable oil
-  2 Tbsp melted butter
-  1/2 cup orange juice  (add orange zest for more intense flavour)
-  1 cup milk
-  chocolate sprinkles for the pretty factor

I know it seems like a long list of ingredients, but most are subsitutable- agave/honey/sugar ; milk/buttermilk  ; cooked quinoa/quinoa flakes.

Directions: 
1.  Preheat oven to 375F

2.  In a mixing bowl, combine flour (sifted), cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and whisk.

3.  In another bowl, whisk egg, sugar, milk, orange juice and agave, oil and melted butter.

4.  Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until just combined. Stir with a wooden spoon. Do not use a mixer. It will overmix and that means muffins hard as rocks. No good.

5.  Stir in the cooked quinoa.

6.  Line the muffin pan with muffin liners and using an icecream scoop, pour the batter into the muffin pan.

7.  Sprinkle top with chocolate sprinkles!

8.  Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.