Maple Quinoa Crunch (Recipe Redux Cooking Challenge)

by Janice on March 21st, 2012

When my daughter Leah turned 12 last fall, we surprised her with a parakeet. Most kids beg their parents for a dog or a cat (which is exactly what Leah did), but, long story short, we settled on an adorable bird named Jazzy.

The reason for Jazzy’s 15 minutes of fame here on Meal Makeover Moms’ Kitchen is this month’s Recipe Redux nutrition blogger cooking challenge. For the challenge, Reduxers were asked to create a recipe using the natural sweeteners, honey or maple syrup. Since Liz and I live in New England, we chose maple syrup, and with the help of our intern, Marsi, cooked up this gluten-free recipe for Maple Quinoa Crunch. When Leah saw it, she said it looked like Jazzy’s bird seed. Well, there you have it folks; from the mouth of my babe, we present to you our latest recipe for … “bird seed.”

This crunchy, nutty topping is perfect for sprinkling over a bowl of calcium-rich fruited or plain yogurt. And even though it freaked Leah out when she saw it (she said it looked “creepy”), Liz’s boys enjoyed it as an after-school snack :)

To produce one gallon of maple syrup, it takes 40 gallons of sap, tapped from mature sugar maple trees. In fact, it can take four trees to produce that one gallon of syrup (this explains why pure maple syrup is so pricey). Another interesting fact about maple syrup is that  one tablespoon has 20 milligrams of calcium, the same amount found in milk. This natural sweetener also contains iron, magnesium, phosphorous and potassium, B vitamins, biotin, and folic acid.

Maple Quinoa Crunch

Makes 16 Servings (total yield = 2 cups)

We love this gluten-free topping for yogurt because it’s flavorful, crunchy, and reminds us of the Grape Nuts cereal we ate as kids!

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1/4 cup slivered almonds
  • 1/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
  • 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup diced dried plums (we used Plum Amazins)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Place the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse several times in cold water. Drain well, pat dry with paper towels, and transfer to a medium bowl.  Add the almonds, coconut, flaxseed, maple syrup, canola oil,  and cinnamon and stir to combine.

3. Spread the mixture in a thin layer on a large rimmed baking sheet.  Bake until lightly browned, about15 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes to ensure even baking. Remove from the oven and cool.  Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the dried fruit.

* Serving suggestion: Use as a topping for yogurt. Add fruit as desired: sliced strawberries, fresh or frozen blueberries, diced apple, sliced bananas, diced mango.

Nutrition Information per Serving (2 tablespoons):  80 calories, 3g fat (0g saturated, 0.3g omega-3), 5mg sodium, 11g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 3g sugar, 2g protein

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Check out the other maple syrup / honey blog posts featured in this month’s Recipe Redux challenge:

 
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18 Comments | Filed Under Breakfast, Grains, RecipeRescue, Snacks 

18 Responses to “Maple Quinoa Crunch (Recipe Redux Cooking Challenge)”

  1. Elizabeth Jarrard on March 21st, 2012

    yum! that’s such a great way to use quinoa!

  2. Meg on March 21st, 2012

    I am so excited about this recipe! I can’t wait to make it!!

  3. Kristin on March 21st, 2012

    I am so excited to try this recipe out, my dad makes maple syrup every spring! It will be a great way to try it in a different way other than pancakes! :-) Do you think I could use raisins or craisins rather than the plums?

  4. Danielle Omar, Food Confidence RD on March 21st, 2012

    This is so great! My mom has made a much less healthy version of “bird seed” for years so she will love this healthier recipe. Perfect to top so many foods (would have been great on my cottage cheese this morning) and so easy to get creative with different ingredients. Thanks for the inspiration!

  5. Janice on March 21st, 2012

    Kristin, you can most certainly use raisins, craisins, or any other dried fruit in this recipe. Just be sure to add them after baking so they don’t get dried out.

  6. Kendra on March 21st, 2012

    Who knew Leah and I had so much in common? I’ve always thought quinoa lokked like birdseed, too! And when I turned 12, I begged for a puppy but my parents and I settled for a cockatiel. Sixteen years later, and Sunnybird is still going strong! I’m pretty sure that if I’d gotten a puppy he would be long gone by now!

  7. Jessica on March 21st, 2012

    This looks great! i love the use of quinoa instead of oatsQ

  8. Kristen @ Swanky Dietitian on March 21st, 2012

    This looks excellent!!
    I love the newest addition to your family. She is adorable. :)

  9. Ayla Withee @EatSimply on March 21st, 2012

    This is a nice departure from my typical granola recipe! I am going to give this a try with yogurt thanks.

  10. Vivienne on March 21st, 2012

    Looks yummy and healthy. How long does this last? Do you keep it in the fridge? Cupboard?

  11. Kim on March 21st, 2012

    Looks awesome! Just to confirm… you don’t boil the quinoa as you usually would prior to baking it?

  12. Meal Makeover Mom Janice on March 21st, 2012

    Vivienne, this quinoa crunch should last at least a week at room temperature. If you store it for longer you may want to keep it in the fridge. Kim, that’s correct, no boiling of the quinoa, just baking. Strange, but it works!
    Kendra, I’ll let Leah know that she is not the only kid whose parents didn’t get them a dog… She is loving the bird so all is good!

  13. Nina @ What's for eats? on March 22nd, 2012

    So clever! Never thought to bake the quinoa. Will be trying this one out.

  14. Alysa (InspiredRD) on March 22nd, 2012

    Looks like we had almost the same idea! I have been oat-free lately, so this sounds like a perfect alternative to granola. Can’t wait to try it!

  15. EA-The Spicy RD on March 23rd, 2012

    Sounds delicious and I love maple syrup too! Cute bird, but I won’t let my kids see. We have far to many pets in the house already :-)

  16. FoodPlay Productions - FoodPlay Friday: Spring! on March 23rd, 2012

    [...] at Don’t White Sugar-Coat It. In the “granola-like” category, check out this Maple Quinoa Crunch from the Meal Makeover Moms, this Maple Pecan Coconut Quinoa Breakfast from the Inspired RD, and [...]

  17. Ann Dunaway Teh on March 23rd, 2012

    This looks delcious! I can’t wait to try it out. I love quinoa and need to get more adventurous with it!

  18. Regan @ The Professional Palate on March 25th, 2012

    Bird seed look aside, I think it sounds great. Love that it’s quinoa-based!

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