Pumpkin Spice Quinoa Granola

This fall, I've become obsessed with pumpkin spice. It might have started with a recent trip to Trader Joe's when I came across - and of course had to have - pumpkin spice granola. It was amazing, and may have been my pumpkin spice downfall this year which has been leading me to put pumpkin spice in just about everything I can think of. To curb the temptation to go back and buy a cart-load of the seasonal granola at Trader Joe's, I of course had to see if I could replicate the stuff myself (as well as make it healthier in the process). I discovered a great recipe, which I tweaked only slightly by including raisins as TJ's did, and using beautiful red quinoa (mostly for the color enhancement - it is such a gorgeous contrast to the oats and gives it such a nice fall look... sorry, sneak peek into my brain there!) The granola is fantastic, and is great for snacking, with milk, or as the perfect topping to other fall-flavored treats that I've been concocting. (I can't wait to share my super-healthy sweet potato pudding that I've been pairing it with lately!)

Pumpkin Spice Quinoa Granola 

 Makes 3 2/3 cups 
PREP: 10 minutes           COOK: 25-30 minutes        READY IN: 40 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 1/4 cup uncooked quinoa (I used red), rinsed and lightly dried over a paper towel
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1/4 cup ground flaxmeal
• 1/4 cup pepitas (or other seed - I used half pepitas, half sunflower seeds)
• 1/4 cup pecan pieces
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS

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1. In a medium-large bowl combine the oats and rinsed quinoa in a bowl and mix. Spread them onto a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes in the oven at 325ºF.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine honey, pumpkin puree, oil, and spices.
3. Turn down the oven temperature to 300ºF, remove the oats and quinoa from the oven, and combine with the seeds, nuts, and raisins in the larger bowl. Pour the wet mixture over these and combine well. 
4. Spread everything onto the baking sheet again, and place in the oven for another 25-30 minutes. Halfway through, use a spatula to turn over the granola, allowing it to bake more consistently.
5. When the granola appears slightly golden, remove from the oven and let cool. Store in an airtight container for several days.

NUTRITION FACTS

    1/3 cup serving    151 calories   5.5 g fat   23.7 g carbs    3.8 g protein    10.6 g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Skinny Taste.
Linking up here.

Quinoa Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bites

Say that three times fast! Quinoa Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bites, Quinoa Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bites, Quinoa Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bites! Ahahaha! Or, as I like to call them Quinoa PBOCC Bites. I made these because my children were pleading with me to make cookies. I think all this healthy cooking has gotten to them. They wanted something sweet. I obliged and wanted to see if they would like cookies with a healthy spin on them. Turns out, I created something that would pass for a cookie, and something I would also feel comfortable grabbing out of the freezer for those on-the-go moments. I would even eat a couple of these for breakfast if I were in a pinch. My one and five-year-old loved these. My two-year old wasn't quite so sure.

Quinoa Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bites
24 SERVINGS 
PREP: 15 minutes           COOK: 15 minutes            READY IN: 30 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 1 cup quinoa, cooked & chilled
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 ripe banana
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup cacao chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

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1. Preheat the oven to 350º. In a large bowl, mix together quinoa, peanut butter, and banana.
2. Add honey, sea salt, cinnamon, and rolled oats. Mix.
3. Stir in chocolate chips.
4. Roll dough into one inch balls and layout on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. You can press these down if you'd like (the cookies will not change shape so place as many as you want on a sheet, close together).
5. Bake for 15 minutes.

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1 serving    76 calories   3.3g fat   9.7g carbs    2.7g protein    2.6g sugar   

As a side note, I much preferred these after letting them sit all night. They are a little too crunchy straight out of the oven, but they softened overnight. Then I place them in the refrigerator. If you leave them out, they tend to soften more and more each day, which can make them not so delicious.

Enjoy!
Linking up here.
Recipe adapted from Miss Cellaneous.

Mexican Stuffed Peppers with Quinoa & Black Beans

Is it just me or does quinoa remind anyone else of fish eggs? Nope...just me? It's taken a while for me to introduce this power food into our diet since I just couldn't get over that. I stumbled upon this recipe and thought I'd give it a go. My husband isn't a fan of peppers or quinoa, and yet this recipe highlights BOTH those ingredients. I'm a mean wife. I was just crossing my fingers he wouldn't have to gag this down. I was shocked when he actually enjoyed it! So believe me, if my husband liked these then it's a great way to introduce quinoa in your diet.

Mexican Stuffed Peppers with Quinoa & Black Beans
8 SERVINGS 

PREP: 15 minutes           COOK: 25-30 minutes            READY IN: 40-45 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 4 bell peppers (slice in half from stem-to-tip and remove seeds)
• 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 5 cherry tomatoes, diced
• 1 4-oz can diced green chiles, with juice
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (for the extra kick, if desired)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup reduced fat 4-cheese Mexican cheese
• 2 14-oz can enchilada sauce (I like the medium red sauce)

DIRECTIONS

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1. Add quinoa and onion in a saucepan with 2 cups of water over medium heat with a dash of salt. Let it boil for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 15 minutes. 
2. Meanwhile, prepare your peppers to be filled. If you like a softer pepper then microwave them for 2 minutes. If you like them more crisp you can skip this step.
3. Put your quinoa and onion mixture in a large bowl. Mix in black beans, tomato, chiles, cilantro, pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. If your mixture is too dry then you can add a little olive oil, but it should be fine without. 
4. Pour your enchilada sauce into a 9x13" pan (save a little for drizzling on top, if you want). Set your peppers in the pan so they are nice and snug. Divide the quinoa mixture between the peppers. Top it off with cheese. 
5. Cover with foil and bake at 375º for 25-30 minutes. Remove foil and cook another 5 minutes.

Serving options: drizzle enchilada sauce on top, add diced avocado, or add a dollop of sour cream. 

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1 pepper serving    221 calories   4.1g fat   36.2g carbs    10.8g protein    5.6g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from www.onelovelylife.com