Banana-Quinoa Waffles

I stumbled across this recipe in the June 2012 issue of Parents Magazine and decided to give it a try!  I hadn't made anything with quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) yet, but have seen so many recipes with it, I was ready to incorporate it into my family's diet!

These banana-quinoa waffles were both tasty and filling.  You do need to cook the quinoa ahead of time, only about 10-12 minutes, then let cool.  But the beauty of this recipe is that you can make the batter the night before and it is ready to go for breakfast the next day!  I made these on a Thursday night, which is brinner in our house (breakfast for dinner) and prepared the batter earlier in the day just to see how it would hold up - they were delicious! 

I hope you make these for your family, either for breakfast or brinner!

Banana-Quinoa Waffles
Makes 10 waffles

Recipe adapted from Parents Magazine.

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup quinoa
1 2/3 cups white whole-wheat flour (I just used whole-wheat flour)
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed bananas
3 eggs, separated
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
Real maple syrup, butter, blueberries, raspberries, and/or sliced strawberries for serving

In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil.  Stir in quinoa.  Reduce heat; cover, and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes or until tender and liquid is absorbed.  Remove from heat.  Transfer to a small bowl and chill 1 to 2 hours. 

In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar baking powder, and salt.  Add quinoa, banana, egg yolks, butter, and milk.  Stir to combine.

In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff.  Fold them into batter.

At this point, the batter can be stored overnight if preparing ahead for breakfast.

Preheat waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions. 

Cook batter in waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions.  Top with butter, syrup, and berries.