Quinoa - Blueberry Bars

 

After two savory quinoa dishes,

it was time for something sweet,
something melting, something fresh,
Blueberry Bars sounded neat......
I wanted something rich and dark,
goats butter in preference,
then I found the best sugar ever,
and that made all the difference......
We had a bar when it was still warm,
just to try it we said,
but once we began we couldn't stop,
I even ate one in bed :-)

Quinoa Blueberry Bars:

75 gms Butter (I used goats butter)

1 cup dark unrefined Muscovado Sugar (you can use brown sugar)

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt

3 cups cooked Quinoa

1 cup ground Almonds (almonds meal / almond flour)

1 cup Blueberries

1/2 cup finely chopped Walnuts

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Line a Brownie pan with greaseproof baking paper.

Cream the butter and sugar, then add the egg and whisk together.

Add the vanilla, cinnamon, sea salt and mix well till smooth.

Fold in the ground almonds and combine.

Add in the cooked Quinoa and fold in the blueberries and walnuts.

Gently mix it all together.

Pour this thick mixture into the greased brownie pan,

and bake for 30 minutes till the top is brown and the sides

begin to crisp a little.

Let it cool and cut into Bars.

Notes:

Muscovado sugar is a very dark brown,

slightly coarser and stickier than other brown sugars.

It is moist in texture and has a strong molasses flavor.

It is unrefined and thus nutritionally richer

than not only refined sugar of course,

but also all other brown sugars.

It retains most of the natural minerals inherent

in sugarcane juice as shown below :

• Total mineral salts 740 mg max.
• Phosphorus (P) 3.9 mg max.
• Calcium (Ca) 85 mg max.
• Magnesium (Mg) 23 mg max.
• Potassium (K) 100 mg max.
• Iron (Fe) 1.3 mg max 

Quinoa Info:

Quinoa is not a true cereal or grain, but a seed.

It is gluten free, alkaline in nature and easy to digest.

Unlike wheat or rice, which are low in lysine,

quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids,

making it an unusually complete protein source (12% to 18%)

It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorous

and is high in magnesium and iron. 

Quinoa has a light, fluffy texture when cooked,

and a mild nutty flavor suitable for sweet and savory dishes.

I use Quinoa seeds, flakes, pops and flour

and my recipes will showcase them in all these forms.

Keep it Simple. Be Creative.

Taste and Play. Find your Own Way.