Dr. John Day, Cardiologist

I experimented to see if I could make a delicious crepe using only quinoa for the flour–it turned out awesome! This protein-packed crepe recipe is made from four simple ingredients: quinoa, milk, eggs and salt.  With a blender such as a Blendtec or Vitamix, you can blend whole grains for 90 seconds, such as quinoa in this case, to make your own fresh flour, then simply blend in the milk, eggs, and salt for a crepe batter. I’m so excited that we now have this simple and nutritious boost to our crepes. I hope you enjoy it too.

This creamy vegetable quinoa dish is a combination of my Sweet Spice Soup recipe and cooked quinoa. I simply combined the leftovers of each and topped with cracked pepper and parmesan cheese for a new dish.

Quinoa is remarkably nutrient-rich and easy to prepare.  It boasts of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients, flavanoids, protein, fiber, and is a great source of manganese, copper, phosphorus, magnesium, folate, and zinc.

Quinoa can be enjoyed as a grain and even ground into flour, as in my Quinoa Crepes recipe.

Quinoa is very easy to cook–even quicker than rice–boil 1 part rinsed quinoa to 2 parts water, simmer 15-20 minutes until soft and translucent, thenfluff with a fork.

You can’t beat the satisfaction of this comfort dish with the powerful nutrients, protein and fiber of the veggies and quinoa combined.

Nutmeg, cardamom, and cinnamon in a blend of tomato, sweet onion, sweet potato and butternut squash make this a sweetly spiced, creamy vegetable soup. My kids all love it, and every ingredient offers nourishment their bodies need.

Chewy, and moist, these banana mini-muffins are made with organic oats and coconut flour and lightly sweetened by the bananas and a little maple syrup. Enjoy!

I’d been craving butternut squash soup since we enjoyed it at our friend’s art show last week.  I blended some onion, sweet potato and butternut squash together and like this version even better! It’s rich and sweet, easy to make and perfect for the season. Enjoy!

My nine-year old son declares that this is his favorite muffin. Made with gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats, and no flours, this muffin could be a great option for those who want to avoid gluten. Prunes, unsweetened applesauce, vanilla and almond extracts serve as the sweeteners.  You can feel good about enjoying this satisfying muffin!

“These waffles are a different color! Normally they’re green!”

This was my daughter’s comment when I served these waffles.

It’s true. I usually add zucchini to my waffles, but this time I felt just fine not adding a vegetable because they have so many other nutrient-rich ingredients.

We tried these waffles with and without the lemon juice in the batter, and we all preferred the lemon.

The lemon is a tip that I got from John’s sole cookbook that he brought into our marriage over 20 years ago, entitled:

“Where’s Mom Now That I Need Her?”

These chewy oatmeal bars make a yummy breakfast or a healthy snack–great for after school or on the go.  They can be made with or without sweeteners.  The bars are delicious plain, or can be adapted by adding any number of your favorite ingredients such as coconut, mashed ripe banana, almonds, pecans or walnuts (we love sprinkling the nuts on top to toast as the bars bake), peanut butter or almond butter, seeds, chopped dried fruit, dark chocolate chips, or anything else you’d like!

BASIC RECIPE (we use organic ingredients, when possible)

3 cups thick rolled oats

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2-1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon (or more)

1 tbl. flax or chia seeds (or more)

1/2 c unsweetened applesauce

1 cup milk (we like almond or cow milk)

2 eggs beaten

1-2 tbl honey or agave or stevia to taste (if desired)

OPTIONAL ADD-INS:

Coconut

Mashed ripe banana

Pumpkin purée

Pumpkin spice or other spices

Almonds, pecans or walnuts (we love sprinkling nuts on top)

Seeds

Peanut butter or almond butter

Chopped dried fruit

Dark chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl with a spoon and pour into a greased 9×9 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

These healthy waffles are packed with protein, fiber, vegetables, and have no flour.

I love experimenting with ways to make my favorite foods healthier. I usually experiment with the ingredients on hand, and it almost always turns out delicious.

Knowing that it is helpful to have quantities when sharing waffle recipes, I measured as I went last night so that I can share with you the following recipe.

Just know that if you are not exact on measurements or even some of the ingredients, your waffles are still likely to turn out great.

Here are my family’s responses to these waffles.

Kids:

“These are really really good – maybe the best I’ve had.”

“Will you get me a fork? I want to have more of these.”

“Perfect smell. Tell them all your children liked them. Call them yummy waffles for the tummy.”

John:

“These have no flour? And they have vegetables? Yes, these taste great.”