Parmesan Truffle Quinoa Muffins

Just when I think I have exhausted ideas for healthy, delicious meals, Pinterest shows me something new. Thank goodness for Pinterest! (Are you annoyed by my Pinterest love yet?)

I love browsing through Pinterest food pics, seeing something that looks yummy, and then following through to the website the image originates from. That’s how I got the inspiration for the parmesan truffle quinoa muffins I made for dinner one super exhausted evening last week.

The ingredients:

2 cups cooked quinoa

3/4 cup parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded carrots

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons truffle oil

Making this dish is super easy; just mix up all of the ingredients.

Heat the oven to 350, and fill a lightly oiled muffin tin with scoops of the quinoa mixture. I made six large muffins; you could easily also make minis.

I cooked the muffins for about 20 minutes at 350. The tops got browned and crunchy, while the middles stayed warm and soft with a bit of gooey-ness from the cheese. The scent of truffle oil permeated the entire room; the salty, nutty parm complimented them perfectly.

I served these with some spicy homemade marinara sauce, but they would have been great alone. I didn’t expect them to be great, but they were absolutely delicious.

This meal was served up with a Pie de Palo Viognier from Mendoza, Argentina. Viognier has passed all other grapes to become my favorite white. This wine is fresh, with citrus and pineapple notes, a lovely, rich mouth feel, and a balanced acidity that made it a great dinner wine. I wish I had purchased more; it was only $11 at Bin Ends!

Long runs, especially when they feel awful, call for a great glass of wine and a hearty meal. This certainly did the trick.

Have you come across any surprising recipes lately?