According to the photos of these Thermomix Savoury Quinoa Muffins I first made them on July 2nd 2013 so I am "only" a year late sharing this recipe. Nuts, isn't it? Or it isn't if you look at just how much a working mum has to get done each week. I was really hoping to make them again but then time kept running away with me (I'll never understand that expression, it feels like it's running away from me, all the time, fast!).

Now I have realised that I have a fantastic bunch of testers in my Thermomix Owners UK group so I am hoping to try to get a whole lot of recipes-in-waiting published in the next few weeks. Thank you Denise for testing these for me!

If you don't have a Thermomix you can still make these, you just need to chop and mix things by hand or in your food processor.

Savoury quinoa muffins

Makes 12  - Total prep time: 5 minutes - Total cooking time: 50-55 minutes

Shopping list

- 120 g quinoa

- Chunk of mature cheddar (50-55 g), you can use any cheese you prefer, add more to make it extra cheesy
- Chunk of Gruyère (50-55 g)

- 50 g cooked ham (or bacon, or pancetta, or serrano ham, or ham hock or, of course, chorizo). Check out my homecooked ham recipe.

- 1 onion
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 smallish courgette
- 1 handful of parsley (or coriander)
- 1 red pepper (or pepper of the colour of your choice, optional)

- 2 whole eggs
- 2 egg whites (make it four eggs in total if you want it eggier)
- Salt
- Black pepper

Method

1. Start by cooking the quinoa, 120 g quinoa, rinsed, then soaked for a few hours (even if pack says there is no need), then rinsed again and cooked in the basket with 800 g of stock (feel free to add a whole garlic for flavour): 19 mins, Varoma, speed 2.5. If it is still too crispy, increase by about 4 minutes. Reserve.

2. Preheat oven to 200ºC

3. Wash and dry bowl and grate chunk mature cheddar + chunk gruyere (or cheeses of your choice if you like milder cheeses): speed 8 until you hear a change of sound. Reserve.

4. Chop ham (a good thick slice or a few smaller ones, to your taste): 3 seconds, speed 4.

5. Chop 1 onion + medium carrot + 1 smallish courgette + 1 handful parsley (or coriander) + (optional) pepper of your choice: 7 seconds speed 5. Reserve.

6. Add the eggs (2 whole eggs + 2 egg whites, but if you want it more eggy just add 4 whole eggs in total, forget about separating), a bit of salt and freshly ground black pepper: 10 seconds, speed 5.

7. Add the reserved ingredients (vegetable mix + quinoa + cheese + ham): 10 seconds, speed 3 (I can’t remember if I did this in reverse). Make sure it’s all well mixed with the spatula, pour into individual holes of greased muffin tin. Bake for about 20-25 minutes. You may need more or less depending on the oven. Cool, remove and eat. They keep well for 1-2 days and I bet they would freeze for lunch boxes.

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