By Rip Esselstyn
Recipe by Straight Up Food: http://straightupfood.com
Ingredients
1 cup water
1/2 cup dry quinoa
1 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup rolled oats, ground into flour
1-1/2 tablespoons flax seeds, ground
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 of a ripe banana
1 cup apple juice (or 2-3 pitted dates soaked in 1 cup water)
Water as needed
Directions
1. Cook the quinoa: boil 1 cup water, then add in the dry quinoa, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes until the water is gone and the quinoa is fluffy.
2. While the quinoa is cooking, combine the cornmeal, oat flour, flax seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
3. In a separate bowl, mash the banana with a fork, and blend in the apple juice (or water and dates). (If using dates instead of apple juice, mix the banana, dates, and water in a blender for a smoother consistency.)
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients with a fork; fold in the cooked quinoa. The mixture should be thick, but add a little water if it’s too stiff. Spread mixture into a nonstick or parchment paper-lined 8×8-inch square pan and bake at 350ºF for 25 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before cutting.
Notes
You can also use blue cornmeal in place of the yellow cornmeal, and add fresh corn kernels or blueberries for a heartier, more colorful cornbread.
Quinoa comes in yellow, red, and black, so feel free to use red or black for a more variegated cornbread.
Use a powerful blender, like a Vitamix or Tribest personal-size blender, to grind the flax seeds and oats and to blend the bananas, dates, and water.
Preparation: 20 minutes; cooking: 25 minutes; makes one 8×8 pan
Rip Esselstyn is a mission-driven man. As a swimmer at the University of Texas at Austin, he was a three time All-American. As a professional athlete, he was one of the premier triathletes in the world for more than a decade. As a firefighter for the Austin (TX) Fire Department, he helped people and saved lives. As a friend to other firefighters, he transformed the way Austin’s Engine 2 ate to save firefighters’ health. Now, as the author of The Engine 2 Diet, he is teaching people the irrefutable connection between what they put in their mouths and their ability to reach their ideal weight and their ideal health. Recently, he has teamed up with Whole Foods Market as a Healthy Eating Partner to raise awareness for Whole Foods Market team members, customers, and all of America about the benefits of eating a Plant Strong diet composed of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
Rip comes from a family steeped in medicine. His great-grandfather, George Crile, co-founded the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic, where his father, Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., was chief of the breast cancer task force and completed one of the most extensive studies ever conducted on the relationship between the heart and diet–proving that a plant-based diet can stop, prevent, and even reverse heart disease.
Rip serves on the Board of Directors for The Wellness Foundation, EarthSave’s Meals For Health Program, and the AllergyKids Foundation.
