Can chili, waffles and muffins be as healthy for you as a smoothie? You bet they can, but only if they’re made with seeds — tiny nutritional powerhouses that pack a serious protein punch. Whether you add them whole to muffin batter for a nice crunch or stir them ground up into chili as a natural thickener, seeds will give any dish a wonderfully nutty flavor.

Quinoa Tabbouleh with 6-Seed Hummus (pictured above)

4 servings

Ingredients:

For the Tabbouleh

1/2 cup quinoa

Salt and pepper

Half a cucumber, chopped

Half a tomato, chopped

Juice of half a lemon

1 tablespoon hemp oil, flax seed oil or olive oil

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

For the Hummus

One 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/3 cup seed blend, such as Purely Elizabeth Organic 6-Grain Hot Cereal

2 tablespoons tahini

2 tablespoons hemp oil, flax seed oil or olive oil

Juice of 2 lemons

Salt

Directions:

Make the Tabbouleh: In a large saucepan, add the quinoa and 2/3 cup of water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat until all of the water is evaporated, about 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and season with salt.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss together the cucumber, tomato, lemon juice, oil, mint and parsley; season with salt and pepper.

Make the Hummus: In a blender or food processor, combine the chickpeas, seed blend, tahini, oil, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons water; process until creamy but still a bit chunky, about 2 minutes; season with salt. To serve, place the tabbouleh in a serving bowl and top with the hummus.

Lemon-Poppy Chia Belgian Waffles

4 to 6 muffins

Ingredients:

For the Gluten-Free Flour Blend

3 cups (435 grams) white rice flour

1 1/2 cups (187 grams) tapioca flour

3/4 cup (123 grams) potato starch

1 tablespoon (8 grams) xanthan gum

1 1/2 teaspoons (5 grams) salt

For the Waffles

1 cup Gluten-Free Flour Blend (recipe above)

1/2 cup quinoa flour or amaranth flour

2 tablespoons maple sugar or coconut sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups unsweetened hemp milk

1/3 cup flax seed oil or unflavored coconut oil

2 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Finely grated zest of 2 lemons

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons chia seeds

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Warm pure maple syrup, for serving

Directions:

Make the Flour Blend: In a large bowl, whisk together the rice flour, tapioca flour, potato starch, xanthan gum and salt.

Make the Waffles: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour blend, quinoa flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Preheat a Belgian waffle iron to medium-high. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, eggs, vanilla, zest, lemon juice, chia seeds and poppy seeds. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients; whisk to combine.

Grease the waffle iron and pour about 1/3 cup of batter into each waffle iron square; close and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Serve with warm maple syrup.

Seeded Morning Glory Muffins

12 muffins

Ingredients:

For the Gluten-Free Flour blend

3 cups (435 grams) white rice flour

1 1/2 cups (187 grams) tapioca flour

3/4 cup (123 grams) potato starch

1 tablespoon (8 grams) xanthan gum

1 1/2 teaspoons (5 grams) salt

For the Muffins

1/2 cup quinoa flour or amaranth flour

1/2 cup Gluten-Free Flour Blend (recipe above)

1/2 cup maple sugar or coconut sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1/4 cup coconut oil, liquefied

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup grated carrots

Half an apple — peeled, cored and chopped

1/2 cup chopped pineapple

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Sesame seeds, for sprinkling

Directions:

Make the Flour Blend: In a large bowl, whisk together the rice flour, tapioca flour, potato starch, xanthan gum and salt.

Make the Muffins: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together the quinoa flour, Gluten-Free Flour Blend, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture and whisk to combine. Add the carrots, apple, pineapple, raisins, coconut and sunflower seeds; stir to coat.

Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling about three-quarters full and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

Turkey & Pumpkin Seed Chili

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons pumpkin seed oil or olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 small yellow onion, peeled and chopped

1 to 2 red or yellow bell peppers, chopped

1 pound ground turkey or chicken

1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon cocoa powder

1 teaspoon salt

One 15-ounce can chopped tomatoes with juice

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth or water

1/3 cup pumpkin seeds

2 tablespoons flax seed meal

One 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

Directions:

In a medium pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion and bell pepper; cook, stirring, until softened, about 7 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and stir in the chicken, breaking it up with a wooden spoon; cook until cooked through, about 4 minutes.

Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, cocoa powder and salt; stir to coat. Add the tomatoes, broth, pumpkin seeds and flax seed meal; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low; simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Stir in the beans and cook, uncovered, until thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.

Quinoa-Hemp Chicken Enchiladas

4 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa

1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric

1 teaspoon cumin

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1/4 cup hemp hearts

Salt

1 tablespoon hemp oil or olive oil

1 small onion, sliced

Half bunch of kale, stemmed and finely chopped

3 cups shredded cooked chicken

One 8-ounce jar of enchilada sauce or tomato puree

Eight 6-inch corn tortillas, warmed

Avocado, chopped, for topping

Cilantro leaves, for topping

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, stir together the quinoa, turmeric, cumin, garlic and 1 1/3 cups of water; bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until all of the water is evaporated, about 15 minutes. Add the hemp hearts, fluff with a fork and season with salt.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the kale, chicken and two-thirds of the enchilada sauce; cook until just heated through.

Preheat the broiler and grease an 8-by-8-inch baking dish. Place a tortilla in the palm of your hand or on a plate and fill with about 2 tablespoons of the quinoa mixture and some of the chicken mixture; roll up and place in the prepared dish, seam-side down. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.

Top with the remaining enchilada sauce and broil until golden, about 5 minutes. To serve, top with avocado and cilantro.

Related Links:

All of the Avocado

Reinvented: Hummus, 6 Ways

Sweet Spins on Yogurt Bowls

Silvana Nardone is the author of the Silvana’s Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Kitchen: Timeless Favorites Transformed.