I've been using quinoa in my cooking lately. Sweet sounded good, and I just knew that I would find a quinoa pudding (like rice pudding) recipe online. This is the recipe I used, tweaked just a tad.
The quinoa needs to be rinsed before used. Since I haven't added a fine mesh strainer to my kitchen yet, I used this old salsa jar - filled it with my quinoa, water, and then strained upside-down through a folded paper towel. Gotta get creative.
In my pan I added 3 cups of fat free half and half (no idea how it is fat free, but I'm alright with it!), cinnamon, vanilla extract, and brown sugar.
Once simmering, I added the quinoa, covered the pot 3/4 of the way, and let it go on low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Kevin studied. He's not so much a fan of rice pudding, so I figured he wouldn't be super excited about a quinoa version...
MacDuff was bored. He prefers my undivided attention. Except when I'm trying to train him to "sit" and lay "down" and "come". But more on that another time.
After 30 minutes I took the pudding off the heat and let it sit fully covered for about five minutes.
This was my taste test - complete with mini bowl and spoon. (And a little extra brown sugar.)
Inspired by the recipe I was using, found here, I prettified my pudding in a small glass and chopped dried fruit - cherries and mangoes that I had on hand.
Over time, I found that the quinoa continued to absorb the cooking liquid.
This was especially delicious warm.
Later, I tried the warm quinoa with a spoonful of peanut butter mixed in. Also delightful.
I love trying new things!
So tell me: What new ingredient are you using in your kitchen?
