Quinoa Pudding w/ Strawberries

Has quinoa become the next big thing? I kept hearing more and more things about it. Curiosity finally got the best of me and I decided to get a cup at Top which happens to have a super bulk food section. Then the quinoa proceeded to sit in my pantry for 2 months.

Normally, I don't associate quinoa as a sweet dish. I've only ever seen it prepared as a savory side dish so of course, nothing would motivate me more than hearing about some creamy dessert w/ quinoa.

Isn't it pretty? You can cook it up like rice too - 1:2 ratio. I cooked it in the rice cooker and it came out beautifully.

For this, you'll need 1 c. quinoa.

Then the good stuff. 1 c. heavy cream.

Add that to 3 cups of milk. I used 2%. In fact, I always use 2% milk when cooking and baking.

Whisk together and bring to a simmer.

While that's coming up to temperature, get your vanilla bean and split & scrape the pod.

With the back of the knife, folks. Don't learn the hard way like me.

Mix them into the milk mixture. Throw the emptied pod in there too for good measure.

Then some of the sweet stuff. Just a 1/4 c.

Then take your 1 c. strawberries and slice.

And add about 1 tbsp. sugar, mix. Let them start getting all yummy.

Macerating. That's the technical term for it. Thank you Food Network.

When the cream mixture comes to a simmer, whisk in your quinoa.

Now be patient. This stuff needs to lightly simmer for about 30 minutes.

And you need to stir occasionally.

Look at those pretty vanilla bean seeds. I love them.

After about 30 minutes, your strawberries will have made this lovely syrup.

30 minutes later, you'll get a tapioca like result. Only more healthy than tapioca. I imagine there's a good amount of protein in quinoa compared to tapioca.

Fish out your pod. Nobody wants to eat that.

Portion into 5-6 half cup portions. Sprinkle w/ macerated strawberries.

Quinoa Pudding with Strawberries

I had to try this recipe from this awesome blog

Hope you try it!

Chocolate Brownie Pudding

As defined by Merriam-Webster, the definition for chocoholic is:

: a person who craves or compulsively consumes chocolate

They may as well put a picture of Gabe there too.

Who doesn't love brownies? Who doesn't love rich chocolate pudding? Why not make both? This thing is like molten chocolate cake. If I make it again, I'll use less flour to make it even more rich. And I didn't have any vanilla beans laying around. While they DO sell them at Costco now, I'm just not into spending that much money two vanilla beans. Maybe I'll try the original recipe someday but for now, this version is going to be just fine by me.

Brownie Pudding

Makes 4 generous servings



Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics Cookbook - I cut the recipe in half since I know Gabe has a problem controlling himself around gooey chocolaty things.

1 c. sugar
2 eggs (I use extra large, room temp)
8 tbsp. butter (1 stick, room temp)
1/4 c. flour
3/4 c. cocoa powder 1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 packet Starbucks VIA Italian Roast instant coffee

Preheat oven 325ºF.


In a stand mixer..

..beat the eggs and sugar..

..until very pale yellow and fluffy. This will take about 5 minutes.


In the mean time, melt one stick of butter (1/4 c.) in the microwave and set aside to cool:


And save the wrapper to butter the gratin dishes. Mine were about 6" wide and about 1" deep. These would also do really well in small ramekins too.

Barefoot does hers in a 9" oval dish, but I'm not about sharing so I like to have one all to myself. Also, smaller dishes mean shorter cooking times (read: the faster you can eat it).


Sift the dry ingredients together. You know how I feel about lumpy flour, no likey.

Sift the cocoa powder too, it gets lumpy. Damn lumps.

But make sure you take a deep breath before you do, since this is what happens when you sift cocoa powder:

See? Told you.

Add the vanilla to the egg/sugar mixture:

Then you need one of these. You can definitely use instant espresso or instant coffee, but why not use the best? I throw one of these into pretty much anything chocolate I make:

Sift it too, just for fun:

There's all the dry stuff..

Now, on the low setting, add the mixture into the wet in 2 batches.


Until everyone's juuuuuust combined.

There.

Now, don't forget about that butter. Pour it in and mix for another 15 seconds.

Beautiful.
Now, scrap the bowl down w/ one of your personalized spatulas you got for your bday:

Oh, you don't have a set of personalized spatulas? Then maybe you should be friends w/ my friend, Tien. She loves me.

Scrapey scrapey.

Buttered gratins:

Pour mixture in until 1/2 to 2/3 full..

Oh. So beautiful.


Put them into a pan that will hold the gratins and water. This helps keep the stuff moist. Eehh. I hate that word..moist. Pour water up to the halfway point on whatever baking dish you decide to use.

35 minutes later..

Ohhhh.