Quinoalicious!!

So I've been reading a lot about the benefits of eating Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) and how it's one of the most healthiest grains you can eat. In fact, if you don't know much about it, here are some fun facts I picked up from www.quinoa.net.

*Quinoa was one of the three staple foods of the Inca civilization. It was known then, and still is known, with respect, as the mother grain. We call it the "Supergrain of the Future." Nice!!!
*It contains more protein than any other grain; an average of 16.2 percent, compared with 7.5 percent for rice, 9.9 percent for millet, and 14 percent for wheat. This is great because as a vegetarian it's nice to vary my protein sources. Plus, quinoa's protein is of an unusually high quality. It is a complete protein, with an essential amino acid balance close to the ideal.
*Because quinoa is light, tasty, and easy to digest, it's easy on the stomach. It is not sticky or heavy like most other grains, and it has a delicious flavor all its own.
It is super easy to. In fact, a whole-grain dish of quinoa takes just 15 minutes. This is a lot less time than my brown rice (over an hour)!
*Quinoa can be substituted for almost any grain in almost any recipe. It looks and tastes great on its own, or in any dish from soup to salad. I can't wait to try it in different recipes!

So...I found this great recipe for Breakfast Quinoa with cherries, walnuts, and honey from www.choosecherries.com. I've only had quinoa as part of dinner, so I was anxious to try this out. Let me tell you it was quinoalicious. We usually make steelcut outmeat for breakfast, so this was a nice change. I will definitely be adding this to our breakfast repertoire! Yum-yum!

Here's how you make it:

Ingredients:

* 1 1/3 C quinoa

* 2 2/3 C water

* 1 small apple, unpeeled, cored and cut into small chunks (I used a gala apple, but I'm pretty sure you could use any type of apple you have on hand)

* 1/4 C dried cherries

* 1/2 C walnut pieces

* 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

* 2 Tbl. honey, plus more for serving

* 1/2 C low-fat milk (I used soymilk b/c that's what we drink!)

Directions:

1. Put the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under the tap.

***Note: Quinoa in its natural state has a coating of bitter-tasting saponins, making it unpalatable. Removal of the saponin helps with digestion; the soapy nature of the compound makes it act as a laxative....yuck! Most boxed quinoa has been pre-rinsed for convenience, but make sure you check before you make this! Mine was pre-rinsed so I skipped this step.

2. Put the quinor and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook 5 minutes.

3. Add the apples and cherries and cook, covered over low heat, until the water is absorbed, about 10minutes.

4. In the meantime, toast the walnuts in a dry skilled over med-high heat, stirring frequently, until they are fragrant, about 2min. Allow them to cool, and

then coarsely chop them.

5. When the quinoa is cooked, stir in the cinnamon, honey, and milk, and cook for 1 more min.

6. Place into bowls and top with walnuts. You can drizzle additional honey of top if you like! Enjoy!