Chocolate quinoa pudding
Ah, inspiration. Do you realize it’s all around us, camouflaged in every corner of our lives, waiting for us to take notice? Inspiration gives us the courage to test the limits of our imagination. It is where brilliance thrives.
Have you ever thought about what stimulates your imagination or inspires you to create something new? It really doesn’t take much to inspire me or to make me smile in quiet awe. It’s the green bananas ripening on my kitchen counter. The way cookie dough comes together. Coconut oil melting. Lentils sprouting. What happens to chia seeds when I soak them. Beautiful photographs. The flowers that grow in my garden. My cat purring. My friends. And all of you. Those of you who leave your comments here, showing proof there are people who actually read my blog. Those of you who are silent but keep dropping in.
I find endless inspiration in other blogs, too. Food bloggers’ passion, and the delicious results of that passion, never fail to inspire me. This beautiful pudding is one such example. It is inspired by someone’s quinoa porridge, combined with another’s banana soft serve, and topped with my own creation of caramelized banana and nuts. The frozen bananas make this pudding thick and creamy, the cocoa adds a deep chocolate flavour, and the quinoa provides a perfect balance of essential amino acids and vital nutrients. As far as I know, no other chocolate pudding has the superstar power of this one. Enjoy!
PrintChocolate quinoa pudding
Ingredients:
Quinoa pudding:
- 2 cups nondairy milk
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
- 2 frozen bananas
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
- 3 tbsp maple syrup or agave nectar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Caramelized banana and nuts:
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 yellow bananas, sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- dash of cinnamon
Directions:
Quinoa pudding:
- In a large saucepan, combine the nondairy milk and quinoa and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer until the liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally so that a skin doesn't form on top.
- While the quinoa is cooking, combine the bananas, cocoa powder, maple syrup, cinnamon and vanilla in a blender and blend until creamy.
- When the quinoa is done, stir in the banana mixture. Serve warm, topped with caramelized banana and nuts (recipe below).
Caramelized banana and nuts:
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Spread out the sliced bananas and nuts in the pan and cook for about 2 minutes. Flip the banana slices over and cook for another minute or two, until they turn light brown.
- Add the maple syrup and cinnamon and stir to combine. Cook for another minute, or until the maple syrup has dissolved. Remove from heat.