Quinoa : Pronounced "Keen-wa" (Quinoa pudding with fresh blackberries and pear)

Quinoa is a seed that is edible though it's not quite a cereal grain though it's technically a fruit. It's leaves can be eaten much like lettuce though they're not easy to find. It can be used as a substitute for rice, couscous or small pasta and it's mighty healthy. It's not cheap but if you're looking for a healthy alternative to brown rice that's easy to cook, Quinoa is a good choice.

This is a simple pudding you can make for breakfast or a dessert. I've made a similar breakfast recipe with risotto but this is a healthier version.

Ingredients

2 cups water
1 cup quinoa
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups of milk
1/3 cup of maple syrup
3/4 of dried cranberries
1 cup of vanilla yogourt
1/2 cup of blackberries
1 pear, chopped

Directions

Add the water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the quinoa and reduce to low heat. Cover and simmer up to 15 minutes until all the water is dissolved and the quinoa is soft in texture.

Place the cornstarch, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.

In a saucepan, add the milk, maple syrup and cranberries and heat over medium low heat. Add the cranberries and the dry ingredients, whisking until smooth and slightly thickened about 2 minutes. Stir in the quinoa and cook for about 5 minutes until well blended and heated through.

At this point, the mixture can be stored in the refrigerator. It should be cool until ready to add the yogourt. Stir in the pear and add the blackberries on top.