FREE Live Cooking Class – Healthy Brunch – Baked Quinoa

On Thursday, August 16 I broadcasted a FREE live online cooking class, making a healthy brunch recipe for baked quinoa.

I was taking questions live through chat, and there were lots of good ones. Plus I give some suggestions on substitutions to the recipe if you want to change it up.

The cool thing is you can still watch the video below! I’ll leave it up, and you can add your questions to the comments below.

By Heather Nicholds

Baked Quinoa Recipe

Prep time:15 minutes
Cook Time:20 minutes
Time from start to eating:40 minutes
Makes 6-8 servings

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Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa (dry measure)
• 1 cup pure pineapple or mango juice (or any other pure fruit juice)
• 2 cups non-dairy milk (or water)
• 1 tsp vanilla (optional – especially if milk is vanilla flavored)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp grated ginger (optional)
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup (optional)
• 1 cup pineapple, chopped
• 1 cup mango, chopped
• 1 banana, mashed
• 1/4 cup dates, pitted and chopped
• 1/4 cup Brazil nuts, chopped
• 1/4 cup coconut flakes (unsweetened)

Baked Quinoa Directions

1. Cook the quinoa in 1 cup pineapple juice and 1 cup non-dairy milk (or water) with a pinch of salt, bringing it to a boil then turning down to low to simmer for 15 minutes. *Note: I’ll have my quinoa cooked before I start the class.
2. Mash the banana in a large baking dish. Once the quinoa is cooked, add it to the dish with the rest of the ingredients (except the coconut) and stir together. Sprinkle the coconut on top, and put the dish in the oven to bake at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes.
3. Serve with your favorite herbal tea, or a pineapple juice spritzer (made with sparkling water).

And the video below is a little behind the scenes footage of us setting up before the class (nothing too exciting, but I show how to start the quinoa).

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Healthy Brunch

• Cooked whole grains have more nutrients and are usually easier to digest than flour products (like bread). That doesn’t mean whole grain bread is unhealthy, but having some cooked quinoa instead sometimes is great.
• The best sweetener is fruit – fresh fruit, pure juices, dates, dried fruits and fruit sugars. They bring sweetness along with flavor and nutrients. To make your brunch a really special treat, small amounts of unrefined sweeteners (like maple syrup or coconut sugar) are an excellent choice.
• Complex carbohydrates (in whole grains and pseudograins like quinoa) are a great base for a healthy brunch to give you lasting energy for your day.
• Using spices in a dish give flavor, help boost your digestive system and also add small amounts of key ingredients.
• Healthy fats (in nuts and seeds) are not only necessary for your body’s functions but they make a meal more satisfying and filling.

Feel free to ask me any questions in the comments below!