Recipe: Tropical Quinoa Pudding

If you're trying to go non-dairy or low-carb, and you like the flavors of the tropics, try this amazingly flavorful substitute for rice pudding. With nutty high-protein quinoa, creamy coconut milk, bananas, nuts, and ginger, this healthy and delicious dessert will give plain old pudding a run for its money!

Tropical Quinoa Pudding

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups quinoa
2 cups water
1 can coconut milk (13 ounces)
1/4 cup Turbinado sugar
pinch salt
1/2 cup dried mango slices, cut in small chunks
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 bananas
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted

Directions:

• Bring quinoa and water to a boil in a medium saucepan, then cover and simmer on medium-low heat until water is absorbed and quinoa is almost tender (it won't be fully done at this point).
• Add sugar, salt, and coconut milk to quinoa in pan and cook an additional five minutes.
• Add ginger and mango chunks and continue cooking until mixture has a pudding like consistency, about 3 minutes more. Remove from heat.
• Slice 1/2 of one banana in 1/2 inch rounds and set aside. Mash remaining bananas and add to pudding, then stir in walnuts.
• Garnish with remaining banana rounds and add sugar to taste if desired.