Celebrating UK: Big Blue Quinoa a.k.a. Tanglewood Quinoa

There is a little cafe near here called the Courthouse Cafe.  My mom loves it there, and her favorite thing comes from the dessert menu: Tanglewood Pie.  It is a fluffy cheesecake that has a crust, then a layer of bananas, the fluffy cheesecake, and is topped with blueberries in glaze.  I wanted to make a quinoa that is reminiscent of this dish for her. 

I also wanted to make something with blueberries because I'm attempting to make blue things today to celebrate UK being in the NCAA championship.  Here in my family, you watch and cheer for UK.  You BLEED BLUE.  And to cheer them on for tomorrow as well as celebrate them for last night, I am going to be making blue foods today!  As well as a couple of dished you may see at sporting events, like some buffalo chik'n nuggets later with some mashed caulipots (which will be blue) *winks*. But, that is a post for later.

I did do something different for mom and dad's bowls than I did my own.  I put some White Chocolate Wonderful Peanut Butter in mom and dad's with some granola (as seen above).  In my own, I simply added some pistachios and some flax seeds.  I know that their bowls tasted better, but I wanted to keep mine whole foods based. 

Either way, if you haven't tried the White Chocolate Wonderful Peanut Butter, you are missing out.  For those around here, it's at Hazard Wal Mart.

When I went to make this, I used a mix of huckleberries and blueberries.  My Aunt Janet and my Uncle Henry, two of the best people in the world, go huckleberry picking each fall.  They always bring us back some.  We freeze them and munch on them all year long.  I also got the blueberries from their blueberry bushes.  They are both just so good.  I could not thank them enough for bringing them to us. 

Anyways, this is a way to eat healthy, celebrate the Cats, and a fix for some Tanglewood Pie.  I did have a friend ask about the fact that they do not have a rice cooker.  You can just as easily cook this on the stove with a pot that has a lid.  I just like using my rice cooker because it is easy.  If you are cooking on the stove, just simply watch to make sure it doesn't overcook and stick.  Stir occassionally.

Ingredients:

1 can coconut milk
1/4 c. water
1 c. quinoa
1 c. bananas sliced
1 c. blueberries and/or huckleberries
Choice of toppings: 1 Tbsp White Chocolate Wonderful Peanut Butter, 1/4 c. pistachios, 1/4 c. granola, 2 Tbsp milled flax seed, or a mix

Directions:

1. In a rice cooker or pot, put the quinoa, blueberries/huckleberries, bananas, coconut milk, and water.  Let cook  together.
2. Grab a bowl and put in your choice or combination of toppings.
3. Put the cooked quinoa mixture in the bowl with toppings, mix together, and chow down.

Enjoy this lazy Sunday, eat plenty of blue stuff, and celebrate the C-A-T-S! 

As a side note, this will be the last quinoa recipe for a while.  I just love the combinations.  And I figure by now, you get the idea that it is awesome and tasty and the like.