Quinoa with Pork

A small piece of pork loin (about the size of your baby’s fist, or about 1/3 of a chop)

½ cup of whole grain quinoa (Ancient Harvest brand)

1 ¼ cups of water

1 tbs olive oil for browning (or any safe oil)

Salt

This dish has a texture similar to valencia rice, just a bit more “al dente.” In a small sauce pan fry the pork in oil, just enough to brown it on all sides. Add the quinoa and sauté for about a minute. Pour in the water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cover. Simmer for about 18-20 minutes and salt to taste. You’ll notice that I put in more water than the box recommends and I cook it longer. That’s to help the grain get softer and more palatable for small kids. The pork gives the quinoa a lot of great flavor, it’s actually something I’d eat myself all the time, now that I have discovered it.

Coconut Quinoa "Shortbread" Cookies

1/3 cup Nutiva Coconut Manna (at spreadable temperature)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 tsp prepared quinoa flakes (very sticky, thick) Ancient Harvest
1 tbs maple syrup
2/3 cup quinoa flour

These are based on my eggless quinoa cookie recipe, but the coconut manna makes them better (at least my daughter thinks so, lol). Cream together the sugar and manna then add the quinoa flakes, syrup, vanilla and flour. Mix until you can roll it in to a dough. Take about a teaspoonfool and make a ball, place it on a pan coated with canola oil and quinoa flour (or parchment paper instead). Repeat the process until you've used all your dough. Flatten the balls down with your fingers so they are about 1/4 inch tall and about 2 inches across, they will stay the shape you make them. Bake at 350 for 12- 15 minutes until golden brown.

Here you can see the balls of dough and the pressed cookies.

The finished product :)