Too Much Milk, Not Much Time

So I'm thinking of changing my address to the abyss.  Mostly because, well, I've been missing a hell of a lot haven't I now?  This was not an intentional absence though.  Admittedly, I haven't had much spare time what-so-ever to do a whole lot besides eat and sleep outside of work.  I haven't even been to yoga in over a week.  How horrid this is!  How un-zen my week has been!

My week?  In a nutshell, I'm pretty sure I've dropped more things than imaginable and dinged my elbows more times than is logically permissible on ledges hard enough to make my forearm sing.

Also, no progress in the bread world or the 'Art and Soul of Baking'.  Believe it or not, it isn't because I have been terribly lazy.  The library repossessed its book and, wouldn't you know, someone else put the darn thing on hold.  And you know what?  I saw their hold and raised them a hold.  Let's see *them* cook *their* way through that business!  I jest, though my progress in that field is temporarily on hold until that book graces the holds shelf with my last name on it.  Can't wait!

Down to the grit of the matter, I'm posting today with some dessert that should be eaten with a spoon instead of with hands.  It is not a bar nor a cookie nor ... pizzelle.  Okay, I did make pizzelle (double chocolate with a kiss of orange) but we've already discussed that one.  Thusly, I was forced to make something else.

I was sitting with a ridiculous surplus of milk and, while I love it, I wasn't going to be able to drink it all even with some marathon chugging.  Solution: bake/cook something.  Wait, there's a problem.  What recipe can I possibly come up with that uses a lot of milk all in one go?

Yeah, that took a whole lot of Google.  More than I have ever committed before.  The results were totally worth it!

I give you one creamy pudding that knocks the rice out of the ballpark with its amino acid compliment.  Not to mention that it didn't seem to require the same amount of care as rice usually does.  Rice can be quite a tricky mistress!

Quinoa "Rice" Pudding
As presented by Mommy Chef 27 on Food.com (click for recipe!)

Quinoa pudding on the stove-top?  Nailed it.

What You'll Need:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups skim milk, divided
• 1/4 cup sugar (I used palm sugar here because I wanted to use it up! Fascinating stuff, that; gives it a faint nutty flavour.)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp margarine

How It’s Done:

1.  Dump the uncooked quinoa in a pot with the 2 cups of water.
2.  Toss the spices into the pot and mix briefly.
3.  Cover the pot and bring the quinoa to a boil.  (Okies, the instructions on my quinoa say "Bring to a boil, turn heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until cooked." So, that's what I did.  Afterwards, I 'fluffed' it and let it sit for a short time before continuing).

Quinoa, simply cooked with water and spices.  Awh, yeah!

4.  Pour the milk and sugar into the cooked quinoa, bring the element to medium heat and cook down the liquid until it becomes thick and pudding-like.

Oh, no! Where did the quinoa go?  No worries, its in there.  I'll just stir it up and give you a look-see.

See?  I didn't lie to you about the quinoa.  Look, mom, my hand is famous! ^__^

5.  In a measuring cup, measure the milk and beat the egg into it until the mixture is homogenous and light yellow.
6.  Add the egg/milk mixture to the creamy quinoa and continue to cook until thickened once again.
7.  Once thickened for a second time, mix in the butter and vanilla.
8.  Make sure that everything is all mixed together thoroughly and dish it out for some sweet eats!

Supposed to serve eight, but it can serve more or fewer depending, of course, on how much you like whom you share this with.  It may also serve one multiple times if you choose not to share!

p.s. Enjoy!