Super Food Saturday Raspberry Coconut Quinoa Breakfast Pudding

This week’s recipe features two super foods; Greek yogurt and quinoa.

Let’s focus on quinoa today.

Quinoa is one of the few sources of complete plant protein. In includes all nine amino acids.  Here are some of the other benefits:

·       Fiber- twice as much as other grains, which helps to fight high blood pressure and diabetes.

Quinoa in high in iron, magnesium, B2 and Manganese.

·       Iron- keeps red blood cells healthy, regulates body temperature, enzyme activity and energy metabolism.  Many women are low in iron. 

·       Magnesium helps in transmission of nerve impulses, body temperature regulation and energy production.

·       B2- improves energy metabolism need in brain and muscle cells.

·       Manganese- an anti-oxidant that helps to prevent damage to mitochondria during energy production

Quinoa is also high in Lysine which is needed for growth and tissue repair.

I first tasted quinoa when I traveled to Peru. I was doing a 2 week small group trip. Part of the trip included a family home stay on Lake Titicaca.  Here is the view from my room. One of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. It is the lake at the highest altitude in the world.

The family lived on a small plot of land a very long climb from the dock.  They grew their own food.  We had several meals at this home.  My home stay mom of six cooked over a wood stove in a kitchen with a dirt floor.  My first meal started with a wonderful vegetable soup with Quinoa. I remember for dinner we had omlets with french fries cooked into the omlet. Sounds wierd but it was wonderful.

 Here I am with my home stay mom Amelianna and her two year old son  in rront of their home. No electricty, no running water and no TV in this house.  Lots of love in this house and staying in their home was a wonderful experience.

I remember each of the kids coming in to meet me and eat dinner as they finished their homework. Each one of them came and said good bye to me and gave me a kiss on the cheek on my last morning to kiss me good bye.

I also did a hike on the Inca trail to Machu Picu.  Our guides served us quinoa most days in soups to start our meals. There is actually a marathon on this stone covered trail used by the Incas. These guides were amazing, carrying all our luggage, tents, food and cooking equipment. These same guides can run this trail as part of that marathon in about 6 hours and it took us 4 days. The trail includes a climb to over 10,000 feet over dead woman pass. Here I am with my group including our porters and cooks at the end of the trip.

All the healthy food we were served helped make the climb early. Peru cuisine is full of fresh vegetables. They grow over 300 types of potatoes. They also served guinea pig as a delicacy.  For me eating new foods is the best part of travel. I am glad I was introduced to quinoa. I hope you enjoy this recipe. You will be seeing several more in the coming weeks featuring this great grain.

1 cup quinoa

1 (14 ounce) can of light coconut milk

½ cup water

1/3 cup raw sugar*

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

½ cup Greek yogurt

1 pint fresh raspberries

Directions

In a medium saucepan over medium- high heat, combine the quinoa, coconut milk, water and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed.  Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes, then stir in vanilla, and yogurt.  Take a large bowl and put half the berries in the bottom, pour pudding on top and add the rest of the berries.  Refrigerate.

* You can use honey or white sugar if you do not have raw sugar or like a whiter pudding.

You can also add a pinch of salt, I left it out. I like a very strong vanilla taste, so reduce this if you would like a less strong flavor.

I hope someday you will visit a Peru, it is a beautiful country with great food and warm welcoming people.  Visiting Macu Picu was a spiritual experience.  Here is a shot from the hike iin.

 You can also take the train if you are not up to hiking the Inca trail.  If you do I hope you have some of the same great food I experienced. Until you get to visit you will have a little taste of Peru everytime you eat quinoa.

*************

The author at Macu Picu

Chris Wodke

Founder & Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a two time participant of the Boston Marathon.  She was the 2012 National Champion Paratriathlon Open Division. In 2013 she qualified as a member of the Team USA Duathlon Team. She will compete in 2014 at the Age Group World Duathlon Sprint Championship in Pontevedre Spain.

She is the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a CMT affected athlete.

http://www.henschelhausbooks.com/catalog/memoir-biography/215-running-for-my-life-winning-for-cmt-9781595982827.html

Team CMT is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure for CMT. We have 143 members in 28 states. We also have members in Australia, Canada, Vietnam, Turkey, Finland and Iran. If you wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS).  It is a disease of the nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual dexterity.

Structural foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.