Quinoa Fruit Salad

This is truly one of my favorite recipes. It is so easy to make and so delicious. And it's so nutritious you can have it for breakfast, a light dinner or even dessert. It has a great balance of protein, carbohydrates, healthy fats, and of course, fruit!

Also, making substitutions is quite easy. Instead of quinoa, you can use cooked steel cut oats, millet, amaranth, buckwheat (one of my favorites!), even cooked barley! For the cream, instead of silken tofu, you can easily substitute with a plain, plant-based yogurt of your choice, such as almond, coconut, or cashew yogurt. Or you can make the cream with 3/4 cup of cashews blended with about 3/4 cup of water (or more or less depending on what texture you want), plus the other ingredients indicated below. Either way, you'll have a delicious end product.

As far as the fruit, the possibilities are endless too. You can make this salad with winter fruit, summer fruit, or just about whatever you like. The toppings are optional but highly recommended.

So here's the recipe so you can enjoy it too:

Ingredients:

1 cup of dry quinoa

2 cups of water

1 recipe of tofu whipped cream (see below)

4 to 6 cups of chopped fruit (mango, bananas, pineapple, strawberries, etc.)

1 Tbsp or maple syrup or honey (optional)

¼ cup of raisins (optional) Other optional toppings: chopped walnuts, shredded coconut

Boil water in a small pot. Add quinoa, lower heat, and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes. In the meantime, prepare tofu whipped cream and chop fruit. Let quinoa cool to room temperature. Add fruit, tofu whipped cream and top with raisins and any other optional toppings of your preference. Can be served for breakfast, dessert or light dinner.

Ingredients for Tofu Whipped Cream:

1 package of silken tofu (I prefer Mori-nu brand), firm or extra-firm

1 ½ to 2 Tbsp of maple syrup, agave syrup or honey

¼ tsp of vanilla extract

¼ cup of water (optional)

Blend all ingredients together until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.