Looking for something to do with those grains from dinner last night? Tonight I baked up some apples stuffed with maple-nut quinoa. Of course I pulled an epic blog fail by eating them without taking any pictures, but they were pretty sexy. I just took some cold cooked quinoa from, mixed in 1/2 a tablespoon of maple syrup, a handful of raisins, walnuts, cinnamon and allspice and stuck it in a fuji apple cut in half with the core scooped out. Twenty minutes in the oven at 350 and voila! An amazing thing to do with left-overs, could definitely work with any grain.
Another of my favorite tricks to use up cooked grains is to let them soak over night in some non-dairy milk – almond is my fav– with vanilla, cinnamon, dried fruit, and coconut (or any nut). By morning the grains have soaked up the liquid and you’re left with a tasty breakfast treat! Add a bit of maple syrup and enjoy it for dessert instead. This trick (which my culinary whiz of a mom taught me) works well with uncooked oats; try layering them with fresh or frozen fruit before tucking the mix into the fridge for the night and wake up to a parfait.
Love these ideas!
For lunch, I take about a cup of vegetable broth, leftover grain (millet, brown rice or quinoa), leftover beans, and a dark leafy green (collards, spinach or kale) and microwave all together for 4 minutes. A quick and hearty soup in my thermos for lunch!