Pinterest Fail #1 (Quinoa Puddin’)

This isn’t my first Pinterest fail mind you but I decided I should probably post them from now on … not to bash the blog that a particular idea or recipe came from but to let ya’ll know which recipes/ideas I have tried that just DID NOT work out … and at no fault of my own.

                             

I love quinoa so I had high hopes for this recipe that I found on Pinterest.  It was for Quinoa Puddin’ so I pinned it right away and tried it very soon thereafter.  It did state at the beginning of the recipe that it was “adapted heavily from” such and such website AND when I read the original recipe it was the same EXCEPT for the fruit added to the top at serving … hmmm.  Also, the original recipe did state at the very end that the puddin’ isn’t the consistency of puddin’ but “more like a soup” … sure wish I’d paid attention to that BEFORE I wasted all those ingredients. 

See how Quinoa is just sitting at the bottom?

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Here’s the failed recipe (just not sharing where it came from):

¾ cups Quinoa

2-1/2 cups Whole Milk

½ cup Heavy Cream

1/3 cup Sugar

2 tsps Vanilla

Pomegranate Seeds …

In a large saucepan, whisk together the Milk, Heavy Cream, Sugar and Vanilla.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Add Quinoa.  Turn heat down to low and allow to simmer for 45 minutes.  Cooking for the full 45 minutes will result in a thick pudding.  For a thinner consistency, cook the pudding until desired consistency is achieved.  Stir every few minutes to prevent a film from forming on the top of the pudding or bottom of the pan.  Serve chilled topped with fresh Pomegranate Seeds …

So soupy you could literally drink it!

As you can see from my photos … it did not turn out.  It wasn’t anywhere near the consistency of puddin’ … more like a sweet soup … a very very soupy soup!  Taste was very good but quinoa DOES NOT cook in milk like it does in water AT ALL!  Not only did it NOT cook … it DIDN’T absorb any of the liquid either, well duh!!!  I even cooked it a good 10 minutes longer than suggested … I’m pretty sure if I had slow cooked it all day the quinoa still wouldn’t have cooked nor the puddin’ thickened!  I wish I could figure out the solution to this recipe as it would be very good IF the quinoa cooked and the puddin’ actually thickened up to the consistency of … well puddin’. 

I’m pretty sure this Quinoa Puddin’ is supposed to be similar to a Tapioca or Rice Puddin’ so I researched websites from allrecipes.com to foodnetwork.com to pauladeen.com and found that every single Tapioca and Rice Puddin’ recipe called for EGGS!  Well eggs would definitely have thickened up this recipe but now to figure out the problem with the Quinoa not cooking … hmmm maybe cook it as directed on the package FIRST and then add it to the puddin’ mixture?  Could be the problem as I researched for more Quinoa Puddin’ recipes and their recipes called for cooking the quinoa first … one added bananas and another added … you guessed it … eggs!  Of course, if you’re a Vegan … using eggs will not work for you so maybe try adding Chia seeds which Vegans use as a thickener. 

I don’t know the answer for sure … BUT I’m gonna try the method of precooking the quinoa and adding eggs to the puddin’ mixture!  I am hopeful that this works cause like I said the taste was very good!

Sorry ya’ll but I cannot, with good conscience, share the names of these two blogs because my blog is NOT about bashing other blogs but believe-you-me, I will not be trying any more recipes from these particular blogs.  Seems to me that they maybe ‘make up’ their recipes without ever really trying them … sad too because they have so many followers.  You will never find any recipes on my blog that I have not personally made myself!!!  And let me add this statement … I have found some wonderful recipes on other blogs and when I share those recipes I always give credit to the original blog where I found it … unless I totally change it up, of course.

Happy Pinning and just remember this … not every blogger who posts (or Pins) recipes are great cooks … just like not every restaurant that opens its doors are serving great food … but don’t be afraid to try new recipes and once you’ve found a blog with great recipes … stick to it.  That’s my advice for the day.