fruit and nut quinoa bars

unfortunatley i have no pictures of these as i sent them right over to a friend of ours but they are cake like. the taste is very earthy but if you enjoy quinoa you will love trying something a little different like this. i used a combination of red quinoa and regular...we are hooked on the red now and i use it almost daily it seems.
quinoa is such an amazing grain. for one it has far more protein than any other grain..for people watching their meat intake or vegans it is an excellent benefit for them. not only does it contain a large amount of protein it is also a complete protein..containing essential amino acids. pair it with black beans for a wonderfully complete healthy meal! it is also high in iron. give it a try!

enjoy!


1 cup quinoa (i used a mix of regular quinoa and red quinoa)
2 cups water
1/2 cup organic natural brown sugar
1 cup whole whate flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/2 cup organic raisins, naturally dried and preservative free..no sulphur
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots, naturally dried and preservative free...no sulphur
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 eggs

preheat oven to 350F. grease 13x9 in pan.

bring water to boil. add quinoa and bring back to a boil. turn down to a simmer and cover until the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. remove and set aside.

combine brown sugar, flour, baking powder and soda, spices, raisins, aprictos and sunflower seeds.

in a small bowl combine quinoa, butter, oj, vanilla and eggs. add to dry mix and stir to combine.

pour into pan; sprinkle with some toasted wheat germ and bake for 45 minutes.

cool and eat.