Food52 Genius Recipe #42 Yogurt with Toasted Quinoa, Dates & Almonds

 

There are a few recipes in the book that I will make just for myself because I know Christine won't like it for one reason or another. This is one of those recipes and frankly, I wasn't that interested in trying it. I mean I like almost all of the ingredients, but I've never been much of a quinoa fan. Thankfully, there is only a 1/2 tablespoon used for a portion of this. It's added for a nutty flavor, achieved by toasting it, and for a crunchy texture. I don't think it was necessary because there are two types of nuts that get added on top as well. Almonds and pistachios join quinoa, medjool dates, lemon zest, and some olive oil on top of Greek yogurt.

I opted to go with a flavored Greek yogurt (honey vanilla) over plain because it made me more interested in making this. The sweetness of the yogurt and dates really made this feel like a typical American breakfast. I did appreciate all of the different textures with each spoonful. The nuts and quinoa give you crunch, the dates are soft and chewy, and then the yogurt is creamy and coats the mouth. A smaller portion would make for a perfect snack that packed with protein. I happen to have most of these ingredients on hand at any given time, but it a kind of costly dish to put together if you don't. If I liked to eat the same thing each day for breakfast, I would might make this more often. I feel like you'd have to do that in order to make it worth the cost of the ingredients.