Recipe - White Chocolate Peanut Butter Quinoa Drops

I’ve been trying to get down with quinoa for about 4 years now and I just never was able to make it at home in a way I liked. Between the total lack of flavor and it being a bit watery, it always fell flat. Well there’s nothing like dietary peer pressure to keep you going! A friend of mine has quinoa at least 3 times a week and raves about it constantly so I’ve had an eye open for a really good recipe to try.

Enter Gwyneth Paltrow’s cookbook “It’s All Good.” I’m not really sure how I feel about her but I am a Goop follower. Love her or hate her I’d say the info she brings up and suggests is worth a look. I feel it only takes some self awareness and common sense to know what parts of Goop to leave on the shelf. That being said, I have always found her cookbooks and recipes to be legit as far as taste, and easy to execute. So when I found her cookbook on sale, I grabbed it without hesitation. And am I glad I did because it included one sentence that changed my life in regards to quinoa. “Place a dry towel between the pot and the lid and let the quinoa sit for at least 5 minutes.” That’s it! It’s that simple! And my quinoa is perfect! So perfect in fact I challenged my friend to creating new recipes using this chameleon grain.

This is my first creation, Quinoa Drops. They’re perfect marble sized and refrigerated. I now keep a bowl of them in the fridge. I made these with Peanut Butter & Co’s White Chocolatey Wonderful but any nut butter will do. Though I don’t know how many, these must be packed with protein and antioxidants. Even a yes for you Keto krazies out there!

The other thing that makes them amazing is it’s a recipe with just a little of this and a little of that. No measuring required!

Ingredients

About 2 cups of quinoa

About 1 1/2 cups of nut butter

About 1/4 cup of dark chocolate chips

About 1 teaspoon of Himalayan pink sea salt or favorite sea salt

Assemble

Put quinoa in a bowl and mix with the chocolate chips and salt.
Make a well in the middle of the mix. Add the nut butter in the well. With a spoon turn and pat the quinoa, slowly mixing with the nut butter. You want the quinoa to stick as well as possible without all the nut butter showing through.
Once it’s mixed well refrigerate for about 20 minutes. Once chilled, use a spoon to pick up about a teaspoon of the mixture and roll into a ball using your clean hands.
Place on a piece of parchment or on a plate and chill once again. Keep refrigerated and eat when ready.

Can also be frozen.

Makes approximately 12 drops.

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#JoyLifeTribe Recipe - Chocolate Chip French Toast Casserole

What really is the difference between a French Toast Casserole and Bread Pudding? At this moment I’m not completely sure, I’d have t get back to you on that one! Regardless of the name, this was the best one I’ve made so far, and I’ve made a few over the years.

I do what I like to call “The Grandma Method,” with cooking and even baking, when possible. That means I eyeball and estimate amounts. This recipe is the perfect one to try The Grandma Method.

Tips to Perfection:

Brioche. You cannot make a good bread pudding or french toast casserole with brioche. This time I used a chocolate chip brioche loaf.

Ghiradelli Chocolate chips because well, #ghiradelli

Adding a bit of condensed milk, helped keep optimal moisture, and texture.

Dousing the brioche pieces in melted butter. No one said this was low fat!

Letting sit overnight before baking.

Need to know before beginning:

The egg to total milk ratio you are achieving is about 1:1

Total milk is a combo of 1/2 dairy milk, half almond milk. You can change to all dairy milk, all almond milk, or all whatever milk you like. Be aware however, the richer your milk, the better the recipe. So I would NOT recommend using rice milk. or skim dairy.

Ingredients

9 x 12 glass pan with bottom and sides buttered

One loaf of Chocolate Chip Brioche

Butter (about 3 tablespoons)

5 to 6 eggs

2% Organic Dairy Milk

Almond Milk (omit if not an almond milk person)

Condensed Milk (about a 1/4 cup) Optional

Cinnamon (a dash)

Unrefined, Organic Sugar (about 3/4 cups)

Vanilla Extract (about a teaspoon)

Chocolate Chips (about a 1/2 cup)

Organic Brown Sugar (about a handful)

It should look like this before baking!

Chop up the brioche into small squares and put in the 9 x 12 glass pan that you have buttered on the bottom and the sides. Melt about butter and pour over the bread pieces. Gently toss around the bread pieces to make sure they are as evenly coated as possible.

In bowl combine eggs and milk to achieve a 1/2 and 1/2 ratio, condensed milk (if using), vanilla extract, unrefined sugar, and cinnamon. Whisk until completely blended, you don’t want to see any whites of the yoke.

Sprinkle chocolate chips over chopped brioche and then pour the egg mixture right over it. Gently move around bread pieces making sure all pieces are covered and there are no dry points sticking up.

Put in refrigerator overnight.

Sprinkle brown sugar over coated bread and put in a 450°F oven, not preheated. Remember, not all ovens heat the same. Adjust the temperature accordingly.

Remove when it’s golden brown and inflated.

Swirl a little chocolate syrup on a plate before adding a slice, then top with whipped cream.