The Gracious Pantry Shares Cranberry Pecan Quinoa

Who doesn't love The Gracious Pantry. She creates fabulous Eat-Clean recipes that compliment all of those found in my books. I am so excited she is sharing her story as well as her delicious Cranberry Pecan Quinoa recipe with us today. It's in keeping with The Eat-Clean Diet Vegetarian Cookbook plan as well. Too bad trainer Rita has me off grains otherwise I'd be scooping this up in a heart beat! Enjoy!

It was 3 years ago this coming July that I came across one of Tosca's books at the bookstore. I was yet again searching for something, anything that would help me feel better. The cover caught my eye and I started flipping through the pages. By the time I was done, I knew I had found my answer. Since then, almost all of Tosca's books have found their way into my shopping bag. Not so much for the recipes (though they are wonderful too), but for the photos!! That may sound silly to some, but the truth is, those gorgeous photos constantly remind me that healthy food is far more beautiful and tastes far better than the junk food that got me into trouble in the first place. And the photos of Tosca show me what's possible and keep me motivated.

I started with baby steps, converting my kitchen one ingredient at a time as I shopped every week. When the white rice ran out, it got replaced with brown rice, and so on. It took a while, but my kitchen is now 100% Clean and I love it!

In the past 3 years, I've kept track of the recipes I've created and I blog about them regularly at TheGraciousPantry.com. I've also published a cookbook and have another due out in July. But I will always remember that none of what I've accomplished so far would have happened had I not found that book that evening. And for that, I will always be grateful.

Thanks Tosca, for doing what you do!

Cranberry Pecan Quinoa
(Makes 5 cups)

Ingredients
4 cups cooked quinoa, cooked with unsweetened almond milk, cooled*
1 cup juice sweetened, dried cranberries
1 cup pecan pieces
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. honey
4 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Methods
Mix all ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl and serve.

Note: When cooking the quinoa, simply substitute the water for almond milk in equal amounts according to package directions. If you find that the quinoa is not completely cooked when the milk has cooked out, simply add in 1/2 cup at a time until the quinoa is fully cooked. Keep the heat on low to medium to avoid burning.