Greek Yogurt w/ Toasted Quinoa, Nuts & Dates

There is a food blogger named Stacy out of New Jersey that I follow regularly.  She does some amazing dishes and is often the source of inspiration for me.  I can tweak a lot of her recipes only slightly to fit my personal nutrition and taste preferences.  You can find her at: http://www.staceysnacksonline.com 

I've grown tired of the no sugar added fruit compote I make to add to the Greek yogurt mixture I often eat for breakfast, so I was intrigued by Stacy's idea which I've tweaked below.  It's got crunch and sweet and smooth and chew and cool and creamy - and YUM!!


Greek Yogurt w/ Toasted Quinoa, Nuts & Dates

4 oz. of plain 0% carb Greek yogurt 
1 *Medjool date, chopped
1 tbsp of quinoa
1 tbsp slivered almonds (more or less)
1 tbsp pistachios, rinsed and chopped ( more or less)
a little bit of lemon juice
1 packet Splenda (optional)
drizzle of honey for the top

Rinse the salt off the pistachios and blot on paper towel to dry (I only had roasted and salted)
In a dry skillet, toast nuts and quinoa dry on medium to medium high heat until you hear the quinoa pop like popcorn or it smells nutty and crunches nicely between your teeth, then you know it's ready. About 3 minutes. Nuts go from perfect to burned very quickly, so pay attention.

Spread the yogurt in a flat bowl, add a few drops of lemon juice,  a packet of Splenda or your favorite sweetener and sprinkle w/ the hot toasted quinoa and nuts. Scatter the finally chopped dates.

Add a tiny drizzle of raw agave nectar or honey.

Cook's Notes: Medjool dates are expensive, sticky and have a high sugar content, so one will be plenty if you chop it finely.  There is a good chance you won't need much additional sweetener.

I buy pre-rinsed quinoa.  If yours isn't then you should rinse the bitter powder off the outside under cold water in a strainer/sieve and blot it dry on paper towels before toasting.

This is definitely a "maintenance" recipe and may still be a little "carby" for some of you, so take that into account in your daily eating plan if you want to try it.