My family is in the midst of preparations in welcoming the New Year. Every year as the new year approaches, part of our tradition is to have an assortment of fruits in the house.
13 variety of fruits to be exact. Having 13 different kinds of round fruits during New Year’s Eve is said to bring good luck and prosperity to the family for the coming year.
Why 13 round fruits, you ask? 13 is a lucky number to the Chinese, and the fruits’ round shape resembles coins. They say it means wealth, abundance and prosperity.
I’m not sure if I believe in it but I will just go along with it. Plus, having plenty of fruits around will make for healthy snacks.
Yesterday, the fiance and I drove to downtown L.A. to spend the day relaxing, eating and wandering around.
We were in the Grand Central Market area and I bought more fruits to bring home. I haven’t been able to find juicy and sweet persimmons in my neighborhood, so I was excited to see them at the market.
The market was surprisingly busy during the middle of the day on a weekday.
Breakfast
I made a quinoa dish this morning, it’s an alternative to my usual oatmeal. This recipe is adapted from Double Delicious cookbook by Jessica Seinfeld. I bought it this week at Costco because I saw some interesting recipes that I wanted to try.
The dish is packed with protein, fiber and minerals. Great comfy and cozy breakfast.
Cinnamon – Maple Quinoa
- 1 1/3 cups water
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)
- 1/2 cup sweet potato puree
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Optional toppings: maple syrup, toasted almonds
This recipe can be adapted to whatever you have on hand.
Step 1: Rinse quinoa in cold water. Bring water to a boil, add the quinoa to boiling water and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for approx 13 minutes, uncovered. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes.
Step 2: In a separate pot, melt the butter. Stir in the sweet potato puree, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, almond milk and cinnamon.
When the quinoa has finished cooking, stir in the sweet potato mixture. Divide into bowls and top with your toppings.
Healthy Coconut 
I think that is a very cool tradition! I love having a huge variety of fruit around- so I’d be all for this 🙂 Isn’t Double Delicious awesome? I love that cookbook
I actually saw the cookbook first on your blog and was intrigued by it. So when I saw it at Costco and browsed thru it quickly, it had some recipes that was doable for me.
Which other dishes have you made and recommend?
That is such a neat idea with the fruit!!!!!!!
Never had quinoa before…what does it taste like?
Fitchocoholic, quinoa is supposed to be one of the most nutrient grain so I hope you get to try it soon.
The taste of quinoa is mild, but also slightly savoury. It taste nutty or seedy. It has a crunchy texture when cook you cook it for 10 mins, but if you cook it for 15 minutes it becomes very soft and slightly chewy.
I like to cook my quinoa until it’s soft and chewy.
That looks delicious… I’ll have to save that recipe for the end of the month.
My challenge for the new year on my Raw foodies Team on sparkpeople.com
Is having a 30 day Raw Food Challenge.
I’m excited as I haven’t done it not even for 1 week so this will be interesting to see if I can do it. We don’t have to do 100% a day but whatever we can is good and healthy for you.
So I’ve a all or nothing kind of person so 100% it is. I can’t wait to try this recipe though as I love Quinoa it’s delicious.
I work on Beaudry and 3rd St. so I’m not that far away I need to check out Central Market as I heard it’s changed over the course of 20 years.
How is your raw food challenge coming along? I have a cookbook at home “30 minute vegan recipes” and there are a lot of raw recipes included in it. I hope to try one of them soon.
Hey HC,
30 minute Vegan wow now that’s pretty fast I have to check it out as the fast the recipe the more time you have to do other things.
I’m doing well
Saturday 90% (baked something for my Neice so I had to taste it- LOL)
Sunday 100%
Monday 85% I ate 1 vegan meal cooked I tell you I felt a bit sluggish after that, I’ve been feeling really light and just barely full, unlike my usual.
I think I can handle it unless I get invited out or go out for dinner with family and friends I have to give in because that’s more important.
It’s not as bad as I thought it would be though.
oh yum! i never though of quinoa for breakfast! i’d love to experiment with sweet quinoa!
Are those persimmons I see? Yum yum! I went food shopping today too and it was packkkked! I guess everyone is trying to get ready for their New Year par-tays 😀
i’ve gotta get my ass to grand central market again – it’s so much fun there. happy new year!
Wow.. I’ve never heard of the fruit thing. That’s really cool! I wish we had a tradition like that for New Years. Although, I would be just as happy to nosh on Chinese food for dinner. It’s my favourite cuisine 😉
Happy New Year!
the market looks amazing, as does your quinoa breakfast dish!
happy new year!
cinnamon maple quinoa, yummmm!!!!