Cinnamon Pear Quinoa Parfaits
This post is sponsored by Mirum, but opinions expressed are my own.
Happy New Year, everybody! What was your New Year’s resolution? If you still don’t have one, may I offer a modest suggestion? How about cooking one new meal for your family each week in 2018?
OK, I have to admit, I didn’t come up with that idea all by myself. It’s actually a new campaign called Mix It Up Mondays, sponsored by Unilever and Sam’s Club. The idea is to try something new and wholesome just once a week. This is such a simple thing to do, but it can really give you a sense of accomplishment and boost your confidence as a cook and a parent.
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To get you started, Unilever has come up with a bunch of great recipes to try. But since the whole idea is to “mix it up,” they’re encouraging you to tinker with them to make them your own.
For my first Mix It Up Monday, I decided to try these Apple Cinnamon Quinoa Parfaits. With fresh fruit, protein-packed quinoa, and nonfat Greek yogurt, these looked like they could could hardly be any healthier. And to “mix it up,” I decided to try it with pears instead of apples.
The secret ingredient in this recipe is I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter, so my first step was to swing by Sam’s Club and pick up a club-sized pack of it. These big packages are a great value, and there’s enough to feed your family for many meals to come. That means I’ll have plenty of this ultra-versatile spread left to try out these other recipes too: Fluffy Scrambled Eggs-Rainbow Style and Yellow Layer Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting. So that’s two more Mondays ready to mix. 😀
This was my first time using the store’s Club Pickup service, which makes shopping super easy. You just shop online, any time you like, and look for items marked “Pick Up In Club.” Load up your virtual cart with whatever you want, and the employees at your local Sam’s will load up a real cart with the same items for you to pick up when you get there. You don’t even have to go through the checkout! Just check in at the in-store kiosk, or use their handy Scan & Go app to pay, and you’re on your way!
Once I got all my groceries home, it was time to start cooking. And I have to say, this recipe came together really fast. I cooked the quinoa and sautéed the pears at the same time, then layered everything in the glasses and topped it with a little drizzle of honey. (Check out the video to see for yourself how easy it is.)
And believe it or not, all these healthy ingredients come together to make a really satisfying dessert. What I love most is the combination of textures, chewy quinoa, creamy yogurt and tender pears that melt in your mouth. My family ate it up!
Want to get in on the Mix It Up Monday madness? Give this recipe a try, and put your own spin on it. You can switch up the fruit like I did, or maybe try a different flavor of yogurt. Then share your creation with the hashtags #MixItUpMonday and #SamsClub. Let’s all get mixing together!
Cinnamon Pear Quinoa Parfaits
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!® Spread
3 medium pears, cored and diced
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 1/2 cups nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt
1 cup cooked quinoa
honey, for drizzling
Directions
1. Melt I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!® Spread in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
2. Cook pears with cinnamon, stirring occasionally, until pears are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Evenly layer about ¼ cup yogurt in each of 4 parfait or other glasses. Top each with 2 tablespoons quinoa, then ½ cup cooked pears. Repeat layers. Top with a drizzle of honey and Serve immediately.
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Corey, Darryl, Big D & Little D
Cinnamon Pear Quinoa Parfaits
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Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp. I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!® Spread
- 3 medium pears, cored and diced
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 2 1/2 cups nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- honey, for drizzling
Instructions
- Melt I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!® Spread in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
- Cook pears with cinnamon, stirring occasionally, until pears are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Evenly layer about ¼ cup yogurt in each of 4 parfait or other glasses. Top each with 2 tablespoons quinoa, then ½ cup cooked pears. Repeat layers. Top with a drizzle of honey and Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer: Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
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These look great! What a creative way to sneak quinoa in. Always on the hunt for new recipes, thanks for sharing!