Pumpkin Quinoa
1 cup of uncooked rinsed quinoa (I use the tri-colored)
1 ¾ cups water
handful of finely chopped leafy greens (I used kale, bok choy and collard this time, also added some chopped cilantro)
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
dash of cinnamon
sprinkle of sesame, flax and chia
Thoroughly rinse the quinoa with water in a fine mesh strainer. I also soak it in water for about five minutes, then rinse again. Bring quinoa and water to a boil then simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes. Toss in a handful of finely chopped greens for the last 1 to 2 minutes of cooking. Turn off heat, stir in the pumpkin puree and a dash of cinnamon. Let it sit and cool.
Sprinkle with sesame, chia and flax just before serving.
The Happy Cockatoo: Elle's Avian Cuisine 
Easy, tasty, and nutritious — I will definitely make this for my birds.
May 19, 2012 at 6:40 pm
Thanks Paula! Yes it really is a simple, quick, and nutritious meal. You can vary the ingredients each time too. Mine all love it, from finches to macaw.
May 19, 2012 at 6:56 pm
How do you chop the kale without it being a wet mess.. last time I tried that it just didnt work out.
May 19, 2012 at 7:48 pm
Just cut it up with a knife, stays crisp, dry and no mess at all. Do you usually put it in the food processor?
May 19, 2012 at 8:00 pm
I tried the knife first.. rolled it up.. cut it long ways then across.. that didnt work.. then the food processor.. was almost liquified.. horrible.. did you blanche it first? I so do you leave the leaves whole.. I was told to cut around the ribs and not to use the stalk, Everyone does it differently and it makes it confusing.
May 19, 2012 at 8:03 pm
also,, what is pumpkin puree? Zaz didnt like pumpkin last time I tried it but he may mixed with sweet potato.
May 19, 2012 at 8:05 pm
I use the food processor for vegetables but it’s easier for me to do leafy greens by hand. I found a video for you. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=preptip&dbid=62
May 19, 2012 at 8:10 pm
Thanks Elle do you blanche it? Soon im going to try it again.. I hope it works cause I still have alot of Patricia Sunds chop frozen.. Zaz wont eat it wet and mushy so it goes into birdy bread.. but he only gets it as treats now so it will last forever,
May 19, 2012 at 8:13 pm
Thanks Elle you come uo with the best sites 🙂
May 19, 2012 at 8:16 pm
For the pumpkin puree, it’s just bake pumpkin then put it in the food processor. You can also buy it when whole pumpkins are not in season. http://www.shoporganic.com/product/farmers_market_pumpkin_puree/organic-canned-vegetables
May 19, 2012 at 8:12 pm
oh.. if you bake the pumkin why put it in the food processor? Wont it already be soft? When I bake his sweet potato I scoop it right out of the skin into the ice cube tray. ALso.. if you bake a pumpkin do you throw away the skin?
May 19, 2012 at 8:19 pm
I didn’t blanch the kale, I added it to the quinoa and boiling water the last two minutes of cooking.
You don’t have to put the cooked pumpkin the the food processor, sometimes I just add the moist chunks of pumpkin to their food. But I do it when I want a pudding smooth consistency so it blends really well.
Even when I give the parrots whole mini pumpkins they carefully chew the peels clean without actually eating them. They don’t normally eat the skin on vegetables or fruits.
May 19, 2012 at 8:36 pm