Quinoa Pudding

Place quinoa in a fine sieve; place sieve in a large bowl. Cover quinoa with water. Using your hands, rub grains together for 30 seconds; rinse and drain. Repeat procedure twice. Drain well, and place in a large saucepan.

Scrape seeds from vanilla bean; add seeds and bean to quinoa. Add 1 1/2 cups water, orange rind, salt, cinnamon, and star anise. Bring to boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

Stir in milk and sugar; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, uncovered, 22 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in coconut and raisins; simmer, uncovered, an additional 20 minutes or until mixture is thick and creamy, stirring frequently.

Remove from heat; discard vanilla bean, cinnamon, and star anise. Gradually add 1 cup hot pudding to egg, stirring constantly with a whisk. Return mixture to pan, stirring until well blended.

Garnish each serving with orange rind, if desired.

Note: Substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract for the vanilla bean, if desired. Add the vanilla extract after cooking the pudding (at the end of step 3).