once upon a time i used to always make oatmeal for breakfast, and then it got hot out so i switched to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. and then i went GF and switched to pb&j’s on gluten free english muffins, and then GF english muffins became $6.50 for a half dozen- i was running out of delicious breakfast options! i love me some oatmeal, but i can only handle gumming steel cut oats for so long. coincidentally, an old friend forwarded me a recipe for breakfast quinoa. it’s an incredibly simple equation; 1 c quinoa cooked in 2 cups of whatever milk you desire, lightly sweetened, and like oatmeal you dress it up with fruits, nuts, and spices. however, unlike oatmeal, quinoa maintains a nutty, chewy texture-score!
yesterday i dressed mine in diced minneola’s (a crazy tasty tangerine/clementine/orange hybrid of sorts), raw pecans, cranberries, and agave nectar.
today i reheated leftover cranberry quinoa and topped it with more raw pecans, agave, and added a sliced banana. so satisfying!
cranberry banana pecan breakfast quinoa!
i’m one of those people who wants needs to eat every 3-4 hours or i’ll go cuckoo; this actually keeps me sated the whole time so i’m not obsessing over lunch time. yay!
here’s my base recipe- this can boil over very easily so keep a sharp lookout, or make it in your crockpot!
breakfast quinoa base
makes roughly 4 servings
1 c quinoa, rinsed well
2 c almond milk
pinch salt
3 tbs maple syrup or agave nectar
1/2 mix ins for serving- dried or fresh fruit, nuts, seeds, spices etc
toast your quinoa in a dry high-walled skillet or pan until golden brown. add almond milk, sugar and salt and bring to a boil. cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook until almost all the liquid has absorbed. let stand for a minute or two before topping and serving.
