Breakfast Quinoa

I have completely jumped on the quinoa band wagon. I wanted a recipe that could act as an alternative to my morning oatmeal. This recipe is very nutty and flavorful. It also has lots of texture! Eat alone or pair it with an egg, grapefruit or yogurt. Yes, men will eat this too. I tricked my steak and potatoes father (not usually a fan of my “frou frou” cooking) into trying it and he loved it! He raved about how hearty it tasted and that it filled him up. He still doesn’t understand what “a quinoa” is and probably never will. My yogi mom also found this recipe delicious. She, unlike her other half, was not shocked that “a quinoa” could make a great breakfast.

Makes about 2 servings:

You will also need a small sauce pan and a stove 🙂

I used Grade B maple syrup as it is more flavorful than fine syrup. It is also thicker and noticeably darker. I trust honey or fine syrup would both make nice substitutes. Adjust to your taste!

Step one: Rinse the quinoa with cold water in a fine woven strainer for 1-2 minutes

Step 2: Heat a small sauce pan on medium to medium high heat and add quinoa. Dry roast for 1-2 minutes. It helps evaporate the water and boosts the nutty flavor. Stir constantly when dry roasting.

Step 3: Add the coconut milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon sticks and/ or ground cinnamon. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.

Step 4: Turn heat down to low and cover with a cracked lid- I left about an inch of space. Mixture will start to thicken! Let simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. See below photo for how quinoa should look when it is done simmering. You don’t want all the coconut milk absorbed. Quinoa is now larger and has also split, exposing their “tails”.

Step 5: After mixture has thickened, stir in the remaining ingredients (walnuts, blueberries, maple syrup and salt).

Turn off heat after everything is thoroughly combined and remove cinnamon sticks. (Or avoid them when serving)

Top with ground cinnamon and serve warm.