Breakfast Quinoa

The timing of my discovery of Joy’s morning quinoa meal this week was impeccable. I had all the ingredients on hand: mango, milk, apple sauce, almonds, and coconut. Quinoa seemed filling and tasty for breakfast. I got out of bed the following morning and made quinoa for breakfast.

It turns out that breakfast quinoa is equally as filling as oatmeal and just as simple to prepare, with unlimited variants. Quinoa is a highly healthful way to start the day and pairs well with breakfast toppings thanks to its nutty flavor. Quinoa is a whole grain that is rich in vitamins and minerals and a complete protein.

Breakfast quinoa is a great way to use up leftover quinoa, and by substituting almond, coconut, or soy milk for conventional milk, you can quickly turn it into a vegan dish. I’m addicted!

To cook quinoa, measure out one cup of grains, pour into a colandar, and rinse them under water for a few minutes. Rinsing removes the bitter saponins coating the outside of the quinoa. Then, pour the rinsed quinoa into a pot and add two cups water (you’re going for a 1:2 ratio of quinoa and water). Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, let sit for a few minutes, and fluff with a fork.

Also read: Blueberry Lemon Scones

Some of the other breakfast quinoa recipes I’ve come across recommend cooking the quinoa with milk instead of water, or a combination of milk and water (e.g. this recipe on 101 Cookbooks). Emma at The Kitchn recommends cooking the quinoa with water, as usual, and then adding a cup of milk at the end and letting is cook down a bit. Both methods sound delicious, but I like using leftover quinoa for other recipes, so I cooked my quinoa with all water. I just poured milk into my bowl when I was ready to eat quinoa for breakfast.

 

Per Joy’s recommendation, I toasted sliced almonds and unsweetened coconut in the oven. It’s an unnecessary step if you’re in a hurry. Almonds and coconut are good, toasted or not!

On Tuesday, I followed Joy’s recipe. I added warm quinoa, apple sauce (no sugar added) and milk to a bowl, and topped it with fresh mango, coconut and almonds. YUM.

 

The next day, I reheated some quinoa, added it to a bowl with some milk, and topped it with thawed frozen blackberries, blueberries, coconut, almond and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Also yum.

 

Today, I heated quinoa, mixed it with applesauce and added milk. I diced a granny smith apple and heated in the microwave with a sliver of butter and a dash of cinnamon until the apples were soft. Then I topped the quinoa with coconut, almonds and a dash of maple syrup.