I love breakfast! And I know you all have heard that it is the most important meal of the day and you should never skip it – I agree! I am not really a savory breakfast person, nor do I eat eggs (that’s another post). Since I don’t have a lot of time in the morning to make a full breakfast, I am always looking from something that is either quick or that I can make ahead (I get to work by 6:30am and try to get as much sleep as I can, so making breakfast is low priority). Of course I want it to be healthy too. I used to be a cereal junkie, but the more I learned about health and nutrition, I realized that I was just eating a bunch of sugar and empty carbs with no protein, which is what I needed to sustain me through the long morning at work (I do not claim to be a nutritionist or a dietitian, these are just my opinions).
I had started using quinoa in place of rice in my dinner dishes and thought why not make it into sweet dish for breakfast similar to oatmeal. This is something I could also make into large batches and quickly re-heat in the morning. It truly is so easy to make. It’s satisfies my sweet tooth and delivers the balance of protein and healthy, “whole” carbs I need to fill me up. You also get calcium from the milk and more nutrients from the toppings (use what you like).
Ingredients
Sweet & Nutty Quinoa, Serves 4
1 cup quinoa
2 cups milk, (I use Rice Milk, but whatever you have will work or water)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt (I mean a small pinch, but you do need it – just like in baking)
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Toppings: Use what you have. These are my favorite.
2 teaspoons peanut butter, divided
¼ cup roasted/toasted nuts, roughly chopped, divided* – I used pecans, almonds and walnuts
Banana, sliced, divided
Directions
Place quinoa, milk, cinnamon, vanilla extract, salt and maple syrup in a saucepan, stir to combine. Cover pan and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes, till liquid is absorbed. Mine took 18 minutes. Start checking at 15. When liquid is absorbed, but not dry, turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes, keep covered.
To serve, divide the quinoa into 4 bowls or in my case, I just spoon ½ cup into a bowl and save the rest for my week’s breakfasts. Top with ½ teaspoon peanut butter in the center, sprinkle with a little bit of the nuts and a few banana slices. Use whatever toppings you like; these are my favorite. P.B. and banana are oh so good together! Plus you are getting more protein in the p.b. and fruit. Enjoy!
*There are many ways to roast or toast nuts. You can either do it in a dry pan on the stove top or in the oven. I prefer the oven. I roast them low and slow. You can roast them at high heat for shorter about of time, but I find that they tend to burn more easily and are not roasted consistently. I roast them at 325F for 20 – 30 minutes. Start checking at 20 minutes. I tend to like mine a little on the browner side, so I mine go close to 27 minutes. All ovens are different, so keep an eye on them.
