Showing posts with label quinoa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label quinoa. Show all posts

Monday, October 31, 2011

Hot Quinoa Breakfast Cereal

If you haven't discovered the wonderful ancient grain quinoa - go get some and try it!  It is a wonderful substitute for all sorts of things and it is SO good for you.  It is a complete protein - meaning it has a complete set of essential amino acids for humans.  It is also a good source of dietary fibre, and is high in magnesium and iron.  And to top it all of it is gluten free! 

I first discovered quinoa two years ago at Costco, where I still buy it.  At first I was just using it as a substitute for rice - however, it is SO much more than that!  It is excellent in a quinoa salad (thanks to my sister-in-law, who introduced me to that one! It became a staple in our house for an entire summer).   I'll post that recipe at a later date.

Now for the actual Hot Quinoa Breakfast Cereal Recipe.  

Ingredients:
1 cup water 
1 cup milk (or milk substitute)
1 cup quinoa 
1 tsp cinnamon (my family loves cinnamon so I always adds a little more)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
handful of craisins or raisins
some nuts, toasted in the toaster oven
real maple syrup or sweetener of your choice


Directions:
In a medium saucepan combine milk, water and quinoa.  Bring to a boil.  Add the craisins reduce heat to medium-low, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.  Stir in spices and cover and let stand for 5 minutes.  Spoon into serving boils - drizzle with maple syrup and top with toasted nuts.  For my kiddos I add some additional milk or yogurt to cool it down.

This is a really simple recipe that can be divided or double depending on your family size.  Although it makes excellent leftovers for another morning - just put it into saucepan add enough milk for your desired consistency and heat it up again!  

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