Quinoa Porridge with Fruit

I rarely think about having quinoa for breakfast... unless I have some leftover in the fridge. Then I might sprinkle it with cinnamon, toss some berries and a bit of yogurt on the top, and pack it along in a container to eat after I do my monthly weigh-in at a Weight Watchers meeting.

But hot quinoa?  Like hot oatmeal?   Not ever... I have never cooked it in milk...until I saw a recipe in a local food market's newsletter. 

The Captain and I recently attended a gluten-free tour of this store, led by a dietician, and I have been getting their newsletter ever since.  But I think even if you don't care about gluten-free, this is a great start to a cool Fall morning!  Cooked in milk, the quinoa is thick and creamy and really satisfying.  The Captain, who is sort of so-so about quinoa, said he loved it and would like to have it again... hurray!

 I will give you the Nutritional Information as I calculated it, and the recipe as I made it.

Feel free to make substitutions for the milk and the dried cranberrries (raisins, anyone?) and the fresh fruit with appropriate standins. I think coconut milk would be really nice here and so would fresh mangoes or strawberries or kiwi fruit.  I used a sweetened almond milk which made the final dish taste a lot like it had brown sugar in it.  If you use an unsweetened version, the P+ count would be 1 or 2 less, I am sure.

Once you get the basic idea, I bet you will find lots of ways to make this Quinoa Porridge part of your regular rotation on cool mornings.  So great to find a new breakfast meal!



Quinoa Porridge with Fruit
Makes 2 servings.  

• 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained if not organic
• 1-1/2 cups almond milk
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• Pinch of salt
• 1 medium banana, sliced
• 1 cup blackberries
• 1 Tbs honey or maple syrup (or use a sugar free brand if you like) - optional if you have used a sweetened milk

1. Place the quinoa, milk, cranberries, cinnamon, vanilla,  and salt in a small-to medium-sized, heavy-bottomed pot and bring the mixture to a light boil.
2. Cover the pot, lower heat to medium-low, and cook for 15 minutes.
3. Uncover and stir the quinoa mixture.
4. Cook and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally (so it does not stick and burn on the bottom), 5 to 10 minutes more, or until the quinoa is quite tender and the mixture has thickened, but is still creamy and porridge-like in texture.
5. Divide mixture between 2 bowls. Top each with half of the fresh fruit. Drizzle each with 1 Tbs maple syrup or honey and serve.

Per serving, not including fresh fruit, syrup or honey.

Weight Watchers P+ = 7.

Calories 273; Protein 6g;  Carbohydrate 51g; Fat 5g;  Fibre 5g.

Cook the quinoa mixture on a simmering heat, covered.

I topped our Quinoa Porridge with some fresh blackberries and banana slices... a drizzle of sugar free syrup for me... unnecessary as it turns out with having used a sweetened almond milk in cooking the quinoa.

 

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