breakfast quinoa

 My breakfast routine doesn't vary greatly, weekday mornings consist of a bowl of yogurt topped with fresh fruit and granola, on Saturday's during the cold winter months I love cream of wheat or oatmeal drizzled with pure NH maple syrup and of course on Sundays. well that's our big breakfast day. On occasion I like to switch up my Saturday morning routine - I had a beautiful pomegranate sitting on the counter, the ruby red seeds just begging to be unleashed. A while back I had experimented with a coconut quinoa pudding - this recipe is a spin off from that, just a tad simpler.

In addition to the pomegranate, pears and blueberries were also included. Any berry or fruit you have on had would work nicely. I just happen to love pears this time of year and the blueberries were picked last summer and frozen to enjoy throughout the winter months when you simply need a burst of berry brightness.

Tri colored quinoa is simmered in almond milk with cinnamon & vanilla. It wasn't until I was in my early twenties that breakfast became part of my daily routine - yes, that is correct I was a breakfast skipper in my teens. Now breakfast is something I look forward too, crave and get excited about.

 For the finishing touch, pure NH maple syrup is drizzled over the berries then topped with a few almonds slivers. The quinoa keeps well, you could easily double or triple the recipe for a quick weekday breakfast, sadly mine did not last long enough, it was too tempting not to eat later in the day as a snack.

For me, January is all about fresh starts and healthy new beginnings - I try my best throughout the year to eat healthy whole foods based meals, once in a while ahem, the Holidays I can get a bit off track. Schedules, sweet treats and decadent meals seemed overly abundant this year - I look forward to finding that balance and keeping on track for the remainder of the year. Sweet treats and decadent meals will certainly have their place at my table during the upcoming year along with healthy, wholesome meals too.

 How do you find your balance after the Holidays?

Do you look forward to breakfast, were you ever a skipper?

 Breakfast Quinoa

makes 2 servings, easily doubled

you will need:

 1/2 cup tri color quinoa - rinsed well

1 cup almond or other non dairy milk

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup blueberries

1 red pear

1 pomegranate - seeded

pure maple syrup

slivered almonds

assembly: 

in a medium sauce pan bring almond milk, cinnamon & vanilla to a boil, add rinsed quinoa, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and allow quinoa to rest for an additional 10 minutes.

Fill a large mixing bowl with water, carefully cut your pomegranate in half. Working with one half at a time, immerse the half in the bowl of water (under water) carefully pull away at the otter skin and remove the seeds from the pith. The seeds should fall to the bottom and the pith will float to the top. Repeat with remaining half until all seeds are released from both halves. Drain water from the bowl and store seeds in an airtight container.

Wash and cube 1 red pear, rinse blueberries or thaw frozen blueberries by running the berries over quickly with warm water.

Layer quinoa in a small bowl with pomegranate seeds, blueberries & pear. Drizzle with maple syrup and sprinkle with almonds.

enjoy!

*if making for the week, store quinoa separately from the fruit - pomegranate seeds and blueberries will keep well after prepped, however wait to cut up your pear just prior to serving.