quinoa yumminess

Tonight I made a giant batch of Quinoa (keen-wah) breakfast cereal. This is sort of like oatmeal but also very different. Quinoa is very nutty, slightly crunchy and light. This is a really comforting meal and since my family looks like this on this rainy day (thanks Tropical Storm Hermine):

I thought it would be great to have in the fridge ready for breakfast. Even though those two family members dont get any of it.
So why quinoa and not just oatmeal? Well, while we are a huge oatmeal house and use raw oatmeal in a lot of recipes, quinoa has a lot of special qualities.

One it is a great "healthy" carb. So it is a great  way to start your day with because it is FULL of protein and healthy energy.  Quinoa is high in  calcium and iron, a good source of vitamin E and several of the B vitamins. It contains an almost perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids needed for tissue development. It is also high in lysine, cystine and methionine-amino acids typically low in other grains. The protein in quinoa is considered to be a complete protein due to the presence of all 8 essential amino acids.  Quinoa is 12% to 18% protein and four ounces, about 1/2-cup, will provide a childs protein needs for one day. The 6-7% fat of quinoa is sort of high when compared to other grains, but it has a low sodium content and also provides  fiber.

So basically Quinoa is fantastic for you and as a bonus it is delicious.

There is so much more you can do with quinoa but this is a good start and an easy way to incorporate Quinoa into your diet.



Hot Quinoa Cereal

1 cup quinoa (red or beige), rinsed thoroughly

1 cup water

1 cup milk (almond milk or cow's milk)

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp nuts  (shelled I like pistachios, almonds and pecans)

2 tbsp raisins

Zest of one orange

3 tbsp honey


1) In a saucepan, bring quinoa, water, milk, cinnamon, and pinch of salt to a boil. Keep an eye on it to keep it from boiling over
and keep stirring it


2) Turn heat down to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes until quinoa is tender, and curly-cue white germ appears on each grain. Add more milk if it gets too dry. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add raisins and nuts.

3) Finish with orange zest (only a little, I do a teaspoon or one swipe across the microplane/cheese grater, this gets strong fast), honey and more almond milk if you like it a little soupier.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I store this in the fridge for about 3 days and heat up each portion in the microwave. I add a little more milk each time I heat this up because the quinoa soaks it all up.