Quinoa Breakfast Recipes

Not many of us know proper quinoa cooking instructions. This is the main reason, it remains as a not so common grain in our kitchens. However, this false cereal (pseudocereal) is loaded with a high amount of proteins, accounting to about 12 - 18 percent of the total weight. Besides protein, it is rich in dietary fiber, magnesium, iron and phosphorus. Another quinoa nutrition fact is its gluten free nature, which make it an excellent grain for people having gluten indigestion problems. After cooking, it tastes mild with a slight nutty flavor. Overall, quinoa is a good protein source for pure vegetarians. Here, we shall take a look at making some quinoa preparations in different ways.

Quinoa Breakfast Ideas

The most common method of preparing quinoa is boiling it with water and simmering till the grain turns light and fluffy. However, it is very versatile and you can add your favorite ingredients to make yummy vegan quinoa breakfast. Before actually cooking, you need to remove saponins by soaking grains in water for a few hours. After that, rinse soaked quinoa grains several times under running water. You can skip this preparatory step of soaking and rinsing grains, if you purchase box quinoa that is a bit costlier. Following are some healthy quinoa breakfast recipes, which you can try out.

Quinoa Cereal

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa (washed and rinsed)
• ½ cup apple (thinly sliced)
• ⅓ cup seedless raisin
• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup honey
• 2 cups water
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Directions for Preparation

Prepare quinoa by soaking and rinsing for 2 - 3 times. Add it in a saucepan and add water. Cook it at high heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover lid and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in apples, seedless raisins and cinnamon. Simmer for another 10 minutes or until water is absorbed completely. Serve this quinoa breakfast with milk and honey.

Quinoa Salad

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 carrot peeled (make stripes)
• 1 ounce read cabbage (chopped)
• 0.7 ounce red pepper (chopped)
• garlic sprouts
• 3 lettuce leaves (chopped)
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• Olive oil

Directions for Preparation

In a saucepan, boil broth at a high heat and add quinoa. Stir well and reduce heat to medium low. Cook for 20 minutes and keep aside while keeping it covered. Take a mixing bowl and combine together carrot stripes, cabbage, pepper and lettuce. To this, stir and add cooked quinoa. Then, add garlic sprouts and olive oil. Toss well and serve quinoa salad in plates.

Quinoa with Blackberries

Ingredients

• 1 cup organic quinoa (soaked and rinsed)
• 2 cups fresh blackberries (preferably organic)
• 1 cup low-fat milk
• 1 cup water
• ⅓ cup chopped pecans (toasted)
• 4 teaspoons organic agave nectar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions for Preparation

In a large sauce pan, pour milk and water, and then add rinsed quinoa. Keep it over high heat and bring to a boiling temperature. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes with the lids on. By this time, the grains will absorb the liquid mixture and turn soft. While retaining the lid, remove saucepan from heat and allow to settle down for 5 minutes. Stir in blackberries and cinnamon to the cooked quinoa. With a spoon, transfer it in serving bowls. Serve it after topping with chopped pecans and a teaspoon of agave nectar.

Thus, we have seen making easy quinoa breakfast recipes is more or less similar to that of rice recipes. Whether to make sweet or spicy quinoa is up to you. You can even try making your own recipe by adding different fruits, fish and meat pieces. In all recipes, one thing is for sure, you are serving a wholesome food loaded with nutrients to your family members.