Quinoa - it's what's for breakfast

I am having a torrid love affair with quinoa at the moment. Some foods I eat because I know it's good for me, but with quinoa, not only is it good for you but I crave it in the foods I am preparing.

Quinoa is considered a super food. It has 8 essential amino acids, a great source of protein (the highest source of protein in any grain), gluten free, wheat free, and free of cholesterol and trans fats. It has a wonderful nutty flavor and a nice crunch to it when you bite it - definitely not mushy.

I found this recipe yesterday courtesy of pinterest and made it with alterations, based on what I had on hand. The original recipe called for blackberries and pecans but I had walnuts, blueberries, and pears on hand so that's what I used. This recipe is easy to change up and adapt to whatever fruits and nuts it is you have on hand.

The recipe also calls for cinnamon - I tried it with and without. It's great either way.

It is wonderful - definitely a keeper in my book.

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup 1-2% milk - whatever you have on hand.
• 1 cup (rinsed) red quinoa
• 1/3 cup toasted walnuts (or whatever nut you have on hand)
• 1 small pear, sliced
• 4-6 ounces blueberries (fruit replaceable with what you have on hand)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2-4 tablespoons agave nectar*

1. Bring water and milk to a boil in sauce pan. Add rinsed quinoa, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the liquid is cooked up and the quinoa has developed their little curlicues. *

2. As you are cooking the quinoa, toast your nuts. You can do this by baking your nuts on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Or you can toast on your stove top in a skillet on medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes. Once cooled, chop walnuts.

3.  Once quinoa is cooked, let stand for 5 minutes. Then add cinnamon and fruit. Transfer to serving bowls, sprinkle with walnuts and agave nectar. Eat, and enjoy.

Notes
*The original recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of agave nectar per bowl. We found this to be a little sweet. Half a teaspoon per bowl is plenty for us, so sweeten to your own preference. Taste, and add more if necessary.

*Here is an example of cooked red quinoa showing off the curlicues when cooked - for those needing a visual example. Mine didn't have as many, some have more. You'll have to experiment with cook times to see what your own personal preference is. For mine, I just ran out of fluid before more Q's had a chance to appear!