Breakfast Quinoa

I know that my photos leave something to be desired, but I would rather post with a poor photo than none at all. I have skipped over recipes on other blogs and sites because of this. I want an idea of what I would be getting. A great photo can make anything appetizing, trust me I have tried some million dollar photo recipes and been disgusted. You sometimes have to look past the photo to consider the concept, the flavours, the texture of a recipe. It's kind of like shopping, the photo should make you want to "buy" the recipe. So sorry, in advance.

I went to a Couchsurfing potluck gathering with my Quinoa Kale Salad a few days ago. Surprisingly, it was a hit. I was a bit afraid I would be the crazy vegan-esque person in the crowd, but I chose the salad because it is a complete meal and I usually count on not being able to eat anything at social function. Gluten-free is limiting after all. I got into a conversation with a lovely girl about quinoa and she suggested this recipe.

I was skeptical. I have soft-food texture issues. I mean, even the thought of oatmeal makes me want to start gagging. But I have a personal rule, try everything at least once. So I did, and I loved the results. Crunchy, nutty, slightly sweet. I have had to amend her suggested recipe since I can no longer eat almonds, but I think its just as good as hers would have been.

Breakfast Quinoa
1/4 cup quinoa
1/2 cup water
3-4 Tbsp coconut cream
2 tsp brown sugar
dash of salt
1-2 Tbsp dried cranberries
Toasted coconut or almonds, optional

Soak your quinoa for several minutes. Drain well. Bring 1/2 cup water to a boil and add the quinoa. Simmer for 15 minutes, covered, or until the water is absorbed. (Soaking for less than 5 minutes will increase the cooking time.)

Toast coconut or almonds in a pan while the quinoa cooks, if you are adding.

To the cooked quinoa, add the rest of the ingredients. Stir well and enjoy warm. This amount is for one person, but you can easily double or triple it. Reheats well.

I suppose you could add things like cinnamon, fresh fruits, or use almond or regular milk. My can of coconut milk was severely separated so what I scooped out was solid coconut cream. It just made for a thicker, richer porridge.

I use red quinoa. It's the only kind I have tried to date so I can't tell you the differences, just that I like it.

You could omit the brown sugar if you wanted or if you choose to use almond or sweetened  milk. I found that it bought out the flavour and made it more breakfast-y.