I’m not a big breakfast person—It’s early (I’m tired), I’ve got work to do (no time for dishes), and I have a high tolerance for boring smoothies made with fistfuls of leafy greens. But, every so often, on these crisp, foggy San Francisco mornings, I want to start my day with something more celebratory and make my breakfast a cozy little happening.
I always have quinoa on hand because it’s a great filler. In a pinch, I can sauté anything in my fridge and combine with quinoa for a satisfying meal. Or, I can umph up a salad by tossing in a few big spoonfulls of quinoa (or even crispy quinoa for extra crunch).
But would you think I was crazy if I suggested we try quinoa for breakfast? Made it a little sweet instead of so savory? Lucky for you I am crazy. But the good kind of crazy because this experiment turned out perfectly.
Give this pumpkin breakfast quinoa a try. Make a big batch and enjoy it all week. It’ll keep in the refrigerator for several days.
And you didn’t hear this from me, but crumbling some thick-slab bacon on top wouldn’t be the worst idea . . .
Food La La Recipe: Healthy Breakfast Quinoa
Ingredients:
- 1 cup organic quinoa
- 1/2 cup cashew milk
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 TBS maple syrup
- Sea salt
- Toasted pecans
Steps:
- Rinse quinoa. (WHY? #1)
- In a small saucepan, combine quinoa, milk and 1-1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil.
- Cover pot and reduce heat. Simmer until quinoa is tender and liquid absorbed (about 10-15 minutes).
- In a small pot, combine pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and syrup over low heat. Whisk to combine.
- Gently fold quinoa into pumpkin mixture and add salt to taste.
- Top with toasted pecans, sprinkle of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice and a quick drizzle of maple syrup.
PSST! A few recipe notes:
- WHY? #1: Quinoa has a natural coating called saponin that can taste bitter or soapy if not rinsed away.
- You can substitute cashew milk for any type of milk (dairy or nut)
