Quinoa Breakfast Porridge

A few months ago when I found out my cholesterol was a whopping 256, I decided to try to eat a vegan breakfast, vegetarian lunch, and omnivorous dinner. It only lasted a few weeks, but one thing stuck...quinoa. I love it! And while most people I know eat it as a savory side dish, I (of course) went straight for a sweet dish for breakfast. When it comes to hot breakfast cereals, I cannot stand the pasty texture of oatmeal, but this dish makes a nice substitute.

Quinoa has a texture more like rice or cous-cous (cue The Man saying "food so nice they named it twice"), and for me, this is much more tolerable. Quinoa's mild, nutty flavor lends itself to a multitude of dishes, and it's considerably healthier than other packaged hot cereals: it's a complete protein and very high in fiber, magnesium, iron, and calcium. Vegetarians and vegans rejoice!

Every weekend, I make a pot of this wonderful hot breakfast and reheat a portion of it each morning. (It's a great dish for reheating!) It's simple, relatively quick-cooking, and it's a delightfully cozy dish as the weather gets colder. It's become a staple for me, and now that I'm eliminating gluten from my diet, this is a welcome mainstay in my diet.

Quinoa Breakfast Porridge
(serves 4)

1 c quinoa, rinsed
1 c water
1 c milk (use a dairy-free milk if it suits you)
2 T flax seed meal
1-2 T raw honey, to taste
cinnamon and nutmeg to taste
dried fruit pieces
nuts, chopped

In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa, water, milk, flax seed meal, honey, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and keep covered until the liquid is completely absorbed, about 10 more minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Serve topped with your choice of chopped fruit and nuts (and I add another tablespoon or two more of milk for extra creaminess).

Enjoy!

Weekly Menu

Here is this week's menu. We've pretty much cleaned the freezers of everything except frozen produce from this summer's farmers' markets, so now we're going to try some of the recipes I've found on Pinterest!

Sunday: Manicotti Florentine - I didn't end up making this last week because I got home later than usual and wanted to spend some time with The Munchkin before she went to bed.

Monday: Biscuits & gravy - The last package of sausage in the freezer. The Man will LOVE this, as usual. I'll make a little batch of gravy for myself without the sausage. And if I'm feeling particularly hungry, I'll make some scrambled eggs and tater tots to go with it.

Tuesday: Fajitas & Mexican rice - I'm bored with making tacos, so I'm going to mix it up a bit and make fajitas. This is just sliced green peppers and onions (and chicken for The Man). I heat olive oil in a skillet and add a little chili powder and crushed red pepper. Cook and serve. Yum!

Wednesday: Cheeseburger/Quinoa burger & Parmesan hash brown cups - It's time to try 2 recipes from Pinterest. I recently tried a Gardenburger from the grocery store's freezer section, and I must say I wasn't real impressed. So it's time to try something else.

Thursday: Slow cooker jambalaya - I don't think either The Man or I have ever had jambalaya, but I think it's time to try it. I'm going to make it with all the meat, then I'll just pick around it. We shall see...

Friday: Pizza - nothing new here...

Saturday: Tater tot casserole - I had never heard of this until I met The Man. It was a staple when he was growing up, and it's really not hard to make. Brown 1 lb ground beef. Drain and layer in a pan with 1 can cream of <whatever you prefer> soup and 1 can drained french cut green beans. Cover with a layer of tater tots and bake according to tater tot directions. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese and bake for another 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and slightly browned. I may just have some cheesy tater tots! :)

So there you have it...come back next week for more Pinterest inspired meals (and maybe some modifications to the recipes we are trying this week).

Mangia Bene!