Breakfast Berry Quinoa

I was feeling a little indecisive this morning.  What to have for breakfast?  Toast?  Nah.  Eggs?  Meh.  Oatmeal?  Ehh.  Cereal?  No.  Quinoa?  ....Hmm.....

Quinoa takes a little longer to cook than regular old fashioned oatmeal but not as long as steel cut oats.  It's somewhere in the middle around 15 minutes.  And like oatmeal, it's filling and satisfying and keeps me full all morning.

Breakfast quinoa is so flexible just like oatmeal, flavor it with whatever you like or have in the house.

This morning I finished off the last of our strawberries, thawed some frozen blackberries and sprinkled on some sliced almonds and toasted coconut.  (The coconut was a teensy bit over toasted - tasted a little like burnt marshmallows!  FUN!)

You could use all milk/almond milk to cook the quinoa but I just used half almond milk and half water, then added a little more almond milk to the bowl when I served it.  I love cinnamon and vanilla in my oatmeal so I added it to the quinoa too - delicious.

Breakfast Berry Quinoa
serves 4

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and well-drained
scant 1 cup water
scant 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of your choice) + extra for serving ( or alternately, use a scant 2 cups milk of your choice and omit the water)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
agave nectar, stevia or sugar - to taste

Strawberries, Blackberries, toasted coconut, sliced almonds for serving (or toppings of your choice)

Bring quinoa, water and milk to a boil in a small sauce pan over medium-high heat.  Cover pot with the lid and reduce to simmer.  Simmer, covered, 15-20 minutes until all of the liquid is absorbed.  Stir in vanilla extract and cinnamon.  Sweeten with agave, stevia or sugar to taste (I usually add about 1 or 2 teaspoons at a time and taste as I go).

Serve quinoa with additional milk and top with the berries, coconut and almonds (or toppings of your choice).

It's a four-day weekend for us (President's Day) so Brian and I are off to the Florida State Fair here in Tampa, we've never been!  Deep fried Oreos here we come ;-)

Do you like "Fair Food"?  What's your favorite kind?  What are your plans this weekend?  Do share!