Quinoa For Breakfast: The New Way To Start Your Day

All pictures taken by Cesar Zamora.

While quinoa got its fair share of popularity as a superfood to add to bowls and dinners, it's barely scraped the breakfast world— or so we thought. Last month I got a cookbook called "Vegan Recipes in 30 Minutes" that showed a recipe for a sweet quinoa breakfast bowl. I had heard about having quinoa for breakfast before, but hadn't paid much attention to it. However after trying it, I was completely converted. It felt like eating a posh version of an oatmeal bowl, packed with protein and a weird but interesting texture. 

After that, I started playing around with different ways to cook quinoa for breakfast until I found my two favorite combinations: one sweet and one savory. 

Quinoa as a Superfood

Quinoa is known as a superfood, but what does that even mean? Quinoa is a crop that's technically a seed but it is cooked similarly to grains like rice or barley. Therefore, as most seeds, it is an incredible source of plan-based protein, providing 8g of protein per cup, It is also filled with nutrients, specifically a great source of fiber, magnesium, B vitamins, iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin E and various beneficial antioxidants

Maple Quinoa with Cinnamon Apples

• Prep Time:10 mins
• Cook Time:15 mins
• Total Time:25 mins
• Servings:2
• Easy

Ingredients

• For the Quinoa*
• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1/2 cup vanilla nondairy milk can substitute for regular milk + vanilla
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tbsp. maple syrup or agave
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• For the Apples
• 1 apple pealed and chopped into cubes
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. sugar your choice I used stevia

• Step 1

  Add all the ingredients for the quinoa except the maple syrup in a sauce pan and cook in medium heat

• Step 2

  Bring the mixture to boil and once its boiling, lower it to low heat and cover for 15 min. Let it simmer until the liquid has been absorbed.

• Step 3

  While the quinoa is cooking, place your apples in a microwave safe container mixed with the cinnamon and sugar.

• Step 4

  Cook them in the microwave for 2min until they look brownish and soft

• Step 5

  Once the quinoa is ready, mix in the maple syrup and chopped walnuts.

• Step 6

  Scoop half of the quinoa in a bowl and top with the cooked apples. Top with some more cinnamon, walnuts, and maple syrup as you like.

  

Spinach, Egg and Quinoa Muffins

• Prep Time:10 mins
• Cook Time:20 mins
• Total Time:30 mins
• Servings:4
• Medium

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1 cup water
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup shredded cheese
• 1 cup spinach finely cut

• Step 1

  Place the quinoa and the water in a saucepan under medium heat and bring to boil. Once it's boiling lower the heat, cover it, and let it simmer for 15 min

• Step 2

  Mix the eggs, salt, cheese and spinach in a bowl.

• Step 3

  Once the quinoa is done mix it into the egg mixture. Place the mixture evenly into your muffin tin and bake for 20 min (I had an egg bite maker so I just used that instead)

• Step 4

  Once they're ready let them rest for 5 minutes and with a silicone spatula separate your muffins and pop them out.