Cook Quinoa In Milk For An Oatmeal-Free Breakfast

As a nutrition-packed superfood, quinoa is often added to savory dishes to make them healthier. It also helps that it's enjoyable to eat, thanks to its crunchy texture and nutty taste. However, if you've never tried to sweeten up quinoa or prepared it for breakfast, you're still underestimating this superfood's versatility.

For a filling, protein-packed morning meal, switch your breakfast bowl of oatmeal for quinoa. Boil 2 cups of milk in a saucepan, add a cup of quinoa to it (make sure you have rinsed it first), and wait for the liquid to boil again. Once it does, turn down the heat and cover the saucepan to let the milk simmer. Once the grains have absorbed about ¾ of the liquid, stir in some brown sugar and cinnamon to sweeten it according to your liking. Let the quinoa cook some more until it has absorbed all of the milk. Once it is of a porridge-like consistency, remove it from the heat and transfer it into a bowl. Make your breakfast quinoa creamier and sweeter with more milk and sugar. Garnish with fresh fruits and nuts, too, for a medley of flavors and textures that will get you energized for the day.

White quinoa is the better variant for your breakfast bowl since it becomes fluffy within a short cooking period, unlike the red and black ones that have a firmer consistency. Quinoa flakes — quinoa that has been steam-rolled into flakes — are also good options since they cook much more quickly.

You can adjust the ingredients you use to make your breakfast quinoa even healthier. Use low-fat milk or go with a non-dairy one to cook and soften the grains. Instead of sugar, stir in honey to give it a sweeter flavor. Add some vanilla extract, too, to give the sweetness more depth.

Quinoa with dark chocolate is a decadent pairing of superfoods that sounds perfect for breakfast. While cooking the quinoa with your choice of milk, add cocoa powder once the grains have absorbed all of the liquid. Stir the powder in so its chocolatey flavor and color get distributed evenly. Sweeten the mixture with some honey or maple syrup. After transferring everything into a bowl, top your breakfast quinoa with fruits and chocolate shavings, pour some more milk over it, and enjoy.

If mornings tend to be hectic for you, you can make some breakfast quinoa in advance. Follow our recipe, although remember to increase the portion of the ingredients so you can prepare and store more servings. Cooked quinoa can last for up to five days in the fridge as long as you store it in an air-tight container. Enjoy it cold in the morning or warm it up in the microwave, with some milk added in to reduce its thickness.