quinoa | Kid Tested Firefighter Approved

I love quinoa (pronounced “Keen-Wah”) for breakfast! It has such a warm nutty flavor!

I have a few recipes I follow or I just throw whatever I have in the cupboard in my quinoa – raisins, dried cranberries, sliced almonds, chia seeds, walnuts, etc. I don’t usually follow a recipe but I figured posting accurate amounts of everything would help if someone wanted to try quinoa for breakfast.

I buy my quinoa at Costco – It’s about $9 for a big bag and it’s organic.

This recipe is from Happy Healthy Mama food blog, it’s really easy and I bet you have all these ingredients in your kitchen! Her other breakfast recipe, Orange Banana Walnut Breakfast Quinoa, is our favorite too!

Nutty Apple Quinoa Breakfast

Makes 2 large or 4 toddler-sized servings

1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed

1 cup milk (I use soy, almond or coconut milk, any milk will work)

1 cup water

1 medium apple, diced (I don’t peel)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

In a small saucepan, combine the quinoa, milk, water, apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and maple syrup. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the liquid is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes.

While the quinoa is cooking, heat your walnuts over medium heat in a dry skillet. Allow to toast until the nuts are fragrant and starting to brown, about 5 minutes.

Top each serving of quinoa with some walnuts and serve. This dish reheats well, so you can store any leftovers in the refrigerator for a few days.

I usually make a double batch so we have leftovers during the week.

Yummy!!

This tastes like regular broccoli cheese soup with a kick of chipotle but it’s really healthy, easy to make and dairy-free! The creamy hummus and the nutritional yeast give it a cheezy taste and texture. It only takes about 30 minutes to make. My husband LOVES this soup and scarfed down two bowls for dinner tonight.

I used a batch of Chipotle Hummus to flavor this soup per the recipe from Melomeals: Vegan For $3.33 A Day.

Here’s her recipe for the soup:

* 1 T olive oil
* 1 onion, diced
* 1/2 red pepper, chopped finely
* 6 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 t dried basil
* Several grates fresh nutmeg
* 1/2 t chipotle powder
* 16 oz frozen broccoli florets (or 1 pound fresh)
* 2 cups of chipotle hummus
* 4 c water/stock
* Bouillon cube if using water
* 1/2 cup quinoa
* 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
* Salt/pepper to taste
* 1 T umeboshi vinegar (optional, but VERY good)

Method:
– Sauté the onion, pepper, garlic, basil, nutmeg and chipotle powder until the onion is soft.