If you’ve been reading EBF for a while, you already know that quinoa is one of my favorite grains (even though it’s actually a seed, I think of it as a grain). Not only is it high in protein, but the protein that it supplies is complete, meaning it includes all nine essential amino acids. Plus, it’s gluten free, which is perfect for those avoiding wheat and gluten.
Today I whipped up a batch of cinnamon raisin quinoa with Silk Pure Almond Unsweetened Vanilla almondmilk and it turned out to be quite delicious—almost as good as a cinnamon raisin cookie. Almost.
1 cup Silk Pure Almond Unsweetened Vanilla almondmilk
½ cup quinoa, uncooked
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ Tablespoon chia seeds (or ground flax seed)
2 Tablespoons raisins
1 Tablespoon almond butter (optional)
Instructions
Rinse quinoa and drain.
Place almondmilk and quinoa into a small sauce pan and bring to a boil.
Add cinnamon and vanilla.
Reduce to a simmer and cook about 15 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed. **Watch the pot carefully and stir often because it has a tendency to want to boil over.
When ready to eat, place a portion of the quinoa into a bowl, drizzle with maple syrup and top with chia seeds, raisins and nut butter.
Added bonus: Around 50 calories are saved from using Silk unsweetened almondmilk instead of skim milk.
This breakfast is the perfect way to switch up your normal routine of having oatmeal or cold cereal for breakfast and gives you an added boost of protein to get through your morning! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Have you ever experimented with sweet quinoa—for breakfast or otherwise? I’m thinking a quinoa dessert recipe should be next on my list.
I was compensated by FitFluential LLC for this campaign. All opinions are my own.
Hi friends. How’s your Sunday going? We’ve spent most of the morning gearing up for Sandy… we went to Whole Foods for a few pantry staples, Lowes for a new flashlight and 711 for ice. I’m really hoping the storm creates less damage than what the meteorologists are predicting, but it’s always good to be prepared.
In other news, I’ve been eating a ton of pumpkin this fall. I’m truly sorry if you hate pumpkin. Not only are you missing out on a boatload of nutritional benefits, but I just noticed that all the recipes I posted recently have pumpkin in them – even the healthy apple cinnamon muffins. Like I said, I’ve been eating a lot of pumpkin… But you’ll be happy to know that today I have a pumpkin-less recipe that features my other fall produce favorites – butternut squash, apples and greens. I’ve been eating these things separately or in other dishes, but finally decided to throw them all together for a tasty salad.
Hearty fall salads are seriously the best! In this salad, the roasted butternut squash makes it sweet and satisfying, while the apple and pepitas add a nice crunch. Quinoa adds some staying power and the spinach nourishes the body in a way that no other food (besides other leafy greens) can. If you like my garlicky kale salad, you’ll love this one because the dressing is almost exactly the same – I just added a little maple syrup to sweeten it up a bit.
1½ cups cooked quinoa (cooked according to package directions)
¾ cup butternut squash, chopped
1 medium apple, peeled and chopped
⅓ cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
3 Tablespoons dried cranberries
2 Tablespoons tahini
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar (or water)
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons Bragg’s liquid aminos (tamari or soy sauce would work too)
4 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons minced garlic (1 – 2 cloves of garlic)
2 teaspoons maple syrup
Instructions
Prepare the squash by peeling it, cutting it in half and scraping out the seeds.
Cut the squash into ½ inch cubes, place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and roast at 400° for 30-40 minutes, turning once or twice, until all the pieces are tender and have a few small brown spots.
While roasting the squash, toss together spinach, cooked quinoa, apple, pepitas and cranberries in a large salad bowl.
Prepare dressing by placing all remaining ingredients (tahini through maple syrup) in a blender and blend until smooth.
Once the butternut squash is done roasting, allow it to cool and then place into the salad bowl with the other ingredients. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Serve immediately.
3.1.08
I’m off to get in a workout before the day gets away from me. I’m actually thinking of starting P90x tomorrow!!! I’m a little nervous but I really want to get my butt in gear before my dress fitting in January and I feel like I need a structured program or else I’m going to continue on my path of just doing whatever workout I feel like when I wake up each morning (which I what I do currently). Have you done P90x before? Would you recommend it?
P.S. – Don’t miss my Health Warrior Chia Bar giveaway. You have until tomorrow night at midnight to enter.
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