Breakfast Quinoa “Oatmeal”

Breakfast Quinoa "Oatmeal"In our effort to wean ourselves away from gluten, the most difficult meal of the day is breakfast. Our last post about gluten-free pancakes is our first attempt. Today, we discovered (and slightly modified) a Martha Stewart recipe for breakfast quinoa. Now, quinoa is a seed and doesn’t give you that moist, soft, “porridge-y” quality that is so special about oatmeal. With the addition of flax seed flour and some coconut oil, we can turn a light ancient grain to a hearty breakfast fit for a cold autumn morning.

2 cups coconut milk (the stuff in the carton like “So Delicious”)
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup well rinsed uncooked quinoa (see below if you have left over cooked quinoa)
2 tbsp flax seed flour
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp brown sugar

Optional toppings:

  • handful of your favorite dried berries
  • sliced banana
  • nuts (sliced almonds, walnuts, cashews)
  • almond or cashew butter (1 tbsp)
  • your favorite fruit preserves

In a small saucepan, bring the coconut milk and salt to a simmer and add the quinoa. Stir frequently over a slow simmer until quinoa looks swollen enough to see the little spouted “tail”. Turn the heat to low and add the flax seed flour. Stir until combined – give a few minutes to let the flaxseed absorb the liquid and thicken it. Add coconut oil, brown sugar, and honey; stir until dissolved. Serve in a bowl and top with favorite nuts, fruit, spread, etc.

If you already have cooked quinoa: You’ll need about 1.5 cups of cooked quinoa to follow the proportions of the other ingredients in this recipe. Since it’s already cooked, you can reduce the coconut to 1 cup. Combine the milk and cooked quinoa in a saucepan heat to a very low simmer. Add the flaxseed and follow the rest of the instructions above.