Chocolate Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
I can tell a meal is good when I want to eat it every. single. day. This chocolate quinoa breakfast bowl is like eating dessert for breakfast, and I can't think of anything better than that.I was listening to The Skinny Confidential podcast recently and they interviewed Dr. Mona Vand, a beauty and wellness expert. During the interview she mentioned that when you sleep, your body experiences a natural detox, and that that first fuel you put in your body after this detox can either bolster it, or undo your body's hard work.
A bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit, while delicious, isn't the first fuel your body needs when you wake up. Her words really resonated with me, so I'm making an effort now to make sure my breakfast is the healthiest meal of my day, starting with this chocolate quinoa oatmeal.I have tried to make overnight oats recipes in the past, but could never get past the grainy texture of the oatmeal. I love that the texture of this quinoa breakfast bowl has a bite to it and isn't soggy, and it's best when served warm.
Cold overnight oats just never did it for me, but this easy breakfast is just perfect!I have a huge sweet tooth and this satisfies it but without the added refined sugars that's loaded in other traditional breakfast foods like muffins, cereal, or pancakes. Load this quinoa breakfast bowl up with fresh fruit like bananas, raspberries, and blueberries, and then go wild with extra toppings like cacao nibs, shredded coconut, and cinnamon.
My quinoa-to-toppings ratio may skew a little more towards the toppings, but I'll happily live with that.The best part - you can have this breakfast ready in just 20 minutes. I like to whip it up in the morning while I'm getting ready for work, transfer it to a mason jar and then eat it at my desk with the fresh fruit already available in the office. I love easy meals like this, I hope you get to try it out too!
INGREDIENTS
1 cup (172 g) uncooked white quinoa
1 cup (240 ml) unsweetened almond milk, plus more for serving
pinch sea salt
2 Tbsp (10 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
2-3 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh strainer, shaking off excess water.
Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add rinsed, drained quinoa and toast for 3 minutes, stirring frequently, to dry up water and slightly toast.
Add almond milk and a pinch of salt, and stir. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Watch closely and add more almond milk if needed.
Once the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, remove from heat and add cocoa powder, honey and vanilla. Stir to combine.
Taste and adjust flavor as needed. Add a bit more almond milk if you prefer the texture thinner.
Get creative! Serve with fresh fruit or other toppings mentioned above.
Adapted From: Minimalist Baker