Hot Quinoa for Breakfast

Quinoa, pronounced "keen-wah", is not just fun to say, but incredibly delicious to eat. Our favorite way to enjoy it is for breakfast, the same way you would oatmeal. Quinoa is most commonly considered a grain and amazingly enough is a relative of spinach and swiss chard. Quinoa is the highest protein grain known to man, or in this case, moms. It is also considered a "complete protein" because it contains all nine amino acids and is especially high in lysine which is necessary for tissue growth and repair(very important to little growing bodies). It is high in manganese, magnesium, fiber and many antioxidants. Including whole grains in your family's diet will help reduce the chances of obesity, cardiovascular disease, Type 2 Diabetes and even childhood asthma.

This recipe is great to make ahead and then reheat when in the morning before school or at snacktime! Experiment with different fruits and nuts to find your favorite flavor combination.

Hot Quinoa

1 C. Quinoa*
2 C. Water
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 C. smashed walnuts
1/2 C. raisins
1/2 C. milk plus more for serving
1 TBS. butter
1 TBS. flaxmeal
Fresh fruit(I like bananas and raspberries)
Brown sugar, honey, maple or agave syrup to taste

*Note: Rinse the quinoa under running water for a minute or two to remove a bitter taste to the outside of the grain before cooking.

Bring water to a boil and add quinoa. Bring back up to a simmer and then cover for 15 minutes while cooking. Add all other ingredients and top with fresh fruit. Serve at the table with a little extra milk. Serves 4-6.

This is a great recipe to get your kids involved. They can help add in the fixings to the quinoa, smash the walnuts, wash the fresh fruit etc. If you have a little more time, you can even set all of the extras out on the table and create a quinoa breakfast bar and allow the little ones to help themselves!