cinnamon breakfast quinoa

No story today - just this bowl of wonderful, healthy breakfast. So, sooo good that I am a little bit sad when I have chased the last grain of quinoa onto my spoon and into my mouth.

This recipe is generous; there is plenty to have a couple of large bowlfuls for breakfast one day and enough to save in the fridge and reheat for another day or even two. You could make more or less depending on how many are eating but do make enough for more than a single day - saves time and encourages eating a healthier breakfast than Captain Crunch (or whatever .... shudder). I particularly love the pecans, pears, and quinoa together but a good apple is pretty delicious too.

I used a combination of red and black quinoa. For this bowlful I prefer the chewier texture of the colourful quinoas as opposed to the more readily available white but any colour of quinoa is good.

cinnamon breakfast quinoa
(adapted from Gourmet)

1/2 cup red quinoa
1/2 cup black quinoa
1 1/2 cups water
2 cinnamon sticks
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 tsp cinnamon
chopped pecans
1 ripe pear
maple syrup

Combine the quinoa, salt, cinnamon sticks, and raisins with the water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook (covered) for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat under the pan and let sit (still covered) for a further 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and remove the cinnamon sticks. Stir in the ground cinnamon. 

To serve: divide into bowls and top each serving with a small handful of chopped pecans, a generous amount of diced pear, milk of your choice (nut or other), and a drizzle of maple syrup to taste.