rhubarb & quinoa breakfast bowl with strawberries

If attentively watching and impatiently waiting have any impact on the rate of growth in the rhubarb patch, my rhubarb plants should be well ahead of the curve. Unfortunately I suspect that all my watching and waiting have simply been a bit of a waste of time - rhubarb seems to grow as fast as rhubarb grows. The attention is not entirely wasted however because I am finally able to slip out my kitchen door first thing in the morning to pull the three stalks required for a bit of breakfast (or an armful for stewing - love stewed rhubarb so much!)

I am a true lover of the vegetable and generally look down my nose at recipes that add strawberries to rhubarb. I honestly love the mouth-puckering, dry taste of rhubarb. Some sweetener is for sure a good thing but I just can't find a love for cooked strawberries and don't like to cover the taste of the rhubarb. There is an exception to every rule though and this is one of those exceptions.In this case, cook the rhubarb with the quinoa and put the fresh strawberries on top. Simple and lovely. A perfect, hearty, warm-weather breakfast that delivers a good serving of complete protein. Gluten-free, refined-sugar free as well.

As a card-carrying member of the sweet tooth club I sprinkled my bowl with a bit of coconut palm sugar, you might be happy with just a spoonful of honey or maple syrup mixed in. The Greek yogurt, though, is non-negotiable in my opinion. This recipe makes 2 hearty servings.

rhubarb & quinoa breakfast bowl with strawberries

(adapted from Quinoa Revolution by Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming)

1 1/3 cups water

2/3 cup quinoa

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp sea salt

1 cup sliced fresh rhubarb

1 cup quartered strawberries

1 Tbsp honey or pure maple syrup

2 Tbsp sliced almonds

Greek yogurt

coconut palm sugar

Bring the water, cinnamon, quinoa and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce to a simmer, add the rhubarb, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Removed from heat and stir in the honey or maple syrup. Divide between two bowls for serving and top each with a generous dollop of honey (or plain) yogurt, half of the strawberries, and 1 Tbsp sliced almonds. The additional sprinkle of coconut palm sugar is entirely up to you.