Breakfast for dinner is one of our favorite ways to mix things up in The Picky Eater household. The hubby and I are huge breakfast/brunch people, but we don’t often go full out for breakfast since we’re usually eating something quick & healthy and rushing off somewhere (work for me, grad school for him). But occasionally, I will make breakfast for dinner because we just love it so much
This recipe was one of my first attempts at cooking something from another blogger’s blog, back when I first started cooking. It’s an oldie but goodie, and I have since made a few modifications to make it my own. The original came from Heidi, and my modified version is below.
This recipe reminds me of a twist on oatmeal, but the quinoa gives it a huge nutritional boost with the added fiber and protein.
Fun fact: Quinoa is the only grain that’s also a complete protein, meaning that it contains all 9 essential amino acids, so it’s really good for you! Normally, you have to pair a vegetarian protein (like beans) with a grain (like rice) in order for it to be a complete protein, but quinoa is like a 2 in 1 deal. 1 cup of cooked quinoa has ~200 calories, 5g fiber and 8g protein.
So how do you make this delicious dish? Here you go:
The Ingredients (inspired by Heidi @ 101cookbooks)
- 1 cup 1% low fat organic milk
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup organic red quinoa (you can also use white but I just like red)
- Fresh berries: 2 cups fresh raspberries, 1 box fresh strawberries, cut into small cubes (note: you can also use frozen berries, which is what I did this time making the dish)
- 1-2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
- Stevia extract to taste
- 4 teaspoons honey
The Directions
Step 1: Combine milk, water and quinoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed
Step 2: Turn off heat; let stand covered 5 minutes.
Step 3: Stir in berries, nuts, cinnamon, nutmeg, honey and stevia.
Step 4: Transfer to plates, top with nuts and drizzle 1 teaspoon honey over each serving
The first time I made this dish, I also made some healthy muffins from Trader Joe’s. I don’t normally eat muffins as part of a meal because they’re often loaded with fat and sugar: they’re more like a cake disguised as a breakfast food. But this muffin mix from Trader Joe’s is actually healthy! It’s made with all organic ingredients, all whole wheat/whole grain flour, has flax seeds, is low in fat and high in fiber…. and it tastes great! The hubby enjoyed them as much as I did – a nice little win. Each muffin is quite filling and a good size, and has only 150 calories and has 7g fiber.
Here’s what they look like:
They definitely make a fun addition to the meal, and you can have the leftover muffins as a grab-and-go breakfast anytime! Overall, this was a great meal: filling, well balanced, and even with the muffins – takes only about 30 min to make.
