Cranberry Coconut Quinoa Porridge
I’ve been in a major breakfast rut. I realized that I’ve been eating oatmeal with peanut butter and raisins for breakfast almost every day for like a year. Sheesh, branch out Candace! Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been trying to come up with new, fun breakfast recipes to get me out of this rut. I’ve been doing smoothies more, making new granola recipes, made this sweet potato hash, and now a quinoa porridge. I think I’m on a role.
But if I know myself, I’ll be back to oatmeal within a month. This is how predictable I am.
I really love the texture of quinoa, and making it into a porridge is no exception. It is smooth and creamy, with just the right amount of sweetness from the maple syrup and cranberries.
And the coconut, ahh coconut. Coconut and I are BFF. I find myself using it in a ton of recipes. Whether it be the milk or the flesh, I just can’t get enough. It has tons of healthy fats that are good for the metabolism, and paired with the complete protein from the quinoa, it is the perfect way to start your day. This bowl of goodness with keep you full and satisfied for hours.
Even though this is somewhat similar to my usual bowl of oatmeal, this may end up being my new go-to breakfast. Simple, nutritious and delicious.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the quinoa, water and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, once boiling, turn the heat down to low and let simmer for 15 minutes, until the quinoa is cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed. (Since it is a porridge, the quinoa will still be slightly wet.)
- While the quinoa is cooking, toast the almonds and coconut. Just place them on a baking sheet in a single layer, leave them dry, do not use oil. Toast them for about 4-5 minutes. Be sure to watch it closely, the coconut will burn pretty quickly.
- Toss the toasted coconut and almonds with the cranberries.
- Add the maple syrup to the cooked quinoa and stir.
- To serve, split the quinoa between two bowls and top with the coconut mixture.