Salty Sweet Breakfast Quinoa

Some folks love salty.

Some like sweet.

Combined? Magical.

The salted pumpkin seeds and sweet maple syrup make this a breakfast to savor! It's my take on my Oh-So-Easy-Oatmeal recipe using quinoa instead. You might have heard about this grain-like wonder (pronounced KEEN-WAH) that has an amazing array of amino acids and no wheat-like properties for those with Celiac's disease or wheat-intolerance and sensitivities. 

Don't know if wheat is a sworn enemy of your gut?

See if you have these symptoms after eating things like pasta, bread, bagels and pizza:

• frequently feel fatigued 
• get bloated 
• have unexplained mood swings 
• have indigestion or frequent gas

If you answered yes, you might be gluten intolerant. Gluten is the protein part of wheat, rye and barley and is responsible for the spring-like and bouncy texture of those foods. Without gluten, it's hard to make that same spring-action happen, but you can do it. That's for another day...

Listen to your belly. Pay attention after you eat. It may not be that you ate too much but rather, that you ate the wrong thing.

Quinoa saves the day. It is high in protein and doesn't have the side-effects of wheat. If wheat is a problem, some people can't even rock oats which can sometimes have residual gluten from being processed in the same agricultural mills as wheat, rye and barley. I might be one of those people who don't digest them very well, actually--so sometimes I eat quinoa instead for breakfast and I notice how my body responds. 

I made a big ol' pot of quinoa last night----2 cups of quinoa to about 4 cups water, bring to a boil and then simmer over low heat until light and fluffy--and used it in place of oats for my breakfast this morning.

I added the usual amazing additions and now I'm sitting here with a full, happy and non-bloated belly.

And we have plenty of quinoa left over to add to our dinner tonight and breakfast later this week (cooked grains keep for about 5 days if tightly covered in the fridge).

Give this a try!

SALTY SWEET BREAKFAST QUINOA

You need:

~1 cup cooked quinoa (cook the night before and store in a closed glass container in the fridge)

~2 TBS almond milk

1 handful of: 

~raisins or dried cranberries

~roasted salted pumpkin seeds

~roasted sunflower seeds

~finely chopped raw almonds

~dash of cinnamon

~splash of real 100% maple syrup (pancake syrup is corn syrup with artificial maple flavoring and it contains little to none of the essential minerals available in real maple syrup---use the real thing).

~2 tsp ghee or coconut oil or butter

Do this:

add quinoa and milk to small pot and simmer over low heat for 2 mins

add raisins and almonds and stir for another 2 mins

transfer to cereal bowl and add remaining ingredients

take a picture and post it on your facebook page or share it with your friends!!!

ENJOY!