Caramelized Cinnamon Apple Breakfast Quinoa

As much as I love having oatmeal or egg sandwiches for breakfast, every once in a while, like this past weekend, I want something different. The answer to this problem came rather easily as Mark and I both found the same recipe to try.

Since the recipe combined our favorite grain (quinoa) and our favorite fruit (apple) it seemed like a great thing to try. However, we didn't have the raisins or the nuts that the recipe called for so we tweaked it ever so slightly to work with what we had on hand.

We really enjoyed the end result, but agree that it is better topped with the warmed milk. This dish was a light but filling diversion from our breakfast routine that I am sure we will make again.

Ingredients needed

Quinoa boiling

Apples caramelizing

Mine topped with almond milk and maple syrup

Caramelized Cinnamon Apple Breakfast Quinoa
Adapted from here 

Serves 2

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup dry quinoa

3/4 cup water

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, divided

1/2 cup applesauce (homemade or unsweetened)

1 small apple, diced

1 teaspoon coconut oil (or vegetable oil)

1 teaspoon brown sugar

warm milk*, optional

maple syrup, optional

Directions:

Combine quinoa, water, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, cover, and lower heat to simmer for about 15 minutes or until quinoa is done.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and turn heat to low. Core and dice apple, then add to the brown sugar mixture. Cook on low for 5 minutes or until apples are starting to get tender.

Divide quinoa equally between two bowls. Top with 1/4 cup applesauce and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon each. Add apples and serve hot.

Mix and top with warmed milk and maple syrup, if desired.

Enjoy :)

*Notes:

Use non-dairy milk, such as almond or soy, to make vegan friendly.

Spicy Three Cheese Quinoa

Quinoa is Superfood (the superhero of foods). The flavor options seem to be endless and the nutrition profile gets an A+ in my book. Now that we got that out of the way let's talk about what I did with quinoa over the weekend for lunch.

I added cheese.

And garlic & onion.

And vegetables.

And adobo sauce.

Did I mention cheese?

The end result was creamy with a little bit of a kick (thanks to the adobo). The veggies added a little texture to give some life to the tiny beads of quinoa; chicken or hot dogs would work nicely as well. Or bacon. No judgement here. If you don't like spice, leave out the adobo sauce and if you don't have any adobo on hand use red pepper flakes.

Thanks to the quinoa and cheese this dish was filling and satisfying. Next time I am going to put some breadcrumbs on top and bake it for awhile.

Yum.

Spicy Three Cheese Quinoa

Serves 2 as a main course for lunch / 4 as a side for lunch or dinner

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dry quinoa

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp olive oil

1/8 cup milk

1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2-4 tablespoons grated romano cheese, divided

2 tsp adobo sauce

salt & pepper to taste

1/8 cup finely chopped carrot, optional

1/4 cup chopped broccoli, optional

1/4 cup chopped kale, optional

Directions:

Rinse quinoa and cook according to package, set aside.

While quinoa is cooking, chop onion and veggies, mince garlic, and shred cheese if needed.

Heat olive in a skillet over medium heat, add onion and garlic, and allow to cook until fragrant (about 2-3 minutes).

Add veggies to skillet and turn burner to low.

In the meantime combine milk, cheddar, mozzarella, and 1/2 of romano in a small sauce pan over low heat. Stir occasionally until everything is melted, then lightly salt & pepper cheese sauce.

Check vegetables and make sure they are soft, then add then to the cheese mixture stirring to combine.

Stir in adobo sauce and taste, adding more salt and pepper if needed.

Stir in quinoa and mix well. Turn up burner heat to medium and allow to cook for another 5 minutes or so.

Divide evenly between two bowls and sprinkle with the remaining romano cheese.

Enjoy :)

Recipe Review: Quinoa Black Bean Burrito Bowls

So much yum!

Sometime last week I received an email from Mark's sister with a few recipes attached. This is a semi-regular occurrence between the two of us and I always get really excited because we seem to have the same philosophy on food: healthy without sacrificing flavor.

Two of the recipes were ideas for fall apples, one was for a chicken salad, and the other was for a black bean and quinoa burrito bowl. I knew right away that I wanted to try the burrito bowl first; it just called to me like all other mexican style dishes. So I soaked a huge batch of black beans and cooked them up the next day.

Other than using fresh black beans instead of canned I followed the directions exactly topping ours with fresh tomato, greek yogurt, and guacamole. Yum! Being as its the burrito filling without the wrap I thought I would miss the tortilla but I was wrong. Mark didn't even complain! It doesn't need anything else. Both of us just loved it.

Seriously... Make. This Tonight. It's definitely a winner.

Head on over to The Shiksa in the Kitchen for the recipe.

One last bad picture