A sustaining bowl of protein powered quinoa porridge to fuel you up for success. Add this to your collection of breakfast recipes to make it year-round. It's easy to make, tasty and good for you in so many ways.
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This quinoa porridge is better than your standard oatmeal in many ways. Try adding a quinoa porridge to your morning routine at least once a week for a healthy balance.
Quinoa porridge is a comforting and soul-nourishing bowl of goodness packed with healthy ingredients. It's got protein, fiber, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates and minerals.
INTRODUCTION TO PORRIDGE
From Asia to Europe, in many shapes and forms; porridge is enjoyed by millions of people all over the world.
- Congee is a traditional Asian rice porridge.
- Kasha is the Russian variety made with buckwheat groats.
- Teff porridge is used in Ethopia.
- Millet porridge in parts of Africa and Asia.
Porridge has been my staple breakfast for the most part of my life. It's been a love - hate relationship at times!
Like all food, Its a very personal thing. Everyone enjoys porridge in their own particular way. I've had 100's of varieties of porridge over the years, experimenting with various grains, milks and toppings.
SCANDINAVIAN PORRIDGE ADVENTURES
My porridge recipes started to expand after a visit to Grod Porridge Cafe in Copenhagen, Denmark a few years ago when I was on a Scandinavian culinary adventure. I fell in love with this cafe concept and all their different porridge combinations.
They had several exciting signature porridges as well as the option to build your own: choose your grain, choose your milk, choose your toppings. Genius! You can eat porridge everyday and never ever get bored.
Mixing up your breakfast bowl combination everyday provides you with a variety of different nutrients. Oats are super healthy, but imagine having a mix of different grains throughout the week? After all, 'variety is the spice of life'
If you've not tried Quinoa Porridge yet, I urge you to do so. Other grains you can play around with are: buckwheat, rye, barley, lentils, millet, teff and rice.
SUPERPOWERED INGREDIENTS IN THIS QUINOA PORRIDGE
What makes this porridge a bit different is that I'm using a mix of oats, quinoa and chia seeds, as well as some other nutritional toppings.
I tried to pack as much superpowered nutrition into this bowl as possible by using a variety of “superfood” ingredients.
- Quinoa: an incredible gluten-free grain that rose to fame over the last 10 years, and rightly so. Quinoa is now effectively cultivated all around the world. It comes complete with all 9 essential amino acids, high fiber and a low GI index to help keep blood sugar levels in good order.
- Oats: a staple for most of my breakfasts, oats are a fantastic source of fiber and complex carbohydrates. They're not as high in protein, but they are in complex carbohydrates so they digest more slowly, helping to keep you fuller for longer and help you to maintain a sustained energy throughout the day. Read more about Oats here
- Chia seeds: chia seeds are most well-known for being full of omega-3s. But in addition to those, they also contain all 9 essential amino acids. Chia seeds are also easy to digest and full of other vitamins and minerals. Read more about chia seeds here
- Blueberries: the king of anti-oxidant fruits. Blueberries protect against high cholesterol and helps lower blood pressure
- Pumpkin seeds: a nutritional powerhouse, full of essential minerals, protein and fiber
- Almonds: a great source of many nutrients and minerals
- Banana: lots of potassium and natural sweetness
CHEFS TOP TIPS FOR MAKING A GOOD PORRIDGE
- Soak grains in water overnight in the fridge.
- Cook on a gentle heat, add your favourite plant milks.
- Stir well.
- Cook slowly, adding more milk or water as the porridge thickens up.
- Use a good medium sized saucepan.
- Check seasoning, add a little pinch of pink salt, sweet spices like cinnamon or vanilla and some sweetener of choice to lift the flavors of the porridge.
HOW TO COOK QUINOA FOR PORRIDGE
While the recipe below is the basic recipe for making quinoa porridge, lately I have also been making a few different variations of it so I thought I could outline those to help you as you make your own.
Method #1: Cook rolled quinoa flakes with plant-based milk
The first method is to cook quinoa with your favorite plant-based milk. If you are new to cooking quinoa with milk, this is a good recipe to start. Plant based milks like unsweetened coconut and almond milks make a nice creamy porridge
In the recipe below, I used almond milk, but you could use coconut, oat or any other plant milk.
The ideal ratio is 2 part almonds milk for 1 part of quinoa. However, if you want it to be lighter on the creamy part, you can swap some of the plant milk with water.
To sweeten it, I used a few tablespoons of coconut syrup. However, you can adjust the amount of sweetener you use based on your preference. Maple syrup or honey will work well also.
As you can see in the photos, I used rolled quinoa flakes. However, you can make this recipe with red or white quinoa as well.
Please take note; it is vital to rinse quinoa thoroughly to ensure that its natural coating (that makes it bitter) is fully removed.
Method #2: Use Leftover Quinoa
I usually cook a large batch of quinoa to add leftovers into salads, soups, or stir-fries. Lately, I have also been using it make a similar quinoa breakfast porridge as well. This works perfectly if you have leftover quinoa.
To turn leftover cooked quinoa into a delicious bowl of quinoa porridge, simply place it in a saucepan and pour in your favorite plant-based milk. Place it on the heat for 2-3 minutes to warm through, sweeten and top with your favourite ingredients.
HOW TO STORE QUINOA PORRIDGE
The best way to store any leftover quinoa porridge is in the fridge. You can keep it in a large container as one portion, or if you want to meal prep this recipe, you can portion it out into individual containers. It will keep fresh for about 3 days. Anything longer than this and it will deteriorate in freshness.
To reheat your quinoa porridge, you can put it back in a small saucepan and heat it up with a bit of almond milk.
WAYS TO SERVE QUINOA PORRIDGE
I love serving this warm with some different toppings. No two breakfast bowls of mine ever look the same! Here are some of my favorite topping options:
- Fresh berries: blueberries, but raspberries or sliced strawberries would also be great
- Chia seed jam: try my blueberry chai seed jam recipe
- Sliced fruit: try some banana, apple or kiwi
- Nuts/seeds: I'm all about the texture, I love using sliced almonds, chopped walnuts or pumpkin seeds
- Nut butter: a good drizzle of almond or peanut butter on top of quinoa porridge takes it to a whole new level!
- Yogurt: try a dollop of coconut or plant milk yogurt for some extra creaminess
- Raw honey or maple syrup: and lastly, sweetness! I love to drizzle on some honey, coconut nectar or maple syrup
No matter what toppings you serve up with this recipe it's going to be delicious! I really think it's going to become a staple in your morning rotation.
Let me know how you like it in the comments section below. And, remember to tag #holisticchefacademy when you make it. I love to see your creations.
OTHER BREAKFAST RECIPES YOU MIGHT ENJOY
- Oat and chia seed porridge
- Buckwheat kasha porridge
- Banana and chickpea pancakes
- Teff marathon bowl
- Oat Bircher muesli
Recipe
Protein Powered Quinoa Porridge
Equipment
- Weighing scales
- Saucepan - medium size
- Spatula
- Serving bowl
- Spoon
Ingredients
Soak the night before
- 100 g Quinoa flakes
- 100 g Oats
- 5 g Chia seeds
- ¼ teaspoon Pink salt
- 500 ml Water - filtered
Ready to cook in the morning
- 100 ml Almond milk or coconut milk
- 100 g Blueberries
- 100 g Banana
- 20 g Pumpkin seeds
- 40 g Almond butter
- 20 ml Coconut syrup or honey
- ¼ each Lime zest
- 10 g Almonds - whole
Instructions
Assemble ingredients
- Add the quinoa, oats, chia seeds, pink salt and water to a small saucepan. Mix well and leave to soak overnight in the fridge.
- The next morning, add the almond or coconut milk and cook out on a low simmer for about 8 minutes.
- Stir regularly and add more water if it gets a little thick.
- Check and adjust the seasoning if necessary, add the lime zest.
- Allow to rest for 2 minutes.
To serve
- Transfer quinoa porridge to warmed serving bowls.
- Garnish with blueberries, almonds and sliced banana.
- Top with almond butter and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.
- Garnish with a little drizzle of coconut nectar and a twist of lime zest.
- Sit back, relax and enjoy your delicious creation.
Nutrition
ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION
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