Coconut Breakfast Quinoa

The search continues to perfect the berry breakfast parfait. I realized that blackberries are my hands down favorite. When I lived in Oregon there were gobs of blackberry bushes on a trail right near my house and we would go pick them and harvest them all the time. As a side note-blackberry-infused vodka is amazing. But I digress. Now I pay 2.99 for a 6-oz container which hurts my heart. I will have to find somewhere to harvest and freeze this summer. Anyone in upstate NY have any ideas?

I decided to get a little creative with my quinoa in hopes of making the parfaits the most amazing thing ever. It worked. Is there a Nobel prize for breakfasts?

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa, rinsed. (If it does not say pre-rinsed you HAVE to do this. It has a very bitter taste otherwise)

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cardamom

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups coconut milk (in this case I am talking about the refrigerated kind in the carton, unsweetened. Should be 45 calories a cup)

Directions:

Heat a enamel-bottomed or stainless steel pot to medium. Add in the coconut oil. swirl around the pot.

Add in the quinoa and toss around, stirring to toast for 1 minute, kind of like when you are making risotto.

Add the milk and spices. Bring to a simmer and then turn heat to low. Put on the lid.

Cook for 20 min. Fluff with a fork.

I like to serve with berries and yogurt, but you can eat it with chopped bananas and nuts, even some flaked unsweetened coconut if you are feeling particularly nutty.

Each 1/2 cup serving is 1 yellow and 1 tsp if you are following the 21 day fix.

xx, Randie