Cinnamon Vanilla Quinoa “Oatmeal”

Let’s face it, our bodies function best when they are well nourished.  Sometimes in the morning, it’s hard to get everyone out the door with a decent amount of nutrients in their bellies.  This Cinnamon, Vanilla Quinoa Oatmeal is a perfect way to start your day!

My husband is great at making a green smoothie in the morning that we share, but the kids turn their noses up and look for the usual peanut butter and banana on toast.  Our hockey playing nephew likes his cold cereal and almond milk, which can be okay sometimes, but when you are heading out for a hard practice you need more than that.

Last night, I was emailing back and forth with our friend Brianne Theisen-Eaton, who comes from the same small town as our nephew.  She is a retired Canadian track and field athlete who competed in the heptathlon and women’s pentathlon. She won the bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics!  Her husband Ashton Eaton is also a retired American decathlete and two-time Olympic champion.  We met them through family a two years ago and have enjoyed their company a couple of times at our home.  

Brianne also has a blog and has posted a couple of the dishes I served them when they visited.  She shared with me her “oatmeal” recipe last night which prompted me to make a big pot this morning.  I was a bit worried that I might be the only one eating it all week, but I am happy to say, the empty pot is soaking in the sink!

Although you cook this dish, it doesn’t seem super dense and “wintery” because it is quinoa.  Another nice thing is that it is delicious either cold or warm with plant-based milk on it.   Also, between the vanilla, cinnamon, cranberries and fresh raspberries, it is naturally sweet, and for me, didn’t require any added sweetener.  It is very versatile and you can literally top it with anything you like.

A word on quinoa… it is a pseudo-grain and is a good source of antioxidants and minerals, providing more magnesium, iron, fiber and zinc than many common grains.  It contains all of the 9 amino acids that our bodies need and therefore is a source of complete plant protein.  It is also gluten free and a good source of fibre that helps improve gut health. It is helpful to sprout (meaning soak) your quinoa which allows the nutrients to be more bioavailable to your body.  More on that here.

Cinnamon Vanilla Quinoa

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Serves: 4 Prep Time: 8 hours soaking Cooking Time: 15 min 15 min

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa, uncooked2 cups almond or soy milk1/3 cup of cranberries or raisins2 tsp cinnamon1 tsp vanillasprinkling of freshly grated nutmegAnything goes!  Try a variety of: pumpkin, chia, hemp or sunflower seeds, ground flax seeds, chopped nuts, sliced fruit and fresh or frozen berries.    

Instructions

1. Rinse the quinoa through a strainer then soak it in 3 cups of water for 8+ hours. Overnight is perfect.
2. Rinse and drain the quinoa.
3. Place in saucepan with milk and cranberries/raisins and bring to a boil.
4. Add cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg once boiled and stir to combine.
5. Cover and simmer for approximately 15 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.
6. When ready to eat, add some more milk of your choice and your choice of toppings.

Place any leftover quinoa in a sealed container in the fridge for tomorrow's breakfast.

 

www.thevibrantveggie.com  

If you like the looks of this, you might also like my Stellar Steel Cut Oats recipe!