Quinoa Porridge! Trust me, it’s good!

As you may have gathered by now I am a strong believer in high protein, low GI breakfasts for sustained energy and balanced blood sugar levels throughout the day.

This means that on the vast majority of mornings the hubby and will indulge in a piece of lean protein be it eggs, oily fish, lean meat or cottage cheese with a small serving of homemade low GI bread and an adequate supply of good fats in the form of our usual seeds. I don’t think a meal goes by without a good shaking of seeds!

There is however, the odd occasion where it is nice to treat ourselves to something a little bit different – something that is that is still packed full of protein and goodness though of course.

You may have heard me say this before but incase you haven’t I absolutely love Quinoa! We often have a small serving of this versatile little seed as a savoury accompaniment to dinner. So when I came across the concept for Quinoa porridge as a morning treat I was intrigued.

Why is quinoa so great? If you haven’t tried it yet it tastes great with a wonderfully nutty flavour. It is not only really delicious but it’s also one of the best sources of protein in the plant kingdom. It’s also low in fat and full of slow release carbohydrates which means it balances blood sugar levels. It also contains all eight essential amino acids making it a complete protein. 

I found a few recipes for Quinoa porridge online but this recipe is my kind of trial and error made up version. We think it is really tasty and it certainly had us feeling full for hours afterwards…

Quinoa Porridge

Ingredients

2 cups of Quinoa (pre soaked in hot water for 5 minutes, drained and rinsed again)

2 cups of milk

1 cup of water

1 pinch of salt

1 teaspoon of Cinnamon

Fresh vanilla pod or vanilla extract (not essence)

To serve:

1 handful of chopped walnuts

1-2 tablespoon of seeds

A few raspberries

Method

Add the milk,  water and salt to the pre treated Quinoa and bring to the boil in a saucepan. Bring the heat down to a simmer and add the cinnamon and vanilla. Simmer on a low heat for around 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally and checking that the mixture does run out of fluid.

You will know whethat the porridge is ready when it begins to soften and comes together having soaked up most of the liquid. (Please note it doesn’t have the same consistency to conventional porridge, the quinoa will still stay in its original shape and will have some bite).

Once it is done spoon into bowls and add the nuts, seeds and berries.

Serves 3 – This made enough for two portions hot and then one portion cold the next day. It is fabulous enjoyed cold mixed with natural yogurt!