I first met Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) five years ago at Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat.
This was long before it became a supermarket staple. And boy, did I go to lengths to track it down after that weekend.
The reason?
It’s not technically a grain but as someone who is gluten intolerant, it’s proved to be an amazing grain substitute for me. It also kicks most grains to the kerb with its goodness. It is a high-protein, low-carb food and packed with vitamins and minerals.
I’ve mostly used it in recipes that once I would have included cous cous. This is a quinoa recipe that I regularly trot out at home … I guest posted over on my neighbour, Veggie Mama’s blog about it back at the end of 2011.
Now, I was aware that quinoa can also form the basis of a breakfast of champions. I can’t do oats so I really should have jumped on this bandwagon sooner but to be honest, I’d been a bit unsure about it as a breakfast food.
Until, I bought a copy of Sarah Wilson’s I Quit Sugar.
I jumped right in and whipped up her Chia and Quinoa Parfait and I’m so glad I popped my quinoa breakfast cherry.
This is the bomb.
Heads up, as the recipe comes from a book called I Quit Sugar, it’s not a sweet dish. It’s got a semi-sweetness to it from the berry mix and the yoghurt (I used coconut yoghurt which is naturally sweet). I’m ok with that. It’s not that I’ve quit sugar entirely but I err mostly on the non-sugar side of the food equation so it suits my tastebuds.
Ingredients
(serves 2)
Method
1. Mix together the quinoa (cook this as you would rice using the absorption method – I use my Thermomix and do the same measurements and timings as I would for white rice … more tips from Sarah here), chia seeds, LSA mix (LSA stands for linseeds, sunflower seeds and almonds and the ingredient is a premade mix of these), milk and cacao powder. Place in airtight container in the fridge for one-two hours.
2. To serve, layer with yoghurt and berries*
Berry Grown-Up Sauce
2 cups frozen berries
1 tbsp rice malt syrup
1 tsp finely grated ginger
1/2 tsp grated orange zest
1 star anise, finely crushed
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Serve warm or cool. Store in a clean glass jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Thermomix method: Place knob of ginger, orange peel, star anise and cinnamon in bowl. Blitz for 5 seconds on Speed 8. Add berries and rice malt syrup and cook for 10-15 minutes at 100 degrees, Reverse, Speed Soft.
Have you served up quinoa at home? What’s your favourite way to do that?
* The aqua hand-lacquered tray, on which the parfaits are photographed was gifted to me by The Brown Trading Company. I bought the mason jars from The Spring Shop here.
