Blackberry, Almond, and Cinnamon Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

Lately, I've found myself obsessing over two things: healthy, warm breakfasts, and blackberries. So, it only seemed natural to try and spice up the morning cereal game in a fun and unique way. Now, if you've read my post on grains, you might be thinking "hold up, quinoa isn't a cereal grain!" and yes, you're right... but for the sake of this recipe, we're just going to pretend, okay?

This dish is incredibly easy, scalable, and stores really well for a couple of days. The recipe below makes one serving, so just double, triple, quadruple, or whatever if you want leftovers or are making this for multiple people - though, it's not hard to make a fresh batch whenever you want. If you make extra, keep the components (quinoa, milk, and mixin's) separate and quickly toss them together - either warm or cold - for almost instant breakfasts. The use of quinoa will help you jumpstart your day with a shot of protein, fiber, essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, while the cinnamon milk and blackberries offer a sweet morning kiss. I like to include a few rosebuds or a sprinkle of lavender just to feel a little fancy.

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Ingredients

• 0.25 cup dry quinoa (any color works. I used red this time around)

• 0.5 cup water

• 0.5 cup milk of choice (I like to use soy because of the extra protein, but literally any milk will work)

• 0.5 tsp cinnamon

• 0.5 tsp vanilla extract

• 0.5 Tbsp agave, maple syrup, etc.

• Blackberries (I usually use about 0.25 cups, but you can use more or less depending on what you're feeling)

• Some almonds (same as above - I try to use about the same amount of almonds as blackberries)

• Flax seeds (again, use however much floats your boat. Also, optional)

• Rosebuds or lavender for flare (optional)

Instructions

1. Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a small pot. Once the bubbles are going, reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer and cook, covered, for about 15 minutes or until the water is all absorbed. Remove from the heat, and let it sit for 5 - 10 minutes so the quinoa can finish poofing up and getting that great curly-q texture.

2. Mix the milk, cinnamon, vanilla, and maple syrup. You can do this in a bowl with a fork or a whisk, or in a pourable container with a tight lid by shaking it all together. If I'm making extra, I like to do it in the container I'm planning to store the milk in, in order to reduce dishes - because who needs that first thing in the morning?

3. Once the quinoa is done, dish it into a bowl, and top with the milk. You don't necessarily need to use all of it, but I typically do, because it's just so delightfully sweet - but not too sweet! Top with the blackberries, almonds, flax seeds, flowers, or whatever grabs your attention.

If you find a topping combo that you really like, let me know either by leaving me a comment over on Instagram, shooting me an email at mixedfoodblog@gmail.com, or through the contact form, here! I'd love to hear what cool ideas y'all come up with!