Quinoa for Protein (and Breakfast!)

As a new (less than 3 months) vegetarian, I'm still very much in the learning stage. Do not fear, I will not be using this format as my own personal soapbox - my lifestyle choices are my own, and I would never presume to lecture anyone on what their personal choices should be. My goal here is to share what I learn, pass along healthy recipes, and even share mistakes I make along the way.

Being concerned with getting enough protein, I have introduced Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) to my diet. This is the first recipe I've tried, and it was excellent. I am not a morning person - I tend to sleep to the last minute - which leaves me no time for a healthy breakfast. This is one I can make in advance, refrigerate, microwave a serving in the morning and eat while I'm 'putting on my face'.

This recipe comes from 101cookbooks.com a site I'm becoming well acquainted with for vegetarian recipes. Warning: I rarely follow a recipe exactly, so ingredients I add will be italicized. At the end of each recipe, I'll share where I found hard-to-find ingredients here in SETX and variations for us to try.

Warm and Nutty Cinnamon Quinoa Recipe

The original recipe came from, Chef MD's Big Book of Culinary Medicine which offers the following variations: low-fat soy milk may replace the low fat milk, blueberries may replace the blackberries, dark honey may replace the agave nectar, and walnuts may replace the pecans.

1 cup organic 1% low fat milk (I used Plain Soymilk, but I think Vanilla would work well too)

1 cup water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt (because I'm a sweet n salty kinda gal)

1 cup organic quinoa, (note: rinse quinoa - this is very important as un-rinsed quinoa is bitter, unless you find 'pre-rinsed' - I used red here, but regular will do)

2 cups fresh blackberries, organic preferred (I had frozen wild-picked 'dewberries' in the freezer, and used those, thawed)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted* (I used walnuts)

4 teaspoons organic agave nectar

Combine milk, water, vanilla, salt and quinoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Turn off heat; let stand covered 5 minutes. Stir in blackberries and cinnamon; transfer to four bowls and top with pecans. Drizzle 1 teaspoon agave nectar over each serving.

Serves 4.

*While the quinoa cooks, roast the pecans in a 350F degree toaster oven for 5 to 6 minutes or in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes.

Belle's notes & variations:  I'm not fond of the seeds in dewberries and that was the only drawback to this dish - next time I'll use blueberries.  I'd also like to try this with other fruit/spice variations such as:  dried dates or apricots with cardamom and pistachios.  If you try this or have your own variations, please feel free to share them.

Ingredient notes - Why you should eat them and where you can find them in SETX


Quinoa:  was called the "Mother Grain" by the Incas and is indeed a nutritional powerhouse. Quinoa's protein content, about 16 percent, is higher than that of any other grain. Wheat also has a high protein content, about 14 percent, but the protein in wheat and most other grains is lacking in the amino acid lysine, which Quinoa has in abundance. In fact, the amino acid composition in Quinoa is almost perfect. The World Health Organization has judged the protein in Quinoa to be as complete as that in milk. In addition, Quinoa contains more iron than most grains, and is a good source of calcium, phosphorus, folate, and many B vitamins.  I found my Quinoa in the 'Health Food' section at the Signature Kroger on Dowlen in Beaumont - The Big HEB usually has it in their bulk foods section but the bin was empty on my last visit.

Agave Nectar:  though 25% sweeter than sugar, it has a low glycemic index to prevent a spike in blood sugar.  Claims suggest that it can be effective in weight loss because of its low impact on blood sugar and its ability to increase satiety and decrease appetite. It is also associated with lowering cholesterol, reducing the risk of certain cancers, and increasing the absorption of nutrients, such as isoflavones, calcium and magnesium.  I found my agave nectar at Whole Foods in Houston, but I'm almost positive it can be found in local grocery stores.