Quinoa, like rice and pasta, absorbs liquid as it cooks, allowing you to actually flavor the grain during the cooking process. Just like we sometimes use broth and seasonings to cook rice and pasta, here I’m using coconut milk. For recipes like this, I always use coconut milk from a carton, which you can find in the dairy section of the grocery store. It has a thinner consistency than canned coconut milk. If you’re concerned about buying a whole carton, it’s actually about the same price as a can, and it’s yummy on cereal and in smoothies. You can also use it to make coconut rice or this favorite Thai Coconut Soup.
Just place your rinsed and drained quinoa in a pot and add in the coconut milk in place of water. I recommend using a pot that’s slightly larger than you think you need because the coconut milk bubbles up quite a bit during cooking.
I also add a touch of brown sugar for sweetness and a little almond extract. The extract doesn’t give a huge amount of flavor (you can add more, or add it later in the cooking process for a stronger flavor) but I find it enhances the other flavors in this dish and adds a mellow sweetness.
After the mixture comes to a boil, reduce it to a low simmer and cover the pot. Since coconut milk has a thicker consistency than water, you’ll want to stir it a few times during the cooking process, and if you find that as I mentioned- the coconut milk is bubbling up too much (and out of your pot) you can crack the lid.
You’ll want to cook the quinoa until most of the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is soft. Because this is a breakfast cereal, it’s okay to play around with it and add more liquid if you need it. Since we stir the mixture during cooking, we’ll lose a little of our moisture and toward the end, I sometimes add a little extra water or coconut milk to keep it nice and soft. I like mine to be a little porridge-like, so you can customize yours the way you like it as well. When it’s done cooking, serve it up hot. Add fresh berries, some toasted coconut, and a splash of cold coconut milk.
I also like a little drizzle of agave syrup , honey, or maple syrup, and a little brown sugar.
It’s packed with good-for-you nutrients, and disguised as a sweet morning treat.
I love the crunch from large flake coconut. You get nuttiness without putting actual nuts in there. And the fresh berries add a pop of both color and flavor along with all of those healthy anti-oxidants.
Another thing you can do to save time is cook a big batch of the quinoa and keep it in the fridge. You can pull out a single serving in the morning and just heat it up in the microwave and then add all of y our toppings which you can have all ready to go.
I do that for myself so I won’t run straight for the Golden Grahams. Beautiful to look at, delicious to eat, and good for you inside and out.
