On cold mornings like this, I want nothing more than a nice warm bowl of Quinoa Porridge.
I just love when it snows in Dallas!! It’s a rare occasion, but when it does happen, I turn into an excited little kid who can hardly wait to throw on my boots and heavy winter coat so that I can run outside to build snowmen and make snow angels. Ok, so we usually don’t get enough snow for that, but I try my hardest to make it work!
Yesterday morning, after my Bo-Bo neighbors left their sprinkler system running overnight, there was ice covering the grass and the bushes. Of course, I had to stop and take a picture 
Then, this morning I awoke to find that a beautiful light blanket of snow had fallen! This is not the first snow this season in Dallas; the first snow happened on Christmas day (how perfect?!?), but my hubby, stepson, and I missed it because we were in Houston for the holiday. Needless to say, I was pretty bummed that we had missed out. So, as soon as I saw the snow this morning, I rushed outside to play!
Thankfully, I remembered to bring in my herbs last night! All but this poor fellow (below); he didn’t make it through the last few nights of freezing temperatures 
After playing until my fingers were numb, I came inside with a serious appetite and desperately craving something warm. I started with a great big mug of hot rooibos tea and then settled in on the couch with a bowl of my favorite Quinoa Porridge.
During the summer, I usually stick to smoothies for breakfast, but once the temperatures begin to drop, I always turn to this porridge. The best thing about it: it’s wonderfully adaptable. I make different variations each day depending on the mood I’m in and the ingredients that I have on hand. This morning I made mine with cinnamon and nutmeg and topped it off with chopped almonds, goji berries, and banana slices. I’ve provided the simplest version of the recipe below, as well as some ideas for toppings, but honestly, the sky’s the limit!
- 1 cup + ½ cup milk of choice (I prefer unsweetened almond milk)
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- ¼ – ½ tsp. spices (you could use a single spice or a combination of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cardamom, ginger, etc.)
- ⅛ tsp. sea salt
- ½ cup quinoa, soaked and rinsed
- sweetener, such as stevia or honey (optional)
- Optional toppings: chopped almonds, walnuts, pecans, hemp seeds, shredded coconut, cacao nibs, dried cranberries, raisins, goji berries, fresh fruit of choice (my favorite is banana), the list goes on and on…
- You could also stir in a couple tablespoons of nut butter (almond butter and coconut butter are two of my favorite) to make it really decadent and filling
- In a saucepan, bring 1 cup of milk, vanilla extract, spices, and sea salt to a light boil.
- Add the rinsed quinoa to the saucepan, reduce the heat to Low, cover with a lid, and let the quinoa simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat and let the quinoa sit, covered, for five minutes. If you prefer to sweeten the quinoa, now is the time to stir it in.
- Serve the quinoa and top with the remaining ½ cup of milk and the toppings of your choice.
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container (store the toppings separately). *Feel free to double the recipe if you prefer to have leftovers, as the quinoa will keep fresh for up to 2-3 days.
*I’ve submitted this recipe to Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Whole Foods Wednesdays, and Allergy-Free Wednesdays
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Yessss….hot cereal like food in the winter. Go quinoa!
This looks so warm and comforting! I spilled my last bag of quinoa on the floor (I don’t recommend this, super messy) but this makes me want to buy another
-Dana
Oh no! That sounds like something I would do, too
I really need to do more with Quinoa for Breakfasts! I love it any other time of day
I eat so many savory quinoa dishes that I sometimes forget how good it is for breakfast! I forgot about this dish until last week and I’ve been eating it for breakfast every day since then
This sounds AMAZING! I might have to make this during the weekend.
That looks very nice & warming.
I admire your love of snow… I was born in Canada and feel the exact opposite towards it ;p
I was constantly waiting for spring and summer to come along haha. Now that I’m in Northern California, I don’t miss it at all!
Btw – I made you banana pancakes over the weekend and they totally rocked my socks!
I enjoy the snow here, but because it’s so rare
I don’t blame you though–I would be sick of snow too if I were in your shoes!
Also, I’m so glad you liked the pancakes!!
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