Breakfast Quinoa | Gluten-Free, Clean Eating, Super Food

As many of you know, I don't eat gluten. This is not by choice, rather, it is a lifestyle that was forced upon me after pregnancy with Klair. For whatever reason, during gestation my body decided it didn't like bread anymore. Actually, no. Scratch that. It did like bread, it craved gluten in every sense of the word, it just couldn't tolerate it anymore. Needless to say, it's been a rough transition.

A large (and often daunting) part of my food journey has been to try and re-learn how to cook. Prior to the random switch that my body made, I felt like the kitchen and I had a good thing going. After a few years of marriage I had discovered a number of favorite recipes and foods, and we were happy. We were in a state of equilibrium, if you will. This whole gluten intolerance thing really threw a wrench in things. It brought my culinary world crashing down, and it took my confidence as a cook with it. Thus, over the past several months, I've had to learn and relearn a lot. Thank goodness for Pinterest!... and the internet in general. Slowly, bit by bit, I'm reestablishing myself as a cook.

Below is one of my favorite recipes for my favorite meal of the day: breakfast. One happy thing that came from my all my gluten woes was my discovery of quinoa. It is one of my go to foods now. It's not only delicious, but it gives me so much energy and leaves me feeling full long after I finish it. It's gluten-free, yummy, and insanely healthy. Quinoa is one of the only plant foods that touts the distinction of being a complete protein, and the combo of nut/seed/berry toppings knocks this breakfast's super food status out of the park. Basically, this is the kind of meal to start your day off right.

Gluten-Free Quinoa Breakfast

For the Quinoa:

• 1 cup low-fat milk (plus more for serving if you desire) *
• 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 
  
• Rinse the quinoa using a small strainer (rinse until the water runs clear, about 30 seconds). Bring milk to a boil in a small saucepan. Add quinoa, and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, until three-quarters of the milk has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.
• Remove from heat, and keep covered until the milk has been absorbed (about 5 minutes). 
• 
  
• The Toppings: 
• Once the quinoa is cooked you can get creative. For my breakfast bowl featured in the picture above I used chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, Greek yogurt (I use Chobani), and honey to taste. I also had some fresh strawberries on hand so I chopped them up and added them. This is also phenomenal with blueberries, blackberries, or even bananas--whatever you have at your disposal, really. 
• **For a dairy-free/vegan option, you can substitute the milk for almond milk, soy milk, or water and forgo the use of yogurt.  
• Enjoy! 
• Happy Wednesday!