Warm Quinoa Porridge

I love Cream of Wheat (also known as Farina). It was a staple of my childhood as my grandmother made it for breakfast several times a week when I was growing up. The way she balanced the cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar was mere perfection and for a child it was a warm and delicious way to start the day. I went home to the Caribbean about a month ago and this grandma's girl was sure to special request my Cream of Wheat. It was bomb!!!

Anyway, now that I am trying to shed some pounds, I am staying away from wheat products for a while but was craving that warm, creamy cinnamon taste. So, I decided to try it with Quinoa and while I will admit it is not quite the same, it is a worthy alternative. Here's how I did it...

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa, cooked
• 1 cup almond milk
• 2 tbsp. greek yogurt
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp. brown sugar

Direction

Like I mentioned in one of my previous posts, I batch cook my Quinoa (enough for 5 days) to avoid having to prep it for every dish. If you would like to see how I achieve that beautiful fluffy texture, please see a few posts back for my Blackbean and Quinoa Garden Burger. Once your Quinoa is cooked, everything else is a breeze.

In a bowl or measuring cup, combine and mix all ingredients together. Cover and rest in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or even the evening before you intend to make the porridge. This will allow the cinnamon, nutmeg and almond flavor to set into the Quinoa. The next and last step will be to pour the mixture into a small saucepan on low heat for about 5 minutes or until the porridge has thickened. Serve in a bowl by itself or with fruit and nut toppings.