This looks absolutely incredible! I just love it when healthy + beautiful foods combine 🙂

I’ll definitely give this a try. Looks great!

I am making this for breakfast! (I just happen to have all the ingredients.) This book sounds fantastic-a nice counter balance to my recipes, ha ha!

Wowy wow wow! I loved red quinoa. I’m going to have to make this at work. My customers would love it. I would love to post this on my Veg Head carnival.
Erik, that sea bean salad on your site looks amazing. Thanks for the note!

Currently in my line of work I am cooking for some folks who need high protein, delicious, but easily digestible breakfasts foods…this recipe was perfect for such a set of needs. I subbed the low fat milk for almond milk and that worked oh so nicely…

I have to have this cookbook for my cookbook collection. I just put it on my wish list. Great review and the recipe looks delicious.

Heidi: Can you describe the recipe a little deeper?. Is it creamy like eating oatmeal, or is it dry and fluffy like when you cook a savory quinoa recipe?
Hmm. Tough question. I’d say neither, or somewhere in between. But I’ll add that the texture is affected by how much milk is absorbed and the temperature at which you eat it. If you leave this quinoa in the refrigerator overnight the whole bowl will firm up, when reheated it will loosen up again. You can add an extra splash of milk here and there to control the consistency until it is just the way you like it.

I just made the quinoa/corn flour crepes last night and they were delicious (of course – everything I’ve made from this site and the cookbook have been delicious!). Highly recommended recipe – the addition of the cheese and potatoes really pulled the dish together, and I found that I didn’t even need much cheese, as gruyere is pretty strong, and went quite nicely with the quinoa/corn flour mixture. And with the chile de arbol sauce … amazing!

What an absolutely glorious recipe. At the moment for me every road seems to be leading to quinoa. Every blog I read features quinoa. Clients are asking me about it and every recipe I’m attracted to has quinoa. I shall be trying this out soon.

Once again, your photos make me NEED to try out your recipes. And once again, delicious results! Thanks!!

Delicious! I love quinoa! a breakfast idea sounds great!

Oooooooo, this is JUST what I can do with all the fresh raspberries that I’ve got growing in my yard, yummy! I’m thinking maybe some almonds, since I need to eat more of those….yum, yum, yum!! Thanks for a wonderful and timely recipe, Heidi

I can’t wait to try this for my daughter. She is a little fussy about breakfast but this should be right up her alley! Thanks so much!

Thanks for all the great comments. Look and try the different colors of quinoa, I love this red one because of the unexpected color it lends to a plate, but the white/ivory quinoa is beautiful (and in my opinion, delicious) as well. I should also encourage you to seek out quinoa flour. I use it in the corn flour/quinoa crepe batter in Super Natural Cooking – and the grassy quinoa plays off the corn flavor beautifully – one of my favorite recipes in the book.
Thats all for now, -h

There is a great summer recipe for a quinoa cucumber tabbouleh on http://www.inyourkitchen.com by Chef Ben at Parallel 33 San Diego

I just made this recipe- it was delicious! I love quinoa but have never had it for breakfast. I didn’t have blackberries on hand so I used some thawed frozen blueberries and raspberries. This has all my favorite things. Yummy yummy yum yum!!

Julie – in addition to the single-serving rice and soy milk, you can also use canned evaporated milk. It comes in non-fat variety and is pretty thick/creamy for non-fat. It’s also great in coffee..a good friend on a camping trip!

I recently tried a quinoa recipe, and it called for toasting it first, then rinsing.
It came out great and I couldn’t believe how much my picky family liked it! I got a specific request to make it again.
I’ll post it soon…
Can’t wait to try this one!

isn’t it healthier if we soak the quinoa over night and not boil it??
of course you have to rinse it! quinoa is a cereal that comes into contact with a lot of germs from the field, guys who crop it, distributors etc..it’s not hygienic at all not to rinse it! either in a drain, under flowing water, either in 10 waters, as they say

You don’t have to rinse the quinoa before cooking it. I’ve been cooking quinoa for about two years now and have never rinsed it. I’ve never heard of anyone else rinsing it either. Also, it’s good if you cook it with two cups veggie broth and a pinch or two of cumin. Try it! you’ll like it and it’s much better for you than white rice or pasta!

i love quinoa, but have experimented with savory variations only (many from your site!)… cant wait to give this a try! thank you!

Hi, Heidi…thanks so much for the fabulous photo of this terrific breakfast, and shout-out: you make my food look great!
Yes, saponins are bitter and astringent, and not everyone’s cup of tea, or bowl of whole grain; I didn’t rinse in this recipe because they also appear to have cholesterol lowering properties, as does quinoa itself, and I like the play of bitter and sweet.
But a quick rinse or toast (also removes saponins) will help people try the dish, so I’m all for it.
Keep up the great work, and thanks again,
Warmly
JL
n.b. Free sign-up for more of my recipes, and shopping lists, often with photos and video (from Lifetime TV), emailed weekly at http://www.ChefMD.com
Thanks for the great recipe John. I look forward to trying many more of them. I hope you have much success with your book, it is much deserved.

wow. this looks really good. i’ve been trying to like quinoa. i made a quinoa risotta and it was good, but not my fav..
http://thespottedapron.wordpress.com/2008/04/27/quinoa-risotto-with-red-peppers-arugula/
i should try a sweet variety such as this one. thanks for the great recipe!

I never thought of putting berries in my quinoa. It looks great! I made breakfast quinoa a while back with apples.
http://www.cupcakeproject.com/2008/03/quinoa-for-breakfast-part-1.html

I love Quinoa, regular and red. And have always used this lovely grain in savory side dishes, but had never tried a sweet version; your breakfast looks especially good and I can’t wait to try it.

The picture looked so good I had to make a big batch last night to eat cold for breakfast at my desk! I’m sure it’s great warm, but it is amazing chilled overnight and eaten cold. (Well, nearly room-temperature by the time I got to work.)
I chopped up some prunes and added them to the pot when I took it off the heat, because I like my breakfasts to be sweet and I wasn’t sure about the agave nectar. Delicious. The prunes and blackberries go great together. And I did buy agave nectar, inspired by this recipe – I’ve always scoffed at it, but it is really good.
For those of you afraid of the bitter taste of quinoa, Bob’s Red Mill brand comes thoroughly rinsed and I don’t get a bitter flavor from it at all. I can find Bob’s Red Mill grains at Whole Foods and on an endcap in my regular supermarket.

Wow, those ingredients look like they were made to go together. I love the addition of blackberries.

This is very similar to a breakfast I make often since it’s so healthy and gluten-free but I never thought to cook the quinoa in a combination of milk and water instead of just water. I’m excited to try it!

Isn’t it sad to say that I’ve never had quinoa? I’ve been dying to try it but since we’re moving in a few weeks I’m trying not to buy a bunch of food that we’ll have to throw out. And this sounds like a cool cookbook…delicious looking recipe!

Quinoa is still a fairly new grain to us, so I was excited to give this recipe a try! I had everything except the berries – none to be had! (I only had grapes and a mango… with cinnamon? eww…) So, I turned this recipe into a dessert by mixing in some sugar (to replace the berries’ sweetness) and some allspice, and sprinkling with fresh nutmeg. I think the berries would have been much nicer, but the result of my experiment (which I’m eating now) was still excellent!

Hi Heidi
I have just finished devouring a bowl of this – wow!
I adore quinoa and eat it frequently but always as a savoury dish so I was excited to see a recipe which sweetens it instead. I eat porridge every morning and I thought this would make an interesting alternative. I was not disappointed – this is delicious! I used blueberries instead of blackberries and almonds instead of pecans (compromising with what was in my cupboard…) and the results were spectacular.
Thank you so much for bringing this to our attention.

That truly looks and sounds superb! I’d like to dig into some of that for breakfast tomorrow!
– The Peanut Butter Boy

This does look very good – probably because it’s so similar to the delicious quinoa porridge I’ve been having for breakfast lately.
I soak 1/4 c quinoa overnight in about 1/2 rice milk (or combination of milk and water) with an insy bit of salt chucked in (why? simply because I always cooked oat porridge with salt so I’ve continued the habit). I’ve found this cuts down on the cooking time and improves the flavour. Once the quinoa is half cooked I throw in some chopped dates and craisins, a pinch of cinnamon and a bit of raw sugar, before serving the porridge with a few chopped up pistachios. One very satisfying breakfast!!

I sampled the quinoa cakes at whole foods and found them to be flavorless and quite unappealing – not a good ode to nutty, lovely, delicious quinoa…if you want to sing the praises of this wonderful grain you should make the quinoa muffins from Deborah Madison’s cookbook….the big vegetarian one that won many awards…fabulous….forgot the title and too lazy to get up…will definately try this cereal…

Lovely recipe – and I can say that after just having sat down with a bowl of it! Perfect thing for a cool, down-under autumn day (NZ).
I used what I had on had – regular quinoa, regular honey, frozen mixed berries, walnuts (a large handful).
I washed the quinoa. This is the first time I’ve ever used it and when I opened the packet I thought maybe it was mouldy – all that blueish dust – but it smelled fine, and was from a trustworthy supplier, so after three rinses I ploughed on.
Because my berries were still frozen I reheated the mix to have it warm. It was also fine cool and I’d go for that in warm weather.
And now that I’ve eaten it – quinoa: what’s not to like??
Thanks to Heidi for the book review (many of my favourite cookbooks have no pics) and for passing on the recipe. Thanks those above for comments on toasting the quinoa – I’ll try that next time… after rinsing first it I guess…?

It’s great to finally see quinoa get the red carpet treatment. Here in Peru, where we just call it quinua, it has only recently entered top restaurants. Before, it was considered peasant food. My mother used to make it at home when I was a kid, and I had a red-haired friend who used to pull these hilarious faces whenever he stayed for dinner and quinua was served… Though, I have to say, now it’s being prepared better. Milk is a great companion to it, and I frequently make semolina-quinua gnocchi. And yes, it has to be rinsed 4 to 5 times, It makes all the difference. This recipe looks fantastic; I will definitely give it a try – VERY soon!
All the best and thanks for a great blog.

What’s quinoa? I’ve never heard of it.
It looks good anyways.

So delicious! Cannot wait to indulge in this on the weekend.

What a great gluten-free recipe, Heidi! I heart your gluten-free section! Is there a reason you did not tag this recipe gluten-free?

@Julie:
The coconut milk would likely have a significantly higher fat content than any other milk. For camping, I would try one of the shelf-stable, single-serving packs of soy milk, rice milk, or almond milk.

Thanks Heidi! I do miss the pictures but your picture of Dr. LaPuma’s cinnamon quinoa recipe got my attention. After reading your blog, I immediately went out and purchased his book. Someone ought to tell him that he needs some pictures to entice people to buy it. Anyway, thanks for the skinny on Chef MD’s book.

Yum! This looks great. Has anyone tried this using coconut milk instead of cow’s milk? I’m thinking this would be great for camping, but would need to have canned milk in that case.

Perfect! My husband does not enjoy oatmeal, but I love hot cereals. One mom also suggested to me to serve left over quinoa in a similar way. She would reheat it with cinnamon, and serve it with maple syrup, butter, and dried fruit.

Thanks for this post! I didn´t know about the trick of washing quinoa first. I didn´t like quinoa, and I suspect that this was the reason. I can find some red quinoa nearby, so I´ll try it for sure
Thanks again!

Huh, for some reason it never occured to me to use quinoa in a sweet application. I must thank you for turning me onto quinoa. I have decided that barley is my next grain to try (for some reason I have bad risotto karma so I’m hoping your barley “risotto” will take care of that)

For those who are trying to develop a taste for quinoa (kin-waaaaah), check out the quinoa cakes at the Whole Foods deli counter. so good and so good for you. Please somebody post their results AFTER making these lovely recipes. I wanted to comment on the beautiful success I had with Heidi’s elegant Nibby Buckwheat Butter Cookies, but sadly the postings seem to be closed. My search for chocolate nibs took me to Surfas kitchen supply in Culver City… and that alone was a fabulous experience. Add these delish cookies to a little adventure like that and you’ve got yourself a beautiful day.

Yes, this looks amazing. I too haven’t liked the flavor of quinoa but will try this.
I also wanted to tell you I tried the Strawberry Panzanella. I loved the look of the picture and have always liked adding fruit and whole grain bread to my bread pudding but wasn’t sure that my family would like its crunchiness. It was a hit! I will make this again and again!
And definitely try this beauty too!

Wow this looks so delicious … especially the fresh blackberries! I definitely need to get my hands on a copy of this cookbook. Thanks for the recipe!

Oh does that look so yummy. Although for some reason, it doesn’t seem so appealing as it’s a hot day here in NYC. I’d probably just munch on a big bowl of berries… maybe sprinkled with pecans or almonds. Yummy!
I definitely want to check out this cookbook, though. Thanks so much for bringing it to my attention Heidi. 🙂

GORGEOUS quinoa dish; and fabulous cookbook!!

Thanks for bringing the cookbook to my attention as I am fascinated with the ideas and practice of incorporating delicious foods as good medicine.

looks amazing and I have some red quinoa, too! thanks for the simple recipe that would make a complete meal (since quinoa is a “complete grain” packed w/ protein). love that most of your recipes are vegan or easily substituted to make it vegan.

This looks incredible! I’m a total quinoa-holic but have been looking for different ways to prepare it, instead of constantly using it in salads or as a side. How nice to have a non-savory option! Can’t wait to give it a try!

This looks great. The weather here’s been abysmal, and this looks like the perfect dish to take some of the chill off.
I haven’t seen many recipes actually calling for agave nectar. I’ve used it as a substitute a couple of times, but it’s great to see it actually called for.

We don’t have Trader Joe’s in Texas — it’s the home of Whole Foods — but for Lael, any Whole Foods, Sun Harvest {now owned by WF}, Central Market, or H.E.B. stocks quinoa… depending on where you are, that’s probably Austin or Dallas, unless Abilene or Lubbock have H.E.B. If you’re really out west, online’s probably best.

Nice! This looks like a fantastic alternative to the steel cut oats we usually have. (faster too!)

Lael – I know Trader Joe’s has inexpensive, organic quinoa (though not the red kind).
Heidi – This is my first time commenting, but I have been reading your blog for a while and absolutely LOVE it. I have made so many of your recipes already and, seriously, every single meal has been amazing. I’ll definitely give this one a try. I live in Oakland – are you already getting berries at the markets across the bay?!

I love quinoa for breakfast… and now I must find red quinoa. That photo is mouthwateringly beautiful. Do you like to toast quinoa prior to boiling? Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. Cheers.

For all of those Quinoa Skeptics who posted, yes, you should rinse the quinoa to remove the saponin, the natural, bitter component of the seed, and toasting it before cooking makes a huge difference in the final taste and texture (as it does for all grains and seeds!) This is the method I use:
INGREDIENTS
1 cup dry quinoa yields approximately 3 cups cooked
1 ¾ c water or stock
sea salt
DIRECTIONS
1. Rinse the quinoa: pour the grains into a fine-meshed strainer set over a large clear
or white bowl and run water over it.
2. Swish the grains around with your hand. Raise the strainer. If the water is clear and
there are no bubbles, no more rinsing is needed. If the water is cloudy or sudsy, first
check the grains closely and remove any twigs or other foreign matter.
3. Return the strainer to the bowl and fill it with clean water.
4. Rub the grains gently against the strainer.
5. Lift the strainer and empty the bowl.
6. Fill with fresh water and repeat until the water remains clear and there are no bubbles
on the surface. (Red and black quinoa may bleed color, not to be mistaken with dirt
or other impurities.) Allow quinoa to dry in strainer.
7. Toast rinsed and dried quinoa in a small saucepan (whatever you would use to cook rice) on medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until a nutty aroma leaves the pan. Have the pot of simmering water or stock (1 ¾ c) on another burner.
8. Once the grain smells toasty (about 2 min or so), carefully pour the hot water slowly into the pan with the quinoa (do this slowly or it will boil over). Add a good pinch of salt. Reduce to a simmer over low heat, and cook for approximately 15-17 minutes, until water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and salt/season as desired.
Hope this helps!!!

Normally, I love your recipes. This one not so much. Proteins and carbs don’t go well together in the stomach, because we use different enzymes to digest them. All that quinoa, sugar, and nuts would knock me on my butt.

The recipe looks lovely with the red quinoa! I may have to give this book a go.

kind of like: “let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food… ”
it’s so very true
another beautiful bowl of beautiful food.

I make basically the same recipe as this with honey and untoasted nuts, but it just doesn’t look anywhere near as stylish as this does made with red quinoa!
I must go and check out John La Puma’s website. I love the “kitchen as health spa” philosophy but I have to admit that I am sceptical until proven otherwise when it comes to these MDs who get into nutrition (some of them are fabulous while others talk utter rubbish). The recipes in the book sound delicious though.

Emily, can she do nutmeg? I’ve made some cinnamon-free dishes before and found that freshly grated nutmeg is a decent alternative (even better with some good vanilla).

curios, i just made quinoa today. mine had some penut dressing, over grilled veggies.
i am anxious to try it cinammony!!

curios, i just made quinoa today. mine had some penut dressing, over grilled veggies.
i am anxious to try it cinammony!!

Also… I’ve heard you definitely need to rinse quinoa before using. Toasting is also apparently good. I don’t know this to be the case with quinoa, but I love toasting millet before using it. I just put it in saucepan over medium heat and stir, for about five minutes, until the millet starts to pop. I learned how to do this in the wonderful book, “The Healthy Slow Cooker,” if anyone is interested. Though you all probably know this — I’m a novice cook, and appreciated the instruction. :o)

Mmm, yummy looking. I did notice one thing – your quinoa is much darker than what I’ve been able to find in stores. I thought at first that maybe it was cinnamon dying the whole thing darker, but it looks like it’s the actual grain. Are there more varieties than I’m aware of?

This looks wonderful. I’ve cooked millet as a breakfast cereal, but never quinoa — I’m eager to try this. A source for quinoa in a remote area might be http://www.bulkfoods.com. I’ve bought several things there, including vanilla beans and yeast.

This looks absolutely fantastic. I don’t have any quinoa in my pantry right now, but I might try it with WW couscous? Probably good? Thanks for the recipe!

this looks ridiculous good. looking for a new warm cereal recipe for my husband. this is right up his alley. kids should like it too! thanks!

I wish there was a cheap way to come by quinoa where I’m presently at (west Texas). I love it so much and this particular sweet breakfast presentation sounds delicious. I’ll definitely bookmark it for when I get back to the Northwest and can also get my hands on local fresh berries. Thanks, Heidi!

I have definitely found that the key to quinoa is rinsing the grain first. Without doing so it has a natural chemical that makes it kind of bitter tasting and spreads into anything that you mix to it.
What I do (I’d love to hear about others) is pour my desired amount of quinoa in a large bowl. Then fill with a generous amount of cold water. Rub my hands together with the grains in between. When the water get cloudy tip the bowl (cover grain with hand) empty and refill 2 more times until there is little “dustiness” coming off.
The resulting cooked quinoa will have a much more neutral (but still nutty and delicious) flavor.

Heidi, this looks amaaazing, as does the book. Thanks for showcasing it.
Are there any spices that could replace the cinnamon? I would love to make this for someone I know – who is gluten intolerant, but also can’t do cinnamon. Would this be too bland if I just leave it out?

My wife is on a total Quinoa craze right now… she’s gonna love this. Thanks!

Oh my God, that looks SO AMAZINGLY delicious! I *will* be making this recipe this week – and seeking out that book.
Thank you for this great post. 🙂
-Kate

I’ve also had a hard time liking quinoa. I was thinking that maybe it is important to rinse the grains well before using them?

This looks very earthy and wholesome. I haven’t been able to develop a taste for this grain as of yet. I hope you give the butternut barley risotto a go for us, that sounds wonderful. Elizabeth David is one of my favorite cookbook writers, and I do believe not one picture is to be had. This always gives an element of mystery & imagination not seeing the food.