Morning Sunshines! Need a little pick me up?! Some spice in your life? Some comforting cinnamon spice? I’ve got just the thing!
This super easy Apple Cinnamon Quinoa Breakfast Bowl came from a desire to use up some leftover quinoa in the fridge. My dad is notorious for “using up leftovers” in some really strange combinations. Like, oh why don’t I just add this leftover pulled pork to this spaghetti with red sauce and top it with the leftover beans from taco night. What’s wrong with that!? Seriously! (Love you, dad!)
I have inherited the same tendency not to waste food and leftovers (which is great!), but luckily I’ve also developed some more, shall I say, tasteful, approaches to using things up.
You could use any leftover cooked grain you’ve got in the fridge such as brown rice, bulgar, amaranth, farro, oatmeal, etc., just be sure you didn’t cook it in broth or any other seasonings that wouldn’t mesh with cinnamon and apples. Chicken broth just doesn’t sound appealing in this recipe. Oy.
And feel free to switch it up by using pear instead of apple, or banana would work great too. Any other dried fruit you prefer or have on hand can be subbed for the raisins, and the same goes for the nuts; any nut would work well, I just prefer pecans or walnuts when it comes to apples and cinnamon. They’re a pretty great combo. But you get the idea, it’s about using what you’ve got!
Swapping ingredients is how I got comfortable with cooking. When I finally started substituting things I already had and testing out how things worked I was able to really enjoy cooking instead of stressing that I forgot a spice at the store or only had two carrots instead of three. It’s also a great way to learn how different spices and ingredients will impact a recipe. I strongly suggest that if you’re new to cooking, take a chance every once and a while and try using something you’ve already got, like quinoa instead of brown rice, or subbing different vegetables, or using a different spice when you don’t have what the recipe calls for on hand. It saves a lot of time, a lot of food, and a lot of sanity. Just have fun with it!
So back to breakfast. I love a nice bowl of cinnamon love on a cold day. The smell is just incredible, and it makes this end of winter just a tad bit more bearable to get through. We can do it!!
Enjoy friends! Thanks for reading! And let me know if you ever have any substitution questions!
| Apple Cinnamon Quinoa Breakfast Bowl | Print |
- 1 small apple, diced into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons of raisins
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- dash of each: ground ginger, ground cloves, salt
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds or chia seeds (optional)
- ½ cup almond milk, or more to taste (can sub any other milk you prefer, or water)
- ¾ cup cooked quinoa
- 2 tablespoons chopped pecans or walnuts
- maple syrup, to taste
- Add the diced apple, raisins, spices, flaxseed, and almond milk to a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes until apples have softened.
- Add the cooked quinoa and stir to combine. Cook an additional minute or two to heat through. Add more almond milk depending on whether you like it more thick or soupy.
- Pour into a bowl and top with chopped pecans, maple syrup, and an additional dash of cinnamon, if you'd like.
- Eat while hot!
