Quinoa & Strawberry Apple Breakfast
I have talked about how I prefer savory quinoa, but that I would make quinoa breakfast recipes too. I like quinoa breakfast bowls as well, and this is one of several that I have tried. This recipe includes apples, strawberries, and quinoa. First the apples...
Apples
Apples are classified into three types: cider apples, cooking apples, and dessert apples.Honeycrisp, Red Delicious, Gala, Granny Smith, and Golden Delicious are all varieties. These apples are dessert apples and can withstand cooking.
Gala apples have a sweet but not too sweet flavor and work well in this recipe; they have a crisp, firm texture and hold up to heat. It’s tender and does not turn to mush after a few minutes. This is a good option if you want a tender apple with some sweetness.
Granny Smith apples, most commonly used in apple pies, are sour; they have a tangyness and a heartiness that go well given the sugar in the pies and the baking time. They stand up to cooking times, but given that I don’t like Granny Smith’s as eating apples, I don’t use them in anything but desserts that have a good amount of sweetness to balance out the tartness of these apples.
I tend to eat delicious red apples rather than cook them. They are quite large, a good bit larger than the smaller gala apples, but they, along with honey crisp and golden delicious, are good options because of their sweetness, which means I don’t need to add any additional sweetness, or at least not as much as with the granny smith. This recipe stays low on sweetness with only 2 tablespoons of raw honey.
Raw Honey
A warm cup of tea made with raw honey is a terrific way to enjoy its many health advantages, especially during the winter when you just want to stay warm. I love a good cup of tea with lemon and raw honey. Infuse it with fresh cinnamon, and that's an added bonus. This is also good for when you’re sick. In order to get the most benefits from raw honey, it’s best to buy it locally and not from the grocery store. Most of the honey in the grocery store isn’t actually raw. Raw honey and pasturized honey act differently.
While pasteurized honey remains liquid and has a longer shelf life, raw honey will crystallize. I like to use raw honey in beverages and foods that either won’t be cooked or the raw honey is added after the heating.
I feel like using raw honey in baked goods defeats the purpose. If it’s going to be heated, then just use regular store-bought honey. For teas and other healthy beverages, I like raw honey. For the most benefits, it needs to be 50 miles from your area or less so that you can build up your immune system from the allergens that are in your area. For hot tea beverages to try during cold nights, try these recipes from better homes and gardens and add some raw honey to them.
Strawberries
This recipe is made complete with the strawberries. If you’re going to be using fresh strawberries, then you’ll need to take the leaves off, which can be done in one of two ways: either you can use a knife and just cut the top off, or you can use a strawberry huller, which will take the leaves off with just a twist.
Fresh strawberries are full of vitamin C, calcium, and iron. Strawberry season is in summer, and with it being winter, that means strawberries aren’t in season, but you can still get strawberries year-round. Most grocery stores have fresh strawberries out of season, and you can always get frozen strawberries without the leaves, which means no strawberry huller is necessary; however, if you don’t have time to thaw your strawberries, then fresh is best because frozen strawberries can be softer if you heat them until thawed. This might not make a difference depending on the recipe, but if you need firmer strawberries, stick with getting them fresh.
To assemble this recipe, you’ll need 1 ½ cups cooked quinoa. You can find the recipe for cooking the quinoa below. Add your cooked quinoa to a bowl. Slice your strawberries and place them on top of the quinoa. Wash and slice your apple, and then if you want to cook your apple until tender, you can place it in a bowl and microwave for 2-3 minutes, or place it in a small sauce pan with some water and heat on medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Once the apples are tender, you can top them with the quinoa and then drizzle with the raw honey. This is a quick, easy, and satisfying breakfast for any weekday.
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Gluten & Dairy Free Strawberry Apple Breakfast
Ingredients
1 1/2 - 2 cups cooked Quinoa
2 tbsp raw honey
1/4 tsp salt
5 strawberries
1 small apple
Directions
In a small pan, add 2 cups of water and 1 cup of quinoa. Cook on medium-high heat until the water boils, about 5 minutes. Stir once, turn down the heat to low, and place the lid on. Cook until all the water is absorbed, about 15–20 minutes. Check on it once or twice during that time to stir to make sure it is cooking evenly. Fluff with a fork or spoon.
Take 1 1/2 cups of cooked quinoa and add it to a bowl. Season with salt, if desired. Wash and peel the apple, and then cut it into slices. Place in a small sauce pan and cook on medium heat until tender. about 5 minutes. Add the sliced apple to the bowl of quinoa. Add sliced strawberries. Drizzle over the two tablespoons of raw honey.
