Quinoa: I thought everybody knew you

A post about quinoa may not be advanced enough for some of you, but on the off chance that you have not been introduced to this tasty seed, let me formally introduce you.

Quinoa is a gluten free seed, related to dark leafy greens like chard or spinach. It can be used in place of rice or potatoes in the "starch section" of your plate. It crushes rice and other grains in the protein department, yielding 8g per 1 cup serving and adding 5g dietary fiber. Make it like you would any grain by adding in herbs, veggies or enjoying it plain for dinner. It's always tasty but for me, its most delicious first thing in the morning.

Morning Quinoa Delight

Make a bunch of quinoa the night before. Serve some for dinner and then set some aside in the fridge.

In the morning, melt a bit of butter in a saute pan.

Chop up one apple and one carrot into bite size chunks

Saute in butter until slightly soft. I like them browned but still crunchy.

Toss in a cup of the quinoa and some chopped pecans or other nut of your choice.

Stir until quinoa is warmed.

Sprinkle with cinnamon and eat.

This is a tasty breakfast porridge. Full of protein, fiber, minerals and nutrients- this kicks your oatmeal's ass. And my kid loves it, yours may too.