Make Ahead Ayurvedic Spiced Warm Quinoa Cereal

Happy December 1st. I thought in the spirit of giving, that I would share some of my favorite go-to easy recipes this month. I have so many recipes and hacks that I share on Instagram, but that never make it to the website, so I’m going to change that and just share more. I mean, why not? 

I’m a warm porridge breakfast gal, even in the summer. I like to warm and nourish my insides first thing in the morning. With that being said, I don’t want to “cook” anything from scratch in the morning, so if I can make something ahead and heat it up, then I’m a happy camper.

It dawned on me one morning as I was adding almond milk and spices to my leftover quinoa, that I could save myself 5 minutes, but making the golden milk ahead of time! This was an “a ha” moment for me and a hack I wanted to share those of you what want a warm breakfast too, but want something in under 5 minutes. This recipe can be made candida friendly by replacing the maple syrup with vanilla. 

I usually just pair my leftover quinoa with plain-Jane almond milk, but adding these warming spices not only ups the flavor profile, and gets you in that fall cozy mood, but these spices have some healing properties as well.

• Cinnamon supports healthy insulin levels + blood sugar response and is anti-inflammatory.
• Ginger has been used for centuries to safely quell nausea & digestive discomfort.
• Nutmeg is rich in antioxidants that can slow signs of aging & disease.
• Cardamom is considered an excellent digestive, especially beneficial in reducing bloating and intestinal gas. It also helps ease inflammation.
• Turmeric has amazing natural anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immune-boosting properties. It helps aid with digestion and stomach ailments. It can tame heartburn and an upset stomach and has protective effects on gut lining. Yellow foods are great for digestion, so it makes sense that turmeric helps with the gut.
• Cloves aid in digestion, boost the immune system. They have anti-mutagenic and antimicrobial properties too. 

Make Ahead Ayurvedic Spiced Warm Quinoa Cereal

serves 1

• 1 cup leftover quinoa – here’s my post on how to perfectly cook quinoa – 1 cup cooked quinoa has 8 grams complete protein and 5 grams fiber.
• 1/3 cup almond milk, or nut milk of choice – I use my homemade vanilla almond milk. For store bought, I love Three Trees almond milk, as it’s as close to homemade as you can get. Ingredients are; filtered water, organic almonds, organic vanilla, plus they are a small female based SF company.
• 1/3 cup unsweetened canned coconut milk – I love Native Forest Simple, as it has no guar or gums and comes in BPA free cans
• 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup, to make this candida friendly, add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (no added sugar) in place of the maple syrup. *See more subsutitions below.
• Pinch of pink Himalayan sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Toppings:

• Fresh fruit such as; strawberries, blueberries, diced apples, sautéed cinnamon apples, pomegranate seeds, currants, raisins or dates, you can also use frozen fruit and thaw it out the night before in a strainer set over a bowl, it’s just as tasty as fresh fruit.
• Unsweetened shredded coconut – add this to give some texture and slight sweetness
• 1 tablespoon Tahini – I love this tahini from Soco – use code mmcooks15 for 15% off
• Bee Pollen
• 1-2 tablespoons organic cold milled flaxseed
• 1-2 tablespoons hemp seeds to add a bit more of complete protein to this breakfast

* Here are some candida cleanse substitutions for maple syrup, add 1 teaspoon, or more to taste of coconut butter or coconut cream to the mixture, plus some shredded unsweetened coconut. You could also addd a teaspoon of vanilla. After making the quinoa cereal, give it a taste, and then add a tiny bit of Stevia to taste if you need it to be a bit sweeter. You will get use to the flavors of the spices and things will naturally taste sweeter! Trust me. 

The best way to make this is to make the golden milk ahead of time, like the night before. See my below video which shows you just how easy it is. 

In a small sealable jar or glass with a lid, (I love these glass jars from Ball) combine the almond milk, coconut milk, maple syrup, pink Himalayan salt and spices, put the lid on the jar and give it a few shakes to combine everything. Refrigerate overnight. The milk will turn more golden yellow by the morning.

In the morning, add 1 cup leftover quinoa and the golden milk to a small sauce pan set over medium heat. Give mixture a good stir to combine everything. I love adding a tablespoon of currants to the mixture as it warms, the currants and the golden milk, pair beautifully. 

Bring quinoa cereal to a low simmer, and simmer for roughly 3 minutes, or until cereal is warmed to your liking.

Pour quinoa cereal into a bowl and add some fresh fruit, unsweetened shredded coconut (adds great texture) tahini, flax meal and some bee pollen. This is a base recipe, so feel free to add whatever toppings appeal to you. I also love this cereal with currants, as the currants pair really well with the flavors of the spices in the golden milk. 

If you love golden milk, then try my golden milk overnight oats. This are another easy, make ahead breakfast!