Blueberry Flax Hot Cereal

Last summer I went through a quinoa faze with the help of Quinoa: The Everyday Superfood 365, a great quinoa cookbook that even includes a number of gluten and dairy-free recipes. The superfood that it is, quinoa is a great meat substitute as it's a complete protein. It's also a complex carbohydrate, meaning it digests slowly and so the sugar converts to fat slowly. One of my favourite recipes from the book (which I have modified slightly) is the Blueberry Flax Hot Cereal, perfect for summer when local blueberries are in season. It's quick and easy to make and is the perfect protein and vitamin packed start to the day.

2/3 cup (160 mL) water

3 Tbsp (45 mL) quinoa*

2 Tbsp (30 mL) quick-rolling oats*

1-2 tsp (5-10 mL) maple syrup, honey or brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp (7.4 mL) flax (ground or whole seeds)

however many you want fresh blueberries

milk, half and half cream, vanilla yogurt or almond milk

*I will often use 2 Tbsp quinoa and 3 Tbsp oats - I just sometimes prefer the taste

Begin by rinsing the quinoa in a sieve to remove the bitter coating. Place the water and quinoa in a small saucepan, bring to a boil and cover. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the oats, cover and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, until the oats are tender. Remove from the heat. Stir in the maple syrup and flax. Fold in the blueberries and top with milk, cream yogurt or almond (which I use).