Quinoa porridge with strawberry-rhubarb compote and caramel date paste

There are always a lot of mixed opinions about breakfast, some believes it is the most important meal of the day while others argues that it is an overrated meal no less important than lunch or dinner. I can only speak for myself and to me breakfast definitely is the most important meal of the day – I actually lie in bed at night excited for my breakfast! Haha I am such a food lover and breakfast is definitely a favorite to me. I find it super important to enjoy a healthy, filling meal to give me the energy to get through the day, but also to mentally give me a good start in the morning. There is nothing better than having the time in the morning to make a good big breakfast that I can take my time to enjoy while I wake up – and nope I am definitely not a morning person, so a good breakfast is essential to me not being a tired grumpy cat for the rest of the day ;)

Last week I made quinoa porridge for the first time and I must say that I am already a big fan. I usually have regular oatmeal for breakfast, but I have gotten so bored with it lately and quinoa porridge is definitely a good option if you want to switch it up once in a while – if only quinoa wasn’t so expensive though! Quinoa is high in fiber, antioxidants, minerals and protein (quinoa actually provides all 9 essential amino acids, making it a complete protein!) + it is super filling and gluten free! I made a super indulgent version since I had some leftover strawberry-rhubarb compote and caramel date paste sitting in my fridge to top it with and it turned out sooo good! You can easily make a simpler, but still super tasty version though, I have also made the quinoa porridge and simply topped it with banana slices and some fresh or frozen berries and that turned out great as well.

Quinoa porridge:
1/2 cup quinoa
1  +  1/2 cup almond milk
1/3 teaspoon pure vanilla powder
A little stevia, agave, acacia honey or your sweetener of choice

Find the recipe for the strawberry-rhubarb compote right here!
Find the recipe for the caramel date paste right here!

Directions:

1. Start by rinsing the quinoa in cold water and then simply add all the ingredients for the quinoa porridge to a small sauce pan and let it simmer on low to medium heat for 20-25 minutes while stirring occasionally.
2. Pour the quinoa porridge into a bowl and add your toppings of choice. I served mine with fresh strawberries, strawberry-rhubarb compote, caramel date paste, chopped almonds and raw coconut chips, enjoy!