My husband doesn’t like this recipe. He heroically ate a bowl of it, and then cooked himself some eggs after I left the house. I suspect that the idea of quinoa for breakfast isn’t something he will ever enjoy, even if I covered it with bacon.

This is unfortunate because our dear daughter can eat this recipe (which is why I tried it) AND she loved it. She ate the leftovers for days. And she can be very picky and will turn her nose up at noodles on the second day. My 4 year old son also gobbled it up. I told him it was quinoa, but after half a bowl full he was asking for “more oatmeal, please!” This kid loves oatmeal. He actually complained the other day that we haven’t had oatmeal in long time. He’s not wrong. We haven’t. He’s 4, which means that at least 10% of his meal may end up on the floor. And his sister’s favorite food is floor food. And oatmeal will make her spew for an hour, so unfortunately the family will have to sacrifice oatmeal until 1) All our food stays on the table or 2) Dear daughter outgrows her FPIES. So we have some time.

I was really hoping this breakfast quinoa would be a great substitute for oatmeal for the time being. For 75% of the eaters, it was a hit. Which means I will be making this every time my husband travels for work. It’s something we all like, and as long as I transfer it to a serving bowl instead of serving it in the hot saucepan I cook it in, the 4 year old can serve himself second and third helpings himself while I spoon feed the baby! These are the things I think about when I meal plan for the times I’m running the house myself.

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Breakfast Quinoa with Apples and Cinnamon

Serves 4 adults

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 3 cups water (or sub coconut milk for part of the water)
• 3 large apples
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• Optional stir-in: 3 tbsp almond butter
• Optional toppings: raisins, sliced almonds

Directions

1. Peel, core, and chop the apples.
2. Add all the ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil.
3. Cover the pan, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed.

It’s that easy. I’m planning to get more creative and use bananas, blueberries, and peaches in future versions to mix things up. Dear daughter enjoyed the cold leftovers mixed with some plain Greek yogurt, in case that sounds nice to you, too.

Adapted from Simply Quinoa