Winter Quinoa Oatmeal

Breakfast today was my favorite breakfast item in the fall and winter, once the weather gets chilly. It's not quite chilly here yet, but it really sounded delicious, so I made it anyway!

Winter Quinoa Oatmeal

1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1 oz light coconut milk
Dash cinnamon
Dash salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 oz chopped walnut halves
1/2 cup nonfat greek vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup diced strawberries, blueberries and raspberries

(1) Cook quinoa according to package directions. Be sure to cook in water, not any sort of stock.
(2) In a small bowl, combine coconut milk, cinnamon, salt and vanilla extract.
(3) Place quinoa in a microwave safe bowl and drizzle coconut mixture over the quinoa. Warm in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
(4) Fold greek yogurt in with the warmed quinoa mixture. Top with fruit and chopped walnuts.

I have found that I love this dish warm, room temperature and cold, so it's something I can make quickly in the morning and take with me when I'm running to class or work. If I am taking it with me, I put the fruit and walnuts in a separate container from the quinoa and yogurt. Then I add the fruit and walnuts when I'm ready to eat!

Also, to make things quick in the morning, I will cook a couple cups of quinoa (about 1 cup dry) the day before I want to eat it and store it in the fridge. That way all I have to do in the morning is scoop out 1/2 cup of the cooked quinoa and warm it with the coconut milk mixture.

Also got in two workouts today! Some cardio on the elliptical and yoga, my favorite.

Breakfast: Winter Quinoa Oatmeal

Workout: 30 minutes on the elliptical with a resistance incline and an hour of yoga

Lunch: turkey chili and cornbread

Dinner: chicken and veggie pho