Goodbye to Oatmeal

I don't like oatmeal for breakfast.  I've tried, and although I know the whole grains are good for me, I can't bring myself to eat it without dumping a ton of maple syrup on top.  At that point, I figure, I might as well have had pancakes.

Quinoa cake to the rescue!  I recently found the following recipe on the Whole Foods website and it's my new favorite breakfast, which I alternate with my other favorite, egg salad on rice bread toast (also yummy, no need for recipe, you can figure it out).  It's totally savory - do not expect sweetness from the applesauce and cocoa 'cause you won't get any.  I suppose you could add sugar, should you desire.  I used almond milk and flax seeds instead of hemp.

Meanwhile, it's nutrient rich and makes 8 or 9 servings, enough for a week's worth of whole grains.

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups unsweetened hempmilk, soymilk or almondmilk
1 cup pitted dates (about 5 ounces)
1/2 cup hulled hemp seeds
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 cup almond meal, divided

Method

Rinse quinoa in a fine sieve until water runs clear, drain and transfer to a medium pot. Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until water is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside off the heat for 5 minutes; uncover and fluff with a fork.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper; set aside. In a blender, purée hempmilk, dates, seeds, applesauce, cocoa and salt. Transfer to a large bowl; stir in quinoa and 1/2 cup almond meal. Transfer to prepared pan, scatter remaining 1/4 cup almond meal over the top and bake until firmly set, about 1 hour.

Set aside to let cool for 1 hour, and then carefully run a paring knife around the pan to loosen the edges. Turn out onto a flat surface, remove parchment paper, cut into squares and serve.

To freeze, wrap individual squares tightly and store in the freezer. Thaw in the refrigerator or microwave.

Nutrition

Per Serving: 270 calories (90 from fat), 11g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 100mg sodium, 37g total carbohydrate (6g dietary fiber, 17g sugar), 10g protein