Quinoa + Apples, Pears & Maple Cream

This riff on hot oats is one of my favorite ways to get a wholesome hot breakfast during the long winter we’re all heading towards. And it definitely kept us warm through the last day of the Wakefield market last week.

In this version I used quinoa instead of oats, making it a protein packed, gluten free bowl of goodness.

Apples and pears from Farmer Dave’s, Charlton Orchards and Kelly’s Farm with a drizzle of maple cream and barrel aged maple syrup from Ackerman’s made this breakfast darn delicious. And for an additional dose of decadence, I toasted the quinoa in some cultured butter from West River Creamery, bringing out it’s nutty flavour further.

Serves 4

1 cup quinoa
1 medium apple
1 medium bosc pear
1½ tsp. butter
¼ tsp. cinnamon powder
1-2 tbsp. maple syrup
2-3 cups water
1 cup milk (optional)
1 tbsp. maple cream (if available)
1 star anise pod
½ inch cinnamon stick
pinch of salt

1. Wash and rinse the quinoa in a fine meshed sieve, heat 2-3 cups of water in a kettle, and melt the butter in a heavy bottomed pan
2. When the butter melts, add the quinoa, cinnamon stick and anise pod and toast them for 2-5 minutes until the fragrance gets nutty
3. Add 2 ½ cups of water to the quinoa and cook until you start to see the quinoa grains begin to sprout, about 8-10 minutes
4. When the water is almost soaked, add the maple syrup, cinnamon powder, diced fruit and stir, add more water or milk at this point and simmer for another 5-8 minutes until the fruit starts to soften but is not mushy
5. Serve warm with toasted nuts of your choice and a drizzle of maple cream or additional maple syrup as desired