Quinoa Porridge with Sautéed Pears

There are a lot of benefits from eating whole grains, but for some it is hard to incorporate into their daily routine.

I used to eat the same thing for breakfast, but now I look at breakfast like any other meal. I still try to keep things no-fuss to save time in the morning, but I can be equally creative as I am for lunch and dinner.

This revelation came when I realized I could enjoy breakfast leftovers, where I might make something a bit more ornate in the evening and chow down the following few mornings. Granola is a prime example of this. Baked oatmeal is delicious but even stovetop oatmeal can be easily reheated the following day.

But why limit yourself to oats?

Last year, I made a breakfast couscous with almonds, coconut and honey and here is a creamy breakfast porridge with quinoa.

Quick and tasty, this milky quinoa porridge is topped with ripe, soft pears sautéed in a touch of olive oil. Depending on how sweet your pears are, you may not need to add any additional sweetener. You will have to warm your stove to make this breakfast, but it is delicious.

This recipe was adapted from Bon Eats, who adapted it from Feasts and Fotos and is my submission to this round of Blog Bites 9, holiday buffet, potluck-style!

Quinoa Porridge with Sautéed Pears

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, well rinsed
1/2 cup water
1 cup milk (or soy or almond milk)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 heaping tablespoon almonds, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped
2 heaping tablespoon dried cranberries (or other dried fruit)
1 Bosc pear, peeled, cored and cut into 8 equal pieces
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup or honey (optional, I didn’t use it)

1. Be sure to rinse the quinoa very well. Place the quinoa, water, 1/2 cup almond milk, and cinnamon in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until most of the liquid as been absorbed. Add the rest of the milk, the nuts and the dried fruits and let the porridge thicken until your desired thickness.

2. While the quinoa is simmering, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a small pan over medium. Add the pears and sauté for about 5 minutes, until slight pears are slightly softened and golden on the edges. Drizzle over the maple syrup and let the pears simmer for about 30 seconds, spooning the syrup over the pears.

3. Divide the porridge into two bowls, and top each bowl with 4 slices of the sauté pears. Drizzle over a little almond milk and maple syrup to finish, and enjoy!

Serves 2.