Raspberry Quinoa Porridge and a new regular!

Firstly, I apologize for by brief disappearance from cyberspace. Since my last post I've had heaps of fun at my senior ball, held a bake sale at two local markets to raise money for Sir Edmund Hillary's Himalayan Trust, and on top of all that sat mid-year exams! So it's been pretty busy lately. Yet amongst it I managed to make myself a hot breakfast or two and come up with a new regular post! Was it procrastination maybe…?

I therefore introduce Flavor of the Month, where I share my favorite things of the moment, every month! It'll be a good way to keep me blogging regularly, yet won't be too demanding. Fingers crossed I can stick with it!

Apples

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With the colder month upon us, the refreshing crunch of an apple is now just what I need to bring a bit of vitality and freshness back. Also, it is oh so sweet and comforting in a pudding, cake or a classic pie. Delish.

Long-sleeved Dresses

I do try to embrace winter, really I do, but there's always a part of me that is stuck in a summery mindset of light dresses and cool treats. To try and curb my craving for the warmer months, I have been on the hunt for an elegant yet playful long-sleeved dress. Any suggestions?

Dress

Movie Night

I recently went to a close friend's birthday party. It was nothing fancy. No theme, no party favors, no gimmicks. Just a tight bunch of her closest friends, enjoying good food, a surprisingly decent movie (Step Up 4) and each other's company. It was unbelievably good fun.

Ice-cream

It's funny. As soon as the days grow shorter and blustery, I find myself tiptoeing my way to the freezer in the laundry, ready to eat ice cream straight from the tub. My favorite is usually chocolate ice-cream drizzled with berry jam (don't knock it 'till you've tried it), but lately I've found that I can settle for vanilla when the craving possesses me. If I had a less hectic schedule, I would dedicate one saturday to making my own, but for now I'll fantasize over gourmet flavors like blackberry and lavender and all these.

Recipe for left image here.

Have I mentioned my latest infatuation with breakfast? It's hard to justify, but it started somewhere around my boredom with usual old "cereal or toast" option on weekday mornings. I mean, there must be something more, right? So, when the weekends rolled around, I got inspired. Smoothies - green or otherwise -  packed with fruit and nice and thick. Pancakes stacked with honey and banana sandwiched between the layers. Omelets. Bagels, topped with fresh veggies, pesto and cheese and grilled. And a super-healthy quinoa porridge. 

If you have been tuned in to the food universe lately, you'd know that this ancient super grain is So Hot Right Now. Packed with protein, vitamins and a unique nutty flavor, it's not hard to figure out why.

And now, it comes to you as breakfast. The recipe comes from Kate Gibbs' outstanding cookbook After Toast. The original recipe makes '2 serves, or one really large one'. I halved the recipe just for me and found that it was still a hearty serving, and that it could easily satisfy two small appetites. Finding no blueberries in the house, I substituted for frozen raspberries. The bright tanginess or the fruit coupled with the creamy quinoa worked a treat. Below is the original recipe, with my alterations in italics.

Breakfast Blueberry (or Raspberry) Quinoa

Makes 2 serves, or 1 really large one - see above about serving sizes

2 cups (500 ml/17 fl oz) milk or soy milk

1 cup (200 g/7 oz) quinoa, rinsed

⅛ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp brown sugar

1 cup (155 g/5½ oz) fresh blueberries or frozen raspberries

1. Bring milk to a gentle simmer in a small saucepan. Add quinoa and return to the boil. Reduce heat to low, then cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes, until three-quarters of the milk has been absorbed.  If the milk evaporates too quickly, lower the heat and add some more milk.
2.  Stir in cinnamon, sugar and a pinch of sea salt. Cook for another 5-8 minutes, until almost all the milk has been absorbed. Stir in half the blueberries - or all the raspberries - and cook for 30 seconds. Serve topped with remaining blueberries, and maybe some extra milk and a sprinkling of brown sugar, it desired. It's great with a big dollop of natural yoghurt too.