Summer Breakfast: How to Make Quinoa Flakes

It's Sunday and a quiet leisurely breakfast has me feeling like it's going to be a great day.

I was recently at my local health food store and I noticed a new addition to the bulk bins:

Quinoa flakes.

These aren't a new food exactly, but they're definitely new to me. I really like quinoa for it's nutritional profile and taste, but I actually don't like the texture of regular quinoa that much - it's a vegan betrayal I know. I feel like the beady little grains get stuck in my teeth and I'd much rather eat rice or farro or oats.

Enter quinoa flakes. Basically they're steam-rolled quinoa that cooks up in just a couple minutes with a creamy texture. Most instructions have them cooking up as a breakfast cereal, so that's what I did, but I think I see them becoming very versatile in my future.

[Don't have quinoa flakes available, just regular quinoa? See this post for how to make a similar dish with your regular quinoa.]

How to cook Quinoa flakes:

1. Weigh or measure 1 cup of water, milk, or a mixture into a saucepan. I used milk - regular Silk light soymilk. 

2. Add 34 g or 1/3 cup quinoa flakes. 

      (I actually used 6 oz. or 3/4 cup milk for a 30 g portion.)

3. Bring to a boil and stir 1-2 minutes. 

4. Mix in some toppings if you want - some ideas:

Fruit like peaches, banana or berries

Raisins or other dried or freeze-dried fruit

Chopped nuts - walnuts, pecans, almonds 

Nut butters

Cinnamon, sweetener or even chocolate or cocoa powder

This bowl had half a peach and half a banana. 

5. Turn off heat and let stand a couple minutes to thicken. 

The flakes.

The texture is a bit like cream of wheat. 

Definitely a new favorite. 

Nutrition facts (per 1/3 cup or 34 g serving) - [via Livestrong] - click here.

And the best part? Sharing a bite with my favorite taste-tester:

Happy Sunday! Try to enjoy it before the week starts all over again. 

Do you like quinoa? Have you ever had quinoa flakes?