Sweet Potato Cinnamon Maple Quinoa

My little fella' chowing down on his sweet potato quinoa

I have no plans to start blogging again (though I suppose it isn't completely in the realm of impossibility). I am just using my old, lifeless blog as a place to post this recipe online so I can share it more easily. (If you look at my most recent blog post before this one, you will see how long it's been since I blogged. Compare the picture in this post to the one in that post. It's the same little guy.)

This was originally a recipe I thought I'd make for my son in a quest to find some healthy breakfast options for him since he's allergic to most typical breakfast foods/ingredients (dairy, egg, and, at the time, I thought possibly oats). Personally, I don't really care for sweet potatoes so I thought I wouldn't like this. Not only does DJ LOVE, love, love (!!) his "cereal" but, what a surprise, to find that I think this recipe is delicious, too! Now if I could just get the rest of the family to eat this wonderfully healthy and delicious hot breakfast "cereal."

 Sweet Potato Cinnamon-Maple Quinoa (Vegan)

 Adapted from Jessica Seinfeld's recipe for Cinnamon-Maple Quinoa in Double Delicious 

Ingredients 

1 cup cooked quinoa
approx 1 teaspoon oil of choice
1 cup mashed sweet potato (1-2 potatoes, depending on size)
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/3 cup coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt

Directions

1.    Prepare quinoa according to directions on packaging and set aside until needed. (Usually I prepare more than I need for this recipe and keep it in the refrigerator to use over a period of 2-3 days, just like you might do for rice.)

2.    Prepare the mashed sweet potatoes the same way you would regular potatoes: Wash and peel the sweet potatoes. Slice them into approximately 1-inch wide pieces. There is no need to cut them into smaller chunks, just about 3-5 slices/per potato (depending on size) is sufficient. Place in pot and cover with water. Boil at a low boil for about 15 minutes or until the pieces are tender enough to poke with a fork with just slight resistance (the same way a baked potato would feel). Drain the water. Mash using potato masher to a consistency that you prefer. We like ours with a few small chunks in it still. 

3.  Heat a separate pot on low heat using a small amount of the cooking oil of your choice to coat the pan. Stir together about 1 cup of the mashed sweet potatoes, maple syrup, coconut milk, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in about 1 cup of the cooked quinoa and continue to cook over low heat for about 3 minutes, just long enough to heat entire mixture and let it thicken slightly.

NOTE: The original recipe (among several other differences) calls for additional maple syrup and nuts as garnish on finished hot “cereal.” We don’t feel that the recipe needs any additional sweetness and allergies prevent us from using nuts but you may enjoy it that way.

Some possible variations: Replace sweet potatoes with butternut squash or pumpkin. Let me know if you come up with any other ideas.