Chocolate Cherry Chia Oatmeal

So, I’ve been experimenting with a gluten free diet for the past week and I have to admit that I have more energy and my stomach has been noticeably flatter, which is pretty fantastic. But I’m not doing it for the beauty perks. I wanted to see what would happen and if I could detect a change in the way my body reacts to food. I’m actually pretty surprised at how quickly and clearly I could detect a positive difference in my energy level and my digestion – and I don’t even have gluten sensitivities. Needless to say, my peanut butter and banana on whole wheat toast is not a viable gluten free breakfast option at the moment, so I whipped up this super delicious superfood powerhouse breakfast bursting with fiber and antioxidants and protein and… CHOCOLATE!

Ingredients:
– 1/2 cup steel cut, GF oatmeal
– 1 cup water
– 8-10 fresh sweet red cherries, pitted and roughly chopped
– 1 1/2 tbs cocoa powder
– 2 tbs dark chocolate almond milk (optional – it makes it creamier)
– 1 tsp vanilla extract
– 3 tbs raw agave nectar
– 2-3 tbs chia seeds
– Dash of cinnamon

Directions:

1. Bring water to a boil. Add oatmeal, stirring. Turn heat to medium-low and allow to cook for a minute or two.

2. Add cocoa powder, vanilla extract, cinnamon and agave. Mix well and let the mixture cook for another minute.

3. Add 3/4 of the fresh cherries to the mix, reserving the other 1/4 for garnish. Add chia and chocolate almond milk and mix well.

4. When oatmeal is fully cooked and creamy, remove from heat and spoon immediately into a bowl. Garnish with reserved fresh cherries and serve hot!

Sweet Quinoa Breakfast Porridge

Another breakfast entry! OMG! Seriously, this is getting out of hand. But you’ll love this, I promise. It’s super packed with protein and fiber, gluten free, and can be easily veganized by swapping the honey for agave syrup (I know “veganized” isn’t actually a word, but you knew what I meant). This breakfast will keep you full literally all day, so it’ll help prevent snacking on random temptations. I ate this for breakfast and its nearly 5:30pm and I can’t even think about dinner yet…

Ingredients:

– 1 cup uncooked quinoa
– 2 cups almond milk (unsweetened or vanilla)
– 2 tbs. cinnamon
– 1/2 cup toasted pecans
– 2-3 tbs. raw, unfiltered honey
– 1 large banana, thinly sliced
– 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
– 2 tbs. water
– 2 large handfulls dried cranberries

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa, almond milk and cinnamon. Mix well and place over medium-high heat. When almond milk begins to boil, turn heat to low and add thinly sliced banana, honey and vanilla extract. Mix well. Cover with a tight fitting lid and allow to cook for approximately 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. While quinoa mixture is cooking, place pecans on a sheet of foil and place in toaster oven on low. Allow to toast until golden brown. Remove from toaster and wrap tightly in foil to keep warm.

3. After 10-15 minutes, add 2 tbs. water to porridge and mix in. Allow to cook for an additional 5-10 minutes until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is cooked through.

4. Once quinoa is cooked, crumble pecans and cranberries into mixture, reserving some of each ingredient to sprinkle on top. Mix well and spoon into bowls. Sprinkle remaining pecans and cranberries on top. Serve immediately.

Serves 2-3 people depending on how hungry you are! Feel free to experiment with different fruit, nuts, spices and other ingredients! I’m sure this would be amazing with blueberries and coconut. Or Almonds and brown sugar. Or figs and maple syrup. Ok, I’m starting to get hungry now. Finally.