BREAKFAST QUINOA BANANA CRUNCH

It is best to start the morning with some nutrition, and Protein is often forgotten amongst the typical boxed cereals and pancake breakfasts. This little treat is an excellent oatmeal replacer (for those allergic to oats) and is packed full of protein!

BREAKFAST QUINOA BANANA CRUNCH

1/2 cup (just under) Quinoa

1/2 cup Water

1 tablespoon Agave Nectar (or other sweetener)

dash of Salt

1/4 cup Rice Milk

1 Banana (optional)

Granola Cereal (optional)

Cook Quinoa as usual (bring water to a boil, add Quinoa and a little salt, let simmer for approx. 13 minutes). Add the Agave Nectar and Rice Milk and cook for another 2 minutes. Transfer contents into a bowl with some fruit of your choice to add a little sweetness to the Quinoa, personally I love Bananas in the morning. Now, remember that Granola Cereal Recipe? Well, grab a hand-full and mix it in for that yummy Crunch! ^_^ I also have flaxseed oil in the morning which mixes in nicely (p.s. do not heat the flaxseed oil). Voila, yummy protein Breakfast! ^_^ This serves one person--it is a big bowl though.

No More Boxed Cereal! Whatever to do?!! Yummy Granola Recipe ^_^

The dilemma with a wheat-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, oat-free Food Plan is that you really can't go out and buy Any boxed cereals. Even at your local health-food store the options are obsolete. However, when you love cereal as much as I do you're going to find a way around this apparent bump in the road. Fortunately not everything comes in a box (what? no way!) so we are back to the Recipe Books!

Last Christmas my lovely Sister bought me the kick-ass Vegan recipe book "La Dolce Vegan" by Sarah Kramer. I highly recommend this and her other recipe books. She has a couple recipes in this one on how to make your own yummy Granola Cereal. Once again the daunting Allergies arise. So I took a few of her Granola recipes as a bass to start from and added my own twist to make them healthy and allergy-free! ^_^

Bianca's Protein Granola Recipe:

2 cups Barley Flakes

1 cup Quinoa Flakes

1 cup Puffed Buckwheat Puffs (or any other puffed cereal)

1/3 cup crushed Almonds

1/2 cup Flaxseeds

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/4 cup (just under) Agave Nectar (or 1/4 cup any other sweetener)

1/2 cup of Apple Juice or Water

1 cup dried fruit (optional..I have yet to experiment with this)

Preheat oven to 250ºF. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add the Agave Nectar and Apple Juice and stir until well mixed. On two 9✗13-inch baking pans, spread out even amounts of the mixture on both pans and bake for 35 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Let cool and add dried fruit if desired. Store in an air-tight container.

I eat my yummy granola cereal with fruit and rice milk but feel free to eat yours however you'd like. ^_^