Beet-Stained Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
Start your day the savory way with this colorful breakfast. (Photo: Cynthia Groseclose)
Yoga star Kathryn Budig is known for her ability to make yoga accessible and playful through her teaching and writings, but her skills extend beyond the yoga mat — all the way to the kitchen. Below, she shares her recipe for breakfast quinoa.
I love smoothies. I think toast is the perfect vehicle for nut butters, honey, and jams. I get a little emotional over waffles and clap my hands at the mention of brunch. Breakfast cuisine is always a hit with me — but what about when you want to switch it up? I often stay with my dear friend (and Yahoo Health Editor-in-Chief!) Michele when I’m in NYC, and she always prepares quinoa for breakfast.
That’s right — quinoa. Not the porridge kind, just straight up quinoa with some lovely accoutrements, such as fresh herbs, hard-boiled eggs, and avocado. It’s so simple and so GOOD. It’s the perfect way to start the day: a bowl brimming with protein and good fuel to pull us through the day. Last time, she was commenting that her nutritionist wants her consuming beet juice regularly, so I told her it was time to make pink quinoa. I poured it into the bowl, and a gorgeous hue with a hint of earthiness was born.
Eggs, avocado, and quinoa pack a protein punch. (Photo: Cynthia Groseclose)
The beauty of this bowl is that you can always change it up: Add hard-boiled or soft-boiled eggs, kale, chard, multitudes of fresh herbs, kimchi, the list goes on. Here’s a good recipe to get you started and feeling energized!
Beet-Stained Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
1 cup quinoa, soaked
2 cups water or veggie broth
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ red beet, juiced
1 or 2 free range eggs, hard boiled
½ avocado, cubed
1 cup kale, julienned
1 tablespoon basil, julienned
2 teaspoons mint leaves, julienned
2 teaspoons hemp seeds
Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Directions
Clean, chop, and de-rib your kale. Place in a bowl with about ½ of a tablespoon of olive oil and massage well. Let sit as you prepare the rest of your dish.
Place 1-2 eggs (or more if you want to have them for several days) into a pot of cold water. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cover for 10 minutes. Run under cool water and remove the outer shell. Cut in half or chop into pieces.
Soak your quinoa for at least 10 minutes and drain well. Place quinoa and water or broth into a medium pan with a pinch of sea salt and ½ tablespoon of olive oil. Bring to a boil, stir well, and reduce heat to medium-low. Continue to stir often until the liquid has reduced completely and the seeds have popped into a fluffy consistency. Remove from heat and stir in beet juice. Feel free to add as much or little beet juice as you desire. I tend to use at least 3 tablespoons.
It’s time to plate! Scoop ½ to 1 cup quinoa into your bowl followed by your massaged kale, fresh herbs, eggs, and avocado. Top with hemp seeds and drizzle with the remaining amount of olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy!
Kathryn Budig is a yoga teacher, author, and the founder of AIM TRUE. Find more healthy recipes on her blog.
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