Quinoa & amaranth bowl with toasted sprinkle

Quinoa and millet complement and balance each other in this recipe. Toasting the seeds for the sprinkle gives them an extra crunchy texture – the sprinkle is a great staple for scattering on just about any breakfast.

Quinoa & amaranth bowl with toasted sprinkle Credit: Chris Middleton

• serves

  4

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 200 g (7 oz/1 cup) quinoa, rinsed and drained 
• 55 g (2 oz/¼ cup) amaranth 
• 1 tsp natural vanilla extract 
• ½ tsp ground cardamom 
• pinch of sea salt flakes
• 250 ml (8½ oz/1 cup) milk 

Toasted seed sprinkle 

• 50 g (1¾ oz/¼ cup) pepitas (pumpkin seeds) 
• 35 g (1¼oz/¼ cup) sun flower kernels
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp linseeds (flax seeds)
• 1 tbsp coconut sugar 

To serve 

• citrus (orange, pink grapefruit and mandarin) slices and/or segments 
• natural yoghurt or milk (or both) 
• honey (optional) 

Instructions

To make the toasted seed sprinkle, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (fan-forced). Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and then spread the mixture over the prepared tray. Bake for 5–10 minutes or until golden and fragrant. Set aside to cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. 

Meanwhile, combine the quinoa, amaranth, vanilla extract, cardamom and salt with 625 ml (21 oz/2½ cups) water in a large saucepan over medium–high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Add the milk, stir well, then cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for a further 5–10 minutes or until thick and somewhat creamy, and the grains are tender. 

Serve the quinoa mixture into bowls and top with the fruit, yoghurt or milk and a little toasted seed sprinkle. If you like, drizzle with honey. 

Note: 

• To make dairy free, replace the yoghurt and/or milk with a non-dairy alternative. To make vegan, also swap the honey for rice malt syrup, pure maple syrup or a couple of drops of liquid stevia. 

This recipe is from Breakfast Bowls (Smith Street Books). Photography by Chris Middleton. 

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.