A cross between overnight porridge and chia pudding, this filling breakfast is the perfect way to start any day.
I just finished my summer school semester and I am officially on the break! Here is a little sneak pic from my final exam. By the way, the class name was “Foods.” It also had a lab component where we had so much fun cooking under real chefs supervision (Interview with one of them is coming to the blog soon, stay tuned!) Eight weeks fly by! There is no doubt, this course was super insightful and made a better cook (now I know how to cook a steak! haha).
Speaking of the exam, besides a traditional test we, future dietitians, needed to come up with a nutritious recipe. “A piece of cake” – thought Zhenya when heard about this assignment the first time, assuming it’s that easy. But then professor shared a few requirements such as using my plate chart (a chart with a plate, divided quoters, which includes vegetables, fruit, grain, and protein), plus, the recipe needed to be less than $6 (what a pickle for organic foods eaters!) Additionally, it needed to provide at least 1/3 of my daily requirements for fiber, protein (about 30 g!), vitamin D, iron, and calcium. Be not too high in sugar and saturated fats. Phew, that’s it.
I honestly enjoyed experimenting with a few of my favorite recipes. It made me look at them in a different way. In addition to the requirements, I challenged myself by creating an all-organic and plant-based breakfast bowl so a few vegans from our group could try this recipe. All in all, I came up with an idea of elevated overnight porridge. Being a big chia seeds fan for a few years now I wanted to introduce this little powerhouse ingredient to my classmates.
In the short video below you can see the texture and consistency of this creation.
This assignment made me think a lot about the prices of the ingredients I commonly use in the kitchen and appreciate many things which I take for granted every day. For example, having a blender, refrigerator, a grocery store with organic produce by my house (there are many people in this city and country who don’t have it, I am not even mentioning the developing countries). I found it interesting that even in season, fresh berries happen to be the most expensive ingredient in this bowl! So to fit into the pricing range instead of fresh raspberries I used frozen berries. In the pictures, fresh berries are used only for decoration purpose.
Overnight Quinoa & Raspberry Bowl
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Cook quinoa according to the instructions on the package. In a glass jar combine milk, cooked quinoa, chia seeds, zucchini, raspberries, protein powder if using, and spices. Stir well for a few seconds and make sure all ingredient are fully covered in milk. Close the jar and place in the refrigerator overnight.
- In the morning, transfer all the ingredients into a blender and process until smooth.
- Pour into your favorite bowl and decorate with hemp seeds, almonds, and a few fresh raspberries if you have them around. Enjoy!
Notes
This recipe is incredibly versatile, so feel free to experiment with different fruit/ berries, nut-milk, spices, toppings, and grains! Here is my blueberry oatmeal bowl with cacao powder, almond butter, and cacao nibs!
I would love to hear your ideas!
Share it here, in the comment section or on social media using #lemonsqueezylife. Feel free to tag me to your post as well! Thanks!
Much love,
Zhenya
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