I’m starting to understand the bowl meal craze. Actually, I shouldn’t say that I’m starting to understand it: I’m fully and completely in it. And it’s not even about the aesthetic or blogging about them (though they are incredibly pretty), but the ease. Oh, the ease.
Because I work from home, I’m a drifter. If I’m not sitting in my office tapping away at my keyboard furiously, then I’m drifting around the kitchen preparing food, setting up for photos, styling, etc. (Or doing laundry, emptying the dishwasher, mopping the floors and all of that other glamorous shit you probably don’t imagine me doing.) Since I don’t take a lunch break and simply eat while I work, a plateful of food that I have to balance over my knee or cut away at with a knife and fork is exactly what I don’t need. I need a vessel that I can carry around with one hand while occasionally spooning into it with the other. Enter bowl meal. They’re are also ideal when eating in the office; I don’t have to worry about dripping anything onto my laptop or messing up my desk.
They seem like just another trend at first glance, but bowl meals have a purpose.
My personal favey-fave is this Taco Grain Bowl. Because tacos. But this breakfast bowl biz is also pretty nifty, and please note that you don’t have to cut your fruits to form a breakfast garden of eat-en, like I did, in order to enjoy it.
I was over-the-moon when I found kiwi berries at the grocery store. If you’ve never had a kiwi berry, they look like teeny little fuzz-free kiwis. You can just pop them into your mouth and eat them whole without a care in the world. They’re tart, but not as tart as a their older sister.
As you can see, I also got my paws on some dragonfruit — the most gorgeous fruit ever.
Now. Quinoa can bring on some complicated debates when it comes to sustainability. The good news is that there are sustainable sources out there, some now being grown in America. Look at labels and do your homework.
The chocolate flavor in my bowl brought on much more of the bitter essence of dark chocolate, which I’m totally okay with. If you like a sweeter brekky, you can use sweetened cocoa powder. I reached my preferred amount of sweetness by adding a few tablespoons of maple syrup. You could also use honey, and because life is too short, shred some chocolate in there if you’re feelin’ it.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to know! Snap a pic and tag me on Instagram: @Killing__Thyme /#killingthyme
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Fruity Chocolate Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
Chocolate for breakfast? Sure thing. This flexible option let's you have fun in the morning, all while nourishing your bod.
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 1/3 cup nut milk (coconut, almond, etc.)
- A pinch of kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder unsweetened or sweetened is up to you
- 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup, honey, or coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional toppings (What I used, but feel free to switch things up!)
- Banana slices
- Strawberry slices
- Kiwi berries
- Pomegranate seeds
- Dragonfruit
- Matcha powder
- Chocolate shavings
- Pepitas
Instructions
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Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh strainer for about 2 minutes. Sort through and pick out any discolored pieces or pebbles you might find.
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Heat a small saucepan over moderate heat. Once hot, add the rinsed quinoa and lightly toast, for approx. 5 minutes, stirring often. This dried up the water and gives your quinoa a light toasting.
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Add the milk and pinch of salt, and stir. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 20-25 minutes, uncovered. Stir occasionally.
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Once the liquid is absorbed, fluff the quinoa with a fork. If it's fluffy and tender, remove from heat and add cocoa powder, maple syrup, and vanilla. Stir to combine.
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Add additional toppings of your choice.
Recipe Notes
Once the quinoa is cooked, do a taste test and sweeten it up more if need be. Don't forget that adding fruit will bring some natural sweetness as well.
5 Comments
Dani
September 17, 2017 at 2:37 pm Do you cook the quinoa with the ingredients or water like normal and then add the milk, cocoa, etc?Killing Thyme
September 17, 2017 at 2:52 pm Hey Dani! It looks like my recipe instructions went missing when I updated my recipe plug-in. I'm glad you asked, otherwise I might not have noticed! Cook the quinoa with the milk and salt, and in the end, stir in the rest of the ingredients. Once cooked, I like to stir in some chocolate shavings for extra chocolatey goodness. Now I'm going to go fix this issue — thanks again :) I hope you enjoy this!thefoodblognet
March 10, 2017 at 8:06 pm How pretty is this! You've taken the bowl to a new level with your garden of fruit. I love it. AND, the whole bowl sounds incredibly yummy. I totally get the drifting thing, so a bowl is the way to go.Sarah | Well and Full
March 7, 2017 at 1:07 pm This breakfast bowl is GORGEOUS! I love the star fruit shapes, so cute! :)Killing Thyme
March 7, 2017 at 9:18 pm Thanks so much, Sarah! I've actually stumbled upon your site several times and absolutely love it.