Apple-Cranberry Chai Overnight Quinoa

Simple, easy, hearty overnight quinoa is a great, slightly less heavy, alternative to overnight oats.  Also a make-ahead breakfast, overnight quinoa is appealing to anyone who likes to plan for a busy day. Quinoa is vastly popular, personally, I love the stuff, but I needed to do a little bit of research to understand exactly why it is considered so great.

The name “quinoa” is the common name for “Chenopodium Quinoa,” a flowering annual plant grown as grain mainly for its edible seeds.  Quinoa is closely related to edible plants such as spinach and beetroot.  Once harvested, the seeds get processed, removing the outer bitter coasting.  The seeds themselves are gluten-free–one of the reasons quinoa has become so popular these days. Quinoa seeds have higher nutrient content than wheat or brown rice.

Considered one of the few plant foods that is a “complete protein” containing nine essential amino acids, this so-called superfood is also rich in iron and fiber. What most don’t know is that quinoa once referred to as “the mother of all grains,” has been around for nearly 4,000 years.  The quinoa trend has been going strong in recent years: between 2006 and 2013, quinoa crop prices tripled. This “trend” is not going away anytime soon and I now understand why.

Overnight quinoa is an easy breakfast option with a pudding-like consistency that I love. Prepare it the night before and add the garnishes the next morning, and you’re done.  This is a relatively versatile recipe, so feel free to be creative and adapt it to your preferred fruits.  In my recipe, I use organic unsweetened almond milk made by Three Trees, mixed with a little yogurt for richness. Other milks including soy, rice, coconut, and cashew would all work nicely as well.

I use apple sauce and agave to add sweetness, this can also be adjusted to individual tastes.  I love mine only slightly sweet: I get extra sweetness from dried cranberries and other toppings, including apple.  Not to be forgotten, the ever-popular chia seeds are incorporated here as well.  This recipe packs a punch in the healthy, nutrient-rich breakfast category, so maybe that right there will be enough to get you to try it.  If you do try this recipe, let me know your thoughts, I always welcome feedback.