When my godfather came back from Morocco a few years ago, he made me this amazing breakfast of spiced couscous, fruit and yogurt." says gluten-free foodie Finn Ní Fhaoláin.
I loved it so much I ate it every morning after rowing training. Fast forward to the time when I realised that couscous is a wheat derivative. Damn!
So here’s the recipe revamped and reloaded with a higher protein content. The simple solution? Swap the couscous for quinoa. At 15 per cent protein, this grain gives serious bang for its buck.
Serves 2 hungry humans
1 cup (170g) uncooked quinoa
2 cups (470g) water
optional spices: 1 cinnamon stick or ½ tsp ground cinnamon, 1 star anise or a few cloves
selection of fruit, chopped – e.g. apple, banana, mango, nectarine
yogurt – I’m a devotee of Greek-style yogurt
Method
- Rinse the quinoa in a sieve under cold water for a few minutes. This gets rid of the coating that can make it taste bitter. Some folks toast the quinoa before cooking but, frankly, I never bother.
- Put the quinoa, water and spices in a small pot and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes with a lid until the quinoa absorbs all the water.For extra fluffiness turn the heat off and leave it for 3 more minutes in the pot. The steam does the last bit of work.
- Then remove the star anise or cloves if you have used them.
- Scoop the quinoa into bowls, top with your choice of chopped fruit and yogurt. I like to add a little cinnamon and maple syrup as well.
Finn Ní Fhaoláin’s food journey began when she was diagnosed as a coeliac and became determined to recreate all her favourite dishes - this time without gluten. She lives, surfs and cooks in Bundoran on Ireland’s northwest coast. Her brand new book, Finn's World is packed with incredible recipes such as Danish Breakfast Brød, Mother Hubbard’s Bare Cupboard Granola, Moroccan Surfer’s Breakfast and Disco Barbie Beetroot Soup.
