Strawberries and cream quinoa porridge

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword backpacking breakfast, camping breakfast, dehydrated meals, quinoa porridge

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 8

Total Time 8 25

Servings 2 servings

Quinoa porridge with maple, cinnamon, dried strawberries and coconut milk powder, dried at home for a warm trail breakfast.

Ingredients

2 cups water
1 cup quinoa
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ pound strawberries
¼ cup coconut milk powder
¼ cup coconut flakes

Directions

At home

Rinse the quinoa well (this removes the bitter saponin).
Bring the water, quinoa, and salt to a boil; cover partway and simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring and adding water as needed.
Take off the heat and stir in the maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla; adjust to taste.
Slice the strawberries thinly onto a dehydrator tray.
Spread the quinoa thinly on trays lined with fruit leather inserts or parchment (a drop of oil on the liner is optional; leave it off for a longer shelf life).
Dehydrate at 135 F for 6-8 hours, until the quinoa and strawberries are completely dry.
Divide into airtight bags; add ¼ cup coconut milk powder and ¼ cup coconut flakes to each batch.

On the trail

Put the mix in the pot with just enough water to barely cover. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the quinoa is tender.

Notes

Without the coconut powder and flakes, the dried base keeps 12+ months on a shelf in airtight jars; pack the coconut separately since its fat goes rancid sooner. If replacing the water with milk, use only non-fat milk substitutes; fat keeps it from drying properly.

Nutrition

Nutrition is an estimate per serving from USDA FoodData Central, for 2 servings; quinoa counted as dry quinoa, ¼ cup coconut milk powder counted as canned coconut milk (one can 400 g), ¼ cup coconut flakes counted as sweetened flaked coconut. Brands and portions vary, so use it only as an approximation.