Almonds are by far my favorite nut. I mean, peanut butter is my favorite nut butter but if I’m eating raw, unprocessed nuts I’ll pick almonds. Every. Single. Time. Lately I’ve been hung up on Blue Diamond BBQ Habanero Almonds. If you haven’t tried them, they are AWESOME! I’ve also been obsessed with oatmeal lately…but I didn’t think habanero almonds + oatmeal would be the best combo ;). I found a bag of sliced almonds at the back of my pantry and set out to make some oatmeal with almonds on top. Instead of just toasting the almonds, I decided to make an almond crunch topping. I combined sliced almonds, oats, and honey and baked until golden brown and crispy. Basically, I made a simple granola. The almond crunch was definitely the best part of this breakfast!
Next, I cooked some old-fashioned oats with a little cinnamon. I topped my cooked oatmeal with some cooked quinoa, blueberries, almond crunch, another sprinkle of cinnamon, and a drizzle of honey (or sweetener of choice). Talk about a power breakfast! And thanks to some snow, I had some amazing light for a great picture. It was fate =). If you’re looking for a twist on your morning oatmeal, you should give this recipe a try! Enjoy!
Almond Crunch Quinoa Oatmeal
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1- 1/4 cup old-fashioned oats (dry), divided
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup quinoa, dry
1 tsp cinnamon
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray.
2. In small bowl, combine almonds, 1/4 cup oats, honey, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Spread on prepared baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown – stirring after 5-6 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. Prepare quinoa according to package directions. Prepare remaining oats according to package directions adding cinnamon to water while cooking.
4. To serve, divide oatmeal between 4 bowls. Top each portion with 1/4 of the quinoa. Top with 1/4 of the almond/oat/honey granola. Garnish with an extra sprinkles of cinnamon, top with blueberries or your favorite fruit, a drizzle of honey or sweetener of choice, if desired. Serves 4.
Nutritional Info (per 1/4): 241 calories; 7.4 g fat; 37.1 g carbohydrates; 4.8 g fiber; 7.6 g protein.
