Roasted strawberry, coconut, and quinoa breakfast bowls

Today we’re taking things back to simplicity. After a few posts featuring the likes of 24-hour cookies, milk caramelized over the course of a few hours, and bundt cake (which, easy as it may be, takes quite a while from start to finish), I think it’s a good time to feature a nice elegant recipe. Like breakfast quinoa.

Elegant? Uh, okay.

You may have heard of this thing called a “breakfast bowl”. And not the Jimmy Dean kind. I mean the postmodernist assemblage of foods that come together in a bowl for the sake of Instagram photos, blog posts like this one, etc.

To the average person, the contents of a breakfast bowl might not even look like...food. Like this chia seed bowl from Oh She Glows. Or this colorful bowl from Golubka Kitchen. Or these summery black currant bowls from Blissful Basil.

These “bowls” often seem to have nothing in common other than that they are voluminous, nutrient-dense, and colorful breakfasts served in bowls. The base of a “breakfast bowl” can be anything from chia seed pudding to a thick, fruit-filled smoothie to oatmeal to buckwheat groats to, as you will see, quinoa. From there, numerous toppings are added. Chopped nuts. Fruit. Chocolate chips. Cacao nibs. Shredded coconut. Unidentifiable nuggets of nutrition. Even goddamn sprinkles, if you’re some kind of goddamn barbarian. Indeed, the toppings are what makes a breakfast bowl a breakfast bowl and not just a bowl of oatmeal or whatever. You’ll want lots of fruit, preferably of various colors, and you’ll want to arrange the toppings very carefully so you can Instagram that shit later.

Why am I an expert on this “breakfast bowl” phenomenon? Frankly my dear, you don’t want to know. Instead, let’s focus on this particular breakfast bowl. 

Ain't the prettiest thing, but whatever.

Much like these chocolate toasted coconut quinoa parfaits and this banana macaroon smoothie, this recipe is drawn straight from Seriously Delish by Jessica Merchant and contains toasted coconut. Coincidence? Yes. I swear to god, there are actually some recipes in that cookbook that do not have a trace of toasted coconut in them. Promise.  

Unlike so many raw-friendly breakfast bowls, this recipe is very much cooked, requiring you not only cook the quinoa but also roast strawberries and toast coconut. Which is not to say it is labor intensive. The coconut only takes a minute to turn a lovely golden brown, and the quinoa and strawberries can be done the day before if you so desire—just pop that shit in the microwave the next morning for a quick breakfast.

The result is a colorful and delicious coalition of flavors, from the juicy sweet strawberries—because hot damn I had no idea how good roasted fruit was—to the nutty, toasty coconut to the creamy, coconut-infused, slightly sweet quinoa. It all comes together like a symphony. Or...one might say...a layer cake.

Basically? This ain’t your momma’s breakfast bowl.

Here’s the recipe.

_________

Roasted strawberry, coconut, and quinoa breakfast bowls

Adapted from Seriously Delish by Jessica Merchant

Serves 2

Ingredients

230 grams • whole strawberries (stems removed) • 1 ½ cups

85 grams • quinoa • ½ cup

180 grams • light coconut milk • ¾ cup

80 grams • water • 1/3 cup

8 grams • vanilla extract • 2 teaspoons

2 grams • salt • ¼ teaspoon

Pinch nutmeg

10 grams • flaked coconut (I used sweetened, but unsweetened is good too), toasted • 2 tablespoons

12 grams • sliced almonds • 2 tablespoons

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place strawberries on a baking sheet (lined with parchment paper, as I did) and roast for 15 minutes, tossing once during baking time.

While the strawberries are roasting, place quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse. Place quinoa, coconut milk, water, vanilla, salt, and nutmeg in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and cook for another 15 minutes or so, until the quinoa appears fully cooked. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.

Stir half of the roasted strawberries into the quinoa and spoon into bowls. Add a bit more coconut milk, if desired. Top with remaining strawberries, toasted coconut, and almonds. Munch.

_________

And here's the sexy closeup.

While you’re here, check out these other healthy(ish) breakfast recipes.

Overnight oats with strawberry rhubarb chia jam and peanut butter granola. A breakfast bowl before breakfast bowls were cool.

Leftover pumpkin pie baked oatmeal. It’s got oatmeal, so it’s just fine for breakfast.

Chocolate toasted coconut quinoa parfaits. More sweet quinoa.