Cinnamon-Maple Quinoa Crunch

I absolutely LOVE cereal....but how often does it come packaged healthy enough to eat on the regular? One word: never.

As a staple in every kid's life while growing up, I don't think I have met one person that doesn't have a soft spot for cereal. The bad news is that it's usually sugar-loaded and paired with the disgusting thing we call non-fat milk. So I got to thinking "how could I make an adult-version and better yet, how could I make it taste good enough to bring back the sweetness of Honey-Nut Cheerios and the crunch of (my personal favorite) Honeycombs."

Quinoa was the definite answer to that question. Here's my health guru (or wannabe) version of cereal sweetened with hints of maple and cinnamon with just enough protein, good carbs and healthy fats to boot.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 c uncooked quinoa
• 1 c water
• 2 tbsp chia seed
•  1 tbsp grade B maple syrup
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• dash Himalayan pink salt

METHOD

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. To cook quinoa, place quinoa and water in pot and bring to a boil. Then, turn to low heat and cover with a lid for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Add in chia seed, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla in pot and mix well. Place parchment paper over a baking sheet and spread quinoa mixture evenly over parchment paper. Place in oven and bake for 35-40 minutes. Checking occasionally to make sure it doesn't burn. Take pan out of oven and let cool completely. Store in airtight container. Makes about 2-3 servings. I like to top mine with my homemade Sea Salt & Vanilla Cashew Milk.