Recipe: Golden Chai Quinoa — THM E
Anyone else looking to add more anti-inflammatory foods to their roster, or is it just me?
A couple of years ago, I had a crazy flare of arthritis in my thumbs. I’m an author, so my job requires a lot of keyboard time. I’ve had shots in both thumbs — not precisely the most fun I’ve ever had. These days, the aches and pains are throughout my hands and are mostly tolerable.
I’ve been on a quest to include more anti-inflammatory foods into my daily meals. I’m thankful that this breakfast meshes very well with Trim Healthy Mama, the way of eating I embraced over 8 years ago now. One of the ways I’ve done that is by adding turmeric to any recipe that sits still long enough, and that led me to the world of Golden Chai Quinoa. I’ve tried several recipes, and this is what I’ve settled on and have been making 1-2x a week for the past couple of months. Quinoa is also considered very anti-inflammatory.
The problem with many carb-based recipes is the lack of protein, and we’re all about that 25-30 grams of bio-available protein per meal these days, right? So I married Golden Chai Quinoa with a base of cottage cheese and vanilla whey protein powder, and I’m very happy with the results.
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Ready? Let’s get started!
Recipe: Golden Chai Quinoa — THM E
Single Serving
In a small saucepan on the stove, heat:
• 2/3 cup unsweetened nut milk (I use cashew milk from a carton)
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/8 tsp ground star anise
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
When this has come to a simmer, add a chai teabag and turn off the heat.
• 1 Chai teabag (I use Stash Double Chai)
While that steeps, prepare the rest of your bowl in layers.
Bottom Layer is your protein layer!
• 1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese (lactose free is fine)
• 1/2 scoop (2 tbsp) vanilla whey protein powder
• 1 tbsp sweetener, if desired
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/2 – 1 tsp psyllium husks
Stir all this together, then top with:
• 3/4 cup cooked quinoa (hot or cold, your choice)
Now remove the teabag and pour the golden milk over your protein layer and quinoa. Top with:
• 1/2 cup blueberries, raspberries, or other berries
• a dusting of cinnamon and sweetener
Think the spices are too fiddly to create this breakfast on the fly? Once you’ve decided you like this breakfast, set up a row of little deli dressing cups and create a bunch of spice mixes to speed up the process on future mornings! Having quinoa cooked and frozen in single serves ahead of time will also help. It takes under a minute to thaw frozen quinoa in the microwave.
Friends, I’m a Christian author of contemporary romance. I write cowboys, farmers, and small-town dwellers in my green, clean romances. My characters farm, garden, and cook from scratch (sometimes even THM!). Readers love my characters and my communities. Maybe you will, too! I have over 50 titles in 10 series. It would mean a lot to me if you’d check out my books page. You can purchase my fiction in ebook from Amazon or borrow in Kindle Unlimited. Most of my titles are also on digital library services such as Hoopla. Paperbacks are available at many online retailers, and some of my titles are in audio.
Won’t you give them a peek? Thank you.
