Known for his emphasis on food science and experimentation, Alton Brown has a penchant for novel methods and ingredients. Even with dishes as traditional as oatmeal, he brings a unique twist that upgrades texture, taste, and nutrition. In an oatmeal recipe Alton Brown shared on Season 2 of “Good Eats: Reloaded,” quinoa is the pantry staple that he chooses for a crunchy complement to the soft oats.
Brown simmers 2 tablespoons of quinoa with one and a fourth cups of whole, rolled oats in 2 cups of boiling water for between 18 and 22 minutes, or until all of the water has been absorbed. The quinoa will soften with the simmer, but it’ll still provide a chewy crunch to contrast with the tender, melt-in-your-mouth oats. Quinoa has a much earthier flavor to complement the nuttiness and creaminess of rolled oats. Plus, a smaller proportion of quinoa will disperse evenly throughout the oats, for a crunch and flavor that’s noticeable, but not overwhelming.
Quinoa is a super grain and should also make our list of superfoods due to its nutrient-rich profile featuring protein and all 9 essential amino acids. So, in addition to a textural contrast, quinoa complements the complex carbohydrates of rolled oats with plenty of protein for a hearty and well-rounded breakfast porridge. For the highest-quality grains, we like Bob’s Red Mill white quinoa as well as Bob’s Red Mill steel-cut oats.
Upgrades, tips, and pairings for quinoa oatmeal
Quinoa and oats are all you need for a nutritious and delicious breakfast bowl, but there are ways to improve these two ingredients through tweaking cooking techniques and bringing additional ingredients to the mix. Alton Brown improves the taste of quinoa oatmeal by toasting the oats before simmering them with quinoa. In our recipe for breakfast quinoa bowl, we toast the quinoa with butter in the pot before simmering it. So you can toast the oats in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for 10 minutes while you toast the quinoa to maximize the nuttiness of the oats and earthiness of the quinoa.
You can also swap the water used to simmer the ingredients for dairy or plant-based milk for more flavor and protein as well as a creamier consistency. To add even more crunch and flavor to the mix, you can top the oatmeal with fresh berries, chopped pecans, and shredded coconut.
Switch up the cooking method altogether by leaving the grains out of the simmering pot and baking them instead to make quinoa granola. You can toss the same proportion of quinoa and oats with some coconut oil and honey or maple syrup, nuts, and seeds to bake for the crunchiest breakfast bowl yet to enjoy with this Fage Greek yogurt.
