Balsamic Dark Cherry Quinoa

A sweet dark cherry sauce over almond milk quinoa makes for a yummy breakfast dish!

When there's no oatmeal on hand, chewy, grainy, slightly nutty quinoa is always the next best hot cereal choice.
Fruits such as raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, or pumpkin puree and peanut butter can be stirred in for a sweetened morning breakfast. In this recipe, I thawed dark cherries, made sure there were no pits (sometimes they miss some), and made a special sauce to top almond milky quinoa. 
Feel free to substitute maple syrup or agave nectar for sugar.
Either way, a tart, scrumptious heaven awaits the spoon and one moment of resisting a bite is futile, especially if you're a big time cherry fan.

Balsamic Dark Cherry Quinoa Ingredients

1 1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 cup quinoa
2/3 cup dark cherries, thawed and pitted
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/3 cup walnuts (optional)

Bring water and sugar to a boil.
Add almond milk and quinoa, lower heat, cover, and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
In a small saucepan combine cherries, balsamic vinegar, sugar, almond extract, cinnamon, and ginger on medium heat. Cook for 5-7 minutes.
Drain liquid into another bowl. (Can be saved for another day if desired)
Pour cherries over prepared quinoa.

Top with desired walnuts.

Pour a bit of the sweetened balsamic juices for additional flavor.

Bon appetit!