Quick and easy breakfast ideas with leftover grains

I love to cook a big pot of quinoa, brown rice, or millet for dinner and then use the leftovers for the next day.  Here is a quick and easy breakfast idea that can be eaten hot or cold and is portable (which is very important for my lifestyle).

Millet with cranberries, almonds, and honey

You will need:

• Leftover cooked grain (quinoa, brown rice, millet, etc)
• Honey or Agave Syrup or Molasses or Maple Syrup
• Dried friuts (I like the cran-orange mix from Trader Joe's)
• Fresh fruits (sliced bananas, diced up apples, oranges, pears, etc)
• Chopped nuts (walnuts, flax seed, almonds, sunflower seeds, etc)
• Spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract)
• Milk (rice, soy, coconut, cow, etc)

To make:

1. In container with a lid (or a bowl you can cover) put 3/4 to 1 cup of grain
2. Add any dried or fresh fruit you like
3. Add any chopped nuts you like
4. Add any spices you like
5. Add a splash of milk (it helps moisten the grain)
6. Drizzle it with honey (or syrup, etc)

Stir and warm covered in microwave about a 90 seconds.  Eat it right away or take it to-go.  It's good cold also.

Combinations we like:

• Chopped apples, toasted pumpkin seeds, and pumpkin pie spice
• Dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, ginger and nutmeg
• Dried pineapple, bananas, flax seed, cinnamon
• Roma's "dancer" breakfast - quinoa with shaved parmesan, butter and sea salt (this one packs in the protein before a morning of classes but doesn't cause a sugar crash or sit heavy on the stomach)

Experiment to find what you like.  I've discovered that if you have a base of grains, something fruity (dried or fresh), something crunchy (nuts or seeds), something sweet (the honey), and savory (the spices) you can make any combination and it's great.  Leave out any of the parts that balance the equation and it's not as good. 

Happy eating!