Recipe: Breakfast Grain Bowl Mix

When’s the last time you had a breakfast bowl that made you feel nourished — on a weekday? As much as we love classic oatmeal, we’ve all got some other grains sitting in our pantry that need to be used up too. This breakfast grain bowl is basic in the best way, featuring quinoa and steel-cut oats with a refreshing zing of ginger and lemon. Make this bowl-starter on Sunday and you can enjoy it all sorts of ways — both sweet and savory — throughout the week.

Cooking the two grains for these bowls is easy. You’ll start by flavoring the cooking water with a lemon peel and some fresh ginger, then add the grains and cook them together, stirring occasionally while they simmer. At the very end of cooking, you’ll add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for a burst of flavor.

The benefit of keeping the base fairly simple is that it can easily be sweetened like oatmeal (with a swirl of brown sugar and sliced fruit), or it can be topped with more savory ingredients. Personally, I love some sautéed greens and a soft-boiled egg for a filling, satisfying breakfast bowl that isn’t boring.

• Savory: Roasted tomatoes, sautéed greens, fried egg; avocado, crumbled bacon, Greek yogurt, soft-boiled egg
• Sweet: Yogurt, honey, mango, and fresh raspberries; brown sugar and sliced stone fruit