I tend to think of porridge as a collective word – a dish of cooked grains with ‘toppings’ and milk. It could be oats, but then again it could be other grains, for example brown rice or quinoa. In this wider context, porridge can metamorphose into an interesting and delicious dish with endless possibilities that any health lover or gluten intolerant may want to explore. Although a bit unorthodox, it isn’t such a far-fetched idea – in fact, grains that have been boiled and then covered with milk (dairy, coconut, almond or soy – the pick is yours) taste remarkably similar once you’ve added a few ‘toppings’. Cinnamon, cardamon, ground nuts, chia seeds, flax seeds and fresh berries all do their bit to ensure that whatever porridge you may choose, the end result is not too far removed from the original oat porridge.
Why bother, you may think? Well, as I’m 2/3 into Dr. Alejandro Junger’s book Clean, it is becoming increasingly clear to me that willingly consuming gluten and other ‘toxic’ foods that may in part be contributing to us feeling sluggish, moody, depressed, tired, bloated and susceptible to bugs, may not be such a bright idea. It is fairly recognised that our well-being and immunity starts with a healthy gut flora and Dr. Junger likens our gut to the roots of a tree, a sick root will not make a happy tree. A lot of the foods we eat, therefore, such as gluten, sugar, processed foods, or veggies grown in soil so depleted that there are no nutrients left, interferes with our bodies’ digestion process. As a consequence, avoiding that which upsets and disturbs the guts’ way of absorbing nutrients and goodness from the food which we consume, becomes a personal choice. Trouble is, finding substitutes for bread, pasta, wheat and grains takes a bit of thinking, quite a lot of planning and a very open mind. On the upside, making porridge from ‘foodie’ grains such as brown rice or quinoa means that you can use any of last nights left overs for breakfast. Hence this mornings’ Quinoa Porridge:
Quinoa Porridge with Chia Seeds
1 small bowl full of left over quinoa
1 heaped tbsp of coconut oil
1 tsp almond butter
Small dash of coconut cream
5 strawberries, sliced
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamon
1 tbsp ground flax-seed
1 tbsp ground nuts
small handful of pumpkin and sun flower seeds
sprinkling of chia seeds
coconut milk
Heat up the quinoa with the coconut oil and the dash of coconut cream. Once warm and ‘porridge like’ stir in the almond butter, sprinkle on the nuts, seeds, cinnamon and cardamom. Add the sliced strawberries and pour the coconut milk (or whatever milk you prefer) over the whole thing. Enjoy. x
Like this:
Like Loading...
