Tag: oats

‘ Store cupboard essentials’ porridge

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Ahhhh… so nice to be back home in London again. My off-piste eating excursions have been rather exceptional so I can’t wait to kick-start my good food habits anew.  Being on holiday is great but you never have your ‘stuff’ at the ready. All those extra curricular condiments and such like that you’ve collected over weeks and months and that you take for granted when you assemble/cook food at home. On holiday you have the choice to buy the whole lot again – or not in my case. I did it the local way instead and ate what was there and enjoyed it. Basta. Continue reading “‘ Store cupboard essentials’ porridge” →

Nutty Porridge

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Some days, only comfort food will do. After an alarmingly early morning wake up call to drop off my son at the coach for his school trip to France, I returned home ravenous. Perhaps it was the early morning darkness, the cold, damp air and slight trepidation that my eldest was going abroad without me? Whatever it was I needed stodge.

I don’t know about you but in my book there is nothing more comforting than a bowl of hot porridge. Growing up in Sweden, porridge WAS breakfast. These days I don’t put jam in the middle like I used to and I use almond milk instead of cows milk, but apart from that it still makes me feel that all is well in the world. And porridge can be bastardised to whatever mood you’re in –  some days I swap oats for brown rice or quinoa depending on what I feel like and what’s left in the fridge. But when I do use oats I tend to buy gluten-free flakes from the supermarket – I prefer to stay mainly gluten-free as it just seems to work better for me. Today’s recipe has lots of nuts and seeds included too – I love the feeling of getting through all the good stuff without really being aware of it. As most of it is ground up it just becomes part of the porridge. Here’s my Nutty Porridge recipe for you this Monday morning. Have a great day! X

Ground flax seed
Ground chia seed

Nutty Porridge:

Serves 1

1 cup gluten-free oat flakes

2 tbsp ground nuts + seeds (almond, brazil nuts, cashews, sunflower and pumpkin seeds)

1/2 tbsp ground flax seeds

1 LARGE tbsp coconut oil

1/2 tbsp ground chia seeds

1 small apple, grated

3-4  walnuts

Flaked almonds

Cook porridge according to package instructions. When done stir in 1 large tablespoon of coconut oil until dissolved. Add the ground nuts and seeds, including the ground flax seeds and chia seeds (I keep a jar of ground nuts in cupboard – when it runs out I just re-grind more so that I’m always ready to add to smoothies or porridge). Grate an apple finely and add to the porridge mixture, top with milk (I use almond but do whichever you prefer), walnuts and flaked almonds. Top breakfast with all nutrients you need for the day ahead. X

 

 

Quinoa Porridge with Chia Seeds

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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

The thing about sprouts..

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imageI recently started using sprouts in my green smoothies. Nothing fancy, just some alfalfa sprouts from Whole Foods, but I’ve noticed a definite boost in my energy levels and the more I read about it the more I think it may not be a coincidence. Raw food is packed with food enzymes which we need in order to thrive. They are for example responsible for our digestion and how well our immune system functions.  But sprouts takes it all to a different level, filled as they are with goodness such as antioxidants, proteins, minerals, vitamins, enzymes and so on. The good news is that you can sprout almost anything – AND you can do it in your own home. Common varieties besides alfalfa seeds are mung beans, chickpeas, wheat, barley, lentils, soybean, sunflower seeds, oats, broccoli seeds to name a few.

Here is how simple it is: Rinse the seeds/beans thoroughly in a colander and place in glass jar with air holes in the lid. If you are using  dried beans you must first soak them overnight then rinse and place in glass jar. Place in a warm and dry position. Rinse frequently and when the little tails have started to appear from the seed/bean and measures about an inch they are ready to eat. Store the left overs in a jar in the fridge. Voila!!

You can of course buy purpose made receptacles from health food or online shops if you are that way inclined but you don’t have to. I love simplicity and want to monitor just how frequently I will manage to do this before investing in a new gadget. I’ll keep you posted on my sprouting progress. x