Once a week I make a breakfast porridge from a variety of grains. Today I'm using quinoa, teff, buckwheat groats, and amaranth. I know what proportions I like these in and so I don't measure anything, I just pour out the ratios I like. That tends to mean fewer buckwheat groats and more of the finer grains like teff and amaranth. I personally don't eat oats but they could easily be mixed into this. I say, use what you’ve got on hand! If you haven’t tried teff or amaranth, I highly recommend giving it a go.
It's easy to cook without measurements! Cooking is not the same as baking ~ you are able to taste for flavor and doneness and adjust as you go along. For me, it’s easier not to measure but I do give recommended amounts in the recipe below. I suggest experimenting and learning as you go along. You really can't mess this one up!
After I rinse the grains, I add about double as much water as it looks like I have grain in the pot. You can always add more water as you go along if you find it’s too dry. I also add a very large pinch of salt since I am making a large batch of porridge and salt makes the sweet flavors sing in the end.
Today I'm craving pecans and cherries, so I've added pecan pieces and diced dried cherries and mixed them in. I do this at the beginning when I start the grain & water so that dried fruit has time to plump up and the nuts have time to soften. Sometimes I make this with fresh blueberries and walnuts, or raisins plus a nut butter topping at the end. Depending on the season, I may also add warming spices like cinnamon and ginger.
Cooking for yourself is a wonderful way to help quit sugar. I will use chopped dates and banana to sweeten this naturally. Adding nuts in with breakfast porridge or a nut butter topping helps to control the glycemic index which is important because sugar spikes are stressful to the body.
I put the mixture on at medium-high until it comes to a boil. I give it a stir, cover it, and then reduce it to medium low and cook for about half an hour. I will check it periodically for doneness and give it a quick stir every 5-10 minutes or so because teff tends to stick to the bottom of the pan.
When it's done, I stir in some ground flax seed for extra Omega-3s and serve it with coconut milk, and maybe a little bit more maple syrup if I feel like it needs that extra sweetness. Usually, it doesn't.
I usually end up with a pot of about 8-10 servings, which I eat with my family for three breakfast meals. You can also let it cool and then freeze individual portions for the future.
Recipe
3/4 cup quinoa
3/4 cup teff
3/4 cup amaranth
3/4 cup buckwheat groats
2 ripe bananas sliced thinly
½ cup of dates diced
½ cup of dried cherries diced.
Sea Salt
6 cups of water
1 tbsp of ground flax seeds and/or nut butter
Milk of your choice to mix in after cooking.
*Feel free to use different fruits or nuts in addition to the dates and banana which are used to sweeten the meal.
Directions
Rinse the grains and nuts thoroughly.
Place them in a pot with the dried berries, dates, and bananas. If you are using spices, add them in here, but add fresh berries you may be using toward the end of cooking.
Add 6 cups of water (or double the amount of grain you are using) plus a large pinch of salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
When boiling, give it a stir, cover it, and then reduce it to medium low and cook for about half an hour.
Give it a quick stir every 5-10 minutes or so because teff tends to stick to the bottom of the pan. Check it periodically for doneness and add more water if necessary.
When it's done, I stir in some ground flax seed for extra Omega-3s and serve it with coconut milk, and maybe a little bit more maple syrup if I feel like it needs that extra sweetness. Usually, it doesn't.
Notes
*Makes about 8-10 servings, which I eat with my family for three breakfast meals. You can also let it cool and then freeze individual portions for the future. Just reheat with a splash of water and stir well.
*You can easily alter these amounts to use what you have on hand, you could use any of these, even oats or rice.