Category: Grains

Basmati Aromatic Brekkie Pudding

I went to one of my fave restaurants a couple of weeks ago (Tibbits) and was reunited with a big bowl of their very fabulous Indian Rice Pudding.  I haven’t quite managed to recreate the original dish, but it got me playing around with different types of rice and spice.  As we know, puddings can make delicious breakfast options too and this is wonderfully aromatic and filling as a breakfast, and it went down very well after a long run this morning.

This recipe makes 3 decent portions. Easy to make the night before and reheat.  The rice still contains a bit of bite, so it’s not the sloppy rice pudding that I remember from my youth!  However, I do like sloppy too – so I shall be experimenting further.

Basmati Aromatic Brekkie Pudding

  • 100g Basmati rice (white)
  • 400ml can of coconut milk
  • 10 cardamom pods – seeds crushed in a pestle and mortar.  (So about 1/2 teaspoon of ground)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon mixed ground spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
  • 2 tablespoons desiccated coconut
  • 4 cloves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 60g sultanas (you can easily add more)

Method

Put the rice in a saucepan, add the coconut milk and all of the other ingredients.  Bring to the boil and simmer for 20-30mins.  Ensure the rice doesn’t stick near the end of cooking – add a bit more water or coconut milk if needed.  You might want to add some more ground spice if you want more aromatics.

If you make this the night before, leave the cinnamon stick and cloves in the mixture. When you get it out the fridge in the morning the rice will have stuck together into a big clump. Add a portion (about 1/3 of the bowl) into a saucepan and add some more coconut milk.  I used some from a carton for this, rather than opening another can.  Or you can add water.  Stir well and bring to the boil and simmer for 5 mins or so, until its looking nice and creamy again.

This is lovely with some fresh mango stirred through. 

 

 

Cinnamon & nutmeg Barley bowl

I rarely get around to using Barley, it just seems to take so long to cook compared with other grains.  But in an effort to experiment more with introducing other grains into breakfast  I pre cooked a batch to eat during the week. This makes it much quicker to use for brekkie – so here is my first barley inspired brekkie bowl.  A great substitute for oats if you fancy something a little different.

Cinnamon & nutmeg Barley Bowl (serves one)

cinnamon barley

  • 100g cooked barley
  • 100ml almond milk
  • 1 teaspoon coconut palm sugar (or brown sugar)
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Nutmeg – a good grating or 1/2 teaspoon ground
  • 1 tablespoon coconut yoghurt or coconut cream.
  • 1 banana

Put the barley, milk, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg into a pan and bring to the boil.  Turn it down and add the tablespoon of yoghurt or cream.  Simmer for 3-4 minutes – keep checking it doesn’t run out of liquid and burn.

Just before serving slice a banana and mix it through.  Sprinkle a bit more nutmeg on top.

BuckaRoo Brekkie Loaf

This bread is full of goodness and is a different way to incorporate buckwheat into your diet. The inspiration for this loaf came from a Buckwheat, banana and brazil nut bread recipe by Hanna Sillitoe from her book ‘Radiant’.  I hadn’t thought of using buckwheat in this way before and I was intrigued. My intention was to bake her recipe but I didn’t have any bananas or brazil nuts in the house so I decided to experiment and one thing I do have ALOT of at the moment is rhubarb.   The result is this mix of Buckwheat, Rhubarb, nuts and seeds.

BuckaRoo Brekkie Loaf

buckaroo loaf2

  • 150g Buckwheat groats
  • 1 tablespoon rapeseed oil (or coconut or olive oil)
  •    Pinch Salt
  •   100g pitted dates – chopped
  • 150g mix of nuts and seeds (I used almonds, hazelnuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds)
  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds
  • 2 tablespoons flax seeds
  • 180g Rhubarb
  •   1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar
  •   100g oats
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Method

  • Line a 450g loaf tin with baking paper.
  • Wash the buckwheat and put into a pan with enough water to cover, a pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon of rapeseed oil. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 15 minutes.  Check the water – I needed to add a bit more during cooking to stop it sticking.  Drain off any excess water and leave to cool.
  • Cut the rhubarb into thin sticks (1cm thick and approx. 7cm long – check they fit into your loaf tin width ways) and toss with the coconut palm sugar.
  • In a food processor blitz the dates, nuts and seeds, chia and flax seeds, oats and cinnamon until well combined. Add the buckwheat and maple syrup and blend until combined.  The dough will be dry and coarse but will squish together.
  • Line the bottom of the tin with half the sticks of rhubarb, then add half the bread mixture. Lay the other half of the rhubarb sticks on top. Finally add the rest of the bread mixture and firm down.
  • Bake 180c/350f/Gas 4 for 40 minutes.
  • Leave to cool slightly in the tin before removing and letting it cool completely.

Delicious with almond butter and banana.  Also nice with a dollop of yoghurt on top.

Triple Choc Buck Granola

Still on the chocolate theme and this time it’s a dark chocolate granola which is decadent but oh so full of antioxidants with all that lovely cacao and not too sweet, in fact it’s more on the bitter side in a really good way.  This is an oat free granola using just buckwheat and quinoa flakes.  It’s the first time I’ve used buckwheat in granola and it gives a welcome nutty crunch and texture.

You need to store this in the fridge because of the chocolate content.  I’ve been sprinkling it on yoghurt and fruit for brekkie.

Triple Choc Buck Granola

triple choc buck granola

  • 100g buckwheat
  • 50g quinoa flakes
  • 50g raw cacao
  • 50g cacao nibs
  • 1 teaspoon cardamom
  • 50g hazelnuts (whole)
  • 50g pecans (broken up)
  • 50g coconut oil
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 100g dried cranberries
  • 25g finely grated dark chocolate

Mix the buckwheat, quinoa flakes, raw cacao, the nibs, cardamom and nuts in a bowl.

Melt the coconut oil in a pan and add the maple syrup.  Pour this over the buckwheat mixture to coat it well.  Spread this mixture onto a baking tray and bake for 30 minutes – stirring it up every 10 minutes.  170c/320f/Gas 4.

Take it out of the oven and mix through the cranberries and grated dark chocolate.  Leave it to cool and then put it in a container in the fridge.  Worth waiting for at least 30 minutes for it to really chill down in the fridge before you tuck in as it allows the chocolate to really harden up and clump it all up a bit.

Freekeh Apple Bowl

I’ve only recently started cooking with Freekeh which is a grain very similar to bulgur wheat. It has a nutty taste and also a high protein content which makes it perfect for breakfast. After discovering the delights of brown rice porridge I thought using Freekeh in the same way might work well – and it does.

You can eat this dish hot or cold.  I made it up the night before and then gave it a quick blast in the microwave to add some warmth.

Freekeh Apple Bowl (makes two portions)

freekeh-2

  • 50g Freekeh (dry weight) cooked (wash well, bring to the boil and simmer for 20mins under tender, then drain)
  • 50g sultanas or raisins
  • 25g hazelnuts – crushed
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon mixed spice
  • 100g stewed apple (cooking apples are best) + a bit extra if you want to dollop some on top before eating

Mix everything together in a bowl – I mixed everything whilst the freekeh was still warm to help infuse the flavours.  You can pop it in the fridge for the next day and eat it cold or warm it up.  Or of course eat it as soon as it’s made.

Worth adding another dollop of hot stewed apple on the top and some yoghurt before eating.

freekeh-1

Buck hazelnut bowl

My usual milks are almond or coconut but I fancied trying some different nut milks so have been using hazelnut milk.  The idea for this bowl came from eating a Cadbury’s fruit and nut bar – that lovely mix of raisons, hazelnuts and chocolate. The banana adds more creaminess and the dates give a tiny hint of caramel.

You could really be decadent and replace the cacao nibs with some milk chocolate chips or small buttons – but for now I’m sticking to the slightly healthier option.

The texture is like a thick smoothie with added crunchy bits – best eaten with a small spoon to savour each mouthful!

Buck hazelnut bowl (serves one)

Buck fruit and nut

  • 50g buckwheat – soaked in water overnight and then rinsed
  • 100ml hazelnut milk
  • 1 banana
  • 3 dates (I used Deglet nour which are a little smaller than medjool – so if you use medjool you probably only need 1 or 2)
  • Cacao nibs
  • Raisons
  • Hazelnuts

Blend the buckwheat, banana, dates and hazelnut milk.  Put the mixture into a bowl or glass and stir through some cacao nibs, raisons and whole hazelnuts. Then put a few more on the top to decorate.  I used a very generous sprinkle of cacao nibs, around 25g raisons and about 10 hazelnuts.

Beetroot, pear & cardamom quinoa bowl

I’ve just sown some beetroot seeds on the allotment and can’t wait for my abundance of beetroot to play with over the coming months. So in anticipation I bought some to keep me going and have been experimenting with ways to incorporate them into breakfast. I love the combination of beetroot and coconut and the floral flavours of cardamom really bring the dish to life –  it’s a perfect healthy protein rich brekkie bowl.

You could just use quinoa, but I like the slightly different texture that the quinoa flakes bring to the dish.  You may wish to adjust the milk – I do like my bowls a little more on the wet side.

Beetroot, pear & cardamom quinoa bowl (serves one)

Beet pear quinoa2

  • 30g uncooked quinoa – rinsed
  • 20g quinoa flakes
  • 200-300ml coconut milk
  • 1 pear – grated
  • 20g raw fresh beetroot – finely grated
  • 1 teaspoon crushed cardamom (that’s about 6-8 pods)
  • 1 teaspoon coconut palm sugar – or other brown sugar
  • Coconut flakes
  • Pumpkin seeds

Put the uncooked quinoa, the grated beetroot and 200ml of coconut milk in a pan. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the grated pear, cardamom, sugar and quinoa flakes and a further 50ml of coconut milk and continue to simmer for 10 minutes. Keep an eye on the pan and add  more coconut milk if it’s getting too dry.

Take off the heat and stir through the coconut flakes (I used about a tablespoon) and some pumpkin seeds (I used around a teaspoon).

If you can wait – it’s nice to let mixture sit in the pan for a few minutes to infuse and soak up a little more moisture before you eat it.

Beet pear quinoa1

Put it in a bowl and sprinkle a few bits of coconut and some extra sugar if you fancy.

 

 

Orange & Almond Brown Rice Bowl

Brrr it was so cold this morning that another big warming bowl was required.  I had more brown rice to use up from last night so I’m  back to the brown rice porridge.  This has a lovely zesty fresh taste and is a lovely warming filling brekkie. I love the flavours of orange and almond together.

Orange & Almond Brown Rice Bowl (serves one)

Brown rice orange1

  • 120g of cooked brown rice (from the night before is good)
  • 100g water
  • 100ml orange juice
  • 50-100ml Almond milk
  • Zest of one orange
  • 25g sultanas or raisons
  • 1 tsp ground almonds
  • Cinnamon – liberal amount
  • Ginger – liberal amount
  • 5-6 roughly chopped almonds
  • Flaked almonds – for topping

Put the rice, orange juice and water into a saucepan and boil gently for around 4-5 minutes until the liquid is absorbed – keep an eye on it and keep stirring it, don’t let it dry out.

Then start by adding 50ml of almond milk and the orange zest, chopped almonds, ground almonds, sultanas and spices and simmer for 8-10 minutes – keeping an eye on the liquid levels – add more of the almond milk as you stir – don’t let it get dry.

This is lovely with some flaked almonds on top – and I do sometimes add some brown sugar too.

Pear & Fennel Buck Bowl

Buckwheat fennel bowl

I’ve been using buckwheat for a little while now mainly cooking risottos with it. However I recently discovered that soaking and blending it (no cooking) creates a fabulous creamy dish.

Deliciously Ella and Oh She Glows have some lovely buckwheat porridge recipes so I’ve been inspired to experiment. This week I’ve also been pondering fennel. On Tuesday I had an energy bar that had fennel seeds in and I loved the slight aniseed hit that it gave.  I’m not a great fan of strong aniseed but this was lovely.

So I’ve been thinking about how to incorporate this into a breakfast dish.  Subtlety is the key and I think that raw blended buckwheat makes the perfect base for including more delicate flavours.

It’s quite a small amount compared to my usual bigger bowls of porridge, but it’s surprisingly filling and tastes wonderfully creamy.  I did add some maple syrup to mine as I was craving sweetness today, but the dish works without this too.

Pear and Fennel Buck Bowl (serves one)

Buck pear with maple

  • 50g buckwheat – soaked overnight – it won’t work if they aren’t soaked.
  • 1 pear
  • 2 tbsp. natural yoghurt
  • 2 tbsp. almond milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds – grinded in a pestle and mortar
  • 4-5 walnuts

Drain and rinse the buckwheat. In a blender or food processor blend the buckwheat, 1/2 the pear, the yoghurt and almond milk.  Put into a bowl and stir through the ground fennel seeds, the rest of the pear diced up and the walnuts crumbled in.   Decorate with some walnuts and a few extra whole fennel seeds if you fancy a bit more aniseed.   Drizzle over some maple syrup if you fancy more sweetness.

Brown Rice Apple Porridge

I first tasted brown rice porridge at a yoga retreat a couple of years ago. The rice from the previous evenings meal was re-cooked for breakfast with delicious results. Whenever I cook brown rice for dinner, I always make extra so that I can have this breakfast a couple of times over the following days.  It does take a bit of stirring and infusing of flavours and liquid so it’s an ideal weekend filling breakfast when there is more time to enjoy the wait.

Brown rice apple porridge (serves one)

Created with Nokia Smart Cam
Created with Nokia Smart Cam
  • 120g of cooked brown rice
  • 100ml water
  • 100ml Almond milk (or other milk) – plus a bit extra if the rice gets too dry
  • 1 apple – grated
  • 25g sultanas or raisons
  • Cardamom – I crushed around 5 pods
  • Cinnamon – liberal amount – this dish can take a lot of spices
  • Cloves – small sprinkle as it’s quite a strong flavour and easy to overpower the other spices
  • Demerara or other brown sugar to serve

Put the rice and water into a saucepan and boil for around 4-5 minutes until the water is absorbed – keep an eye on it and keep stirring it.

Then add the almond milk, grated apple, sultanas and spices and simmer for 8-10 minutes – keeping an eye on the liquid levels. You want the apple to be really squishy and almost dissolving into the rice so don’t simmer for less time, if it’s getting dry add a bit more milk.

This is lovely with the added crunch of some demerara sugar to serve.

————–

I managed to do a spinning class and dog walk before enjoying some time in the kitchen to cook and eat this dish, which I really felt I had earned – a lovely feeling.  I did have a banana before heading out to spin – I needed something to keep me going.