Porridge many ways

Porridge is the ultimate breakfast comfort food which can be made in many ways to suit everyone, even those on a grain free diet (e.g. my keto porridge). Recipes below.

The different grains:

Oats: liquid to oats ration is 2:1 or 3:1, depending on the consistency you like. Cook for 10 minutes

Quinoa, buckwheat and millet groats: liquid to grain ratio is 3:1, cook for 20 minutes and blend as these grains don create a creamy texture like oats

Grain alternatives include dessicated coconut mixed with ground nuts and chia seeds

Best liquids:

• water

• coconut milk (my favourite as it´s the most nutritious and creamy)

• almond / hazelnut / cashew milk

Porridge do´s and dont´s:

• to keep blood glucose balanced, always add a source of fat and protein to your porridge. Cinnamon helps too.

  Fat sources: a heaped table spoon of butter, ghee, coconut oil or full fat coconut milk, nuts, seeds and their butters.

  Protein sources: protein powder, 0% fat Greek yoghurt, skyr (otherwise, it’s are a source of fat more than protein). In order to use protein powder in your porridge, mix it with a little liquid first so that there are no powdery lumps, and add the mix to the porridge.

• All grains should ALWAYS be cooked in liquid and not eaten raw. Bircher muesli / overnight oats, traditional granola and regular muesli are a big no for the gut.

• Fresh fruit causes grains to ferment in the gut, especially if you suffer from digestive issues like gas, diarrhoea or constipation. Ripe fresh banana is ok but generally try and use dried or cooked fruit instead.

• The keto or butternut squash porridge will be the best choice if you suffer from poor energy and gut issues or have are on a weight loss plan.

• Skip oats if you have tendency to build mucus, phlegm, feel congested in general and feel sleepy after eating porridge.

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RECIPES

Porridge for constipation

• 1/2 cup of oats

• 1 - 1.5 cup of water (chia seeds further thicken the porridge so you may need more liquid)

• 1 table spoon of coconut oil

• 3 dried apricots or 2 table spoons of unsweetened apple sauce from a jar

• 2 tea spoons of chia seeds

• Pinch of salt

• 1/4 tea spoon of cinnamon

• Optional: coconut yoghurt and maple syrup to serve

1. Place oats in water, add chopped apricots or apple sauce. Cook for 10 minutes.

2. Add chia seeds, coconut oil and salt.

3. Top up with coconut yoghurt and maple syrup.

Coconut porridge with raspberry compote and flaked almonds

• 1/2 cup of oats

• 1/2 cup of coconut milk and 1/2 cup of water

• Pinch of salt

• 1 table spoon of coconut oil

• frozen raspberries

• a handful of flaked almonds, you can toast them beforehand

1. Cook oats in coconut milk for 10 minutes, add salt and coconut oil.

2. To make raspberry compote, cook frozen raspberries until they resemble a chunky jam. If desired, sweeten with honey or xylitol. Leftovers will keeps well in the fridge.

3. Put cooked oats in a bowl, top with hot or cold raspberry compote and sprinkle with flaked almonds.

Banana and salted peanut cream millet porridge

• 1/3 cup of millet groats

• 1/2 cup of coconut milk and 1/2 cup of water

• Salt

• 1/3 tea spoon of cinnamon

• 1 ripe banana

• Peanut butter

1. Cook miller groats in water and coconut milk for 20 minutes.

2. Mash 1/2 banana and add it to the porridge along with a pinch of salt and cinnamon.

3. To make salted peanut cream: blend or whisk well 2 table spoons of peanut butter with 4 table spoons of hot water and a pinch of salt. Keeps well in the fridge for ages.

4. Place porridge in a bowl, top with 1/2 chopped banana and drizzle with salted peanut cream.

Chocolate quinoa porridge with pears

• 1/3 cup of quinoa groats

• 1/2 cup of coconut milk and 1/2 cup of water

• 1 table spoon of cacao or cocoa powder

• pinch of salt

• a dash of honey or maple syrup

• 1 table spoon of butter or ghee

• 2 cooked pears: peel, chop and place in a pot with a little bit of liquid, cook until soft

1. Cook quinoa in water and coconut milk for 20 minutes and stir in the remaining ingredients except for pears. Blend if you prefer a creamier consistency.

2. Place in a bowl and top with cooked pears.

Keto porridge - grain free

• ¼ cup of dessicated, unsweetened coconut

• 1/3 cup of assorted nuts

• 1-2 tea spoons of chia seeds

• ½ cup of plant based milk or water, use coconut milk if on keto

• toppings of choice

1. Finely grind the nuts, chia seeds and coconut using a high speed blender or food processor. You can grind a larger amount and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Serving size is 2 table spoons.

2. Bring water or almond milk to boil.

3. Combine the nut and seed mix with the milk.

5. Enjoy with toppings of choice.

Butternut squash paleo porridge - grain free

• 500g cooked squash (roasted or steamed)

• 100ml plant based milk or water

• 2 table spoons of any nut butter

• a pinch of salt

• 1/2 tea spoon of cinnamon

• vanilla extract

1. Place the squash and water in a saucepan, heat up and mash with a fork.

2. Add nut butter, cinnamon, salt and vanilla and stir until smooth.

3. Top with coconut yoghurt and berries or anything else that you like.

Tomato soup with extra protein

Ingredients:

• 2 carrots

• 2 celery sticks

• 2 onions

• 1-2 cloves of garlic

• 2-3 slices of quality bacon or pancetta, sliced

• 5 table spoons of olive oil

• 700ml of meat stock

• 1 bottle of of passata (around 700g) or 2 tins of chopped plum tomatoes, with juice (400g each)

• handful of fresh basil leaves

Instructions:

1. Finely chop all vegetables and dice the pancetta. Place in a soup pot and sauté in in olive oil on medium heat for 10 minutes.

2. Add stock and tomatoes, and cook everything for 15 minutes.

3. Take off the heat, add basil leaves and blend until smooth.

   Serving suggestions:

   • with with extra bacon bits, 2 slices of buffalo mozzarella and a drizzle of olive oil

   • with 2 quartered leftover meatballs, a handful of grated Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil

No grain-ola (keto granola)

Ingredients

• 2 cups of roughly chopped assorted nuts (you can use food processor); if having digestive issues, soak nuts overnight and dry with a paper towel

• 1 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes or desiccated coconut

• 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds

• 1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds

• 1/2 cup of sesame seeds

• 1-2 tea spoon of ground cinnamon

• 7 table spoons of melted coconut oil

• Optional: vanilla essence, freeze dried strawberries or raspberries

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees. Line large baking tray with parchment paper

2. Mix nuts, seeds and cinnamon and coconut oil in a big bowl

3. Place granola on the baking tray and spread out evenly

4. Bake for 20 minutes and add coconut (if you add it at the beginning, it will burn)

5. Bake for another 5-10 minutes or until it’s golden brown.

6. Let it cool completely before adding optional freeze dried berries. Store it in an airtight container. It lasts for ages so it’s worth making more in one go.

Enjoy with full fat yoghurt (e.g. probiotic coconut yoghurt) and berries.

Keto energy balls

These make a perfect snack or breakfast if you can’t eat much in the morning. They contain a satiating combination of protein, good fats and fibre. Not only will they help you feel full but also keep blood sugar in check, providing stable energy. Unless you should avoid high fibre foods, they are great for anyone - not just those who are on the ketogenic diet.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of nut butter; if it had separated, do not add the liquid oil

• 1/2 cup of coconut oil

• 200g of mixed nuts, chopped or processed in a food processor to adesired texture

• Handful of milled chia seeds

• Dessicated coconut, as much as you like

• 4 servings of protein powder

Optional:

• Liquid monkfruit sweetener or stevia, if you prefer a sweeter flavour

• 1-2 table spoons of cacao or cocoa

• Cinnamon

• Maca powder

• Sea salt

  Note: Do not add sources of glucose like dried fruit, maple syrup, honey or oats.

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients

2. Form balls (they will be sticky but will set)

3. Place in a container and keep in the fridge

Avocado brownie

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs, whisked well

• 100g coconut oil

• 300g dark chocolate, min. 70% cocoa

• 200g ground almonds

• 2 mashed ripe hass avocados (should feel lightly soft to touch - not mushy)

• 200g coconut sugar / panela / rapadura

• 1 heaped tea spoon baking powder

• Pinch of salt

• Optional: 1 tea spoon vanilla extract

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 170 C degrees

2. Put saucepan over low heat; pop in coconut oil and chocolate

3. Once melted, add the sugar. It may not dissolve completely but that’s ok.

4. Turn off the heat, let it cool and add the remaining ingredients.

5. Pour the mixture into a tin lined with parchment paper and pop in the oven for 30 mins.

6. Let it cool for 20 mins and enjoy.

Salted caramel ice cream - dairy free

Ingredients:

• 1 tin of full fat coconut milk

• 3 egg yolks (to make vegan ice cream, simply don’t add them)

• 120 grams of cashew nuts or cashew butter

• 150 g of dates

• Generous pinch of sea salt

Tools:

Blender or food processor

Method:

1. Add cashews to coconut milk. Set aside overnight and blend well in the morning. Skip this step if using cashew butter.

2. Soak dates in hot water for at least 30 minutes. Drain. You can let them sit overnight, too.

3. Beat egg yolks.

4. Blend in the remaining ingredients.

5. Pour into a container or ice cream moulds, and freeze for 2-3 hours before serving.

   If you want to make scoops, wait until the ice cream thaws a little.

Serving suggestion: with toasted cashews or pecan nuts and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Detox soup

Ingredients:

• 1 litre of meat stock / bone broth / vegetable stock or water with quality stock cubes like Marigold

• 2 table spoons of ghee or olive oil

• 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped

• 350g of broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)

• 200 grams of spinach (fresh or frozen)

• 130g of frozen peas

• 1 onion

• handful of mint leaves or fresh dill or both

  My favourite toppings: chopped hard boiled eggs + chopped avocado + crumbled feta cheese + pumpkin seeds (you can use all of them together or either, depending on your preferences)

  You can increase your protein intake by adding 1 serving of collagen protein powder

Method:

1. Melt ghee or oil in a pot

2. Add all vegetables and sauté until soft

3. Add stock and and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes

4. Season with salt and pepper

5. Optionally, add mint or dill or both

6. Blend

7. Garnish with toppings or preference and enjoy

About the soup

This delicious ‘eat your greens soup’ focuses on both phases of liver detoxification and healthy bile flow, which require the following nutrients:

• protein

• fat

• fibre

• sulphur

• B vitamins, especially folate

• magnesium

The soup has it all. It is specifically good to support methylation (e.g. lowering homocysteine or clearing out excess oestrogens) and the skin. Great for children who don’t like green vegetables.

Mango lassi style smoothie

A smoothie that is supposed to replace a meal, such as breakfast, should always contain ample amounts of complete protein, quality fats and fibre. A well composed smoothie will support blood glucose balance throughout the day which will positively impact your stress response, weight loss hormones, metabolic performance and energy.

Smoothies are also a convenient way to include many functional foods in one meal, from probiotic foods and collagen to raw egg yolks.

Ingredients:

• 1 small ripe mango or 1/2 large

• 5 table spoons of full fat Greek or coconut yoghurt

• 1 serving of protein powder like whey isolate or vegan, ideally together with 1 serving of collagen

• 2 egg yolks (read here why I recommend raw egg yolks)

• Optional: pinch of ground cardamom and / or a few drops of rose water

Instructions:

Blend and enjoy.

To feel fuller for longer, use crunchy toppings like almond flakes or toasted coconut chips. This will stimulate chewing, which plays a big role in satiety signalling and smooth digestion.

Easy way to cook fish 3

Ingredients:

• Any fish, with or without the skin

• Any assorted vegetables, cut / sliced into desirable pieces

• Olive oil

• Salt

• Optional: pesto (can be vegan)

Instructions:

1. Heat up the pan, add a splash of oil.

2. Add all vegetables and a small splash of water to create steam.

3. Season with salt and stir through.

4. Place fish on top of vegetable skin side up and close the pan with a lid.

5. Cook until fish has set - steam created in the pan will take care of that.

6. When cooked, you can spread some pesto over the fish.

   Serving suggestion: on its own or 2-3 boiled baby potatoes dressed in butter and lemon juice.

Probiotic coconut yoghurt

In the era of questionable quality of dairy, coconut yoghurt comes to the rescue. Making your own is easy, cheaper than shop-bought and yealds more probiotic strength than probiotics on their own.

Ingredients:

• 400ml of full fat coconut milk

• 2 capsules of quality multi-strain probiotic or a double serving of probiotic powder, or 2 BioGaia Gastrus tablets

• Optional: 2 tea spoons of gelatin powder - if you prefer a thicker consistency

Method:

1. Pour the cream or milk into a saucepan and heat it up (not boil).

2. Take off the heat, add gelatin and stir well. Wait until it cools down to room temparature.

3. Add probiotics (crush Gastrus tablets first if you are using these) and stir again.

4. Transfer into a jar, close the lid and keep in room temperature for 48 hours - do not refrigerate during this time

5. Transfer to the fridge and enjoy

About the yoghurt:

Coconuts are rich in fibre which acts as a PREbiotic. What it means is that the fibre feeds the PRObiotic bacteria, making them multiply. In other words, making yoghurt using a probiotic makes more probiotic. It may also colonise the digestive tract better than just probiotics. If you add extra inulin (which is also a prebiotic), it may produce even more probiotic bacteria.

The stomach, although acidic, requires microbial protection just as much as the rest of the digestive tract. Since most probiotics are designed to work in the intestines, yoghurt supports the entire digestive tract, including the mouth.

There are various brands of coconut yoghurt on the market but the quality isn’t always good. They may be free of common allergens but contain unnecessary additives, synthetic vitamins and sometimes soy milk. If you decide to go for a shop-bought coconut yoghurt, make sure it only contains coconut milk, live bacteria and a thickener like tapioca.

Why Gastrus from BioGaia

According to the cardiologist and bestselling author dr William Davis, the two probiotic strains used in the product (Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC PTA 6475 and Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938) not only naturally colonise the human gut but have been researched in terms of:

• suppressing appetite and supporting weight loss

• increasing collagen, skin thickness and accelerating skin healing

• improving hormonal balance in both males and females which has a multitude of benefits

The full article and dr Davis’ his recipe can be found here.

Liver lover smoothie

A source of fat (coconut coconut oil) and piperine from cayenne pepper help with the absorption of the key active ingredient in turmeric called curcumin, which supports the first phase of detoxification by the liver. Collagen contains amino acid glycine which is key for the second phase of detoxification. Coconut oil and beetroot will help with bile flow.

Ingredients:

• Handful of fresh or frozen raspberries

• 1/2 cooked beetroot, e.g. vacuum packed (raw is very high in oxalates)

• 1 table spoon of coconut oil

• 1 serving of collagen

• 1 egg yolk (read here why I recommend raw egg yolks)

• Small piece of fresh turmeric or 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder

• Pinch of cayenne pepper

• Water, to achieve a desired consistency

• Optional: 3 drops of rose water

Instructions:

Blend and enjoy.

Almond bread

Ingredients

• 250 g of ground almonds

• 50 g of odourless coconut oil / ghee / butter / lard / goose fat / duck fat (you can also mix different fats and see what flavour you like the most)

• 3 eggs

• 1/4 flat tea spoon of salt

• Optionally: 75 g of assorted seeds (my favourite mix is pumpkin, sunflower, sesame and poppy seeds)

• Optionally: 1 flat table spoon of maple syrup or honey (I like sweetening mine a bit as it results in a more balanced flavour)

Method

1. Mix all ingredients well, it should have a thick, porridge-like consistency. You may add more or less almonds.

2. Place in a greased tin and bake in 150 Celcius degrees for about 1 hour (you want to keep the temperature relatively low, not to damage the precious fats).

• This bread doesn’t raise much and is rather dense; best to make it in a smaller tin. Otherwise, it can be flat

• A little goes a long way which compensates for the price of almonds - no need to cut it thick as it’s very filling

• Keeps very well in the fridge. I always toast it

Note: If seeds make you gassy, give you cramps or you have colon inflammation, mill the seeds or leave them out until the digestive tract gets better. The same goes to sweeteners - some people get digestive symptoms from honey or maple syrup so it is best to substitute with a sweetener that you can tolerate or not use any until digestion improves.

Fish pate

Fish and fish liver complement each other in terms of the nutrient profile. Protein from the flesh requires vitamin A for a proper utilisation of amino-acids, and liver is the richest source of vitamin A.

Perfect for breakfast, lunch or as a filling snack.

Ingredients:

• 3 tins of sardines in brine, drained

• 1 tin of cod livers, drained

• 1/2 finely chopped onion, can be red

• 1 tea spoon of lemon zest

• 2 tea spoons of lemon juice

• 1 table spoon of chopped capers (they are salty so no extra salt needed)

• 1-2 table spoons of olive oil or homemade mayonnaise

• Chilli flakes

Method:

Mash up all ingredients with a fork and enjoy.

Serving suggestions (depending on the state of your health):

• wrapped in lettuce leaves, topped with fresh vegetables like pepper, cucumber, radish, carrot

• in a salad

• with poached eggs

• as a topping on a baked potato, with other garnish of choice

• with linseed crackers

• with oat cakes

• with toasted sour dough bread

Simple pumpkin pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butternut squash or pumpkin puree; can be tinned

• 1/2 cup unsweetened nut butter

• 4 eggs

• Pinch of salt

• 1 flat teaspoon of cinnamon

• Fat of choice for cooking (ghee, coconut oil, lard, goose fat, duck fat)

Method:

1. Warm a pan on low heat. Once hot, melt a generous amount of fat and make sure that the pan gets hot again. Note: too much heat can burn these pancakes

2. Blend all ingredients except for fat until smooth

3. When the pan and fat are warm, place 3 tablespoons of batter per pancake onto the pan

4. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side

5. Serve with toppings of choice; I recommend adding extra fat on top which will keep you fuller for longer

Paleo pumpkin pie

Ingredients for the base:

• 200g ground almonds (it can also be a mix of almonds and walnuts oror all three pecans)

• good pinch of sea salt

• 1 egg

• 2-3 table spoons of melted coconut oil

• 2 table spoons of maple syrup

Ingredients for the pumpkin filling:

• 1/2 large roasted butternut squash (feel free to use any pumpkin; that's what I had at hand) or ready-made pumpkin puree but make sure there’s only pumpkin on the list of ingredients as they often come mixed with unwanted additions :)

• 2 eggs

• 3 heaped table spoons of the thick part of coconut milk that separated in the tin or coconut cream

• maple syrup to your liking, it will depend on the sweetness of the pumpkin, I added around 4 table spoons

• mixed spices: I used 1 heaped tea spoon of ground cinnamon, 1/2 tea spoon of ginger, 1/3 tea spoon of nutmeg and 1/3 tea spoon of cardamom. Ready-made gingerbread or pumpkin pie mix will be just as good, or even just cinnamon

• 2 tea spoons of vanilla extract

How to roast butternut squash: deseed, cut into crescents and roast for 30 minutes in 180 degrees. It can be peeled afterwards but there is no need to peel it at all

Method:

1. Place all base ingredients in a bowl and mix together

2. Grease a tart dish with a little coconut oil. Press the crust mix tightly into the dish and up the sides. Bake at 160’C for about 10 minutes and remove from the oven. Don’t worry if it puffs up a little as it will fall once away from heat

3. Mix all pumpkin filling ingredients in a food processor / blender or with a hand blender until smooth

4. Pour the filling into the base

5. Bake at 160 degrees for 40 minutes or until the filling has set

   Enjoy x