Voila

Wellbeing

Love this new post from Voila's contributor Lucinda. Follow her instagram page TheLonelycook for more delicious dishes. I always struggle with the breakfast thing, coming up with new tasty ideas. I don't like eating the same thing every morning, I like new interesting flavours to start my day. Can't wait to make these porridge recipes next week and I will definitely be Pimping them up !! 

 Happy New Year Voilá readers! 

" I hope you all had a wonderful time over the festive period and feel rested and ready for 2015. This month I am going to share one of my most basic and frequently used recipes with you, along with a few ways to ‘dress it up’ and make it Voilá-worthy. Porridge may seem like the most boring and bland of meals but with a few little additions it can be luxurious, warming and delicious, and should be as much a staple item in your diet as the perfect pair of jeans is in your wardrobe (check out those Light After Dark high-waisters Voilá posted in December – yum!).

But before that, a quick word about the ubiquitous January detox. Of course it is natural after a period of such indulgence to feel the need to cleanse and detox our bodies, but what is not natural is to starve ourselves and live on juices, cold salads and low-fat everything during some of the darkest and coldest days of the year. Instead, we need (and crave) warm meals full of seasonal produce and good amounts of healthy fats. Think slow-cooked stews packed full of root vegetables served alongside buttered winter greens, spiced coconut soups topped with tamari toasted seeds and, of course, big bowls of steaming porridge! 

Since the 70’s the low-fat diet has been heralded from all corners as the best way to lose weight and help keep our bodies healthy. This has resulted in many low-fat foods on our supermarket shelves that have had the fat substituted with sugar in order to compensate the lack of flavour (there’s no denying that fat tastes good!). But times are changing and scientific research is more and more frequently showing support for high-fat diets free of refined sugar. Refined sugar is highly addictive and has little to no nutritional value, whereas healthy fats provide essential building blocks for hormones, skin and joints, and aid the absorption of vitamins and minerals. This is why you should always eat the skin on meat and fish along with the flesh, and why fruit and veg should always be served with a portion of healthy fat such as full fat organic yoghurt, coconut oil, butter, olive oil, or even some full fat cheese. Oily fish is an excellent source of healthy fat as is avocado, so if you are having a salad make sure you add either or both to your bowl. Try cutting out refined sugar in your cooking and avoiding all foods with added sugar (read all labels, you’ll be amazed where sugar sneaks in), and if you find yourself craving something sweet, eat half an avocado or a piece of cheese and feel your cravings disappear.

In short, focus on eating real, home-cooked food and try replacing sugar in your diet with some healthy fats. Make warm, comforting food that you want to eat, starting with my nutritious and delicious porridge! Oats are a great source of fibre and nutrients, such as phosphorous, potassium, manganese and selenium. They provide slow-burning energy and are the perfect ‘blank-canvas’ for a whole host of other scrummy ingredients, making them perfect breakfast material. First up is my basic recipe for porridge which can be topped with anything you like, from fruit compotes to nut butters, cocoa nibs, chia seeds or an indulgent spoonful of raw cream. I add an egg (nutritional power-houses that they are) for extra creaminess and richness, and ALWAYS soak my oats before cooking. This helps to deactivate the phytic acid which inhibits mineral absorption, and also reduces cooking time and makes the porridge creamier. I’ve then included a few ways to ‘pimp’ your porridge, including a savoury version for those of you who love porridge as much as I do and want to eat it for every meal! "

Basic porridge recipe (serves one greedy person, or two less greedy persons)

½ cup (heaped) rolled porridge oats

1 cup filtered water

½ cup of nut milk, or milk of choice (but make sure it’s full fat!)

A small pinch of salt, sea-salt or pink Himalayan salt

1 small free-range egg (optional)

Add the oats and water to a heavy-based saucepan and leave to soak for at least 15 minutes (overnight is even better but you may need a little extra liquid). Meanwhile, whisk together the egg and milk with a very small pinch of salt (this will add flavour and help break down the egg). Cook the oats and water over a medium heat, stirring all the time until they begin to bubble gently and thicken. Then pour in the egg and milk and continue to stir over the heat until the porridge is at the desired consistency (I like mine about the consistency of thick cream). Pour into a bowl and enjoy with your chosen toppings! 

Pimp it up!

Spiced porridge

Add ½ tsp each of ground cinnamon and ground ginger to the egg and milk mix, along with a tiny pinch of ground cardamom and all spice and 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Cook as before. Be sparing at first with the spices, especially the cardamom and all spice, then up the quantities to suit your taste (I use a tsp each of cinnamon and ginger). I especially like to top spiced porridge with hazelnut butter, cocoa nibs and a little extra nut milk.

Chocolate porridge

We’re always looking for ways to get chocolate into our breakfast meal, so here’s a much happier and healthier option than the usual bowl of cocoa pops. Omit the egg and cook porridge as before. After you’ve added the milk and the porridge starts to bubble, stir in 1-2 tbs of raw cacoa powder or normal cocao powder that has been dissolved in a tbs of hot water. Cook until hot and thickened and stir in a capful of vanilla extract. Try making this with coconut milk to add sweetness and top with raspberries and toasted coconut flakes. For children and those with a sweeter tooth, stir in rice syrup or other natural sweetner to taste.

Savoury porridge

Add 2 tbs chopped parsley to egg and milk mixture with some black pepper and a grating of fresh nutmeg. Cook porridge as before, adding in a couple of small handfuls of baby spinach and ¼ cup of grated pecorino cheese (or to taste) towards the end. Stir through until spinach is wilted and cheese melted. Serve with a few chopped spring onions, extra cheese and black pepper.

Feel free to post any pictures of your own porridge creations on Instagram with the hash-tag #iloveoatsthemost so I can see who really loves oats the most! 

Have a happy healthy start to 2015 with lots of love from,

thelonelycook x