Banana & Date Quinoa Porridge

Here, as promised, is a warming and filling breakfast that is gluten free and dairy free and a great alternative to traditional oat based porridge. Made with quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) it not only has complex carbohydrates but is also rich in protein which helps you feel full for longer. In addition it contains the whole compliment of essential amino acids that the human body needs making it particularly valuable to vegans and vegetarians. It is unsurprising then that the Incas called this 'the mother grain'. Having written about how great quinoa is, I really am at a loss as to why I don't use this more often particularly as it takes no more time to prepare than rice. Now that I have discovered how yummy quinoa porridge is I am looking forward to trying out some different versions with a variety of different fruits, nuts and spices. I like this combination of dates which dissolve to just produce a dark caramel taste and the bananas which helps to make a creamy texture and extra sweet taste. It is also a really helpful recipe to use up over ripe bananas.

Dairy Free Apple Porridge

Now the mornings are colder I really like a warm breakfast to set me up for the day. I normally would have porridge/oatmeal but as I haven't been eating dairy I kind of dismissed it as an option. Until I remembered that oats cooked in apple juice taste so great that you don't even feel like you are missing out. Even if you can eat dairy this makes a really yummy alternative if you don't fancy something as rich as oatmeal made with milk or cream. I like to add a handful of dried fruit and nuts to add texture and keep me feeling full for longer. I like cranberries and almonds or dried pears and walnuts but whatever you like should be good. I also like using other apple based juices such as apple and raspberry or apple and mango for a more summery version.

I have been meaning to talk about oats and whether they are suitable for those with coeliac disease as although I always thought oats contained gluten I have been seeing packets of rolled oats that state they are gluten free. When I looked into this I found that the reason that most oats aren't classed as gluten free is due to contamination during processing rather than the oats themselves. In summary it seems that some coeliacs can tolerate oats classed as gluten free i.e non contaminated oats. The decision to eat oats is really a personal one which should be made with the help of your health care professionals but if in doubt, leave it out of your diet. If you would like to know more then here is a link to the Coeliac UK's advice as well as a summary of previous research on www.celiac.com. I will be posting an alternative warm sweet breakfast idea for those who don't eat oats shortly. 

Huevos Rancheros- Egg with Beans in Tomato Sauce

This used to be a favorite brunch of ours back in the UK. It is filling and relatively healthy and I loved this with potato waffles on the side. However, I haven't had a potato waffle in over 18 months, booo! If you have never had a potato waffle then they are basically mashed potato formed into a waffle lattice shape and deep fried. They are, as the advert says, wafflly versatile and we would often have them with baked beans, embarassingly British, I know. In lieu of potato waffles I used tortillas, much more authentic as I am sure you will agree. There are some gluten free corn tortillas brands around including Mission and Discovery, although a lot of corn tortillas have some wheat flour in, so be sure to check the label.

Breakfast Polenta

The name says it all really. I had been enjoying fried hash potatoes with eggs for brunch over the last week, as I rarely feel like eating as soon as I get up and have taken to combining two meals in one. On Sunday morning though, I found we were out of potatoes plus I rarely have bread in the house so toast was off the menu. But whilst I was rummaging around in the cupboard I came across some polenta that I had left over from the orange & cardamon cake I made a while back. Hence this breakfast polenta recipe came about. For something that happened accidentally this dish is a keeper. I am planning on adding some spinach next time and serving it with some asparagus and a runny poached egg- yum! I will also have to give a sweet version a try, may be with honey, almond and apricot.