Teff Porridge

Good Thursday morning to you!

Guess what?

The blog is one year old this week! That's right. One year ago today Edible Sound Bites went live. Its hard to believe that one year has already past by. I'd like to think that I've begun to find my own voice and my photography has improved (there's only so much you can do with a point-and-shoot, but I make do for now). The blog is always evolving and has grown immensely thanks to all of my loyal readers and those who continue to follow me. You are what helps me to make these posts possible.

Now let's get to the food.   

Its almost the weekend again. That means more time in the morning to make a dee-licious breakfast.

Following up with last weeks post on the gluten free grain Teff I've got a great breakfast recipe to share today.

Now I realize that not everyone is adventurous when it comes to new unfamiliar foods. Teff is no exception either. I mean even I wasn't too sure about it. Having said that, I have always wanted to give it a try ever since hearing about it from the eat clean diet and Tosca Reno. That was about two years ago. I've heard many great things about the grain. So I rolled up my sleeves and dove right in this week. It took me long enough!

The verdict?

It tastes pretty darn good! It really does have a sweet molasses flavour thing going on.

I think the key to making teff taste really good is adding flavour through spices. I choose to use ground cloves adding it to the grains while they cooked and I finished it off with a sprinkle of cinnamon.You know how I'm always trying to sneak cinnamon into everything. . . Or onto everything. The other thing I did to bring out the flavour was lightly toasting the seeds. Just until they become fragrant. I think it makes a differece.

You could also do something like pumpkin pie spice and add replace the dates in this recipe with a little canned pumpkin. That would be really nice too.

Warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves work very well with Teff.

Teff Porridge with Dates & Maple Syrup gluten free, vegan, (serves 4)

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Ingredients: 

• 1 cup teff
• 4 cups water
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 2 tsp coconut oil (optional)
• 1/4 chopped dates + extra for topping
• dried apricots for serving (optional)
• maple syrup for serving
• cinnamon for topping

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan with tall sides, add the teff and toast over medium heat. Stir frequently for 3-4 minutes until they become fragrant. The grains will start to pop although you may not see them you will hear them.
2. In a medium saucepan, bring water to boil. Add teff, cloves, and coconut oil. Reduce heat and gently simmer for 10 minutes stirring often to prevent the grains from sticking to the pot.
3. Stir in the dates, cover and continue cooking for another 5 to 10 minutes or until the grains are tender.
4. Divide between 4 bowls and top with extra dates and dried apricots, maple syrup, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Nutrition for each serving: 284 calories, 7.3g protein, 3.4g total fat (2g sat, 0g trans fat), 0mg cholesterol, 14mg sodium, 59g carbohydrates, 6g fibre, 18g sugars

Hooray for another well balanced breakfast!

How willing are you to give strange foods that are unfamiliar to you a try? Tell me in the comments, are there any vegetables or foods you've ventured to try and now love?

I'll get the ball rolling. I was never one to like rhubard. My grandfather used to grow it, my parents love it, but I never could. Until I gave it another try a few years back and now its really grown on me. Its a good thing I've got some growing in my backyard.

Overnight Oats With A Twist

Overnight oats are a wonderful way to get breakfast quickly in the morning because of their make ahead convenience. It's also perfect for those who are on the go and need to take something with them. So what are they? Simply put they are just oats that have absorbed the liquid they have been soaked in. There's no cooking involved. Plus eating overnight oats is another way to add chia seeds to your diet. If your looking for some good info on them, check out this post.

As an added benefit to soaking your oats, your body will have an easier time digesting and absorbing their nutrition. This is because they are already partially broken down after soaking. We all know how good oatmeal is for us - it's full of vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber, and is a great way to lower cholesterol. And as the oats soak, their vitamin content actually increases. Especially the B vitamins, which among many things help keep a strong healthy metabolism, heart and nerve function.

There are a few different version floating around out there on the internet. The most common uses milk, yogurt and chia seeds. This version is vegan so there's no yogurt, and it's pretty basic.

Now I love having oats for breakfast, but I just can't seem to bring myself to eat cold oatmeal. Just the thought of eating it cold turns me off. So these overnight oats have a little twist to them. They are still soaked overnight, but instead of using a liquid to oat ratio of 2:1, I added a little more liquid in order to allow for a few minutes of microwave time the next morning.

The result: a super creamy bowl of oatmeal that comes close to tasting like pudding!

The best part is that it only takes a minute or two to throw everything together the night before.

Basic Overnight Oats (Serves 1)

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Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup of almond milk (any milk you like will do)
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. Add oats, chia seeds, cinnamon and milk to a bowl or microwave safe container and stir together. Cover and place in the fridge overnight.
2. In the morning, remove lid and put oats in the microwave on high for 2-5 minutes depending on how powerful your microwave is. Watch it closely. When it starts to bubble and rise take it out and let it sit covered for another 2-3 minutes (the longer you let it sit the thicker the oats will get).
3. Top with fresh fruit or something crunchy like a sprinkle of granola or cereal, and 1-2 tbsp of nut butter for healthy fats.

To this bowl I added sliced banana and a tbsp of maple cinnamon almond butter, and it tasted like heaven!

Of course if eating cold oatmeal doesn't bother you, you can still use this recipe to make traditional overnight oats as long you use 2/3 of a cup of milk instead of 1 cup and skip the microwave. Either way you choose it's a great breakfast.

It's exciting to get up in the morning and know it's already waiting for you.