GOLDILOCKS'S RAW VEGAN PORRIDGE (V+, R, GF, NF, V, CHF)
Tada, so here it is! THE post I’ve been hinting at for a quite while now - Goldilocks's Raw Vegan Porridge! I am beyond excited about the video (watch it here) and I’m so keen to hear what you all make of it. I do hope you enjoy it.
The day of the shoot was loads of fun (with some boring and repetitive bits in between, but it’s all for a good cause, right?). I got to work with the lovely husband and wife team, Jo and Raf from Joasis Photography, who also took the pictures of me on my ‘about’ page. They are talented with a good eye for detail and they are always the people I turn to for anything to do with photography. So when the idea of a video came up, it felt natural to approach them about it. They were super enthusiastic and had lots of ideas and this, my friends, is the end product!
It was a given, pretty much from the start, that my little sister Sumera would lend her beautiful voice and song writing talents to this video and I’m so, so pleased that this collaboration has turned into something so beautiful. The song we used 'Try' is my favourite song from her last EP and I’m dying to hear her new stuff, which is due to be released in October. You can follow Sumera on facebook, check her out on youtube or listen to her last EP here.
As for the recipe – well, it’s soooooo yummmyyyy, I KNEW this was the one I wanted to share in my first video because frankly everyone should start their day like this. It’s a breakfast worth waking up for if you ask me and always puts a big smile on my face when I eat it. It really does.
I first tried raw porridge on a yoga retreat in Greece, many moons ago. I was smitten from my first spoon full. Since then I’ve seen lots of recipes on various blogs where the oats are soaked in almond milk, but I was keen to do something nut-free and to recreate the flavours of that yoga holiday. A recent trip to Portugal – where a similar version of this porridge was served – gave me the opportunity to speak to the chef and get the low down and how it was put together. He revealed that the secret ingredient, wait for it… is apple juice. HA! Who’d have thought? Well, frankly I’m no good at keeping secrets and am letting the cat out of the bag, just for you ;) but don’t tell him I gave it all away ok ;)?
I love how you can individualise this. As mama bear, I like mine with fresh fruit. The berries on my porridge were foraged from the park next to our house. Baby bear needs some convincing and plain old fruit just won’t do, so I mix in some dried fruit just to get him to eat buckwheat because I know the more he eats it, the more he’ll like it. Papa bear is the least fussy, although he is partial to some honey. So looks like there will be nothing left for Goldilocks;).
Thanks for popping by everyone.
GOLDILOCKS'S RAW VEGAN PORRIDGE (R, V+, NF, GF, V, ChF)
Pre-Preparation Time: 5 minutes (+ soaking overnight)
Preparation Time: 10-15 minutes
Serves: 2-4
Watch: The-Making-Of-Video here
Ingredients:
1 cup raw (organic) buckwheat (buy it here)
1 cup (gluten-free) (organic) oats
2 cups (organic) apple juice
1 grated (organic) apple
Tiny piece of grated (organic) ginger
Juice of 1/2 lemon
½ - 1 cup (vegan) yogurt
½ cup pumpkin or sunflower seeds (optional)
Garnish with (optional):
bee pollen, seasonal fresh fruit, cinnamon, dried fruit and/or honey
Instructions:
The night before soak the buckwheat and oats in the apple juice and place in the fridge.
Soak the seeds in water overnight and leave in the fridge.
I tend to grate the apple and ginger the night before and then pour the lemon juice on top to stop the fruit/ginger going brown. But you can just grate the apple and ginger on the day you serve it if you prefer.
The next day combine the soaked buckwheat and oats with the yogurt and grated apple, stirring to combine well.
Drain and wash the seeds.
Serve the porridge in bowls and then top with whatever you fancy. I ALWAYS sprinkle some cinnamon, the soaked pumpkin seeds and bee pollen on top as well as fresh fruit. For those with more of a sweet tooth, add some honey or replace the fresh fruit with dried fruit. Deeelish!
IMPORTANT: Please see below for substitution suggestions.
Tip 1: Don’t have buckwheat to hand, then only use oats. Don’t like oats, then only use the buckwheat. Are you ok with gluten and don’t have gluten free oats, then use regular oats. Remember this is a guide and do what works for you.
Tip 2: What apple to use? I have found that if I use a tarter variety – say granny smith – than the end result is less sweet. So it’s great if you are watching your sugar intake. Personally, I prefer mine with a sweeter apple and tend to use red apples, but it’s about what works for you.
Tip 3: I have used organic soy yogurt and organic coconut yogurt and the end result was the same – YUM! However if you are using a homemade, unsweetened variety, you may need the drizzle of honey ;). Also if you eat regular dairy, you can use plain or greek yogurt, whatever you prefer.
Tip 4: Concerned about sugar? Instead of using 2 cups of apple juice, use 1.5 cups instead and 0.5 cups of water. It'll still taste good :).
