chia & quinoa porridge

I feel like I have hit a revelation. This revelation is that I am a healthy person at heart that just loves to eat unhealthily sometimes. The trouble is that as a cook I am too acutely aware of just how bad the unhealthy stuff is for you.

Running the kitchen in a gorgeous little gluten free, vegetarian brunch bar in Kuala Lumpur has really opened my eyes to a new side of food. A side that is just as creatively delicious that happens to be good for you. It’s a bonus right?

Yep… I’ve changed.

I walk down the street now and see fun colours and textures of the street food here and go “how on earth is that rose flavoured drink THAT pink” or “explain what ingredients make that bottle of smoked flavoured BBQ sauce just so smokey?”. I think we are missing an awareness for these type issues. Exactly what are we putting in our bodies? How can we digest such artificial ingredients? I would love you to look at something you eat this week (like a rice cracker, lolly, a sauce etc) and try to think what is actually in it.

Anyway! Enough of my rant 😉 Here is my morning goodness for you to start your weekend with a fresh mind, healthy stomach or perhaps just the placebo affect that you are doing well!

Chia & Quinoa Porridge
Serves 2

Ingredients
1/2 cup quinoa cooked as per the packet instruction
2 tbs chia seed
1/2 cup oats
1 cup almond milk
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Pinch of ground ginger
2 tbs honey
Fresh fruit to serve
Optional: any seeds, nuts, raisins, cranberries etc you may have lying around
Note: for Paleo peeps… add 1 cup of quinoa and no oats.

Method
Start by cooking the quinoa as per the packet instructions. My ratio is 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water if that helps.

In the same pot as your cooked quinoa, add the chia, oats and almond milk and cook for a further 5 minutes on a low heat, stirring constantly. The oats and chia will absorb a lot of the liquid so you may want to add more milk here if it becomes thick too quickly.

Pour in the honey, walnuts and spices now and taste. You may need more honey, more cinnamon, more milk depending on your taste buds and brand of oats you have used. Stir around until you are happy with the consistency and taste.

Serve warm with fresh fruit.. easy peasy!