Call me Ishma-weird. I love porridge for breakfast. But more than that, I love putting in the toppings which are usually the organic Jumbo Thompson raisins, nuts (used to alternate almond, pecan & walnuts) and flax meal. Well, ever since I've been going to the Green Living Show, I have discovered a whole new world of superfoods: chia seeds (Salvia hispanica), golden berries (Physalis peruviana) and cacao nibs (Theobroma cacao).
Chia seeds (yes, these are the same seeds used for Chia pets) are not particularly tasty but they are crunchy and they turn gelatinous when added to a liquid. Adding 1/4 cup of chia to a cup of soy milk or a tropical type of fruit juice and then letting it soak for an hour will turn it to a tapioca pudding consistency: yummy snack!
The golden berries are tart and seedy (crunchy) which adds an interesting texture & flavor to the porridge. These berries are related to the ground cherries that we received in our Food Box (Community Supported Agriculture) in Kitchener and the Chinese lantern plant!
The cacao nibs are my favorite: aromatic, chocolaty and crunchy. The more I chew them, the more flavor I can get from the nibs.
Of course, these superfoods also make their way to the ice cream, yogurt and smoothies. I have also tried them in my granola bars and gorp snacks. I am open to any other suggestions!
So, next time you have a bowl of porridge, go beyond raisins and make your mouth sing ...
2 comments:
mmmm ch-ch-ch-chia! (remember those commercials?)
have you tried toasted hemp seeds? They're neat shapes, and good in granola.
I must see about those cacao nibs, now.
I have used hemp seeds as well but not in my porridge. I have used it on salads, yogurt...much like I use wheat germs, I guess. I forgot to mention those two.
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