Pumpkin & Chocolate Buckwheat Porridge

Serves 2-3

Our house is now fully decorated for Halloween, complete with cobwebs over every door, spooky spiders hanging from the ceiling and squidgy eyeballs scattered over our kitchen table.  So it would be remiss of me to continue cooking non-pumpkiny food. A crime against October apparently…according to my daughter.  So I’ve started us off with a good’un and something that makes the perfect weekend breakfast on a cold and rainy day.  It was my first time ever making porridge from whole buckwheat groats and it certainly won’t be the last.  

But in the interest of full disclosure, I have to admit to you that before some final tweaking, I tried it and thought it was a bit “meh”.  I scrunched up my nose and racked my brain as to what could transform it from bin-worthy to seriously delicious. I was especially disappointed because I had just bought all my new gorgeous seasonal gourds and I was excited to photograph something pumpkin-y. Plus I was absolutely starving and actually wanted to eat the darn thing!  

So with the easy addition of some creamy nut butter, some dark chocolate buttons, a dollop of plum compote and some coconut yoghurt; it was transformed into something so delicious, I can’t wait until tomorrow morning to have the leftovers! 

Despite its name, buckwheat is not actually wheat and is therefore gluten-free.  It is loaded with fibre and minerals and is a nourishing and energising way to start the day.  It takes under 20 minutes to cook, and since it doesn’t need any tending to, you can just leave it to do its thing on the hob.   

One portion provides a hearty 408 calories, 17g of plant-based protein and a massive 30% of my daily fibre.  It also provides almost a half of my Vitamin A requirements thanks to the pumpkin puree, which is rich in the antioxidant beta-carotene.

INGREDIENTS

·     100g Buckwheat
·     15g Dried Cherries (or any dried fruit would work here)
·     50g Tinned Pumpkin Puree
·     15g Pumpkin Seeds
·     1 tsp Vanilla Paste
·     350ml Unsweetened Coconut Milk
·     ½ tsp Cinnamon
·     ½ tsp Nutmeg
·     1½ tbsp Nut Butter
·     15g Dark Chocolate Buttons
·     Optional - 10g Unsweetened Protein Powder (I used Vital Proteins Collagen Powder)
·     2 tbsp Plum Compote (or any fruit compote) 

METHOD

·     Put the buckwheat groats and coconut milk in a saucepan and heat over a medium heat.
·     Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down and let it simmer for approximately 15 minutes until the buckwheat is tender.
·     Add the vanilla paste, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, protein powder, pumpkin seeds and dried cherries. 
·     Combine well.
·     Remove from the heat and stir through the nut butter.
·     Serve with a dollop of coconut yoghurt, plum compote and a sprinkling of dark chocolate buttons..

For the quick Plum Compote

·     De-stone and chop 4 plums.
·     Put them in a saucepan, along with a splash of water.
·     Heat over a medium heat until they are soft enough to mash.
·     Sweeten with ½ - 1tsp sugar depending on how tart they are. 

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Calories – 408
Protein – 17g
Fat – 17g
Carbohydrates – 52g
Fibre – 8g
Vitamin A – 44%
Calcium– 30%
Iron – 11%