Banana, Date & Quinoa Porridge

I'm noticing more and more that my little lady has started mimicking characters and people. I love watching this whole new chapter of imaginative play be expressed yet it makes me wary of the way we act, the things she watches and the people we surround ourselves with.

Lately she has started asking for foods that up until now, she was not familiar with. It just shows how prevalent the 'junk food message' is in our society. It becomes embedded into our children through television shows, movies, commercials, junk food products on supermarket shelves displaying their favourite TV characters etc. I dare you to watch an episode of Peppa Pig and count how many times they refer to unhealthy foods. I may seem oversensitive, but its not until you start tuning in and your kids start to mimic and ask for the unhealthy foods that they see their favourite TV characters eating, until you start to realise just how brainwashed we are into accepting these toxic foods into ours and our children's diets.

I always try and stay one step ahead as I  believe that when you start saying 'No' to certain foods then they start to want them more. By giving them a healthier alternative, you don't feed their 'need' for junk food.

I came up with this recipe on Sunday, when my little lady started asking for 'Corn Flakes' for Breakfast "Like Peppa does". Since I do not believe in children eating sugar filled, nutrient void cereals for breakfast, I had to get creative with the ingredients I had and come up with a delicious alternative that my little lady would enjoy. Thankfully It worked! She continued to ask for my Quinoa porridge for the next three days and loved every bit of it!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Quinoa Flakes (finely ground)
1/4 cup Almond Meal
3 x pitted Medjool Dates
1 x ripe Banana
1 cup Almond Milk (or more for a thinner consistency)
1 tbsp 100% Nut Butter of your choice (Almond, Cashew, peanut etc)

Method:
1. Place banana, dates and almond milk in a blender until smooth
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat combine the quinoa flakes, almond meal and half of the liquid mixture
3. Stir gently for a couple of minutes until it starts to thicken, once it starts to thicken gradually add more of the liquid mixture. Keep stirring so it doesn't burn and continues to absorb the liquid and thicken.
4. Once you have the desired consistency and there is no 'bite' left in the quinoa flakes (taste to make sure), remove from heat.
5. stir in your tablespoon of nut butter immediately after removing from the heat and serve hot.

Thermomix Variation

Ingredients:
1 cup Quinoa Flakes (finely ground)
1/4 cup Chia Seeds
3 x pitted Medjool Dates
1 x ripe Banana
1.5 cups Almond Milk (or more for a thinner consistency)
1 tbsp 100% Nut Butter of your choice (Almond, Cashew, peanut etc)

Method:

1. Mill Quinoa Flakes and Chia Seeds on Turbo for 4 seconds (more if using whole Quinoa seeds), remove from bowl and set aside.
2. Add Banana, Dates and 1 cup Almond Milk to the bowl. Blend on Speed 7 for 1 minute.
3. Add 100g of Chia and Quinoa mix to bowl and additional half cup of Almond Milk. Lid on and Insert Measuring cup.
4. Cook for 6 mins on 90 degrees on Speed 2
5. After 6 minutes, check on the consistency. Add more milk if required, scrape down sides and turn back on for another 5 minutes. (90 degrees, speed 2)
6.Once complete, remove MC and add in Large tbsp Nut Butter of choice. Insert MC and set timer to 1 min, 65 degrees, Wooden spoon speed.

(Quinoa flakes are available to purchase from Happy Tummies, click on the advert on the right hand side of my page to take you to the online store)

Enjoy with Love & Gratitude

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