Teff Porridge with Oatmeal

100% Vegan, gluten-free, unsweetened breakfast porridge adorned with summer fruits, carob chips and protein fusion of legumes and nuts.

 

Hello!

Finally, it’s officially fall.  I hope you all had a great summer.

Big change is coming to my blog. I will be deleting some recipes and sharing new nutritious recipes that I have created and have come to love, which aided my weight loss journey.

My journey began last August 8 when I decided on a whim to go back to the lifestyle I used to have; fit and healthy. Free of any ailments or vitamin and mineral deficiency.  However, I wasn’t 100% committed. I was well aware I needed to make some changes, but my heart and mind were not in sync. I wasn’t consistent. That is until I went to visit my sister this summer. I was shocked when I saw her. She lost tremendous amount of weight. A total of over 60 lbs. She did it with minimal exercise.  The key to her weight loss was portion control, consuming eggs and more vegetables and gave up meat and some unhealthy carbohydrates.

Here I am who used to coached and encouraged her to lose the excess weight (she weighed over 200 lbs) and ended up being the one who needed an overhaul. She put me to shame. Well, I did! A 180-degrees turn.  So, my sister and I made a deal.  A goal of 20 lbs. weight loss by the end of the year.  So far, I lost 13 lbs.  I have until December to lose the remaining 7 lbs. No doubt, I will achieve it and more as long as I stay on track and keep on doing what I’m doing.

This is the main reason for the change on my blog. I want to share my journey to those who struggled with their weight just like I did.  This recipe and the upcoming recipes aided my weight loss and I am excited to share them with you. I finally found my groove and have come very passionate about it. I’m sticking to it no matter what.  The ship has sailed. There’s no turning back.  I hope you can join me in this journey, so we can motivate and support each other. It’s fine if you don’t too.  🙂

Also, I want to share what one needed to be in this journey.  Magazines and health gurus enumerate the steps one should take to losing weight and the number one is to “exercise”, which I followed religiously, but it didn’t lasts. To me, the number one should be: LOVE YOURSELF.

I chose this because I believe it is the most crucial and paramount step of the journey. If you love yourself, you’ll end up taking care of it no matter what. You refuse or stop  ingesting anything harmful or unhealthy. I believe it’s one of the reasons why many failed because they don’t love themselves enough.  I found this to be very true for me. I didn’t love myself enough to care. I lost my sense of self-love or self-worth for a long time. Hence, the yo-yo effect as a result. So, you have to make the decision to love yourself. Otherwise, you are in for a failure.

Anyway, here’s one of my many takes on vegan eats.  Something nutritious and bursting with flavor made with teff grain and oatmeal. A great way to start your morning right. Teff is the smallest grain in the world. It’s packed with calcium, iron, and fiber and also high in protein just like quinoa. You can add it to soups, stews, and baked goods.  It’s 100 % vegan and gluten-free. Unlike quinoa, Teff doesn’t have that pungent smell or taste which I love.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup Teff grain
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 2 Tablespoons organic thick rolled oats
• 1 Tablespoon organic coconut oil (leveled)
• 2 dashes of organic cinnamon
• 1/4 cup organic unsweetened almond milk
• 2-3 organic Dates (chopped) or brown sugar to taste to sweetened if desired (optional)
• Your desired toppings

Directions:

1. Heat a heavy 2 quart saucepan over medium heat.
2.  Add teff and toast, stirring frequently until the grains begin to pop, about 3 minutes.
3. Add water and coconut oil and cinnamon. Stir well. Bring to a gentle boil, cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally being careful not to burn the porridge.
4. Transfer in to a bowl. Add the almond milk. Enjoy with your favorite toppings.

Tips:

• I didn’t add dates or sugar on mine because I like it unsweetened.
• Teff is available at your local Wegman’s grocery store.
• Heat of the stove varies, adjust accordingly.
• Add more water depending on the consistency you desire.
• This recipe yields two servings.

Thank you for visiting and for joining me in this journey.  Have a productive week.

~Anna