1 March 2010

Renovate your Recipes

Renovate your breakfast with grains, cereals and porridges

Sue Radd
Sue Radd

Dietitian Sue Radd’s The Breakfast Book highlights the vital role breakfast plays in our health and wellbeing, and offers deliciously original porridge and muesli recipes from around the world made with unprocessed or minimally processed grains – Baked brown rice porridge with fruits, Buckwheat porridge (a traditional Slovenian recipe), Cinnamon spiced quinoa with dried fruits, African mielimeel porridge, Fig and almond couscous porridge, Warm barley and cherry pudding, Millet with macadamia and currants and Fragrant wheat with figs, prunes and peaches.

‘Natural unprocessed or minimally processed grains are under-utilised as a breakfast food,’ says Sue, ‘because few people know how to cook them. In fact you can buy most grains – rye, triticale, barley, wheat, rye and amaranth – rolled, just like traditional rolled oats. I simply use a variety of rolled grains to make a base for my toasted muesli and then add nuts and seeds and dried fruit.

Another grain I love to use is polenta. I grew up eating polenta for breakfast, not Weet-Bix or corn flakes. Polenta is very common in certain parts of Europe. The smooth, porridge like consistency makes it suitable for the entire family. The bright yellow colour is due to carotenoids present in corn. I find the easiest way to enjoy polenta is with milk, but of course you can also serve it on a dinner plate with garlic-scented sauerkraut, natural yoghurt and cottage cheese!

I also like to make the most of whole wheat kernels, though you probably have to go to a health food shop to buy them. Your entire kitchen will become fragrant with warm earthy aromas when you cook wheat. My favourite dish is a porridge based on the traditional Croatian recipe for ‘zito’, commonly eaten for breakfast or as a snack during the day. You can use other whole grains such as spelt or triticale for this, too. I like this dish kept simple, but if you prefer, add a dollop of yoghurt to serve. This is real comfort food as well as being highly portable – just pop it into a plastic container with a lid to go. You can also make it the night before – it keeps well in the fridge for up to a week. It is super-rich in dietary fibre. Tip, the wheat only takes about 20 minutes to cook if you use a pressure cooker.’

Sue’s fragrant wheat with figs, prunes and peaches

1 cup whole wheat
1/3 cup pecans, coarsely ground
5 dried figs softened in water for 10 mins, chopped
¼ cup pitted prunes, chopped
½ cup dried peaches, chopped
1 tbsp honey

Place the wheat in a saucepan with 5 cups water and cook, covered for about 1 hour or until tender. Drain the wheat through a sieve and place in a large mixing bowl with the other ingredients. Mix well until combined. Serve while the wheat is still warm or enjoy later when cooled. Makes 5 serves.

Per serving
Energy: 1022 kJ/ 243 cals; Protein 8 g; Fat 7 g; Carbohydrate 46g; Fibre 9g

You can buy Sue's Breakfast Book HERE

12 comments:

tingting said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Thanks for the great newsletter!

This article comes at a time where I was just looking to expand my LowGI breakfast options. However, I was not able to find Sue's book for purchase anywhere online. Any tips on how to get a copy?

GI Group said...

Our understanding is that you can buy the book from Sue's website: www.sueradd.com.au

You should be able to click straight through to her website from the live link at the end of the story. We will pass your comment on to Sue.

Unknown said...

Dymock's said the book is out of print. Is there a new edition?
There doesn't seem to be a live link at the end of the story?

GI Group said...

Hi one and all, I see we managed to leave the link off Sue's great piece. We will add. In the interim, here's where you can get her really terrific book: http://sueradd.com/products.html

Debbie said...

Whenever I eat oats of any type - cooked or dry, I get gas. Is there something I can do to avoid this embarrassing reaction? I enjoy oats and they are healthy, so I'm hoping you can help. (If not - other substitutes I can try that may go over better?)

Thanks so much - my family and I are new to the low GI concept and enjoyed this newsletter tremendously!
Keep smiling -
The Newbie!

GI Group said...

Hi Debbie, we have passed your comment and question on to one of our dietitians and will post a reply as soon as possible.

Debbie said...

Thank you - I can't wait! I appreciate your help! Keep smiling - Debbie :0)

GI Group said...

Hi Debbie, Here's what our dietitian says:

"Its hard to say what is causing the problem without knowing more about the rest of Debbie's diet. However, sometimes when people start eating more fibre-rich foods like oats they can have a 'gas' problem while their body adapts to the extra dietary fibre. When this is the case, they often find consuming small amounts of the fibre-rich food (oats in this case) more regularly helps the gut get used to it and the symptoms decrease. If symptoms persist, it might be worth Debbie having a chat to a registered dietitian."

Debbie said...

Thank you for trying. Keep smiling -
Deb :0)

GI Group said...

Hi Debbie, If you have a Google around (search 'oats and wind or gas') you'll find oats are fairly regularly implicated in people having extra gas thanks to the healthy dose of fibre they deliver. If nothing else is causing the problem, then keep trying ... oats are delicious and a wonderful low GI food in mueslis and traditional rolled oats porridge. There's quite an interesting piece on it here: http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070603013543AAxWr0e

Debbie said...

Thank you for that informative link! I used to be able to digest well, but getting older has taken a toll... I appreciate your help as I want to continue to eat healthy! Live long and prosper!
Debbie :0)