AFTER last week's delectable debut from Melbourne's newest food blog - Kenkō Kitchen, Kate is back today with a trio of slightly less indulgent, but no less delicious recipe ideas!  Today Kate shares three options for everyone's favourite winter breakfast - porridge.  Quinoa and buckwheat offer two gluten-free porridge alternatives, whilst Kate has also included a range of different topping ideas to keep things interesting.  All three recipes rely on soaking the night before - ensuring super speedy morning preparation, even for the 'too busy for breakfast' crowd! - Lucy

'Porridge Three Ways' by Kate Bradley of Kenkō Kitchen - from top, Buckwheat bircher with berries, bee pollen, pomegranate seeds and coconut, vanilla oat porridge with stewed pears, and coconut quinoa porridge with cherries and seeds.  Photo - Eve Wilson, styling - Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Porridge topping inspiration!  Food by by Kate Bradley of Kenkō Kitchen - clockwise from top left, honey, almond flakes, pumpkin seeds, blueberries and dried cranberries, pomegranate seeds, bee pollen, cherries, pumpkin seeds and mulberries, vanilla poached pears.   Photo - Eve Wilson, styling - Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Porridge and winter get along like a house on fire. As soon as you feel the weather cooling down, and you see frost on the front lawn, you know it’s time to ditch the summer smoothies and bring out the oats and honey. There has been something so comforting about porridge for me ever since I was young. Apart from the very weird period I went through when I was in grade one, and the only thing I would eat for breakfast was chicken two minute noodles, porridge has always been my thing.

When I ditched gluten I had some issues with oats, which had me wondering - should I ditch them too - or should I not? There has been much debate as to whether this grain is gluten free and safe for the gluten intolerant, and I think really it is a strictly personal choice.  Listen to your body and pay attention to its response to certain foods. Your body knows best!

In any case, I decided to play around with three porridge alternatives for today's post, so quinoa and buckwheat found their way into my breakfast bowl. These two foods are so versatile, and can be made sweet or savoury. I literally interchange them as alternatives for so many recipes now, from risotto rice, to pasta, to flour – you name it!  It is bloat-no-more with these two alternatives up my sleeve.

Breakfast is a very important meal. It fuels us for the rest of the day, it curbs our hunger and controls our calorie intake for the remainder of the day, and it gives us the brain power and energy to take on whatever the day brings.  When someone tells me they aren’t a breakfast person, I'm skeptical.  Why wouldn’t you want to start your day out right!?  Time comes into play a lot with breakfast. 'I don’t have time to make breakfast' is said way too often. Girlfriend, please, do porridge my way and it’s already made as soon as you wake up!

With these three recipes you can completely swap everything around by adding or alternating toppings - just use up what you’ve got!  Both the oats and the quinoa can be heated in the morning, but I wouldn’t heat the bircher.

Porridge grains.  Top left - quinoa, top right - rolled oats,  bottom - buckwheat.  Food by by Kate Bradley of Kenkō Kitchen, Photo - Eve Wilson, styling - Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Vanilla Oat Porridge with Vanilla Stewed Pears

Ingredients

⅓ cup rolled oats
½ cup soy milk or almond milk
½ cup greek or coconut yoghurt
1 tsp stevia
1 tsp rice malt syrup or honey
¼ tsp vanilla powder or 1 tsp vanilla essence

For the pears 

1 honey pear or brown pear
½ tsp stevia
¼ tsp vanilla powder or ½ tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp coconut nectar or rice malt syrup
¼ cup water

Method

First thing you want to do is get your pear ready. Cut it up into nice chunky slices, then put it in a small saucepan. Next put in the rest of the pear topping ingredients, give it a small mix and let sit on a low heat for around 10 minutes until soft. Place the pears in a container and put in fridge until the morning.

While the pear is simmering, grab all oat ingredients and place in a bowl and mix together. Cover and let them sit in fridge overnight.

If in the morning it is a little too stiff, simply give a splash of milk or yoghurt and mix in to loosen. Place your stewed pear on top, then heat in microwave for a minute if you would like it warm or if not eat it the way it is, tastes delicious hot or cold!

Coconut Quinoa Porridge with Cherries and Seeds

Ingredients

½ cup cooked quinoa
⅓ cup coconut cream
1 tsp honey or rice malt syrup
Splash of soy or almond milk
Cherries
Pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
Any other desired fruit or seed of choice

Method

This one is the easiest, and so creamy and delicious. This is the porridge I would make for the morning if I have had quinoa for dinner, as all you have to do is save 1/2 a cup and your breakfast is half done. Simply mix the cooked quinoa with the coconut cream and honey. If a looser consistency is desired, put in a splash of milk and cover and leave in the fridge until the morning. In the morning pull it out of the fridge, top with cherries and seeds and you’re done. So. Easy.

Buckwheat Bircher with Berries and Bee Pollen

Ingredients

¼ cup buckwheat groats
Small handful of mixed nuts (walnuts and almonds my favourite)
1 small green apple (grated)
½ orange (juiced)
1 tbsp coconut cream or full fat greek yoghurt
1 tsp stevia or rice malt syrup
¼ tsp vanilla powder or ½ tsp vanilla essence
Pinch of cardamon
Pinch of cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg

Method

This one again is so, so simple. Simply soak your buckwheat and nuts overnight in water. Then in the morning place all ingredients in a processor and blitz until quite smooth. Then top with whatever berries you like, and bee pollen for a little crunch.

For more of Kate's fabulous sugar free, gluten free and raw food ideas, do check out her new food blog, Kenkō Kitchen – and make sure you're following her on Instagram too!

Kate Bradley of Kenkō Kitchen tucks into her buckwheat bircher with berries and bee  pollen.  Photo - Eve Wilson, styling - Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.