By Nathalie Fraise
Before attending Integrative Nutrition, I felt very intimidated by cooking. I didn’t have much experience in the kitchen, and I felt overwhelmed by all the conflicting information out there on what constitutes a healthy meal.
After graduating, I had a much clearer vision of what I should cook, and also felt much more confident about simply getting into the kitchen and start making simple, but highly nutritious, meals for myself and my family. Many of our classes at IIN were geared towards de-mystifying the cooking process, and showed us that the biggest obstacle is fear. IIN gave me the tools to get over it, and simply start cooking. It’s really not that complicated!
This recipe perfectly exemplifies what I learned at IIN. We are often rushed in the morning, but still want to eat well, and this buckwheat, beet and apple porridge blends flavor, speed, and health all in one neat little package. It tastes incredible, looks so very alive, cooks in just a handful of minutes, and is loaded with nutrients. Seriously, it doesn’t get much better than that!
Ingredients:
2 cups raw buckwheat groats, soaked overnight in plenty of filtered water with a couple tablespoons apple cider vinegar or lemon
2 cups non-dairy milk (coconut, cashew, almond, hazelnut, etc), or a mixture of milk and water, plus more for serving
2 cups finely grated red beets, from about 1 large beet
2-inch piece ginger, minced
1 tablespoon honey (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 sweet apples (such as Fuji), diced small
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted, roughly chopped, for garnish
unsweetened shredded coconut, for garnish (optional)
Directions:
Drain and rinse the buckwheat thoroughly.
Add the milk to a medium saucepan. Bring to a low boil over medium heat. Mix in the buckwheat, beets, ginger, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice. Cook until the buckwheat and beets have softened, about 3-5 minutes. Mix in sea salt.
Separate into bowls. Top with the diced apples, walnuts, and shredded coconut. Drizzle on a little extra milk, if desired.
Serve immediately.
Nathalie Fraise is the founder of Vanille Verte, where she shares her healthy recipes and simple cooking tips. She launched her own healthy cooking app and just published her first cookbook, The Whole Coconut. Born and raised in Madagascar, she now lives in California with her husband and son. She’s a 2009 graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.
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