Teff Porridge

Good Thursday morning to you!

Guess what?

The blog is one year old this week! That's right. One year ago today Edible Sound Bites went live. Its hard to believe that one year has already past by. I'd like to think that I've begun to find my own voice and my photography has improved (there's only so much you can do with a point-and-shoot, but I make do for now). The blog is always evolving and has grown immensely thanks to all of my loyal readers and those who continue to follow me. You are what helps me to make these posts possible.

Now let's get to the food.   

Its almost the weekend again. That means more time in the morning to make a dee-licious breakfast.

Following up with last weeks post on the gluten free grain Teff I've got a great breakfast recipe to share today.

Now I realize that not everyone is adventurous when it comes to new unfamiliar foods. Teff is no exception either. I mean even I wasn't too sure about it. Having said that, I have always wanted to give it a try ever since hearing about it from the eat clean diet and Tosca Reno. That was about two years ago. I've heard many great things about the grain. So I rolled up my sleeves and dove right in this week. It took me long enough!

The verdict?

It tastes pretty darn good! It really does have a sweet molasses flavour thing going on.

I think the key to making teff taste really good is adding flavour through spices. I choose to use ground cloves adding it to the grains while they cooked and I finished it off with a sprinkle of cinnamon.You know how I'm always trying to sneak cinnamon into everything. . . Or onto everything. The other thing I did to bring out the flavour was lightly toasting the seeds. Just until they become fragrant. I think it makes a differece.

You could also do something like pumpkin pie spice and add replace the dates in this recipe with a little canned pumpkin. That would be really nice too.

Warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves work very well with Teff.

Teff Porridge with Dates & Maple Syrup gluten free, vegan, (serves 4)

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Ingredients: 

• 1 cup teff
• 4 cups water
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 2 tsp coconut oil (optional)
• 1/4 chopped dates + extra for topping
• dried apricots for serving (optional)
• maple syrup for serving
• cinnamon for topping

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan with tall sides, add the teff and toast over medium heat. Stir frequently for 3-4 minutes until they become fragrant. The grains will start to pop although you may not see them you will hear them.
2. In a medium saucepan, bring water to boil. Add teff, cloves, and coconut oil. Reduce heat and gently simmer for 10 minutes stirring often to prevent the grains from sticking to the pot.
3. Stir in the dates, cover and continue cooking for another 5 to 10 minutes or until the grains are tender.
4. Divide between 4 bowls and top with extra dates and dried apricots, maple syrup, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Nutrition for each serving: 284 calories, 7.3g protein, 3.4g total fat (2g sat, 0g trans fat), 0mg cholesterol, 14mg sodium, 59g carbohydrates, 6g fibre, 18g sugars

Hooray for another well balanced breakfast!

How willing are you to give strange foods that are unfamiliar to you a try? Tell me in the comments, are there any vegetables or foods you've ventured to try and now love?

I'll get the ball rolling. I was never one to like rhubard. My grandfather used to grow it, my parents love it, but I never could. Until I gave it another try a few years back and now its really grown on me. Its a good thing I've got some growing in my backyard.

Great Grains: Teff

Where to begin with this post. I feel like I haven't blogged for a long time, and it's only been what? A week? I guess that's partially because I've been busy multitasking and working on other things at the same time. I just finished a job designing and setting up a website and a few other things too. Whew! that can be time consuming. Great work though, and lot's of fun when you get creative with it. Especially the logos. If you're interested check out Back to Balance Health and have a look.

Anyway. I'm back!

In case you might be wondering I'm still going strong with the gluten free grain series. I know it's been a while since my last Great Grains post but I'm back with a new one today. And just to recap if you haven't been following along I've so far covered Millet, Buckwheat, and Amaranth. Now lets get to it shall we?

Today is all about Teff, which also happens to be one of my fave's next in line to amaranth.

Teff Notes & Qualities

Teff is actually a cereal grass that originated from Ethiopia many years ago and is cooked just like a grain. It is now grown a little closer to home, namely Idaho, and it can grow where many other crops won't.  A handful of teff is enough to sow a whole field, and it cooks quickly. Its very tiny being the smallest grain in the world (less than 1mm in diameter – similar to a poppy seed). So tiny that its name literally means "lost". It has a mild nutty flavour like most other whole grains, with a really nice sweetness similar in taste to molasses. Its perfect for baking with! It makes a great alternative to wheat flours and contains no gluten.

Nutrition Facts

One of the most nutritious grains (actually a seed) in the world, teff is very nutrient dense. Its a slow digesting carbohydrate which makes it the perfect addition to breakfast. Its and excellent source of fibre and protein and is extremely high in minerals with lots of iron (5mg), calcium (123 mg), magnesium (126mg), manganese, as well as phosphorus, potassium. Check out the nutrition profile for 1 cup cooked (1/4 cup dry):

If your are trying to make sure you get enough iron into your daily diet. It is important to note that certain vitamins (such as vitamin C) will enhance your body's ability to absorb the nutrient. A great example would be adding some sliced strawberries, kiwi, dried currants or raisins to your morning bowl of teff. Its very filling and provides plenty of good quality energy to get you through a busy morning. Its also great pre-workout fuel that makes for great workout performance.

Where to Buy

If you cannot find teff at your local health food store, bulk barn (if you're in Canada), or grocery store you can buy it online from http://www.teffco.com/ in 4, 5 and 25 pound bags. Both the grain and flour. The 5 and 25 pound bags come in either ivory or brown coloured teff. Bob's Red Mill also sells the grain and the flour, but their flour is not ground as finely. When in doubt Whole Foods is always sure to carry it, which is where I got mine.

Preparing & Cooking

To cook Teff like porridge, bring 1 cup of water to a boil, add the 1/4 cup Teff, cover and simmer for 15 or so minutes – until it is thick and all of the water is absorbed. You will want to stir it occasionally. The texture is similar cream of wheat, another whole grain breakfast cereal, but way more nutritious and tasty.

Whole grain teff is also a great addition to stews, pilafs and baked goods.

It is not very easy to grind your own teff flour at home due to the tiny size of the seeds. However, it is possible. I haven't tried it yet myself, but I will let you know how it goes as soon as I do.

The flour is great to use in muffins and pancakes. You can substitute half of the flour that the recipe calls for with teff flour. If you are allergic to gluten try using brown rice flour for the other half.

Well that's a wrap on gluten free teff. Next week I'll have a delish teff porridge recipe to show you.

Commence experimenting!