Guest Post: Kabocha “Porridge” is a grain-free breakfast you’ll love!

March Cooking By Color – Orange

I’m kind of in love with kabocha squash. I first learned about this hard-skinned squash in culinary school. Since macrobiotics is heavily influenced by Japanese foods we cooked kabocha in a number of different ways. Fried, steamed, pureed in soups, made into desserts, you name it. It’s naturally sweet and very comforting anytime of the year! This recipe from Ricki at Diet, Desserts, and Dogs is right up my alley!

Kabocha “Porridge” by Ricki

Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a fan of winter (to put it mildly.). I loathe it. I start cringing early in September, when I know that winter is only two months away. I whine and whinge and pout for three months between December and March. The endless chill, the swirling white flakes that shoot up my nose when I’m walking my dogs, the treacherous ice patches that send me flying across the sidewalk. . . .well, honestly, I can’t think of anything nice about winter except for sitting indoors by the flickering fireplace. Well, that, and . . . orange foods.

I love orange foods. Whether carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, pumpkin, or oranges themselves, I love ‘em all. And when summer arrives, I’m happy to sink my teeth into mangoes, papayas, cantaloupe, or apricots. That’s not to say I don’t love foods of other colors, of course (pretty much a rainbow-loving gal), but the oranges do help to make those frosty winter nights at least bearable. That’s why I was particularly tickled when Christy asked if I’d be interested in sharing one of my favorites here on her blog.

One of my favorite cooler weather breakfasts is porridge. I used to eat oatmeal a lot in winter, but in recent years have expanded my repertoire to include porridge made from other cereals, too. That old standard, Cream of Wheat, often made an appearance at my table until I had to switch my diet and become gluten-free. (Blending cooked rice in a food processor with a little milk, then reheating, makes a passable substitute, in case you’re looking for one).

These days, I’ve been trying to limit the amount of grains I eat as well, so I came up with this alternative porridge. It combines my love of winter squash with other nutritious ingredients for a warming, nubby, filling and satisfying hot breakfast. You can mix up a huge batch of this cereal and then reheat it during the week for a quick and hearty breakfast.

With a bowl of this orange porridge in the morning, I’m ready to face winter’s wrath. In fact, I might almost like it. (On second thought. . . nah).

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Have you ever had kabocha squash? How do you like to make it?

Using only whole foods ingredients, a generous pinch of humor and input from her two chatty canines, Ricki has posted over 600 gluten-free, allergy-friendly and sugar-free recipes on her blog, Diet, Dessert and Dogs. She is also the author of the bestselling cookbook, Sweet Freedom, one of only three cookbooks recommended by Ellen DeGeneres on her website. As an Associate Editor for Simply Gluten-Free Magazine and freelance writer, Ricki creates fabulous vegan and gluten-free recipes. Her new book, Naturally Sweet & Gluten-Free, will be published in October, 2013.

 Ricki lives near Toronto, Canada with her husband and two dogs.