Breakfast recipes

Almond Milk

Recipe courtesy of www.wellnesswithmichelle.com

I am not a lover of thin milks that taste like cardboard, so hallelujah for almond milk! I'm not convinced it works in coffee and tea but endeavouring to cut those out anyway, who cares! It's creamy, smooth and tastes really 'milky'. This will make about 1 litre.

Ingredients
1 cup natural unsalted almonds
3 cups filtered water
Vanilla essence to taste

Method
1. Soak your almonds overnight in a bowl of water. This will soften them and activate the enzymes.
2. Drain the almonds and give them a good rinse. Place in blender with 3 cups of water and a teaspoon of vanilla essence, and blend away until most of the almond is ground to meal and it's more milk that nuts.
3. Have a taste and if you like add more vanilla.
4. Once done, you will need to pour the milk through a calico or similar bag to filter the almond meal from the milk. Remember to put your large bowl underneath!! Squeeze really tight so that all the milk comes through and you are left with the dry almond meal in the bag.
5. Put the milk in an airtight container in the fridge and that will last you a week.

Hint: The left over almond meal can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge too and used for dessert bases!

Almond milk

Buckini Museli

Recipe courtesy of www.wellnesswithmichelle.com

This is a staple in the cupboard that all the family will love. It requires time to dry the buckwheat but that's not a hassle as you can do other things while it's doing its thing. Once dried it's just throwing bits in! Experiment with variations of added extras to suit your taste buds. As this recipe requires soaking, start the prep the day before you wish to eat it.

Ingredients
6 cups buckwheat
water

If you wish to add flavour to the buckwheat you'll also need:
1/2 cup mesquite
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup orange juice OR water

Ideas for variations of extras:
- Goji berries, cacao nibs, banana (if fresh added to bowl, not jar)
- Raisins, cinnamon, walnut, grated apple (if fresh added to bowl, not jar)
- Bee pollen, shredded coconut or coconut shavings, pecans, dried mango
You can also add a teaspoon or so of a variety of superfood powders such as mesquite, maca or lucuma.

Method
1. Soak the buckwheat in water for 6-8 hours or overnight (you'll need a very large jar/saucepan or similar as the buckwheat will expand slightly in the water). Drain and rinse well. Spread out onto a non stick sheets on trays for dehydrator or trays for oven (if you don't have dehydrator use lowest temp and leave door slightly open to keep the temp to max 50 degrees). Dehydrate for approx. 5 hours until completely dry.

Once dry if you wish to add some flavour you will need to then mix the dried buckwheat with the mesquite, vanilla and orange juice, then dehydrate again for another 6 hours or until completely dry and crisp. This is optional and I have done both. The flavour can be noticed, but it's still great without it.

Once flavoured and dry then you can experiment with throwing in your added extras and store in a sealed, airtight container and will last for at least a month or so.

Buckini museli with almond milk and honey

Buckini museli stores

Chia Porridge

Recipe courtesy of www.wellnesswithmichelle.com

I have chia porridge at least two or three times a week. It's quick, it's easy, it's bloody good for you and tastes fab. Once chia seeds turn glutenous and pass through your system, they absorb bile duct waste, so it helps pick up that and other ugly little things in your system then carry them out of your body (but that's just one benefit of chia seeds).
This recipe will make one serve.

Ingredients
Up to 1/4 cup of chia seeds (black or black and white mix)
Up to 1.5 cups coconut milk (from the health food store, not the tinned variety!)
Mixed fruits and/or nuts of your choice
Honey or organic pure maple syrup (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Method
1. Pour the chia seeds into your bowl, add the coconut milk and give a good stir. the seeds will start to go glutenous, like a porridge, so you need to stir it every few minutes so it does not glug together. If needed add more milk.
2. While the seeds are absorbing the milk, you can prepare your fruit. I tend to use berries like strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and blueberries. Sometimes I throw in a quarter of a banana and top it off with a small dash some maple syrup if I need a sweet hit, but it's to your taste so throw in anything healthy!

Chia porridge with berries