Grain free Coconut Porridge with flax and eggs

I few weeks ago I got the idea to create a grain free porridge. This might seem a bit weird since porridge is literally made out of grains. You can easily come up with a gluten free version (hallo buckwheat and quinoa) and you might even try to sneak in the famous chia pudding to convince some that this is a kind of porridge, which it in my world is not. I dreamed of having a warm, comforting bowl of soft and creamy porridge. I wanted the texture of porridge, the versatile mild flavour, the option to add anything to flavour it and everything as topping – a bit demanding, oh yes, but I do love a good challenge.
I looked into what people were developing out there, and I stumbled upon ‘the egg porridge’, which is a lunch/breakfast dish that is pretty popular among the paleo/LCHF (low carb high fat) people. Unfortunately it reminded my a little too much of scramble eggs with a splash of cream, which was not exactly what I had in mind. Next step came when I tried combining the ‘vegan egg’ aka ground flax with an actual egg and some very creamy coconut milk. Bam, here I had something good, the eggy flavour was gone and it actually started looking like porridge too. But the texture could need a little help and a bit of sweetness would be preferred. So I added some mashed banana, vanilla and cardamom – and I finally had my dream bowl of grain free porridge.

Okay, it is not exactly science and I’m probably not the first one to try this – but to me I was new, exciting and oh so tasty! I love to expand the boarders for food and challenge everyone to see new possibilities in foods we know and love. The classic porridge is awesome, loved and filled with nutrients. But who says there isn’t an even better alternative. Lets take a look at the nutritional facts of this grain free porridge:
It contains a lot of healthy fats both from the egg yolk, flax seeds and coconut cream. We know for a fact that fat helps us feel full and satisfied. The appetite regulating hormones in the body respond to fat and makes sure that the feeling of satiety comes when we have had enough energy – so clever!
Besides getting omega-3 fatty acids from flax we also get a lot of fibres. In this porridge we will get 2,7g of dietary fibres alone from the flax seeds and you can easily increase the amount by adding even more when making the porridge or as topping.
The eggs provide us with bioavailable protein that is important when you have an active day and need to keep the muscles strong and growing. And for many people protein increase the feeling of satiety as well.

I have certainly made my point with this porridge (just so excited) and now I just want to add a bit on the versatility of it. It is of course gluten free and dairy free. It can easily be made vegan, just by substituting the 1 egg with 1 additional Tbsp of ground flax. We can even invite our Paleo and LCHF friend for brunch with this wonder, and we are sure to feel full, satisfied and have a very stabile blood sugar when starting the day on this porridge.
The flavour is very mild and gentle and I have been experimenting with all sorts of topping and all of it has been awesome. Just use the seasonal fruit you have, some frozen or fresh berries, yoghurt, nut butters, crunchy nuts or coconut flakes and you can even add a spoon full of coconut oil or butter and dust with a bit of cinnamon – SO good!
I truly hope you are gonna try this new kind of breakfast and let me know how you like it. We have been having it for breakfast the last week or so, and Jonas loves it just as much as I do!

Grain free Coconut Porridge
Serves 2

3/4-1 cup coconut milk, preferable full fat (2 dl/200 g)
3 Tbsp flaxseed, ground (30 g)
2 eggs
1 ripe banana, mashed
1 tsp ground vanilla
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
A pinch of salt

Topping
Berries or fresh fruit
Nut butter (I used hazelnut butter)
Coconut cream or yoghurt
Toasted coconut flakes

Directions
In a pot mix all the ingredients for the porridge. Whisk it free of all lumps and turn on medium to high heat. Use a spoon to stir while it slowly thickens, this will provide a more lumpy porridge like texture. Keep stirring all the time to avoid burning.
Serve the porridge in two bowl and top with your preferred topping… Enjoy!