Winter is upon us. As the weather gets colder it's common for colds and flu to do the rounds. If you currently have a cold, take a look at how to beat colds naturally. If you're not currently fighting a cold, there are several things you can do to stay well and build up your immune system naturally. 

The first thing to ensure is that you are eating a nutrient-dense diet that gives you stable blood sugar levels and promotes vitality and health. This recipe is great as a warm, nourishing, nutrient dense option for cooler winter mornings.

It also uses buckwheat which despite its name, doesn’t actually contain any wheat. It’s a relative of rhubarb and contains fibre, protein and B Vitamins. Soaking buckwheat helps our body absorb its key nutrients and helps break down the antinutrients that coat the outer grain.

Buckwheat is a slightly nutty, whole grain that's great for slow energy release that does not spike blood sugar levels like refined grains. 

Make a big batch to reheat over the week. The flavours get more delicious as you go. Enjoy this porridge straight away or pop into a glass jar to take to work, school or breakfast on the run. 

This Warming Buckwheat Porridge recipe is topped with poached pear but any seasonal poached or stewed fruit will go beautifully with this.  

A post shared by Ben Warren (@bepurebenwarren) on Jun 4, 2017 at 11:55pm PDT

Warming Buckwheat Porridge with Seasonal Fruit

Gluten free and dairy free. Prep time is 5 minutes and cook time is 15 minutes. Serves 4. 

Ingredients

Porridge  

• 1 cup organic buckwheat groats
• 2 tbsp organic almonds, roughly chopped
• 2 tsp organic cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp ground allspice or ginger
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• 3 cups of milk of choice – almond, cashew, coconut all work with this recipe
• 1 tbsp organic chia seeds
• Optional: 1 tbsp rice malt syrup, honey or maple syrup

Poached pear

• 2 ripe pears
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp coconut sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• 4 whole star anise
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• A pinch of salt

Directions 

Porridge

1. Soak your buckwheat overnight. In the morning drain and rinse well.
   
   
2. In a small saucepan heat the nut milk, buckwheat groats, cinnamon, chia seeds and natural sweetener if using any.
   
   
3. Simmer on a low heat until the buckwheat has softened (you are looking for a texture of cooked brown rice), this might take about 15 - 20 minutes.
   
   
4. Once cooked, transfer to a bowl and top with mixed seeds, coconut yoghurt, toasted coconut and/or poached fruit, like the pears below.