Short-grain Brown Rice Porridge with Baked Figs, Smashed Pistachios and Dairy-free Coconut Yogurt Recipe

With three different high-fat ingredients in this porridge, you’ll go about your day without any dreaded hunger pangs, full of energy and balanced blood sugar levels.

Serves:

Preparation:

10 minutes, plus soaking overnight

Cook:

45 minutes

Ingredients

100 g (½ cup) short-grain brown rice (soaked overnight in cold water)
500 ml (2 cups) boiling water
250 ml (1 cup) almond milk
A scraping of seeds from a vanilla pod, to taste
A pinch of ground cinnamon, to taste

To top:

2 fresh figs
Maple syrup, for drizzling (optional)
1 tbsp coconut butter or almond butter if preferred
A dollop of dairy-free coconut yogurt
1 tbsp crushed pistachios

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.

2. Rinse the soaked short-grain brown rice thoroughly and place in a saucepan with the boiling water. Bring to the boil and continue to boil for 30 minutes, until the rice has soaked up all the water.

3. Slice the figs in half, place on a baking tray and bake for 15–20 minutes, until completely soft and gooey. Feel free to drizzle a little maple syrup over the top as they roast.

4. Once the brown rice has soaked up all the water, add the almond milk, vanilla seeds and cinnamon and leave to simmer for a further 15–20 minutes. This will line up perfectly with the cooking of the figs.

5. Keep stirring the porridge and add a touch more milk if you feel it needs it. When it’s ready, spoon into a bowl, top with a spoonful of coconut butter, the coconut yogurt and crushed pistachios. Place the gooey figs on top to serve.

Tip: If you’re prone to blood sugar spikes, or highly sensitive to sugar, then save the gooey figs for special occasions and swap for berries. Berries are lower in natural sugars and taste just as delicious.

Recipe extracted from The Happy Balance by Megan Hallett and Nicole Jardin, published by White Lion publishing at £20.

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