It was my first morning shift back at Whole Foods Park Royal, when someone came through the lineup with hot oatmeal. Instantly I realized that this was exactly what my body is craving. Nothing like a warming hot bowl of oatmeal on a cold and rainy and eventually snowy, day. I stole a moment away from my till to check out the hot bar and see if the gluten free stuff was in. Unfortunately it wasn't. Which meant, I was just gonna have to make some!
There are 3 hot cereals for Celiac's and gluten intolerants that I would recommend. My first two favourites are the above. First and foremost I love TEFF whole grain. This is the one that they serve at Whole Foods and was introduced to me for the first time last winter. Second is buckwheat porridge by Les Moissoneries du Pays (made in Canada!). I still have trouble finding it on the shelf but it's there and I would have been eating it a lot sooner if it wasn't so discreet. Last is Bob's Red Mill GF Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal which is a mix of brown rice, sorghum, buckwheat and corn. My preference goes to the first two which are just one ingredient long. I love that.
Interesting things about TEFF:
TEFF is the smallest grain in the world, about 100 grains are the size of a wheat kernal. Originating in North Africa, TEFF is an ancient grain cereal grass. In Ethiopia, TEFF is grown as a forage for cattle, used in adobe construction and to make home brewed alcohol. One pound of TEFF can produce up to 1 ton of grain in as little as 12 weeks. It is a nutritional powerhouse, with higher protein content than wheat. It also high in thiamin, calcium and iron which is an easily absorbable iron. One cup of cooked TEFF contains 387 mg of calcium which is 40% of the US recommended daily allowance. TEFF is ground into flour and is used to make injera, a crepe like bread which is very delicious and a staple of Ethiopian food.
Interesting things about Buckwheat:
Often buckwheat is thought to be a cereal grain, it is actually a fruit seed that is related to rhubarb and sorrel making it a suitable substitute for grains for people who are sensitive to wheat or gluten. Buckwheat is high in manganese, tryptophan, magnesium, fiber and copper. Buckwheat is also high in protein, high in the essential amino acids lysine and arginine. Its unique amino acid profile gives it the power to boost the protein value of beans and cereal grains eaten at the same time. Although not a true grain, it is used like one and surpasses rice, wheat and corn in healthfulness ranking low on the glycemic scale. Buckwheat was first cultivated in southeast Asia where it is often made into noodles. Buckwheat is great to use as a cover crop, gluten free beer and an upholstery filling.
And know for my favourite part:
I also love it with fresh blueberries or brown sugar if I'm feeling confident. YUM. Enjoy! XO. S
