Sally Fallon’s Breakfast Porridge

As Sally Fallon says in Nourishing Traditions, this is truly a fast food. Her oatmeal takes a few minutes of preparation the night before, and it takes five minutes to prepare the next morning. It’s a low-maintenance, inexpensive, nutritious dish.

The first time I had this recipe was at my sister Lauren’s house. I remember resisting her suggestion that I try it; I liked oatmeal, but I had always assumed it had to be either super bland or really sugary. She insisted that I have a bowl, and since she can convince me of about anything, I caved. And I’m so glad I did.

Folklore attributes oat consumption to strength, endurance, energy, beauty and perceptiveness. Oats are also rich in B vitamins, iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium, all of which are more readily available to the body via the soaking process.*

I’ve written before on the benefits of soaking oats in my Healthy Homemade Granola blog post, and again, soaking is the vital step in making this dish maximally nutritious. In this dish, I use a mixture that is primarily buttermilk, with a little bit of water added. This makes for a creamier, more robust taste.

At first glance at the ingredients it may seem that I’ve taken a healthy food (oats) and turned it into a completely unhealthy dish filled with fats and sugar. However, the raw dairy products are full of beneficial fats and vitamins, and when coupled with oats, provide a necessary catalyst for mineral absorption. The raw sugars are also valuable sources of minerals and both contain healing properties for the immune and digestive systems.

This recipe comes directly from Nourishing Traditions, but it’s my own favorite variation.

Breakfast Porrides (Serves 4)
1 C rolled oats
²/₃ C raw buttermilk
¹/₃ C warm filtered water
¹/₂ Tsp Celtic sea salt
1 C filtered water
1 C soaked nuts
1 Tbsp shredded coconut
1 Tbsp maple sugar or honey
2 Tbsp raw cream
2 Tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Mix the oats in the water and buttermilk mixture. Cover and leave overnight or up to 24 hours.

In the morning, bring salt water to a boil and then add the soaked oats mixture. Bring to a simmer and cover for a few minutes.

Dish a generous amount of oats into a bowl. Add vanilla extract and mix well. Pour cream over flavored oats. Add pecans and shredded coconut. Drizzle with natural sweetener.