Cauliflower for breakfast?
If I text “it’s recipe testing day, wanna eat here?” to most of my friends or family members, they’ll usually agree enthusiastically. After all, I would say that most of my recipe experiments, even if the recipe is not yet perfected, are enjoyable. But after a certain incident, I have ruined all of my cauliflower recipes for one friend.
If you know me, you know I praise the versatility of cauliflower in a grain-free diet. I’ve used it to make paleo-friendly wraps, so I wanted to try making paleo cauliflower muffins. I even put bacon in them which, I thought, was a brilliant move. In my defense, I thought the muffins turned out pretty good.
I offered these paleo muffins, omitting cauliflower in the description, to my friend. His face contorted dramatically and he asked, “what did I just eat?” Evidently, some people do not expect cauliflower in a baked good. Imagine that. Ever since, he has refused to sample any of my cauliflower recipes.
I haven’t told him I’ve been eating porridge made with the vegetable.
America’s Backward Breakfasts
On Facebook, I recently shared an article which compared the breakfast habits of Americans to other cultures. In America, we consider it normal to start the day with dessert: cereal, waffles, toast and jam, bagels, muffins, or pancakes. Those high-glycemic foods shoot a high concentration of sugar into the bloodstream, causing blood sugar imbalances and behavioral problems (in children and adults) throughout the rest of the day.
From the American perspective, it seems backward to start the day with a savory, vegetable-based meal. But I believe a successful day should start with a savory, nutrient-dense breakfast.
Savory Porridge: About the Ingredients
Cauliflower creates a creamy porridge texture, when cooked and blended with an immersion blender. The idea of cauliflower porridge may sound off-putting, but the flavor is unobtrustive and beautifully compliments the bright pesto and crunchy nuts.
Canned coconut milk (not from the carton) provides the rich, creaminess integral to this recipe. It also provides short chain fatty acids, which are shown to boost metabolism. If desired, you can use light canned coconut milk.
Collagen protein is the only form of isolated protein I use and recommend (it’s available here). It dissolves without flavor or texture into the porridge, adding only a hefty serving of satiating protein. If I omit this from the recipe, I’ll enjoy the porridge alongside eggs to get in another form of protein.
Pesto and hazelnuts are the additions I chose, but tailor these toppings to your own dietary restrictions. I whipped up a simple batch of basil pesto, omitting the pine nuts and parmesan. In addition or in place of the toasted hazelnuts, you could drizzle nut/seed butter. As I’ve mentioned before, I highly recommend these sprouted nut butters for optimal nutrition.
- 1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1 can coconut milk
- ¼ cup grassfed collagen protein, available here (optional)
- Salt, to taste
- Huge handful of basil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Olive oil, about ¼ cup
- Salt, to taste
- Chopped toasted hazelnuts or other nuts
- Nut or seed butter (try the sprouted nut and seed butters here)
- A drizzle of truffle oil, available here
- In a medium saucepan with a lid, place the cauliflower and the coconut milk. Cover and cook on medium-low heat until very tender, about 20 minutes.
- Cool slightly, then use an immersion blender to puree into a porridge-like texture. Stir in the collagen protein and salt.
- To make the pesto, I eye-balled the ingredient amounts. I put the ingredients in a tall container and then blended with my immersion blender. It's difficult to mess up pesto. If you prefer, use a more detailed recipe or a jarred version.
- Top the warm porridge with the pesto and other additions. I use pesto, hazelnuts, and truffle oil.
Thanks Lauren! Why us canned coconut milk preferable to that from a carton?
Good question, Michelle, thanks for asking. The cartons of coconut milk often contain additives such as synthetic vitamins and carrageenan, which I prefer to avoid. Also, it isn’t as rich and creamy as the canned version. More info: http://empoweredsustenance.com/non-dairy-milks/
How big is a can of coconut milk? In Australia, we have two sizes — 270 ml and 400 ml. The smaller one is a little over one cup, and the larger one is a little over one and a half cups.
I am referring to a can that is 13.5 fluid ounces, or 400 mL 🙂
Hi Lauren,
Thank you for this recipe. I made today with canned pumpkin and almonds and pumpkin spice for a fall feel.
I would love more info from you on how to balance my low blood sugar which I understand may be responsible for causing me to be wide awake nightly at 3 am 🙁
Stephanie
wow! This Grain Free Savory Porridge looks is really awesome. I think it is very effective for make the Smoothie for weight loss…! thanks for share…
Lauren,
I would like to offer my cell number so you can also text me when it is “recipe testing day”. Haha!
This is so yummy and easy to prepare. What a great option so as not to get tired of traditional egg breakfasts. I halved the recipe as I usually cook for one, which was perfect because I always seem to have a half head of cauliflower leftover waiting to be used. I used toasted hazelnuts, pesto (made fresh that morning from my garden!) and truffle oil. I can’t wait to try it with nut butter (I happen to have just made cashew-pecan-almond buter. Perfect timing.)
This was great for breakfast (don’t worry, it doesn’t give a stinky cauliflower vibe or a vibe that you are eating your dinner’s vegetable side dish. It also doesn’t resemble mashed cauliflower “faux-tatoes, as I thought it might.) I am going to make this as a mid-day snack as it filled me up and gave me energy.
Any idea if this would save ok? Could it be reheated on the stove, as I do not use a microwave?
Awesome recipe, thanks!
Maybe if the Empowered Sustenance Test Kitchen grows in the future, I can outsource taste-testers… you would definitely be on the list!
Yes, the porridge does save before you add all the toppings. I reheat it on the stove too, and add an additional splash of coconut milk to make it creamier.
Is there any alternative to using canned coconut milk?