Whole Food Cooking Every Day

Chia Bircher Bowls

Chia Oat Bircher Bowl

(Base Recipe)

Grain-Free Chia Bircher Bowl

(Base Recipe)

Matcha Chia Bircher Bowl

Peach or Nectarine Chia Bircher Bowl

Cacao and Maca Chia Bircher Bowl

Apple-Citrus Chia Bircher Bowl

Golden Milk Chia Bircher Bowl

If you're new to whole food cooking, start with these recipes for chia Bircher bowls. The few moments of advance planning and the 10 minutes you'll spend assembling any of these will reward you with a delicious, energy-boosting breakfast for days. (And if you don't have time to make a batch ahead, you can still whip one up in less than 30 minutes.) Combining oats (or soaked seeds and coconut) with chia seeds, hemp seeds, and ground flax and an almond-milk base gives them a creamy consistency. You can portion them out into individual jars so you have a nourishing breakfast at the ready every morning. And you can feel good starting the day with any of the recipes here, as they're high in protein and contain so many nutrient-dense foods. These breakfast bowls are all customizable, and the base recipes are the ideal blank canvas for showcasing summer fruit and berries or a Simple Compote (pages 96–105). Not only are these chia Bircher bowls easier to make than your average morning smoothie, they are also more satisfying and sustaining.

Here you will find two base recipes: one made with oats, and a grain-free version based on soaked seeds and coconut. You can use either base for any of the variations that follow. If you eat grains, start with the Chia Oat Bircher Bowl; it's a true crowd-pleaser (if you are allergic to gluten, be sure to purchase gluten-free oats). Note that with either of these bases, you'll need to soak the almonds (and, if making the grain-free version, the seeds) overnight.

These bowls are best at room temperature, so remove that morning's portion from the fridge about half an hour before you plan to eat it (if you're taking it to work, this is no problem). Top it with fresh fruit or berries or one of the compotes and a splash of plain or flavored nut milk (see Nut or Seed Milk); on cooler days, you can warm up the nut milk. For added crunch, sprinkle with toasted seeds, nuts, or flaked coconut, or just top with ground flax seeds, hemp seeds, or maca powder.

Notes

Texture

These breakfast puddings will thicken quite quickly and be ready to eat in under 30 minutes, but they will also thicken further overnight in the fridge. You can easily adjust the consistency by adding nut milk or water if the pudding is too thick; or stir in a little more chia and flax if it's too runny.

Flavor

You can flavor these puddings in a hundred different ways—be as adventurous as you like. Scan your tea and spice cabinets for inspiration. Either of the base recipes will hit the spot, especially with the garnishes suggested opposite, but if you want to change up the flavors, the variations make this nutritious breakfast all the more interesting.

Blending

Although these recipes are best made with a high-powered blender, you can use a regular upright blender. Just be sure to blend the ingredients until smooth and creamy. When adding fresh turmeric or ginger to either of the bases, finely chop it first.

Add-Ins

Many of your favorite superfood ingredients can be incorporated into these bowls. If you choose one with a pungent flavor, like mushroom powder, ashwagandha, or maca, start with less than the suggested dose, as the taste can intensify when the pudding sits overnight. If you're going nut-free, replace the nuts with raw sunflower or pumpkin seeds (these will need to be soaked first). If you're looking for something a little sweeter, stir in dried mulberries, as in the Golden Milk Chia Bowl. Or blend in a couple of dates with the almonds and water in any variation, or simply drizzle the sweetener of your choice over the chia bowl. Adding coconut butter to a blended base (as in the Golden Milk Chia Bowl) is a nice way to enrich it; be sure to use store-bought coconut butter, which has a finer texture than homemade.

Garnishes

If you want to dress up these bowls beyond the toppings suggested here (edible flowers, ground freeze-dried berries, grated citrus zest, and bee pollen), it can be fun to match the bowls with a nut milk of the same color (see Nut or Seed Milk) and then garnish them with toppings in the same tone as well.

Storing and Freezing

Stored in clean glass jars in the fridge, most of these chia puddings will keep well for up to 4 days. Those containing fresh fruit, though, are best eaten within 3 days. The bowls based on oats can be portioned out into individual servings and frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost each portion in the fridge overnight and stir well before serving.

variation recipes

Matcha Chia Bircher Bowl

Makes about 4 cups | 960 ml | Serves 4

1 recipe Chia Oat Bircher Bowl or Grain-Free Chia Bircher Bowl, omitting the cinnamon

4 teaspoons (8 g) ceremonial-grade matcha tea powder (see Resources)

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 Medjool date, pitted (optional)

Make the chia bowl following the instructions for the base recipe, adding the matcha, cardamom, and date, if using, to the blender along with the almonds and omitting the cinnamon. Pictured here

1 recipe Chia Oat Bircher Bowl or Grain-Free Chia Bircher Bowl, using 1½ cups (360 ml) water and ½ teaspoon cinnamon

2 medium-large (12 ounces | 340 g) ripe peaches or nectarines, halved, pitted, and chopped, plus more for serving

Make the chia bowl following the instructions for the base recipe, adding the peaches or nectarines to the blender along with the almonds and blending until completely smooth. Serve garnished with additional sliced peaches or nectarines and/or any of the toppings suggested here. Because of the raw fruit, this bowl should be stored for no longer than 2 to 3 days. Pictured here

1 recipe Chia Oat Bircher Bowl or Grain-Free Chia Bircher Bowl

¼ cup (½ ounce | 16 g) cacao powder (see sidebar)

2 tablespoons (½ ounce | 14 g) mesquite powder (see the sidebar)

4 teaspoons (½ ounce | 16 g) gelatinized maca powder (see Resources)

1 tablespoon coconut butter

Make the chia bowl following the instructions for the base recipe, adding the cacao, mesquite, maca, and coconut butter to the blender along with the almonds and blending until smooth. Serve with any of the toppings suggested here; this bowl tastes particularly good with Cherry Vanilla Compote and Rose Almond Milk . Pictured here

1 recipe Chia Oat Bircher Bowl or Grain-Free Chia Bircher Bowl, using 1½ cups (360 ml) water and 1 teaspoon cinnamon

¾ cup (180 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice

¾ cup (6½ ounces | 185 g) thick coconut yogurt or whole-milk yogurt

1 medium-large (8 ounces | 230 g) apple, grated (1½ cups)

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

¼ cup (1¼ ounces | 35 g) golden raisins (optional)

Make the chia bowl following the instructions for the base recipe, adding the orange juice and yogurt to the blender along with the almonds and blending until smooth. Continue as directed, then mix in the apple, orange zest, and raisins, if using. Because of the raw apple, this should be stored for no longer than 2 to 3 days. Pictured here

1 recipe Chia Oat Bircher Bowl or Grain-Free Chia Bircher Bowl

½ cup (1¼ ounces | 35 g) unsweetened shredded dried coconut

One 4-inch (10 cm) piece (1 ounce | 30 g) fresh turmeric, peeled and chopped (finely chopped if using a regular blender), or 2 teaspoons ground turmeric

1 tablespoon coconut butter

2 teaspoons ground cardamom

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

⅓ cup (1½ ounces | 42 g) dried golden mulberries or golden raisins

Make the chia bowl following the instructions for the base recipe, adding the coconut, turmeric, coconut butter, cardamom, and pepper to the blender along with the almonds and blending until smooth. Then continue as directed, stirring in the mulberries once the dry and wet mixtures are combined. Pictured here

◦ Chia Oat Bircher Bowl with raspberries (fresh and dried)

◦ Golden Milk Chia Bircher Bowl with bee pollen

◦ Cacao and Maca Chia Bircher Bowl with Cherry Vanilla Compote and orange zest

◦ Peach Chia Bircher Bowl with almond milk and hemp seeds

◦ Apple-Citrus Chia Bircher Bowl with blueberries, almond milk, and edible flowers

◦ Golden Milk Chia Bircher Bowl with Golden Milk and bee pollen

◦ Matcha Chia Bircher Bowl with Matcha Almond Milk and strawberries

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Genius Whole-Grain Porridges

Millet Porridge

(Base Recipe)

Millet-Coconut Porridge with Pear and Cardamom

Golden Milk Millet Porridge

Savory Millet-Sesame Porridge with Miso

Buckwheat Porridge

(Base Recipe)

Buckwheat Chai Porridge

Buckwheat-Cacao Porridge with Walnut and Rose

Black Rice Porridge

(Base Recipe)

Beet-Macadamia Black Rice Porridge with Coconut and Ginger

Black Rice–Almond Porridge with Golden Raisins, Fennel, and Orange

Whole Oat Porridge

(Base Recipe)

Whole Oat–Apple Porridge with Almonds and Nutmeg

Whole Oat Porridge with Winter Squash and Ginger

Grain-Free Porridge

(Base Recipe)

Strawberry-Cardamom Grain-Free Porridge

Cacao-Orange Grain-Free Porridge

When an autumnal chill has set in and the mornings are brisk, there is almost no better way to start the day than with a comforting porridge—warming, nourishing, and delicious. Although porridge can be made with any grain, I prefer whole grains for their great texture and more complex flavor—as well as their abundance of concentrated nutrients. Here you'll find recipes using millet, whole oats, buckwheat, and black rice, but you can use the same technique for quinoa, wheat, rye, or spelt berries (heartier grains will take a bit longer to cook). All of these must be presoaked. Soaking whole grains overnight removes phytic acid and sparks the sprouting process, which awakens the nutrients in the grains and makes them more easily digestible.

I call these recipes "genius" porridges because I had two revelations while developing them. The first was that ground grains will cook up into porridge much faster than grains that are whole. The problem with grinding raw grains in a mill or spice grinder is that they can't be soaked first. However, you can blend presoaked whole grains with fresh water to get the same textural results as a ground grain while getting all the nutritional benefits of a soaked grain. My second revelation was that you can blend nuts, seeds, or coconut into the water called for in the recipe (before adding the grains) to make a creamy base for cooking the whole grains. Even a small amount of nuts or seeds will change the flavor and texture while boosting the protein content. Discovering these two techniques opened up a whole world of delicious and nutritionally enhanced porridges with the most luscious and satisfying textures.

This chapter also includes a base recipe and two variations for a grain-free porridge. When developing the grain-free porridge base recipe, I wanted the same warming and creamy texture whole-grain porridges have. To achieve that, the recipe uses a combination of soaked nuts and seeds, along with some coconut flour. Once this base is warmed through, flax and chia seeds are added to thicken the mixture. Since chia and flax don't need to be cooked, those porridges come together rather quickly.

You'll find suggestions for how to customize your porridges— both sweet and savory. I hope you'll agree: they're genius!

Notes

Texture

The great thing about these whole-grain recipes is that you can grind the grains as fine or as coarse as you like. The recipe instructions in this chapter result in cracked grains, so the porridges have some texture. If you like the idea of a silky-smooth porridge (which will cook much faster), blend the soaked grains with the water until completely smooth, then pour into the pot. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly until thickened, then cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. The exact time will vary depending on the grain you use, but once the raw taste has gone, the porridge is ready. If you want to add sliced pear or grated apple to one of these smoother porridges, wait until the porridge is cooked before stirring in the fruit. (Note that it is easier to reheat porridge made with more coarsely ground grains, as the smoother ones have a tendency to clump; however, with the help of a whisk and a bit of attention, it can be done.)

Flavor

Adding coconut, nuts, seeds, or spices to any of the grain-based porridges makes them more flavorful and interesting. Just as with grains, soaking the nuts or seeds is important for enhancing nutrients and making them more absorbable and digestible. It's easy to remember to do this if you soak them at the same time as the grains (in separate containers).

To change up the flavor, you can use brewed tea instead of water when grinding the soaked grains (see Buckwheat Chai Porridge). Since you're most likely eating the porridge for breakfast, you can use teas that have caffeine, such as a robust chai or Chinese Pu-erh—both of these are warming and add a great depth of flavor. For herbal teas, like ginger, fennel, nettle, dandelion, or turmeric, steep them overnight to get the most of their medicinal benefits.

If you want a savory breakfast, use any of the grain base recipes, omitting any spices, and stir in miso at the end (as in the Savory Millet-Sesame Porridge with Miso) or top your bowl with sliced avocado, scallions, toasted sesame or sunflower seeds, ground flax seeds, tamari, and flax oil or olive oil. You can also treat the porridge like a congee and top it with minced ginger, turmeric, chile, fermented vegetables (homemade or store-bought), toasted nori, and/or a poached or boiled egg.

Adding some oil or another fat to any of the whole-grain porridges will enrich and enhance its flavor. Because you need some fat to get all the anti-inflammatory benefits of turmeric, you'll find coconut butter (or coconut oil) in the recipe for the Golden Milk Millet Porridge; you could use ghee instead or stir in melted butter or olive oil at the end.

Add-Ins

You can add fresh or frozen berries, grated apple, or sliced ripe pear or stone fruits once your porridge is cooked, allowing a few minutes for the fruit to cook or heat through before serving. Dried fruit can be added at the beginning of cooking.

Before you drizzle your breakfast porridge with maple syrup or honey, taste it without any added sweetener; you might find that you really don't need it, especially if you top the porridge with berries. Avoiding sugar in the morning will give you sharper mental focus and a sustained energy throughout the day (and omitting it helps break a sugar addiction). For variations like the Buckwheat-Cacao Porridge with Walnut and Rose, you have the option of blending in dates to balance the bitterness of the cacao.

Garnishes

Sometimes a plain porridge topped simply with a nut or seed milk is just what you need in the morning. But these recipes provide a great opportunity for finishing the porridge with a nutrient-dense garnish and toppings; see the following page for suggestions.

Storing and Freezing

Stored in the fridge in airtight containers, these porridges will keep for 4 to 5 days. Pour leftover cooked porridge into a widemouthed glass jar or container and allow to cool before covering and placing in the fridge. These porridges can also be frozen (leave at least 1 inch | 2.5 cm of headspace in each container). Defrost in the fridge overnight; see the directions for reheating.

Reheating

To reheat leftover porridge, spoon about 1 cup (240 ml) cooked porridge per serving into a small saucepan, add 2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45 ml) water or nut milk per serving, and bring to a simmer over high heat, stirring frequently. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for a minute or so longer, until the porridge is heated through. Stir once more and serve.

1 recipe Millet Porridge

½ cup (1¼ ounces | 35 g) unsweetened shredded dried coconut

1 teaspoon ground cardamom