Oh man now I don't know if oatmeal is still my favorite after trying freekeh for breakfast, but who said we have to have favorites?

Freekeh is a Middle Eastern grain, made out of green wheat, it was discovered accidently some 2,000 years ago! What I love about freekeh beside that it's healthy (low glycemic index, high: protein, fiber, iron, zinc, and calcium) it has a nutty flavor and it's very chewy, sure keeps you satisfied! I personally found that freekeh fills me up more than oats, but that could just be me. The only drawback about freekeh is that it is NOT gluten-free, so if you're allergic, stick to oats and quinoa.

Recipe

Serves 1-2

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup freekeh
• 1 cup filtered water
• 3/4+ cup almond milk see note
• 2 very ripe small bananas mashed (method #1)
• 3 tbsp homemade pumpkin puree (method #2)
• dash of cinnamon
• dash of sea salt
• tiny dash of fresh ground ginger optional
• 1-2 tbsp maple syrup optional

Steps:

1. Add the water, sea salt, and freekeh in a small saucepan uncovered, bring to a boil
2. Reduce heat and add the almond milk, cinnamon, and ginger. Be careful, don't bring to a boil if you're using almond milk
3. Simmer for 20-25 minutes stirring occasionally
4. Remove from the heat and add the bananas, pumpkin, or both! folding them in and mixing them very well with the freekeh
5. Place in a bowl or two and top with your favorite superfoods

Note #1: if you want your freekeh to be less grainy, then add another 1/4-1/2 cup of almond milk and let it simmer for a bit more.

Note #2: You can experiment and add both the bananas and pumpkin puree! Let me know how it goes if you do xx

Toppings:

#1: Trader Joe's crunchy salted almond butter, goji berries, buckwheat groats, raw chocolate squares, sprouted pepitas, shredded coconut, and pumpkin chia pudding.

#2:  Trader Joe's crunchy peanut butter with flax and chia seeds, sprouted pepita seeds, sun-dried mulberries, pomegranate seeds, shredded coconut, puffed quinoa, and a raw chocolate square.