As of yesterday, Cornmeal Porridge has been on my mind constantly. My grandma somehow beats me to the kitchen and made us some oatmeal porridge instead. She doesn’t do much around the house and I don’t expect her to. I mean she is 85 years young and refuses to give up her independence, so I allowed her some space and quality time in my sanctuary. One of my pet peeves is having other people in my kitchen, while I’m developing a recipe.  It irks the heck outta me.  Maybe if I had a huge kitchen it wouldn’t bother me so much. It’s a pretty modest kitchen, however, a diva cook like me would be a whole lot happier with a  restaurant size/quality kitchen. One day, in the name of Jesus, I will have that dream kitchen. I’m claiming it.  I’m really passionate about my dishes. I pour my heart and soul into them, therefore  I really need to focus and I prefer to cook with little or no distraction. Here’s a glimpse of my kitchen aka my sanctuary.

I really needed my grandma to hurry up with her oatmeal, but her range of motion isn’t like it use to be. She moves very slow.Her task is completed, but at a very slow pace. So I decided to make the porridge today. I very rarely make plain old cornmeal porridge. I usually mix it with another grain or two and create a multigrain porrridge. Then I remembered that a fan from my Facebook page sent a message to my inbox. She requested a recipe with quinoa. Now that I was making cornmeal porridge, I figured that it would be the perfect time to finesse this recipe.

My grandma is diabetic and adding chia seeds to her diet is of great benefit. It’s an excellent source of omega 3 fatty acid, protein and fiber. It also acts as a thickening agent. I added the chia seeds after the porridge was cooked. It still added that nuttiness that I love so much.

I had some fresh coconut that I husked, blended and made the purest, freshest coconut milk to add to my porridge. Coconut milk makes everything taste fabulous! Let me tell you a little secret that I learned from a fan, now my friend, Maureen. If you are having a difficult time husking the coconut; simply place the cracked coconut in the oven for about 5 minutes. the coconut  will separate from the husk without effort. So, thank you Maureen Spence for your wonderful tip. I will be using this technique forever!

Recipe:
approximately 10 cups of water
1 cup fine cornmeal
1 cup quinoa
3 tablespoons Chia seeds
1 tablespoon Hemp seeds (for each bowl)
1 1/2 cups of fresh coconut milk
The caviar of 2 vanilla beans
1 bay leaf
2 cinnamon sticks
Pink Himalayan salt to taste
2/3 cup of turbinado sugar, coconut sugar or sweetener of your choice (use more or less to your liking)

Directions:
Bring approximately 7 cups of water to a boil
Mix 1 cup cornmeal with 2 cups water in a bowl. Stir until cornmeal is dissolved and free of lumps
Pour cornmeal mixture into boiling water and whisk until smooth
Add cinnamon stick and bay leaf
Stir in the quinoa and chia seeds,
Reduce heat and cook for approximately 20 minutes.
Add coconut milk and cook for 5 more minutes
Turn off stove.
Add vanilla bean caviar and pink Himalayan salt. Stir to combine
(if porridge is too thick, you can loosen by adding more water or coconut milk)
Sweeten with turbinado or your sweetener of choice
Pour into bowls and sprinkle with hemp seeds
Note: You can also substitute sugar with your raisins, cranberries or your favorite fruits.