I was busy researching/studying and decided to quickly run into my sanctuary (the kitchen) and reheat some left overs that I had prepared the night before. The goal was to pop my leftovers in the oven (I don’t use microwave), set my timer and return to researching/studying.

Lo and behold, I waltzed into my sanctuary and my OCD decided to take over. Or maybe it was my passion for all things culinary.  I noticed both green and ripe plantains and forgot all about my left over stew peas. My sanctuary really is an inspiration and when I’m in my element, I realize that it’s usually best for me to follow my intuition and simply go with the flow.The mangoes and plantains were just staring at me, begging to be used. Keep in mind, the majority of my earth foods/produce are left out on my kitchen countertops and around the kitchen. I’m a visual, therefore, having my food in plain sight evokes the desire to incorporate them into my culinary delights. It sets the tone for what will be transformed into  breakfast, lunch or dinner.

I must admit, I’m not a fan of cupboards. One day, I will have a walk in pantry the size of two extra large bedrooms. It’s only right for me to have a kitchen that is conducive to my lifestyle. To increase the lifespan of certain foods, such as berries, leafy greens and herbs, I keep those in my refrigerator.

I immediately grabbed the green plantains and went into professional chef, plating, food stylist, food photographer mode and tactfully executed this d’luscious, gluten free porridge. I love porridge, plantains and the combination of the both with warm spices and juicy fruits. It creates the illusion of a warm dessert, with floral notes.

As a child, most mornings my grandma would prepare a breakfast  of fried plantains, eggs and hard dough bread. That combination was always comforting and nourishing. To this day, I still enjoy that combo minus the bread. Nowadays,  I would fry one or two plantains and usually devour the first one before they were done frying. Plantains are satiating and for me, I simply don’t feel the need for bread. Due to the long laundry list of ingredients on most commercial breads, and the adverse reactions to my body and overall health, I tend to limit my intake . That weird feeling that I get from eating bread doesn’t sit well with me, therefore I listen to my body and try to avoid the chemicals, preservatives, dough conditioners, food coloring, synthetic vitamins and artificial flavoring as much as I can.

Nowadays, it’s really difficult to locate bread with limited ingredients: flour, salt, yeast, olive oil.  Every now and then I find a good one. Whenever I’m in the mood, I bake from scratch. Knowing what’s in my food gives me piece of mind.

As much as I wanted to fry the plantains, my inner self yearned for  porridge. I knew the finale was gonna make be fabulous. Since I don’t eat packaged cereals anymore, I rely on home made warm cereals that are full of nutrients. I no longer crave for them, because my regular consumption of real foods have crowded out the desires of fake food.

I am not diet specific. I choose to limit processed foods and nurture my Temple the best way I know how. The addition of the dessicated coconuts, hemp seeds, mangoes and blueberries enhanced the flavor profile and boosted the nutritional value. I wish you could taste this bowl of plantain porridge. It was everything, believe me!

What’s your favorite porridge?