Sometimes, I find the hardest thing about having restrictions on my diet is the uncontrollable cravings for a dish that is simply off-limits. Try as you might to quiet them, but I can promise you your Pinterest feed and Instagram feed will be filled with that very food, for days on end, mocking you until you either give in or find an alternative! (Not that I know from personal experience, or anything) Regardless of retraining your brain to look at food differently to cater those thoughts to your current needs, oftentimes we just can’t help those random hankerings. We are, after all, human.
I find this breakfast porridge to be the perfect stand-in for traditional oatmeal, while still being free of grains, dairy, nuts and seeds. It’s warm, comforting and creamy and the texture is spot on. I tend to alway have a spaghetti squash on hand, so if I cook one up for dinner the night before, I will save half to make this breakfast the next morning.
These instructions may seem long, but it’s only because I include the instructions on how to cook the spaghetti squash. You likely already know how and may already have the leftover squash ready and waiting.
I find the TigerNut flour (which is AIP-friendly being neither a nut nor a seed but actually a tuber), adds an additional thickness and creates that creamy and sticky, glue-like texture of a traditional oatmeal. It also brings a slight nutty texture. You can simply omit or see my notes below on other substitutions.
[print_this]Spiced Coconut Squash Breakfast Porridge
{grain-free, nut-free, seed-free, dairy-free}
serves 1-2
- 1/2 medium spaghetti squash
- 1 cup organic full-fat coconut milk (I like this brand because it’s additive-free)
- 1 tablespoon organic maple syrup or raw honey, optional
- 1/4 cup TigerNut flour*
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- Pinch of pink Himilayan sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
Optional:
- shredded coconut
- fruit – berries, mango, pears, apple, etc
- nuts or seeds
NOTE: I realize that TigerNut flour is likely something most of us don’t have sitting around, though I would highly recommend it. If you don’t have it on hand and don’t want to buy it, try a tablespoon or two of tapioca or arrowroot starch or coconut flour OR you can also simply leave it out completely, which I have done, it will be just a tad less thick of a cereal, but still very, very good.
DO AHEAD: Too make this a simple and quick breakfast, I recommend cooking the spaghetti squash the night before. Possibly using the first half for dinner.
Roast the Squash:
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Use a sharp chef’s knife, cut the spaghetti squash the long way from stem to tail. Spaghetti squash can be a beast, so be extra careful and go slow.
Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds and stringy bits of flesh from center of the squash. Place the squash halves cut-side down in a roasting pan or glass baking pan. Pour enough water in the pan to cover the bottom, a 1/2-inch or so.
Place into the oven and roast for 35-40 minutes. (smaller squash will take less time) It will be done with the flesh is tender and the strands just have the slightest bite to them. Remove the squash from the oven and let cool. Place in the fridge overnight.
Next Day
Make the Porridge:
Remove the squash from the fridge. Using a fork, gently pull and scrape the squash flesh from the peel and to separate the flesh into strands. Add the strands to a bowl. Using the flesh from about half of the squash, take it into a few paper towels, a clean kitchen towel or a strainer and press out as much liquid as you can. Really squeeze it good. You should be left with about 1 to 1 1/2 tightly packed cups of squash from that half.
Place the squash on a cutting board and just roughly chop, until it’s in a bunch of small little bits.
Add the coconut milk, spaghetti squash bits and sweetener of your choice (if using), to a small saucepan over a medium heat. Give it a good stir to combine. Sprinkle the TigerNut flour, cinnamon, ginger and sea salt evenly over the top, then whisk it all together to combine and remove any clumps. Bring to a light simmer and allow to cook until it thickens and the squash is cooked to your desired tenderness. If it’s too thick, simply add a bit more coconut milk or even water. Taste the porridge and adjust your seasonings or sweetness if necessary. Stir in the vanilla extract, just before serving (if using).
Serve warm topped with fresh fruit, a pinch of cinnamon, shredded coconut, nuts or seeds, whatever you’d like. I love mine with a little fresh mango. [/print_this]
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15 Responses
Very clever! I can’t wait to give this creative dish a try!
This looks amazing! What an awesome comforting breakfast!
Great recipe! I have to give this a try!
I am totally intrigued! Can’t wait to make a sweet squash dish!!
I think you’ll love it. It’s become a favorite of mine. Having some this morning, actually.
If using arrowroot starch, would you add it in in the same way, or do you think you would need to make a ‘slurry’ first to prevent clumping?
Thanks so much!!
Kay, yes probably might be best to make a slurry first, since arrowroot can clump. Sometimes I will just use a flour sifter or strainer and sift it right into things that way so it doesn’t clump, so as to skip the slurry step. Let me know if you try it out and how it works. You will likely only want a tablespoon or two, to start, you are likely to not need nearly as much as we use with the Tigernut flour.
Isn’t that the truth – whenever I have a restriction on my diet, it seems I get cravings for that very thing! This dish is so inventive and I’m currently craving THIS. With the mango on top it almost feels like mango sticky rice! Can’t wait to try it, Beth!
This is so freaking perfect, I can’t stand it!
As the temps drop to double-digit sub-zero in the frozen tundra known as Minnesota, I’ve been enviously eyeing my husband and kid’s warm, steamy bowls of steel cut oats those lucky two get to eat every morning. Needing to eat 99% AIP to feel good, unfortunately oats are one of the many things my body rejects. I have seriously tried and been profoundly disappointed in every single other “faux-meal” replication I’ve come across. Not a single one had nailed that chewy/creamy/sticky/grain-like mouthfeel, especially without using a crap-ton of nuts or shredded coconut (can’t STAND that texture). Until now! The tigernut flour absolutely takes this from creamy boiled spaghetti squash (yummy on its own!) to “omg this makes me so freaking happy that I can almost convince myself that I’m eating oatmeal”.
My squash was huge and somewhat watery, so I just made a big batch to heat & go for the week and will continue to do so for the rest of the winter….so for like another 5 months. Love this and love you for creating this for me (well, I know, not really, but that’s how excited I am to have this dish in my life right now).
Thank you for this recipe! I’m on an elimination diet and it has been my favorite breakfast by far. I know I’ll continue to make this even after I’m no longer doing the strict restrictions!
Beth, this is an awesome idea! Quick thing: Can you sub cassava, almond, or coconut flour for the tigernut flour?
Hmmm great question, I haven’t tried making it with any of these, but I bet the cassava or almond flour would work great, coconut flour is highly absorbent, so if you use that, I would just use less. Hope that helps.
Just made this with two tablespoons of coconut flour instead of tigernut flour and I did not have folk fat coconut milk so I used water and coconut manna. It was delicious. Thank you!
Amazing. I am so glad you like it.
I have never or rarely commented on a recipe but this is a game changer for me. I made a big batch with 2 squashes and I used 2 tb each of coconut flour and tapioca starch.
– I pureed the squash instead of chopping it.
– I also stir in a tablespoon of almond butter for each serving. It makes it even creamier.
Thank you forever!