Rice and Flax "Oatmeal" Porridge

This is my affordable bulk GF replacement for my fiance's oh-so-frightening obsession with oatmeal for breakfast (before our household went GF). He is a "carb" metabolic type where I am a strong protein type, so often we need double meals so satisfy our different needs. This recipe, however, can feed us both (sigh!). It includes flax for healthy Omega 3 fats, superior fiber (7 of 8 carbs are fiber so flax is perfect for low carb diets), and high protein. The flax lowers the glycemic index of the rice and raisins (I use a 1/2 - 1/2 recipe here). If you have too much gas or cramping from the high fiber, then feel free to reduce the amount of flax. I made this in the crockpot, but it can be made in a pot or microwaved.

2 c. whole grain organic brown rice*
2 c. flax seeds
1/3 -1/2 c. raisins and/or cranberries
1/3 c. walnuts and slivered almonds for a good "crunch"
2 c. Almond Breeze almond milk**
5-8 c. water (adjustable, see below)

*Brown rice has a glycemic index around 57 where white rice is 88, much too high for even people without insulin problems.
**I use unsweetened; any rice/soy/cow/hemp/hazelnut milk can also be used but most will add sugar; a good dairy substitution would use 1 can evaporated milk.

Grind/blend uncooked rice and flax in blender (I use a dry blade Vitamix container which takes about 30 seconds to pulverize the rice and flax). Adjust the grind to suit your tastes. We like it mostly fine ground with a few surviving rice kernels. Place the resulting meal in a crockpot or pot of choice and add raisins (cranberries, currants), nuts, seeds*, and milk. Stir and add spices to taste. I use a LOT of cinnamon (also helps with glycemic index and insulin levels), nutmeg, and cloves. Add water or more milk until mixture is very watery, keeping in mind that the flax will absorb much of the water before the rice even gets a chance to cook. Cook on low anywhere from 3-8 hours. I have found that I could not overcook the porridge as long as I added water when needed).

*seeds such as sunflower seeds provide good omega 6 fats to balance the omega 3 fats from the flax.

Serve hot or cold (best hot), topped with fresh banana, blueberries or other seasonal, local fruit. My fiance likes some natural brown sugar in it as well, though agave nectar or honey work also.

***Be sure that your brown sugar is REAL and not just white sugar with molasses added. We use Whole Foods Natural Brown sugar. Another cheaper alternative is to buy your brown sugar from Kroger; Kroger actually has organic brown sugar for less than WF's natural.***

Yield: way to many bowls! This stuff last forever. It's a great family breakfast that is easy, healthy, GF and DF, and budget friendly! Reheat leftovers for quick breakfasts (or great dessert base) in the microwave. I made this since gluten free oats and other commercial gluten free cereals (millet, white rice, tapioca, etc) are pricey or choc-full-o' sugar or high glycemic grains only. I want to control the glycemic index of what we eat; many gluten free items are sky high in glycemic impact and actually WORSE for you than white bread (see The International Table of GI and GL Values for a downloadable Excel file with glycemic indicies (GI) and loads (GL) ).

As an alternative but similar breakfast, consider our Fruit and Rice "Pudding" Porridge.

This recipe is dairy free, gluten free, parve, vegan and vegetarian.