Breakfast Freekeh with Cottage Cheese and Berries

It’s Recipe Redux time! This is a monthly challenge where Registered Dietitians re-do or create a healthy recipe based on a theme.  February’s theme is “Oscars in the Kitchen” since the post day is only 3 days prior to the airing of this year’s Academy Awards.  We have been challenged to create a recipe inspired by our favorite food scene or featured dish in a movie.  As a theater lover, the first thing that came to my mind was “Food Glorious Food” from the movie “Oliver”.  In this scene, many orphans are standing in line to receive their “gruel” and wishing for more scrumptious offerings.  Since my latest obsession is making freekeh for breakfast, I created a recipe that I’m sure the orphans would have appreciated as a "glorious twist" on their morning meal. 

What is Freekeh?  It’s a process which means “to rub” in Arabic.  It was created by accident nearly 2,000 years ago when a Middle Eastern village was attacked and their crop of young green wheat was set ablaze.  The crafty villagers rubbed off the chaff, cooked it up and Freekeh was born.  Freekeh is a healthy, whole grain with 8 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber per serving.  It is simple to cook, just like rice.  It’s vegetarian, vegan, sustainably produced and not bioengineered.

I like to cook the freekeh in the evening and let it sit in the frig overnight.  This recipe is fantastic with any variety of fresh or frozen fruit. Top it off with your favorite nuts or chia seeds, hemp hearts or flax. You name it.  Since it is the middle of winter in the northeast, I’ve chosen to use frozen berries.  By defrosting them overnight in the refrigerator, they retain more of their juices and become less runny.  This recipe packs 10 grams of fiber which equals 30-40% of your recommended daily intake. The protein, good carbs, healthy fat and fiber will keep you satisfied for hours!

Ingredients:

¼ cup plain freekeh
½ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 packet stevia or preferred sweetener
¼ cup 2% cottage cheese
¾ cup berries
1 teaspoon chia seeds, hemp hearts, or ground flax

Instructions:

In a medium saucepan with lid, add freekeh, almond milk, cinnamon and sweetener and bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer for approximately 20 minutes.  Remove from heat when most of the liquid is absorbed.  Transfer to a container with a lid and place in the refrigerator.  Once cooled, add cottage cheese, berries and seeds.  If the freekeh dries out, pour some extra almond milk over it and stir prior to adding the other ingredients.

Serves 1:
267 calories, 5g fat, .7g sat fat, 5mg chol, 270mg sodium, 45g carbohydrate, 10g fiber, 12g sugar, 17g protein

Tips and Twists:
This is such a versatile recipe, you can add almost anything to it.  Try Greek yogurt instead of cottage cheese for variety and change up the fruit and seeds.  Add a Tablespoon of slivered almonds or walnuts for more heart healthy fat.   

Freekeh Foods is a client of NutritionBabes.com, we were not compensated for this post.