Cardamom Infused Black Rice Porridge with Blueberries and Cherries

We went on the small holiday lately. Parents need a break from time to time. But is holiday with a small kid still a holiday? I’m not sure about it. The coolest thing about everything – Mia had fun. Flying is like a walk in a stroller for her. She falls asleep within 5 minutes (maybe because it was a night flight). She loves the mountains and sheep. It was so much fun to watch her discovering new things. But what she loves most is grass. She’s collecting it whenever she has a chance. Have you guys been to polish mountains? It is a magical place, truly beautiful. We went for a couple of walks and we stopped over in a small hut where they make oscypek – delicious cheese, we watched sheep walking lazily around a hill. I miss these views and flavors already. But being back home is good as well. It is so comforting to know where your diapers are, hahaha.

But going back to my holiday. We stopped in Krakau for a couple of days. Tomasz had his things to do, so I took Mia and we went to see a dragon (there is one and it breathes fire), castle and many other spots which are a must in Krakau. I used to travel a lot when there were just us two – me and Tomasz and I thought that traveling with kid won’t be the same. It is different for sure, but I still managed to do all the things I used to. We were walking around for whole days, we managed to meet with friends for a dinner and drink Prosecco in a sun, sitting outside of a trendy cafe. I had so much fun. And in the evening we were reading books with Mia and she fell asleep between us. Of course she kicked my face a couple of times during a night, you know, my kid is moving around like needle from a watch. But I walked up in the morning and she was sleeping and hugging me. This is one of the most beautiful things in the world. Now I want more. I want to show the whole world to my girl.

And I need to tell you something! Mia has two teeth! Just like this. No crying, no cheeks on fire, no drooling. She walked up one morning and she smiled with two teeth. How crazy awesome is this!

A good thing about going back home was that an amazing present was waiting for me. A book by Maria Specek “Simply ancient grains”. I tried out the first recipe that caught my eye – cardamom infused black rice porridge with blueberries. Guys, it’s sooooo gooooddddddd! The whole book is amazing, so check it out if you have a chance. You can make a vegan version out of it or add milk or sour cream if you prefer it that way.

You will need:

• ¾ cup blac rice
• ½ tsp + ½ tsp cardamom
• 1 ½ cup boiling water
• ½ cup thick sour cream or rice milk
• 3 tbsp agave syrup
• ½ cup blueberries
• ½ cup cherries without seeds
• hemp seeds
• coconut flakes
• fresh mint

You need to start a peparation the night before. Place rice in a pot, add ½ tsp of cardamom (or two cardamom pods) and pour boiling water over it. Leave it like this for a night.

In the morning add ½ cup thick sour cream (or yogurt or rice milk), agave syrup and more cardamom, cover and bring to boil over a medium heat. Uncover, decrease the heat and simmer for about 7 minutes, stirring from time to time, you want it to be tender. Then add blueberries and cherries and cook for one more minute.

Serve with hemp seeds, coconut, few mint leaves and a nice spoon of yogurt.

Enjoy, Marta