I Can Has Detox?

Phew. What a delicious holiday it was. Mine was full of things like:

And that was only Christmas Day itself.

I’m still pretty full. But this week has found me dedicated to a new diet, one that does not involve masses amounts of butter, cream, potatoes, chocolate or indeed booze.

Instead of doing some insane Cayenne Pepper and Oxtail Soup Detox Diet madness, I’m going to up my intake of winter vegetables by cooking copius amounts of soups and putting together an array of winter salads. Bring it on.

As we all know, the best way to start a winter’s day is with a lovely, warm bowl of porridge. It’s all about what you add that can turn a bowl of sloppy gruel into a most magnificent bowl of warming comfort food…

PORRIDGE – the post-Christmas belly-bulge’s arch nemesis

I make my porridge by getting about three or four tablespoonfuls of the smaller variety of oats and soaking them in a saucepan of cold water (just enough to cover the oats) for about five minutes. You can of course use milk, but I find water works just as well. Not only is it more economical to use water, it’s less fattening (if you’re concerned about such things) and you can add a splash of milk towards the end for that creamy flavour.

I heat the gruel mixture on a medium heat, stirring from time to time, keeping an eye on it so that it doesn’t boil over or stick to the bottom of the pan. It usually takes about 5 minutes for it to get to the desired oaty texture. I add a splash of milk towards the end of the cooking time.

I love my porridge with honey, cinammon and raisins. But here are a few other combinations which are equally lush.

Blueberries, natural yoghurt and honey
Smushed Banana and a teaspoon of nutella
Apple slices, cinammon and honey
Rasberries and honey

I like using honey rather than sugar, but if I was to use sugar, I’d prefer brown over white sugar. It just seems like the right thing to do.

Over the next few weeks, I’m going to be concentrating on healthier recipes than you may have come to expect from I Can Has Cook, what with my obvious pie, risotto, cheese, cream and pastry fascination.

I’m interested in the possibility of eating my way through a cold winter without ending up looking like a post-hibernation pot-bellied bear come spring. I’m thinking chunky soups, winter salads and baked fish. Hopefully, I’ll be able to give you some inspiration by documenting it all on this here blog.

Here’s a special little song which pretty much sums up how I feel about my recent over-indulgence in all things delicious.