Goldilocks got one thing right while hiking through the woods: She insisted on sitting down to a proper warm breakfast. Her choice of perfectly heated porridge was prescient, given the heart-healthy role of whole grains in lowering blood pressure and reducing cholesterol. With the start of winter just days away, Kacie Carter, a holistic nutritionist and chef (who, like the fable’s heroine, has a sharp eye for detail), points out that porridge—and other cold-weather start-of-day staples—can also boost immune systems and reduce inflammation. Rather than cooking plain oatmeal, Carter stirs together an upgraded version made from antioxidant-rich black rice, blood sugar–balancing coconut milk, and protein-rich collagen powder. It’s a nutritiously balanced and gluten-free alternative that she says is “just right” to start the day. Carter and her business partner, Caitlin Sullivan, who both run Honey Hi—a new café in Los Angeles’s Echo Park that’s quickly amassing a cult following for its nutrient-dense menu—also whip up fresh, inventive takes on hash and waffles.
Sullivan and Carter are big believers in eating vegetables first thing in the morning, and Honey Hi’s savory breakfast bowl (with sweet potato hash) contains what Carter calls “lemony” leafy greens including fresh dill and parsley for big doses of vitamin A, folate, and fiber—all essential for boosting immune systems. Carter favors “savory waffles made from veggies and herbs, rather than flour and sugar,” because they’re naturally gluten-free and include sage and rosemary, two quintessential winter herbs with antibacterial properties to stave off viruses.
Here, three of Honey Hi’s healthy and heart-warming breakfast recipes—sure to please the palate of even the most discerning Goldilocks.
Yields: 3 servings
Ingredients
1 cup black (also called “forbidden”) rice
12 oz. (1 can) full-fat coconut milk, divided in half
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cardamom
1/8 tsp. sea salt
2 T grass-fed collagen powder
2 T coconut sugar or maple syrup
1/8 tsp. vanilla bean powder
Garnish
Bee pollen
Dehydrated raspberries
Persimmon slices
Toasted pecans
In a medium pot, bring black rice, 1/2 can coconut milk, and water to a boil. Reduce heat to low and add the cinnamon, cardamom, and a pinch of salt and cook, covered, for 35 to 40 minutes. Once rice is tender, stir in remaining coconut milk, collagen powder, and coconut sugar or maple syrup. Stir on medium heat until porridge thickens. Adjust spices, including the vanilla bean powder, and sweetness to your liking and remove from heat. Pour into a bowl and garnish with bee pollen, dehydrated raspberries, persimmon slices, and pecans.
Yields: 1 serving
Ingredients
2 pieces great quality local bacon (Honey Hi uses Marin Sun Farms heritage bacon)
2 oz. baby greens, lightly tossed in olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper
1/2 avocado, sliced
1 turmeric poached pastured egg (see Turmeric Poached Egg, below)
1⁄2 cup sweet potato hash (see Sweet Potato Hash, below)
Garnish
Fresh dill and parsley, picked
Sumac powder
Smoked paprika
Maldon salt
Roast sweet potatoes (see below) and bake bacon simultaneously on a baking sheet until slightly crisp. Next, make the potato hash (see below). Poach egg (see below) while tossing greens in oil, lemon juice, and herbs. Plate greens in a bowl; slice avocado. Plate hash on top of greens, top with sliced bacon and turmeric poached egg. Garnish egg with dill and parsley sprigs, sumac, smoked paprika, and Maldon salt.
Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients 1 medium garnet yam, striped
1 medium jersey sweet yam, striped
3 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. paprika
1⁄4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
black pepper to taste
1 medium red onion, sliced thin
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
Chop sweet potatoes into medium-size diamonds. Toss in 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, and black pepper. Roast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes until soft, tossing once. Sauté red onion in remaining olive oil until soft, adding minced garlic toward the end. Be careful not to burn. In a medium bowl, toss potato hash with sautéed red onions and finish with salt, pepper, and chopped fresh oregano.
Yields: 1 serving
Ingredients
3 cups water
3 T white wine vinegar
2 tsp. turmeric
1 pasture-raised egg
Bring poaching water to a boil, adding vinegar and turmeric. Stir water vigorously to create a whirlpool; carefully drop egg into the center and allow to cook at a very low boil for about 3 minutes.
Yields: 2 servings
Ingredients
2 cups shredded garnet yams
1 pasture-raised egg
2 roughly chopped green onions
1 T chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 T coconut flour
1/2 tsp. Himalayan sea salt
1/2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. chopped fresh sage
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
Garnish
1 egg, fried in 1 T olive oil
2 T crème fraîche
1/4 avocado, sliced
Chopped chives
Smoked paprika
Sumac powder
Maldon salt
Black pepper
Shred yams on the largest part of a box grater. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Heat up the waffle iron and coat lightly with avocado or olive oil. Place 1/2 of mixture in the center of waffle iron and cook until yams are soft inside and a little crispy on the outside, about 6 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the egg on the stove top and prepare garnishes. Top with sliced avocado, egg, spices, and herbs.