The Pioppi Diet recipe: Chocolate Coconut Porridge with Poached Cherries

The new Pioppi Diet book caused a storm in the health world when it launched last month - we even dubbed it the only diet book you'll ever need  thanks to its common-sense advice and myth-busting approach to previous guidelines around healthy eating.

Written by a consultant cardiologist, Dr Aseem Malhotra (who wrote our controversial piece on good and bad fats here ), and filmmaker Donal O’Neill, the book takes its inspiration from a tiny Italian village named Pioppi where the small population are living long, healthy lives.

Of course, while the science is all in the book (and we say it's well worth a read), in practice you need to know what to cook up to adopt the Pioppi lifestyle - so here's one recipe from the authors to get you started...

Ingredients

Serves 2

For the Poached Cherries:

160g Cherries, de-stoned and halved

½ a vanilla pod, split

100ml water

For the porridge:

80g coconut flour

60g desiccated coconut

40g coconut flakes

2 tablespoons raw cacao powder

300 ml coconut milk

50 ml double cream and 2 tablespoons grated 85% dark chocolate or 20g cacao nibs, to serve

Method

Place the cherries, vanilla pod and water into a small saucepan and put over a low heat for 20 minutes. The poaching process should be gradual so the fruit releases its natural sugars and juices.

While the fruit is poaching, place all the porridge ingredients into a medium-sized saucepan and place over a low heat.

Gently cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring regularly, until the porridge starts to thicken and become creamy. Continue until the porridge has reached your preferred consistency.

To serve, divide the porridge between two bowls, add the fruit and syrup, drizzle with cream and top with cacao nibs.

The Pioppi Diet by Dr Aseem Malhotra and Donal O’Neill is published by  Penguin Michael Joseph , £8.99