Porridge

BASIC PORRIDGE BASIC PORRIDGE TOPPED WITH ROAST PEARS P L E & RAI SIN PORRIDGE A P

Porridge

RECIPES VICKI RAVLICH-HORAN | IMAGES ASHLEE DECAIRES

My grandmother started every day with a bowl of nourishing porridge. I can remember staying with her as a child. It was back in the day when milk came in glass bottles and there was just one type—full cream. The cream would rise to the top and that was what you wanted poured on your porridge to melt the lashings of brown sugar. As an adult I still don’t think you can beat this combination, but there are many different ways to enjoy a bowl of oats. Here are a few ideas.

Basic Recipe

This recipe serves one, so just times it by the number of hungry mouths you are feeding. I soak my oats overnight. This makes them cook more quickly the next morning plus it increases their digestibility. Oats contain phytic acid which can inhibit the proper absorption of nutrients. Soaking them can mitigate this.

½ cup oats pinch salt ½ cup water ½ cup milk

Soak your oats, salt and water overnight. In the morning add the milk and cook over a low temperature, stirring often until the oats are cooked and porridge lovely and thick. Serve immediately with your choice of topping.

If you are like me and always have left over porridge in the pot, don’t throw it away! Set this in the fridge and the next day fry in a little butter for Porridge Bites. Serve them (warm or cold) with butter and honey or banana and maple syrup. You could even pop them into lunchboxes.

Variations

CHOCOLATE WITH CARAMELISED BANANAS

Add a tbsp of cocoa with the oats when you cook them. Serve with bananas you have caramelised by melting a knob of butter and tbsp of brown sugar in a pan and quickly frying them.

APPLE AND RAISIN

Peel half an apple and finely chop. Add this along with ¼ cup raisins and a pinch of cinnamon to the oats before cooking.

DAIRY FREE

Swap the milk for your favourite alternative milk. Coconut milk is especially good.

GLUTEN FREE

Swap the oats for quinoa or millet. If using millet, grind it a little before cooking. If using quinoa, ensure you rinse it first then add to simmering water and milk.

GLUTEN FREE MILLET PORRIDGE WITH VANILLA & ROSE POACHED RHUBARB & SWEET DUKKAH

CHOCOLATE GRANOLA

This is a delicious way to add some crunch and a touch of decadence to your porridge. It’s also scrummy on its own! 1 cup oats ½ cup of sliced almonds ½ cup flaked coconut ¼ cup pumpkin seeds ¼ cup sesame seeds 2 tbsp cocoa ¼ cup coconut oil 1 tsp vanilla extract ¼ cup maple syrup/date syrup/honey Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Melt the coconut oil, vanilla and sweetener of your choice together and pour over the dry ingredients. Mix well then spread on a baking tray and bake at 180°C for 20–25 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Cool then store in an airtight container.

SWEET DUKKAH

Add some extra nutrition to your porridge with a dose of nuts and add a little sweetness and flavour at the same time with this sweet take on a classic dukkah.

1 cup nuts (almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, cashews, macadamias) 2 tbsp sesame seeds 2–3 cardamon pods (available from Vetro) 2 tbsp honey/maple syrup

VANILLA AND ROSE POACHED RHUBARB

Rhubarb grows faster in my garden than we can eat it, so I love poaching it and enjoying it as crumble or served with custard or yoghurt. It’s also delicious on creamy porridge with a drizzle of cream.

1 cup sugar 1 cup water 1 vanilla pod, split in half lengthways 1 tbsp butter ½ tsp cinnamon Roast the nuts at 180°C for 10 minutes. Melt the butter, honey and cinnamon together and drizzle over the hot nuts, mix in the sesame seeds and cardamon pods and bake for a further 5 minutes.

Allow to cool then crush in a mortar and pestle to the desired consistency. Store in an airtight container for up to a month.

1 tbsp edible rose petals/buds (available at Vetro and The Herbal Dispensary) 6–8 large stalks of rhubarb Over a low heat dissolve the sugar in the water along with the vanilla pod and rose buds. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

Cut the rhubarb into 3cm lengths and place in the syrup and simmer for five minutes. Take off the heat and allow to cool in the syrup.

ROAST PEARS

Get one of your five plus a day in by adding some fruit to your porridge. Choose ripe but still firm pears.

4–6 pears, halved and cored ¼ cup brown sugar ¼ cup orange juice ¼ tsp cinnamon 25g butter Place the pears skin side down on an oven tray. Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon and orange juice together and pour over the pears. Dot with butter and bake for 180oC for 60-65 minutes..