Glorious Porridge

I must admit, I have always loved the idea of warm, creamy, nutty porridge for breakfast but every time I have made it I have been hungry no less than an hour later. I know people that can't go the winter without starting the day with a big bowl of steaming porridge and they don't get a rumbling stomach an hour after. In fact my Danish grandfather had a bowl of porridge EVERY morning with rainsins and either a grated apple or grated carrot ontop. The other day I cam across a delicious looking porridge recipe and so I decided to give porridge another chance.

I think what made a difference in cooking my porridge this time as apposed to my prior porridges was to pour boiling water over the oats before cooking them. Somehow I think it is this method that made my porridge so much softer, it opens up the oats, making them possibly more digestible and thus more filling? In any case no rumbling stomach after an hour or even three, so I consider this a success!!

for 1 serving
1,5 dl oats (I prefer bio)
3 dl water
0,5 dl milk/soy milk/ almond milk
pinch of salt
6 raspberries/blueberries (mine we frozen and defrosted while I cooked the porridge)
half a grated apple
1 tbsp sunflower seeds
1 tbsp pumkin seeds
1 tbsp flax seeds
0,5 tbsp chopped roasted hazelnuts

begin by boiling your water, then add the oats. Or as I did I had the oats in the pan and poured the boiling water into the pan and over the oats. Either way I think this method is the pinnacle for getting the soft, creamy and filling porridge I finally achieved. Allow this to cook on a low heat for about 7-8 minutes. Then add your salt and stir. Allow to cook for another 2-3min. See the below image as reference of how it should look at this point. the oats should have opened, almost split.

At this point you add the milk, this adds the yummy creamy element to the porridge. Allow to cook for another 2-3min.

Then take the porridge off the heat, add your fruits and nuts and mix. Add sugar, agave, honey or maple syrup if you want some added sweetness, I didn't feel it necessary as the grated apple was plenty sweet.

ENJOY!!

Other fruits and/or nut combinations that will enhance your porridge experience: raisins with a pinch of cinnamon & a drizzle of honey, chopped dried apricots and prunes, dried cranberries with slivers of roasted almond,  blackberries, sliced banana & walnuts and a drizzle of honey or brown sugar or if you have some maple syrup. I have friends that poach pears, simple cooking them till soft in water, and have them with teir porridge topped by a spoonful of vanilla yoghurt.