Perfect Porridge {3 ways}

The mornings and evenings have cooled right down, and the middle of winter is thoroughly upon us. Starting your day with a delicious, warm bowl of porridge was never more appealing, and with the laid back holiday mornings this week I've had plenty of time to perfect my porridge making technique.

This recipe seems foolproof and it's super easy too! It is based on a ratio, rather than exact quantities, making it easy to edit to suit your needs- whether you're making it only for yourself or the whole family! The basic recipe is as follows:

Perfect Porridge

Based on: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1431/perfect-porridge

1 quantity* rolled oats

2¼ quantites* liquid**

Pinch of salt

1. Put the oats in a saucepan, pour in the milk or water and sprinkle in a pinch of salt.

2. Bring to the boil and simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring from time to time to keep from sticking to the bottom of the pan (go get ready for the day ahead! or check your facebook... just check back from time to time!)

3. When it is thick and suitably porridge-like for your tastes, remove from pan and serve up

*Use any quantity you like- I usually use a quantity of ⅓-½ a cup per person. Then I just fill the measuring cup with liquid 2 and (approximately) a 1/4 times. No need to be too exact!

** For liquid you can use any combination of milk and water you like (you could even use juice I believe, though I've never tried it!). I generally use 1 quantity milk and 11/4 quantities water.

Although this porridge is delicious on it's own, I usually add something to make it a bit different so it doesn't get boring. Some ideas are:

-Chopped and/or Grated Fruit (apple, pear, stonefruit, banana)

-Passionfruit

-Berries

-Dessicated Coconut

-Citrus Zest

-Chopped Nuts

-Almond Meal

-Extracts (vanilla, almond)

-Dried Fruit (sultanas, cranberries, apricot, apple, pear, mango)

The list goes on... and on. Experiment! Be creative; you pretty much can't go wrong!

My favourite variations are:

1. Apple, Cranberry and Cinnamon

Add half a grated apple, a small handful of cranberries and a ¼ tsp of  cinnamon per person at the beginning. Cook as usual.

2. Pear, Almond and Honey

Add half a chopped pear and ½ tbsp of almond meal per person at the beginning. Cook as usual, and serve topped with a drizzle of honey and {optional}some whole almonds.

  

3. Banana and Coconut

Add ½ a sliced banana and a tbsp of dessicated coconut at the beginning. Cook as usual.

Have fun inventing your own, and let me know what you come up with!

Mia xo