For most of my life I skipped breakfast. A combination of preferring a few more minutes in bed, a dislike of cereal and a lack of appetite in the morning meant that it just didn’t appeal to me at all.
When I was preparing for IVF, I wanted to give us the best chance possible and that meant changing my diet. So breakfast and in particular porridge became an integral part of my morning. I would opt for instant oats when I was commuting, but ate proper porridge at the weekend and eventually discovered the benefits of overnight oats.
This recipe is closer to proper porridge. It requires slow cooking and slow eating to really enjoy the rich, comforting flavour. It’s a grown up Christmasy treat, perfect for lovers of spice.
You will need *for one big bowl of porridge
50g Oats
150ml Almond milk
1 flat teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons of treacle
1 tablespoon Maple syrup
200ml cold water
For the topping
Thinly sliced apple
Pomegranate
Pecan nuts
Gingerbread
Method
- Place the oats, milk, water, syrup, treacle and spices in a large pan
- Mix together to combine as much as possible
- Cook on a very low heat until the treacle melts and then increase to a medium heat
- Once the first bubbles appear, reduce back to a very low heat and cook until you reach your preferred consistency
- While the porridge is cooking prepare the topping. You can use the sliced apple as it is but I like to cook it slightly in a pan with cinnamon.
- Once the porridge is cooked, spoon into a bowl. Top with a handful of sliced apple, pomegranate, a few pecans nuts and a little crumbled gingerbread.
The topping might seem like an unnecessary step but trust me – it’s worth it. The fresh crunch of the apple and pomegranates cut through the richness of the oats and the pecans and gingerbread add an extra layer of flavour that really makes this a decadent treat.
Love Rachel ❤️
PS. For my American readers, treacle is the same as molasses 😁
