I love breakfast time! Depending on how I feel, I tend to cycle between eggs, muesli, smoothies and porridge – my favourite choice in the colder months.
It took me a number of years to learn to enjoy porridge again, thanks to childhood memories of claggy, bland oatmeal that was inevitably cold by the time I finished it!
I developed this recipe for Creamy Vanilla Porridge over a few years, adding various ingredients as I went. I love the health benefits, as well as the nutty texture and taste of the organic wholegrain oats and much prefer them over fine rolled oats. Of course, they take a bit longer to cook, but all good things take time!
I also prefer cooking the oats in rice or almond milk (my preference), which adds a creamy sweetness. In summer I often add fresh strawberries on top, otherwise it’s blueberries straight from the freezer. Enjoy!
CREAMY VANILLA PORRIDGE
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup organic wholegrain oats
- 1-1/2 cup almond milk or rice milk
- Pinch salt
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp Optional: lemon or orange zest
- 1/2 cup blueberries, frozen or fresh
- 1 tbsp liquid honey or pure maple syrup
- 2 tbsp sliced almonds, toasted or raw
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- Optional: Almond/rice milk or yoghurt to serve
Instructions
- Put the oats, almond/rice milk, salt and vanilla (and zest if using) into a small saucepan on high heat. Stir until the mixture starts to boil, then then the heat down to low.
- Keep the mixture on a low simmer for about a further 10 minutes, or until the mixture is nicely thickened and the oats are tender.
- Pour mixture into a bowl and add the almonds, sprinkling of cinnamon, blueberries and honey/maple syrup. Add further almond/rice milk or yoghurt to serve.
