Nutty Moon Porridge
The mornings are so brisk right now that as soon as I wake up, my thoughts immediately go to making a comforting bowl of velvety smooth porridge for breakfast. Porridge is one of those nostalgic meals that whisk me all the way back to the days when I lived in London. During the cold winter months, I would bundle onto the tube in the early mornings and on my way to work I would stop into Pret a Manger to grab a little cup of creamy, hot porridge. Of all the places around the world I've been to, and the cafés I've enjoyed breakfast and brunch, this is where I found the most beautiful, creamy, mellow porridge.
I remember grabbing it on a whim one day when I was pushed for time and was left feeling shook when I tried it. This was the porridge of Gods. Seriously. Every winter morning I would grab a small cup for breakfast and every time I would shake my head wondering how and why it tasted so good. Even when Jason and I were in London a few years ago making our way back from Iceland, I made a beeline for Pret to have the same porridge. It was still there and it still tasted as good as it did when I lived in London years before.
I like my porridge light yet creamy, smooth yet textural, and after a lot of trial and error, I have finally figured out the ratio of oats to liquid. And here we are. This Nutty Moon Porridge is a step up from Pret's with the addition of raw almonds, chopped dried apricots and dates, and a sprinkling of sunflower seeds and brown sugar. I know a lot of people pour honey over their porridge, but I’m not a fan. I think it overpowers the dish no matter how little you put in. To me, there is nothing more beautiful than slowly stirring a steaming bowl of porridge and seeing delicate swirls of melted brown sugar. But best of all? This porridge quick and easy to make, so you can enjoy this mid week when you're strapped for time, and on weekends when the mornings are usually a little slower.
Can I use any milk in this recipe?
Absolutely! This recipe uses organic almond milk, but you can replace this macadamia milk, soy milk, cow's milk or any other milk you prefer.
What oats should I use?
I personally love traditional rolled oats. I really appreciate the texture of a whole oat in porridge and find the quick, instant oats (where the whole oats have been sliced and cut into small pieces) doesn't taste as velvety smooth in porridge.
Can I use other dried fruit?
Yes, absolutely! I personally love using middle eastern flavours and the combination of dried apricots and dates reminds me of a holiday I enjoyed in Morocco many years ago. You can use any dried fruit you like and I find two is plenty.
I only have white sugar, is that ok?
It is, but for this porridge to taste true to this recipe, I highly recommend using brown sugar. The addition of molasses really adds a depth of flavour that you won't get with white sugar.
I love making breakfast and getting creative with what I can find in my fridge and pantry. If you're looking for some new recipes to add to your breakfast rotation throughout the week and on slow weekends too, make sure you check out these recipes:
I hope you settle into winter and treat yourself to a comforting bowl of Nutty Moon Porridge. I promise this will be your new favourite winter breakfast. If you love this recipe, please leave a 5 star rating below because it lets me know what you think, and it helps other people discover my recipes and we definitely want that. And did you know? You can also stay in touch with me by following along on Instagram and Pinterest.
Nutty Moon Porridge
Servings
2
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
This quick and easy Nutty Moon Porridge is made with raw almonds, dried apricots and dates, and a sprinkling of sunflower seeds and brown sugar. To me, there is nothing more beautiful than slowly stirring the nuts, fried fruit and seeds into the hot porridge and seeing the swirls of melted sugar hug the warm porridge.
Ingredients
1 cup traditional rolled oats
1 cup water
1 cup almond milk
1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/4 cup dried dates, chopped
1/4 cup raw almonds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp brown sugar
Directions
In medium saucepan add oats, water and milk. Stir with a spoon. Place on stove on low to medium heat. The trick is to keep stirring until the porridge is just cooked through and to take it off the heat when there is still plenty of creamy liquid in the saucepan. Never leave the porridge unattended as this may result in overcooked, gluey porridge.
Ladle porridge into two bowls. Garnish one side of the bowl with dried apricots and dates, almonds and sunflower seeds to create a crescent moon shape. Add 1 tbsp of brown sugar on top of the nuts, seeds and fruit per bowl. Serve and enjoy straight away!
