My body clock heralds the change of season by demanding porridge for breakfast. I make it the old fashioned way, with whole rolled oats cooked on the stovetop. The trick to not burning the bottom off the pot when you take your eye off the stove is to use a heat-diffuser mat (picked up cheaply at a catering supply store or some Asian grocery shops). This is the basic template recipe, with a stack of extra nutrients from calcium-rich figs and nuts.

Porridge with extra goodness

(quantity per person)

1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup water or milk (I like rice or almond milk)*
1-2 dried figs, chopped into chunks
1 tablespoon ground nuts, seeds or LSA

The night before, soak the oats and figs in milk or water in the pot you’ll cook them in, and cover with a lid. (If you forget to do this, in the morning cover the oats with boiling water and let it stand in the pot with lid on while you get ready) Bring to heat on the stove and cook for 5-10 minutes on a heat diffuser mat. Add more milk/water if needed before cooking if needed. Stir once or twice. Turn off the heat and let it stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Serve with nuts/seeds and more of your preferred milk.
* or make your own almond milk

No time to cook porridge? Did you know you can make porridge in a thermos overnight (no dirty pots to clean!)

This originally appeared in the May 2012 newsletter. If you’d like to try a healthy new recipe every month, get the free newsletter.

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