5 Porridge top tips for Farmhouse Breakfast Week

Posted on January 25, 2012 by ladyporridge

To celebrate Farmhouse Breakfast Week I want to share with you 5 of my favourite top tips to make the best breakfast – Porridge!

FBW Banana Porridge

Farmhouse Breakfast Week Porridge

I get asked lots on questions on Twitter (@porridgelady) about how to make the best Porridge. From how to make Porridge in a microwave without the mess! To quick, easy and tasty, fast Porridge recipes. From all of those questions here are 5 of my favourite top tips;

  1. For perfect microwave Porridge, that doesn’t boil over! Use a bowl deeper than the Porridge you are making.
  2. To make the best traditional oatmeal Porridge invest in a bain marie or Porringer. Cooking the Porridge slowly will bring out all the flavour of the oatmeal and in a bain marie you cannot burn the oats!
  3. To avoid waste use a mug to measure your oats. You will quickly learn how much of a mug makes your perfect bowl of Porridge and cut out waste.
  4. A bowl of Porridge is a perfect place to start towards your 5-a-day. From adding a sliced banana to chopped dried fruit or even a spoonful of good quality jam, can all count as a one portion.
  5. Don’t rule out savoury Porridge. It doesn’t have to be sweet and by adding toppings like nuts and seeds or even cheese! You are adding protein to your breakfast. If you are not convinced I will be posting savoury recipes soon.

For more info on Farmhouse Breakfast Week and the benefits of eating a healthy breakfast have a look at; http://www.shakeupyourwakeup.com

and enjoy your Porridge!

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From Radio to filming, it was a busy week in Local Food.

Posted on January 23, 2012 by ladyporridge

Last week was a busy week for local food. On Tuesday I reported on the Oxford Real Farming Conference for the Local Lunch radio show, looking at the growing Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) movement.

The Community Farm CSA

'The Community Farm' CSA

Wednesday it was the turn of the True Food Community Co-op to get involved in a filming project being run by the organisation Sustain. The film sets out to capture how we operate as a membership owned co-op and how we run both a permanent shop and our mobile neighbourhood markets.

Filiming at the True Food Co-op

Filming at the True Food Co-op

Thursday & Friday and especially Saturday morning! It was all about Real Bread. From looking into setting up a Community Supported Bakery (CSB) to researching (read eating!)  the best handmade bread at the East Oxford Farmers Market.

Real Bread

Real crusty! Bread

And it was no rest for a wicked bread eater (I stole the crust!) as Saturday night I attended a lecture provocatively titled ‘Occupy Oxfordshire’.

If you missed the Local Lunch show you can listen again on-line this Tuesday (24/01/12) from 12-2pm here;

http://reading4u.co.uk/player.html

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On the ‘Local Lunch’ radio show this Tuesday…

Posted on January 15, 2012 by ladyporridge

I’m back on the Local Lunch radio show this Tuesday from 12-2pm,  joining regular DJ Helen, to give a special report on the recently held Oxford Real Farming Conference. From the conference I will be focusing on the fantastic example of ‘The Community Farm’ to talk about Community Supported Agriculture as a future for local food production.

The Community Farm Community

The Community Farm Community

I will also be talking about Reading’s very own True Food Community Co-op and our developments in community supported food production. I will be talking loan stock and   our new project for a Community Supported Bakery.

All this and a great selection of music on the Local Lunch show Tuesday 12-2pm.

You can listen on-line here; http://reading4u.co.uk/player.html

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Perfect Traditional Porridge; Coarse oatmeal a recipe for a perfect Sunday Porridge

Posted on January 13, 2012 by ladyporridge

In this last blog post on making the ‘Perfect Traditional Porridge’ I am going to share with you the recipe for my favourite Sunday Porridge.

Coarse oatmeal recipeOn a Sunday morning, when things are a bit slower, I like getting my bain marie boiling to make Traditional Porridge with coarse oatmeal. I love the rough texture and slightly nutty flavour of coarse oatmeal. I slow cook the meal to ensure it’s full flavour and serve it topped with homemade marmalade. Then I sit back and watch the Andrew Marr programme (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/andrew_marr_show/default.stm) and catch up with the weeks events.

Coarse Oatmeal Marmalade Porridge

Coarse Oatmeal Porridge

Coarse Oatmeal Porridge

Serves Two

Cooking and preparation time – 30 mins

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of coarse oatmeal

3 cups of water

Pinch of sea salt

2 tablespoons of your own homemade or good quality marmalade

Splash of cold milk to serve

Method

Place boiling water into the base saucepan of a Porringer or Bain Marie.

In the top saucepan place the oatmeal and the cups of cold water and stir thoroughly.

Bring the water in the base saucepan back to the boil and then reduce the heat slightly, but keeping it high.

After the oatmeal has been cooking for 5 mins add the salt and stir thoroughly.

Continue to stir regularly.

Continue to cook the oatmeal until it reaches a nice thick consistency. This will take between 20-22 minutes.

Once cooked remove from the heat and set aside for 1-2 minutes, allowing the oatmeal to turn into a Porridge with a nice creamy consistency.

Spoon the Porridge into bowls.

Into each bowl swirl a generous tablespoon of marmalade.

Splash a little cold milk over each of the bowls of Porridge.

Serve and eat the Porridge hot and enjoy your Sunday morning.

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Perfect Traditional Porridge; a recipe for pinhead oatmeal Porridge

Posted on January 12, 2012 by ladyporridge

In this second blog post on making the perfect traditional Porridge I am going to share with you my recipe for making perfect pinhead Porridge…

Pinhead oatmeal

Pinhead oatmeal

As mentioned in my previous post, pinhead oatmeal is a full, thick grain which requires a long cooking time. Pinhead oatmeal is the only type of oat that I pre-soak, which I do for at least eight hours overnight.

It does take time to make traditional Porridge but it’s a hearty recipe that will keep you full all morning.

Perfect Pinhead Porridge

Serves -  Two

Pinhead oatmeal traditional Porridge recipe

Pinhead oatmeal traditional Porridge

Cooking and preparation time – Overnight soak of the oatmeal +30 mins cooking time

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of pinhead oatmeal

1 cup of water

2 further cups of water

Pinch of sea salt

Method

  • In the top saucepan of a bain marie or Porringer place the pinhead oatmeal.
  • Pour 1 cup of cold water over the oatmeal making sure it is completely covered.
  • Leave to soak over night.
  • In the morning pour the reaming two cups of water over the soaked pinhead oatmeal and stir thoroughly.
  • Then put boiling water into the base saucepan of the bain marie.
  • Place the full bain marie over a high heat.
  • Cook the oatmeal, stirring regularly, for 5 mins.
  • Then add the salt and stir thoroughly.
  • Continue to cook the oatmeal, stirring frequently for approx 20 mins or until a thick Porridge consistency is achieved.
  • Remove the bain marie from the heat.
  • Remove the top saucepan and set aside for 2 mins.
  • Spoon into bowls and serve hot.

I find pinhead oatmeal really satisfying to eat as a plain dish but if you want to add a topping I can recommend;

  1. Serving the oatmeal with a little jug of cream, to be poured over the Porridge during eating.
  2. Serving with a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper.
  3. Or topping with just a little lemon zest and juice.
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Perfect Porridge, tip #4 Traditional Porridge – pinhead & coarse oatmeal

Posted on January 10, 2012 by ladyporridge

Continuing my series on how to make the ‘Perfect Porridge’ this tip is all about traditional Porridge…

Porridge Tip #4 – Traditional Porridge – pinhead & coarse oatmeal

Cooking Traditional Porridge

Cooking Traditional Porridge

I tweet a lot (@porridgelady) about making what I call ‘Traditional Porridge’ in my bain marie. For me traditional Porridge is made using either pinhead or coarse oatmeal, a little sea salt and water. Because of my tweets I get a lot of questions on traditional Porridge so in this post I will introduce you to the oatmeal and in the next two posts I will show you how to cook with it.

As you can see from the photos below pinhead and coarse oatmeal are both very thick, rough grains. The difference between the two being that coarse oatmeal has been cut (often referred to as ‘steel cut oats’) whereas pinhead is intact. As pinhead is a larger grain it requires a longer cooking time, or even pre-soaking, whereas I cook coarse oatmeal from scratch.

Pinhead oatmeal

Pinhead oatmeal

Coarse oatmeal

Coarse oatmeal

For me the Traditional style is the most satisfying and filling of Porridge’s. It is a less processed grain with all the texture and flavour intact.

In the next two posts I will show you how to cook pinhead and coarse oatmeal so you can make your own Traditional Perfect Porridge!

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Oxford Real Farming Conference 2012; Having a say in our future.

Posted on January 3, 2012 by ladyporridge

I’ve heard a lot about it, it’s one of those events that leads by it’s reputation, and finally this year I am getting the opportunity to attend the Oxford Real Farming Conference.

If you have read my blog before you will know how passionately I advocate organic food and farming. As a trained environmental scientist and as a cook I think organic agriculture makes sense, both for the environment and for our health. However I do feel that as individuals have lost the link between the growing of and consumption of food. So I am very excited by the conference’s theme -  ‘A Cross-the-board rethink’. Also to see on the agenda a workshop on connecting farming with people through local markets, which is being organised by the Soil Association.

Oxford Real Farming Conference -- http://oxfordrealfarmingconference.org

I won’t be rapping! But I will joining in the conference debate and having a say on what is REAL farming.

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Porridge Rommegrot recipe – To wish you a Happy New Year!

Posted on January 1, 2012 by ladyporridge

There are quiet a few customs around New Years, some of them I have been bought up with include; the people you spend New Years Eve will be the people important to your life in the coming year. That you should never hang a new calender until the old year has finished and that you should never wish someone a ‘Happy New Year!’ until the year has begun.

Now that it is 2012 may I now wish you a Happy New Year! A healthy, hearty and successful 2012 and let me start a new tradition…. to eat breakfast as you mean to go on! Whether it’s a New Years resolution to get into the breakfast eating habit or to breakfast like a king (or queen) let 2012 be the year of the breakfast! Porridge of course ;-)

To get this breakfast custom rolling I’m going to start you off with a recipe that originates from the traditional Norwegian New Years day dish of Rommegrot. A sugared sweet and   soured milk and cream dish that I have turned into Porridge dish, fit for any new breakfast king or queen!

Rommegrot Porridge

Rommegrot Porridge Recipe

Rommegrot Porridge

Serves -  Two

Cooking and preparation time – 30 mins

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of coarse oatmeal

1 cup of water

1/2 teaspoon of coarse sea salt

1 cup of full milk

2 teaspoons of lemon juice

1/2 cup of pouring cream + 2 tablespoons for garnish

1 dessert spoon of Rapadura (or any unrefined sugar)

Cinnamon for garnish

Method

  • Place boiling water into the base saucepan of a Porringer or Bain Marie.
  • In the top saucepan place the oatmeal and the water and stir thoroughly.
  • Bring the water in the base saucepan back to the boil and then reduce the heat slightly, but keeping it high.
  • After cooking the oatmeal for 5 mins stir in the salt.
  • Then pour the milk into the measuring cup and sour by adding one teaspoon of the lemon juice.
  • Add this to the cooking oatmeal and stir thoroughly.
  • After the oatmeal has been cooking for about 20 mins, when it is starting to thicken, add the remaining teaspoon of lemon juice to the cream, stir and then add to the cooking oatmeal.
  • Stir throughly for the last few mins of cooking.
  • Then pour the Porridge into bowls.
  • Sprinkle the Rapadura sugar over the Porridge.
  • Transfer the bowls to either a grill or a warming oven and heat until the sugar has melted.
  • Carefully remove the hot bowls, sprinkle the cinnamon over the Porridge and finally pour the tablespoons of un-soured cream over.
  • Serve hot and enjoy.


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Porridge Countdown to Christmas with Ris Ala Mande Porridge, a truly Xmas eve recipe.

Posted on December 24, 2011 by ladyporridge

It’s Christmas eve and I am very excited about breakfast this morning. The penultimate recipe from the ‘Porridge Countdown to Christmas’ is all thanks to Kirsten Larsen @cabbagelarsen who kindly posted a note on my blog to tell me all about this fantastic recipe.

Ris Ala Mande is a Danish dish similar to rice pudding, made with rice, cream, almonds and cranberries or cherries. Traditionally cooked on Christmas eve, Ris Ala Mande has a fun custom attached to it where the cook hides a whole almond in the pudding and the guests have to keep eating until it’s found! The person who finds the almond is rewarded with a small gift such as marzipan or a small toy.

Being the Porridge Lady I could not resist making Ris Ala Mande as a breakfast Porridge. To make this a Porridge I am using jumbo rolled oats instead of rice but have used rice milk to keep it’s flavour. I have stuck to all the other traditional ingredients and added a lot of cream! And in true tradition I will be rewarding the finder of the almond with marzipan!

I hope you like the recipe and get the chance to try it for yourselves this Christmas.

Porridge Ris Ala Mande

Ris Ala Mande recipe

Ris Ala Mande Porridge

Serves – Two

Cooking and preparation time -10 mins

Ingredients

4 tablespoons of flaked almonds (2 for toasting and too for cooking into the Porridge)

2 cups of jumbo rolled oats

1/2 cup of water

2 cups of rice milk

1 cup of pouring cream + 4 tablespoons for garnish

2 tablespoons of cranberries

1/3 teaspoon bourbon vanilla

2 tablespoons of  sweet cherry sauce

Method

  • Place 2 tablespoons of flaked almonds in a dry frying pan and toast until golden,  then set aside.
  • Put the oats into a saucepan, add the water and stir thoroughly.
  • Then add the rice milk and cream and stir.
  • Bring the oats to the boil.
  • Then reduce the heat to a simmer.
  • Stir in the remaining (untoasted) flaked almonds, cranberries and vanilla.
  • Keep stirring the oats until they have become a nice thick Porridge.
  • Then add the whole almond.
  • Pour into bowls.
  • Sprinkle the toasted almonds over the Porridge.
  • Then pour the cherry juice and cream over the top.
  • Allow your guest to choose their bowl of Porridge (they won’t have seen which bowl the almond went into).
  • Eat until the whole almond is found and award your prize!


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Porridge Countdown to Christmas, pics of the recipes so far

Posted on December 21, 2011 by ladyporridge

Every morning this week I am tweeting festive Porridge recipes on my Twitter stream in a ‘Porridge Countdown to Christmas’. So far the recipes have been…

Saturday 17th - Snow Porridge recipe

Saturday 17th - Snow Porridge

Sunday 18th - Figgy Pudding Porridge recipe

Sunday 18th - Figgy Pudding Porridge

Monday 19th - Christmas Cranberry Porridge recipe

Monday 19th - Christmas Cranberry Porridge

Tuesday 21st - Home brewed mulled apple juice Porridge recipe

Tuesday 20th - Home brewed mulled apple juice Porridge

Wednesday 22nd - Festive marzipan Porridge recipe

Wednesday 21st - Festive marzipan Porridge

With four more recipes still to come keep an eye on my Twitter stream @porridgelady

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