Lets talk winter breakfasts. Winter breakfasts mean something warm and filling, and that can be eaten sat in your living room, whilst watching pedestrians slip on icy surfaces, and dreading the moment you have to join them. I also feel like I want winter breakfasts to be a bit more indulgent around Christmas time. Or at least feel indulgent, whilst delivering maximum nutritional benefits. Because we all know that I would rather tuck into a massive roast dinner than fill myself with a sack full of chocolate coins on Christmas morning.
So, whether you want to make this for Christmas day, or simply as a lovely December treat to lure you from your bed, I have a porridge recipe that will nourish you and your taste buds. Cacao is an ingredient I picked up in the Black Friday sales (and then using the points on my Holland & Barratt's loyalty card), and is rich in iron and flavour. It also apparently aids digestion, and is a mood booster. If you cant get hold of it, then use unsweetened dark cocoa powder, it will taste just as good! Pears are still in season (conference pears are great right now), and provide one of your 5 a day, plus fibre, and natural sweetness. Oats are a bit of a nutritional powerhouse (understatement), containing fibre, protein for muscle repair and growth, carbs for slow release energy, and some studies have linked them to lowering the risks of certain cardiovascular diseases. Then we have hazelnut butter: again, a great source of protein (especially for veggies and vegans) and fats- which are needed to help keep hair, skin, and nails healthy, as well as (and probably more importantly) absorbing the vitamins A,D,E and K. With all of that out of the way, enjoy making this recipe, and let me know what you think- either in the comments below, or over on my IG account (link to the right)...
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup porridge oats
- 1/2 cup freshly boiled water (this speeds up the process, as I have little time in the morning- but still want a good breakfast)
- 1/4 cup alpro coconut milk (or almond milk, or cows milk, or goats milk, or oat milk- or whatever milk you can get your hands on)
- 2tsp cacao powder
- OPTIONAL: 1tsp honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar (cacao is a little like dark chocolate, but without the refining process. I like bitter dark chocolate and so don't always add the sweetener; if you have a sweet tooth then taste the porridge and decide whether to add it in!)
- 1 large, crisp pear
- Cinnamon, to taste
- 1tbsp hazelnut butter (feel free to use almond instead, it works just as well. I used the Meridian hazelnut butter, which tastes just like Ferrero Rocher as it is...)
Method
- Chop the pear into chunks, having cut the core out. Place half of the pear into a small pan, and add in the boiled water. Place onto the hob, and turn the heat up high. Bring the water back to the boil, and add in the cinnamon. Poach your pear for 1-2 minutes.
- Now, turn the heat down as low as possible without turning it off. Add in the coconut milk, and then the oats. Stir. Add in the cacao and the honey/agave, and half of the hazelnut butter (alternatively, save all of the nut butter to top the porridge).
- Continue stirring until the porridge is of the desired thickness, and the oats have absorbed the liquid. Pile into a bowl, and top with the remaining pear, hazelnut butter, a dash of cinnamon, and perhaps some berries- if you're feeling fancy. I love using frozen berries, as they acquire a very Christmas-y frosted looked when they hit the hot porridge...
Labels: breakfast, cacao, carbohydrates, Christmas, dessert, easy healthy recipe, fats, Food, hazelnut butter, meridian, nut butter, oatmeal, oats, pear, porridge, protein, winter
