Porridge is so much more than Oats

Winter is amongst us and porridge is the perfect winter warmer. It’s a brilliant nutritious breakfast,  easy and  quick to make and works for all the family from 6+ months. In this recipe we create delicious flavour and texture by using so much more than oats.

 For babies you can whizz it with a stick blender to a smooth puree. It’s an easy way in that crucial 6-12 month window to introduce some common food allergens like tree nuts and peanuts -  top it with just a drizzle of your choice of a smooth nut butter, e.g. peanut, macadamia, hazelnut, pecan or almond paste etc.

 Coconut Quinoa Porridge – just a little bit nuts!

 Ingredients

• 150 g (1 ½ cups) rolled (porridge) oats

• 50g ( ½ cup) quinoa flakes (millet flakes work well too)

• 40g (1/3 cup) desiccated coconut

• 50g (½ cup) mix of fine ground almonds and macadamias (blitz in food processor until finely ground)

• 600 ml water

• Tiny pinch salt

 Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. As soon as you see your first ‘bubble’ stir with a wooden spoon. (Traditionalists will tell you to only stir clockwise!) Bring to a gentle simmer and continue to cook and stir for about 5 minutes until you have a beautiful creamy porridge.

You can adjust the consistency to your liking by simply adding a little more milk or water for a sightly runnier porridge. Serve immediately, as the porridge thickens quickly once rested. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Serving suggestions: Top with fresh or stewed fruits, a drizzle of honey or maple syrup and the milk of your choice