Porridge is one of those things I took with me from my experiences abroad. I love to adopt new dishes, culinary traditions as if they were mine, and porridge was one of the first
Spanish people do not have porridge in their culinary traditions. But since my years in Dublin I could say, porridge is on my table every single week of the year. Well maybe not that much in summer, but it is a very comfy breakfast I like to have very often.
I will not lie to you, it was not love at first sight. You know, porridge itself is not very exciting. The delicious comes with all the stuff it is added to it. So it took me some time until I decided to tasted it. It was not until I saw my colleague in Queen of Tarts, preparing it with apple and cinnamon compote and a good drizzle of maple syrup that made me go for it.
Beneficts
The classic porridge is made with oat flakes. Oats contain protein and essential fatty acids. It is a great source of soluble fibre, an excellent prebiotic and help you lower cholesterol and high blood pressure. It’s also great for diabetics since control blood sugar levels.
Even a study of Harvard University claims oats, among other wholegrains, one of the keys for a longer and healthier life. In other words, it is super energetic and nutritious, it is the only breakfast that fill me up until lunch time
How to make porridge
I have to say, that healthy foodies and instagramers had converted the traditional plain porridge into an exquisite delicacy.
You can prepare it with water, cow or goat’s milk, or if you prefer with soy, coconut, almond or whatever other plant base milk you have in the fridge. You can spice it up with cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, ginger, cloves or any other spice you like.
Topping it with fresh fruit, compote, dried fruits, nuts, nut creams or a mix of all this. Sweeten it with brown sugar, maple syrup or honey. And boost it up with chia seeds, flax or any other superfood that you have on hand. There are as many possibilities as has ingredients exist on the planet.
Also there are different ways to cook it. Depending on if you are in a hurry or not. You can soak the oats overnight, soak them with warm milk while you get ready in the morning or cook it over low heat during longer time making it extra creamy.
Wether you are Spanish and want to discover this delicious tradition or you already know it but want to learn other ways of cooking it. Don’t go too far and stay tune with Healthy Forkful to experiment with the porridge that best fits your preferences.