With the colder weather definitely settling in, Eric was looking for a heartier breakfast before heading to work. (Smoothies and yogurt are his breakfast of choice during the warmer months.) He is a fan of steel cut oats, but not the time required to make them on busy weekday mornings. I happened to have a steel cut oat recipe with pumpkin in it that I wanted to experiment with this month. Making it ahead and then reheating it in the microwave solved the lack of time issue before work. And he liked it. That’s always good news!
In looking it over, the recipe seemed like a pretty typical oatmeal recipe with the quinoa adding an extra protein punch to the mix. But it was called a porridge. I wanted to know what made it a porridge, so I did a bit of research to figure out the difference between the two types of hot breakfast.
Porridge is a hot cereal that can be made from a variety of grains, vegetables, or legumes. It is cooked and boiled in water or milk until it has a creamy, thick consistency. Most cultures around the world make some form of porridge. Oatmeal is a type of porridge popular in the US. Polenta, cornmeal mush, and grits are all types of porridge made from corn. Rice porridges are called congee. The quinoa in this particular recipe transforms the oatmeal into a porridge. The pumpkin, pumpkin spice, maple syrup, cranberries, and walnuts elevate the porridge from a simple breakfast to the perfect way to begin a beautiful Autumn day!
Pumpkin Porridge
Pumpkin Porridge (adapted from tasteofhome.com) Makes: 4 servings, Total Time Required: 45 minutes, Prep Time: 15 minutes, Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3 cups water
- 3/4 cup steel-cut oats
- 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (6 ounces) canned pumpkin
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup walnuts
Directions:
In a large saucepan, combine the water, oats, quinoa, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat, then cover the pot and simmer it for 20 minutes.
Cook the oats & quinoa.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350º F. Roughly chop the walnuts then spread them on a baking sheet. When the oven is up to temperature, toast the nuts for 8-10 minutes. Remove them from the oven and set them aside.
Toast the walnuts.
Combine the pumpkin, maple syrup, and the pumpkin pie spice together in a small bowl.
Combine the pumpkin, syrup, and spice.
When the porridge is cooked, stir in the pumpkin mixture. Remove the pot from the heat, cover it and let it stand for 5 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the grains are tender.
Add the pumpkin mixture to the cooked grains.
Mix it in well.
Stir in the cranberries and walnuts. Serve with milk if desired.
Serve the porridge with the walnuts & cranberries.
This will carry us through to lunch! ~Linda
Pumpkin Porridge (adapted from tasteofhome.com) Makes: 4 servings, Total Time Required: 45 minutes, Prep Time: 15 minutes, Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3 cups water
- 3/4 cup steel-cut oats
- 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (6 ounces) canned pumpkin
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup walnuts
Directions:
In a large saucepan, combine the water, oats, quinoa, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat, then cover the pot and simmer it for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350º F. Roughly chop the walnuts then spread them on a baking sheet. When the oven is up to temperature, toast the nuts for 8-10 minutes. Remove them from the oven and set them aside.
Combine the pumpkin, maple syrup, and the pumpkin pie spice together in a small bowl. When the porridge is cooked, stir in the pumpkin mixture. Remove the pot from the heat, cover it and let it stand for 5 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the grains are tender. Stir in the cranberries and walnuts. Serve with milk if desired.