Monkey Porridge
Harrison wakes up earrrrrrly. Neither Tyler or myself would proclaim ourselves as early risers, but we have to now. (At least one of us does at a time. We take turns getting up with him every other morning which really helps ease the pain.)
On my mornings sitting in the dark daylight hours with him, I often get ambitious with breakfast. This is mainly out of boredom, but it's actually given me the time to think through what we eat a bit more than I had before... and has given me some extra creativity in the kitchen beyond my countless years of cereal.
These days, I'm cooking up pancakes and french toast with fruity compotes made from whatever frozen berries we have in the freezer. I'm whipping up cream to smear on toasted brioche, or concocting smoothie bowls or yoghurt bowls with a covering similar in size to that of a 6 year-old's FroYo cup. Its kinda like arts & crafts time for me... except I'm pulling through my dry good canisters and deep freeze rather than my glue sticks and paper racks.
Recently I posted an Instagram of our porridge and had several people message me for the recipe. My recipe? Umm, there's not really a recipe... but I figured I could walk you through the toppings to help you make your own.
And just in case "porridge" makes you think of some exotic British meal... it's just what we call oatmeal here. So... yeah, you're now one step closer to unlocking the mystery of Monkey Porridge. Follow along for the rest of the story!
MONKEY PORRIDGE
What you'll need:
Oats
Water
Salt
Cinnamon
Peanut Butter
Bananas
Almonds
Honey
Chia Seeds (if you have them)
Bee Pollen (if you have it)
Cook oats according to instructions. (Use steel cut or good quality old-fashioned oats. None of that microwave nonsense. It's time you learned how to make the easiest meal ever.)
Add some salt. Add some cinnamon. Add some more cinnamon because it makes it so dang good. Stir everything in and let it cook.
Stir on medium-low and cook it slow. (I plan to cook mine for around 15 minutes.) It's not a race.
While the porridge is cooking, chop up a handful of almonds and put them in a skillet to toast over low heat. (Keep a watch on them- they seemingly sit forever and then turn black when you stop watching them.)
After your porridge is done, put it in bowls. Stir in a spoonful of peanut butter to each bowl.
Top with sliced bananas, chia seeds, shredded/desiccated coconut, bee pollen, roasted almonds and a drizzle of honey.
Serve with a hot mug of coffee and feel really smug that you have an insanely good breakfast that is great for your body and a good way to keep your weekly grocery bill on budget.
So, like I promised, it's not rocket science... but it is a fun way to make regular old oatmeal less boring and into something that is really quite tasty.
Still hungry? Find some of my most popular recipes here:
Honey Pecan Salmon | Quinoa Crusted Fish & Chips | Garlicky Mushroom Bruschetta | Easy Banana Bars
*images original to Aspiring Kennedy