I’ve enjoyed some quiet weekends at home recently and it’s been lovely to spend time in the kitchen making healthy breakfasts and brunches. Things are getting busy again now though so I’ll be rushing off to catch early morning trains over the next few weekends, leaving little time for anything other than ‘grab and go’ breakfasts. This means I have to plan ahead if I want to keep up my healthy eating habits.
…which is all a cunning ploy so that I won’t feel quite so guilty when I inevitably give in to the last Ben and Jerry’s Cookie Dough Ice Cream Sandwich which keeps calling to me from the freezer.
A while ago I picked up a copy of Jamie Oliver’s Everyday Superfoods and a recipe for granola dust particularly appealed to me. It’s basically a dryfood mix that you prep up in a big batch and can then use as a base for smoothies, as a topping on things like natural yoghurt or my favourite: to make porridge. I tried the exact recipe and wasn’t completely won over on the results, so I did a bit of tinkering to come up with an adaptation which worked better for me.
My version makes enough for 16 portions of superfood porridge. You simply store the mix in an airtight container and then spoon out a couple of tablespoons to make up your porridge when you need them.
Within 10 minutes you can have a nice bowl of hot, nutrient rich goodness which will keep you full until lunch and give you a little endorphin boost thanks to the raw cacao hit. (My favourite days as a child were the ones where we got cocoa pops instead of rice krispies!)
The porridge itself comes out lovely and thick, although you can add extra milk or water to thin it out if you like it better that way. The flavour is quite complex and nutty so I like to compliment it with some fresh sharp fruit to give it a bit of zing.
(makes 16 portions)
500g porridge oats
150g mixed nuts (unsalted)
50g chia seeds
50g linseeds
125g dried fruit (I used mango, pineapple, cranberries and goji berries)
1 tablespoon cacao powder
Roast the oats, nuts and seeds in the oven at 180 degrees C for 7 minutes, give them a stir and then pop them back in for another 6 minutes.
Add the dried fruit and cacao powder to the tray and then split the mix into 2 or 3 portions.
Blitz each portion to a fine dust using either a food processor or a high powered blender. I found that it’s best to give the mix a bit of a stir every so often because there will be some moisture from the dried fruit (ironically!) which clumps it up a bit.
That’s it!
To make porridge just heat 200ml of milk in a saucepan and stir in 50g of the granola mix until it thickens to your desired consistency.
Raspberries, strawberries, cranberries and pomegranate seeds give you a lovely fruity burst and brings out the dried fruit flavours from the porridge.
…or play up the chocolate flavour with some fresh kiwi, sliced apple and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Seriously this is one of the most easy peasy super healthy breakfasts I’ve ever made. I’m reaping the benefits in the mornings as these take no time at all to whip up once you’ve got your mix ready and waiting….
…ahem… unless you fiddle about cutting your kiwis in fancy shapes like me of course!
If you’re looking for more delicious and healthy breakfast ideas check out these recipes:
