Pear and ginger quinoa porridge

I know, another quinoa porridge recipe in quick succession! However, I wanted to share this now because it also follows on from my recent pear and ginger crumble recipe. It seems a lot of you enjoy pear and ginger flavours and this offers a way to get them in at breakfast time. Mind you, I won't judge if you choose to have crumble for breakfast too...but if nothing else, this can step in on the days you want a healthy but delicious option.

Like my apple and peanut butter quinoa porridge, this uses pre-cooked quinoa. Thus, it is handy if you have leftover quinoa to use up or if you have a batch made for using across the week. The porridge then comes together very quickly although you could obviously cook the quinoa at the time of making it if you need to.

Tweet

Porridge and oat combinations: Current favourites

It is that time of year where hot porridge (oatmeal) features as often as cold oats made milk or yoghurt. Truthfully, the cooler weather would have me tipped more to favour porridge by now, but with a little one in the house it is not always possible to find the time to make and eat porridge hot. Made ahead oats are easier. This post features some current favourite combinations of hot and cold oat varieties.

If you liked the sound of my peanut butter chocolate avocado pudding you may be drawn to peanut butter oats topped with chocolate sauce. I mix one-third cup of rolled oats with approximately 200g of unsweetened coconut-soya yoghurt and 2 tablespoons of PB Fit powder. Drizzle with Choc Shot sugar-free chocolate sauce (or sauce of choice) and top with berries or banana. Extra peanut butter is optional!

Tweet

Chocolate tahini porridge (oatmeal) with raspberries

For me, there is no better test of the weather than how frequently I am eating porridge (oatmeal to Americans). I might have it occasionally in summer, but it takes cooler days and grayer skies for me to embrace it on a regular basis.

I've had porridge four times in the last three weeks, so it's safe to say the weather is changing.

If you are struggling with the shift to autumn (or are impatiently waiting for spring to arrive) then this chocolate tahini porridge is guaranteed to lift your morning. It's about as decadent as porridge can be, but is still true to what porridge should be - nutritious and based around real food.

What made this bowl particularly delightful was having chocolate from three sources (!). I added cocoa powder to the porridge when cooking, drizzled Choc Shot over the top, and sprinkled cacao nibs over everything for good measure. This is a breakfast to satisfy in every way.

Tweet

Cranberry, chia seed and carob porridge (oatmeal)

I know I did a giant porridge post not that long ago, but it has snowed twice here this week. Snow in London isn't all that common and so it very much feels like porridge weather. This cranberry, chia seed and carob porridge is a perfect breakfast for cold mornings. 

Our first snowfall was on Saturday, when I was graced with falling snow for miles 4 to 10 of my long run. It didn't really settle, but we had another light scattering yesterday and there were a few snow topped houses and white parks. It's a beautiful aspect of winter. 

Tweet

Porridge (oatmeal), five ways

It was -2.6'C here on Saturday. To those of you in North America or mainland Europe, -2.6'C probably doesn't sound very cold. However, it is fairly cold for London, and especially so for someone settling into their first winter in London! On this occasion the -2.6'C was accompanied by sunny skies and no wind, but it still felt like weather for a hot breakfast.

Porridge, to me, is the quintessential hot breakfast. I pretty much never have it in summer, but in winter it is on high rotation. It is warming and filling and guaranteed to power you through the morning. Plus, it can be made in so many different ways. Today's post shares five options, but I have no doubt you have favourites of your own as well. I am focusing here on oat-based porridge, so there are even more options if you branch out to buckwheat or other grains.

Hazelnut and cocoa nib porridge

Tweet

Hazelnut carrot cake oats

I haven't spoken about exercise on here for quite some time. I have a post on the topic in the making (or at least, I have a post in my mind...) but a key point is that I am registered for a half marathon at the end of September. It will be my third half marathon race, and my first organised running event for 2014. This means that my long runs are getting longer again, and nutrition is even more important to me than usual. Sometimes 'nutrition' means "I need carbohydrate now", but I do try to strive for the more balanced sense of the word most of the time!

Hazelnut carrot cake oats

My long runs happen on Saturday mornings, which mean Saturday breakfast is an important meal. Sometimes a jam-packed smoothie is the star of the show, but other days I want solid food. Yesterday was one such day and these hazelnut carrot cake oats were the result. I think they may now be my favourite porridge recipe of all time. Yes, they even surpass my recent chocolate zucchini oats! You don't have to be a runner to appreciate them either - I think this dish will be featuring across my weeks from now on.

Tweet

Chocolate zucchini breakfast pudding

It seems that this week I am all about chocolate. I hope you don't mind too much. This chocolate zucchini breakfast pudding would make a good prelude to the chocolate cake of my last post, but it would also make a good prelude to just about anything at all. Basically, it delivers slow release carbohydrates and a serve of vegetables in the form of warm fudgy chocolate. I like it rather a lot.

Prior to yesterday, I actually didn't have a Breakfast section on my Recipes page. I had quite a few breakfast-y recipes, but they were easily integrated into my Baking section or the leftover 'Other' category. Of late, though, I have had more time to devote to breakfast, a nice consequence of not yet starting work in the UK. Creations from my new NutriBullet have featured prominently in the mornings, but there have been other types of breakfast too. Suddenly, it seemed that my Recipes page really ought to have a Breakfast component. I am pleased to announce it with this recipe!

Tweet