Porridge weather is certainly upon us. I love nothing more than to start these chilly mornings off with a bowl of steaming creamy oats. The fun part about porridge though is the toppings. I always mix it up and get creative, but the chai spiced pear is one of my ‘go to’ favourites.

I don’t feel as though I’ve quite mastered a porridge that is based purely on quinoa, but I always throw in a handful when making oat porridge just to bulk up the nutritional profile. Having said that oats are definitely up there when it comes to being a nutrient dense superfood, so I don’t think you can go wrong with either of these grains. Use 1 or the other or play around with the ratios, but below I’ve give you my preferred ratios taste wise.

INGREDIENTS - Serves 2-3 people

PORRIDGE

Rolled oats (My choice is Dad's oats) – 80gms

Quinoa flakes – 20gms

Cinnamon – ¼ teaspoon

Vanilla extract – ¼ teaspoon

Pinch of sea salt

Water – 400mls

Soy milk (or milk of choice) – 200mls

CHAI SPICED STEWED PEAR

Pear – 1 large or 2 small

Honey – 1-2 Tablespoons depending on how sweet your tooth is!

Dandi Chai – 1 heaped Tablespoon

Water – ½ cup

Sprinkle of cinnamon

TO SERVE

Natural yoghurt and flaked almonds

METHOD

Place dandi chai with 1/2 a cup of water in a pan. Simmer for a few minutes. Strain liquid into a jug and discard chai.
Peel pears and chop roughly. You can thinly slice the pears or chop into cubes, both methods work well.
Add pears, strained chai liquid, a good sprinkle of cinnamon and honey to a small pan. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Place a lid over the pan and simmer for approximately 20 minutes or until the pear is tender but not completely falling apart. The liquid should be mostly absorbed and you may even like to caramelise the pears a little by cooking a few minutes beyond this point until they become lightly browned. Best to check the pears a couple of times throughout the 20 minutes to check that the liquid hasn’t absorbed completely and the pears are beginning to burn. Add a splash more water if this is the case.
While the pears are stewing you can start on the porridge. Add all porridge ingredients into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then immediately reduce the heat to a low simmer
Simmer for approximately 7 minutes – or until you have reached your desired consistency - stirring occasionally. You can always add more water or milk if your porridge becomes too thick.
Ladle some porridge into a bowl, top with as much of the stewed pear as you like. I like to then add a good dollop of thick natural yoghurt, some flaked almonds and an extra drizzle of honey.

TIPS

Swap the pear out for apple, works just as beautifully!
I love Soy milk with porridge, but porridge goes well with just about any milk alternative
Go vegan – use our vegan chai over the dandi and sweeten with rice malt syrup or maple syrup

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