What in Tarnation...?

Other people add things to their porridge that I haven't even HEARD of!

Agave nectar- sweet taste, like liquid honey but without the strong honey flavour.

Lucuma powder- Lucuma is an exotic Peruvian fruit. You can use it as a sweetner or a flavour. It tastes kind of like vanilla, and is better in hot foods than cold as it is quite chalky.

Cocoa nibs- part of the cocoa bean. Crunchy. Taste like chocolate but not sweet (but not bitter like cocoa). Use them as a garnish or in place of choc chips.

Pandan- If you try just one thing on this list, try this. It tastes like sweet pastry, no, lemon honey, no, flowers... anyway it's sweet and aromatic and delicate, in the same way Earl Grey tea is, buit with different flavours of course. You can get them fresh, frozen, dried, paste or as an extract. Kewra is an extract that's distilled from pandanus flowers which is also popular apparently. I tried some pandan essence in a can, it had a light fresh taste, like water, or grass. But to really taste it you need the extract.

Dried Longan- think chopped up date, but from a different fruit. Longans are just like lychees and rambutans, to give you an idea.

Goji berries- taste like sofa, but they are good for you and they do grow on you.

Medjool dates: Big, fat dates. Very sweet, with not a strong date flavour.

Lingonberries- a bit like cranberries. I've only had them as jam, but they're nice.

Huckleberries: I've always wanted to try these! Apparently they're like blueberries.

Maca powder- an interesting one. The taste starts off as asparagus, but then warms into strawberry jam, following into notes of woodsmoke (a sort of lapsang souchong). It's not unpleasant, but takes a bit of getting used to.

Chia

Chia's apparently one of those ones you don't need to cook, you can just soak and then blend with fruits or milk/mylk and spices.

3T chia seeds

3/4 C tea, water, milk or mylk

1 T sweetener- agave, palm sugar, lucuma, maple butter, apple sauce

mix and match from:

1 Tbs Goji berries

1 Tbs Pumpkin seeds

1 Tbs Sesame seeds

1 Tbs Coco nibs

3 T coconut shreds

1 T hemp butter or your favorite raw nut/seed butter

cinnamon

nutmeg

cocoa/carob

vanilla

pinch of salt

1 banana

2- Fresh strawberries, sliced

1/8 Cup Fresh Mango, cubed

Mix chia with liquid, or put it all in together and leave til thickened a bit. Blend if you want to. That's it.

I tried mine with water, a teaspoon of honey, and a shake of mixed spice. The taste was light and refreshing, and reminded me of herbal tea, chamomile or jasmine. I got a gentle earthy seedy taste. As reputed, it DOES go into a thick, seedy gel. I think this one's all about what you put with it. The next time I had it I had it with milk, honey and nutmeg (delicious) and I've also had it with blackcurrant drink (also delicious.) I must mention it left a happy warm feeling in my tummy after eating.

Not just grains

Especially for stews, soups and gruels, I have also been known to slip in peas and beans:

Adzuki beans- congees are the popular one for these but I have been known to bung them in a stew.

Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans) -these don't cook for like forever, seriously about two days in the pot til they're soft...

Black beans - dried or canned, all good.

Kidney beans - chilli is the obvious one... mmm chilli.

Haricot beans (baked beans beans) / Navy beans - good for freaking everything really.

Pinto beans - I haven't really noticed the difference between these and haricot, except for the speckles, but I've only done them in a mixed bean dish, so haven't really tested them a lot.

Lima beans (butter beans) I just added small ones into a chili along with a bean mix, it was nice.

Mungbeans- in a few congees but I haven't tried them yet...

Black eyed peas - I've only done this in a chicken soup. But it was a good soup.

Peas (split peas, green, yellow, blue peas, whero peas.)

Lentils, (red, orange, brown, green, I just got some black and white ones)

Cornmeal

Plain cornmeal porridge: I actually did this in a rice cooker rather than a crock pot, as I was afraid it would stick (it does). I put in half a cup of cornmeal, then two cups of water and cooked it on high for about an hour then warm for about two hours, til it was thick and sticky. Served it with milk and honey. Unlike many other grains, cornmeal doesn't taste watery without spices. It was definitely comfort food, not exactly creamy but close.

Cornmeal porridge with milk

• 1 cup fine yelllow cornmeal
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup milk (or 1 more cup water)
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• sugar to taste or condensed milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons fat free condensed milk or sugar to taste
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Mix cornmeal in 1 cup water.
2. Bring remainder of water and milk to boil and stir in cornmeal and salt.
3. Cook for about 10-12 mins.
4. Add nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla.
5. Sweeten with condensed milk to taste
6. Serve hot.

Now work those grains!

CONGEE (mixed grain porridge): 1x grain to 5x water, crockpot it.

NUT MYLK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvXx8c2j2KA

OAT MYLK: Fill a large jug with one-third oats and two-thirds water. Mix, and leave overnight. The next morning, sieve the mixture and you will be left with a milky liquid that can be drunk as it is or used in place of cow's milk in some recipes.

Laba (8 treasure congee)

First, boil glutinous rice, millet, glutinous millet, chestnuts and dried dates together,then add peanuts, almonds, walnuts, melon-seed meat,other dried fruits and brown sugar to make the gruel not only delicious, but also nutritious. You may also add red beans, kidney beans, pine nuts, lotus seeds, or anything else nutritious or tasty into the pot. Its ingredients are virtually unlimited.

Recipe:

• 15 g day-lily bulbs,
• 15 g lotus seeds,
• 15 g peanuts, in their pink skins
• 15 g walnuts,
• 10 g mung beans,
• 10 g beans,
• 10 g wolfberries, (goji berries)
• 20 g dates, (jujubes)
• 50 g rice,
• 50 g rice,
• 50 g rice,
• 3 litres water,
• honey, to serve
• 
  
• 1. Soak the lotus seeds and day-lily bulbs in water overnight.

2. Rinse all the ingredients except for the wolfberries (reserve these to add later) and place them in a large pan, along with the drained lotus seeds, day-lily bulbs and the water.

3. Bring to the boil, skim off any scum, then simmer on a very gentle heat for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking and adding more water if necessary. You should end up with a loose, soupy porridge.

4. Shortly before the porridge is ready, add the wolfberries and simmer for 1-2 minutes.

5. Serve warm, with sugar or honey to taste.

Sorghum (Milo)

From what Google tells me, this seems to be the name of a family of grains: Kafir, Kafir corn, durra, milo, maize, egyptian corn, african millet, black indian millet and pearl millet. I see a lot of recipes using sorghum flour, but little with grains. Wikipedia helped, apparently the main name you'd be looking for would be Milo.

I managed to find some sorghum meal in my local International aisle under a South African brand called Malta Bella. It's is unrefined and gluten free. It tastes malty, almost chocolatey (think Milo drink) with the consistency of wet sand until fully cooked, when it goes softer and slightly gluey. The boxed mix is just sorghum and salt, and is too salty for my taste, so I would recommend rinsing it or adding no more salt if using it in a recipe. Apparently you can have it sweet or savoury and put it into breads and pancakes. It's very nutritious and low-GI.

As this is not sorghum grains, I can't offer directions on how to cook it except to say: follow packet instructions.

Job's Tears

Job's Tears Brown Rice Congee

When combined with brown rice, it makes a tasty congee that may be used as a main dish for breakfast or an accompanying grain dish for lunch or dinner.

Ingredients:

• 30g (1 cup) uncooked brown rice
• 180 g (1 cup) Job's Tears seed
• 2.2 litres (8 cups) water

1. Wash the brown rice and Job’s Tears in a couple of changes of water until the water runs clear and drain. Combine all the ingredients in a non-aluminum pot and soak overnight. (Ceramic pots are the best choice for herbal tonics)
2. Bring ingredients to a full boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer covered, for 1 hour until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove from the heat and serve.

Savoury version: Add salt and a dash of sesame oil to individual serving bowls, then ladle the hot congee over and stir. Garnish with chopped scallions.

Sweet version: Add a little brown sugar, honey or maple syrup to individual serving bowls, ladle the hot congee over and stir.

Use 4 tablespoons of wild rice and 150 g (¾ cup) of brown rice for a richer taste and extra nutritional benefit. Chicken broth may be used instead of water to soak and cook the congee; in this case, soak the herb and grain in the refrigerator to keep the broth fresh.

Traditional Korean Juk (Porridge Soup)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Job's Tears powder
• 1 cup of pureed sweet potato
• 1 cup of pureed pumpkin
• 1 cup of pureed apple
• 1 cup of pre-cooked beans (kidney, turtle, etc.)
• 5 cups of water
• Salt to taste
• Sweetener to taste (brown sugar, maple syrup, etc.)
• Chopped nuts (pine, almond, peanut, etc.)

This can be made with a combination of rice, bean and/or nut powders.

Method:
1. Chop sweet potato, pumpkin, apple and put into a pot with water, boil until soft.
2. Drain water and pour into a blender with pre-cooked beans.
3. Add Job's Tears powder to 5 cups of water and simmer on medium heat. Continually whisk until mixture reaches a boil.
4. Stir puree into Job' Tears mixture and bring back up to a boil. Remove from heat but stir 2 more minutes to keep porridge smooth.
5. Flavor with salt and sweeten to taste. Sprinkle with pine nuts or other delights.

Teff

Teff is a freaking small brown grain that feels like sand.

Teff flour can be used as a substitute for part of the flour in baking, or you can substitute it for part of the seeds, nuts, or other small grains in breads etc.

Teff may be added to soups or stews either half an hour before serving to thicken or ten minutes before for texture.

Teff needs to cook for 15-20 minutes in a 1:4 ratio with water until the grains are soft and no longer sandy. You'll want to add salt and spices for flavour and top with the usual, butter, nuts, maple, fruit- like a banana, baked or microwaved. You don't need to stir it much- once or twice.

You can also cook Teff up with soy milk or rooibos tea and add in dried fruit, nuts and spices as it cooks.

I made teffburgers once but I did find they were a little bland on their own and they fell apart easily. I would recommend adding an egg and some spices, or blending them with something else.

Barley

Savoury barley porridge

200 grams pearl barley

25-30 grams of butter

600 ml meat or chicken stock

salt

Wash the barley groats with hot water, drain thoroughly.

Heat the butter in a heavy saucepan, add pearl barley and sauté for a few minutes.

Add the hot stock, season with salt and stir gently.

Cover the pan with a lid and simmer on a medium low heat for about 30-40 minutes, until barley has swollen and is 'al dente' or almost soft, with a bit of bite. You can also bake the porridge in the oven.

To serve

75 grams cubed pancetta

2-3 small shallots

Slice the onion very thinly. Heat a non-stick pan on a medium heat and dry-fry the pancetta cubes until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon, add a splash of oil to the pan, if necessary, and reduce the heat to minimum.

Add sliced onion and fry very slowly until golden and caramelised (about 20-30 minutes).

There was also a small bowl of sliced salted cucumbers on the table, as well as some sour cream.

If you're brave and adventurous enough, then the porridge is best served with some soured milk, like kefir or buttermilk.

Pearl Barley Porridge with Milk

1 cupful pearl barley

½ tblsp sugar

4 cupsful milk

¼ tsp salt

Wash the barley, cook in boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes, then drain in a sieve. Bring the milk to a boil and add the drained barley. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes stirring from time to time. Add the sugar and salt, and mix. Cover with a lid and set over the lower part of a double-boiler for 10 to 15 minutes.

Barley Porridge with Honeyed Almonds and Roasted Apples

1/2 cup hulled or pearled barley

1 1/4 cups water

2 tart apples, cored and cut into bite-size chunks

1 cup apple cider or apple juice

1/2 cup raw almonds, chopped

2 tablespoons honey

6 green cardamom pods (optional)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Rinse the barley and soak overnight in the water in a small saucepan.

Preheat the oven to 425°. Place the apple pieces peel side-down in a single layer over a glass baking pan. Roast the apples for about 30 minutes or until cooked to a desired texture. Remove from oven and transfer the apple pieces to set aside. De-glaze the pan by adding the apple cider or apple juice and swirling around, rubbing the bottom of the pan gently with a wooden spoon. Transfer to a bowl and strain through a cheesecloth. Set aside and reduce the oven heat to 350°.

Meanwhile, bring the soaked barley to a boil, then reduce the heat to its lowest setting and cover. Simmer, stirring every 10 minutes or so, for 45 minutes while checking the water level (if the porridge dries, add a little more water).

After the apples have cooked, stir the almonds and honey together in a mixing bowl. Spread on a piece of parchment paper over a baking sheet and roast for 5 to 10 minutes in the 350° oven. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Stir in 1/2 cup of the apple de-glazing juice. Put the cardamom pods, if using, in a tea ball and add to the saucepan along with the salt. Cover, and continue to simmer, stirring every 10 minutes as before.

After 20 minutes, stir in the remaining 1/2 cup portion of the apple de-glazing juice, while continuing to stir every 10 minutes. After 20 minutes, you should end up with a thick, but not too thick porridge. If it's too thick for your taste, thin it with a little more apple cider.

Remove the tea ball and ladle the porridge into bowls. Top with the honeyed almonds and roasted apple pieces, and serve. Top with milk or cream if desired. Serves 2-3.

Amaranth

I added nutmeg and vanilla. Sweetened with maple syrup. Grains completely broke down and you just had the skins soaking in a sweet jelly. All I could taste was the nutmeg I had added.

To make an amaranth porridge, cook amaranth in a ratio of 1:3 with water. Add sliced apples, chopped walnuts and a touch of cinnamon, cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed.

You'll know it's ready when you smell a nice nutty flavor and the grains/seeds look like pearls.

Amaranth cream porridge

1 cup amaranth seeds

3 cups cold filtered or spring water

Heavy cream, preferably raw

Grade B maple syrup

2 cinnamon sticks

Sea salt to taste

Add amaranth, 3 cups cold water, and 1 cinnamon stick to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until amaranth reaches the consistently of thick porridge (it should still be a little soupy); add more water as necessary. Add a liberal pinch of sea salt, and stir to combine. Remove from the heat, cover, and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes.

Remove cinnamon stick. Divide amaranth among warmed bowls. Top each with a teaspoon of cream and maple syrup to taste. Using a microplane, top each serving with a fresh grating of the remaining cinnamon stick. Serve at once.

Bulghur Wheat

It is wheat (pre-cooked in a certain way), but is classified as a wholegrain. I added cinnamon, dried berries and nutmeg and sweetened it with brown sugar and milk to make a type of frumenty. Tasted like bread pudding, very pleasant.

Quinoa

Always rinse quinoa. It has a bitter... coating? Anyway, always rinse it.

1/2 cup quinoa

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cups raw milk

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons raw honey or brown sugar (I recommend honey)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

1 pinch salt 

Heat a saucepan over medium heat and measure in the quinoa. Season with cinnamon and cook until toasted, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes. Pour in the milk, water and vanilla and stir in the brown sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, then cook over low heat until the porridge is thick and grains are tender, about 25 minutes. Add more water if needed if the liquid has dried up before it finishes cooking. Stir occasionally, especially at the end, to prevent burning.

I just add 5x liquid to 1x quinoa and crockpot it.

Buckwheat porridge

1 cup whole buckwheat

2 cups water

Toasting your buckwheat in a frying pan (with a spoonful of butter if you like) will stop it becoming as soft, but I like my porridge soft anyway. I put it in the crock pot with 1:2 grain to water (more water if you're cooking it longer), and add dried fruit and spices. The great thing about dried fruit is it doesn't have to be out in at the start- you can basically just bung it in anytime. You can add cocoa in the pot, and serve it with milk if you want. All your normal (or unusual) sweeteners of course.

The first time I tried it I added cinnamon, cardamom, cranberries, raisins, gojis, and nuts and sweetened it with applesauce. Lacked that je ne sais quois... great texture though. I think it did need a little milk.

I've also tried it with mixed dried fruit, fruit juice and a chopped banana. It's not bad. I will say for some reason after easting buckwheat I remain hungry, and am ravenous after two hours, even when having it with fruit. Maybe it's low GI? Maybe I digest it slowly? Whatever the reason, I can happily eat another full meal shortly afterwards.

Spelt

Crop: Cereal grain

Botanical Name: Triticum spelta

Glutens Present: Gliadin, Glutenin.

Fodmaps Present:

Ratio: 1C spelt : 4C water 

Cook time (simmer)

Retains form / Breaks down? Retains form. 

Filling / Satisfying?

Taste: Subtle rye 

I cooked it with cinnamon. Tasted like a subtler rye, texture of brown rice. Did not soften. Cooked with cinnamon. Would grind or cook longer with double the water in future.

Cinnamon Spelt Porridge

1/2 C soaked spelt

1C water

1/2 C milk.

Handful of medjool dates (soft and sweet)

1 tsp cinnamon.

1/2 tsp ginger

small handful raw almonds

small handful sunflower seeds

1-2 T raisins 

Soak spelt for 8 hours. 

Add 1/2 C spelt to saucepan with 1 C water.

Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook 50-60 minutes.

Drain off excess water and add milk.

Put spelt on lowest setting.

Chop dates very finely so they blend into the cereal (not just big chunks of dates), almost like a paste.

Add dates and give them a big stir so they begin to cook in.

Coconut milk should cook down into spelt.

Break up any chunks of dates.

Add cinnamon and ginger

Rough chop almonds and sunflower seeds and add to porridge

Add raisins

Stir til it becomes a thick paste, serve. 

Rye

Crop: Cereal grain

Botanical Name: Secale cereale

Glutens Present: Gliadin (high) Glutenin (low)

Fodmaps Present:

Ratio: 1 C rye to 2 C water

Cook time (simmer) 1 hr

Retains form / Breaks down? Retained form completely.

Filling / Satisfying?

Taste: Warm and sweet. 

Basic cooking instructions: 1 c rye to 2 c water, pinch salt and simmer 1 hr.

I added cinnamon, mixed dried fruit and nuts. Sweetened with honey. Had a great warm sweet taste but didn't break down at all.