The glory of porridge (merged)

competitionscafe

kittie wrote: »

Get a simmer mat
http://www.lakeland.co.uk/original-simmermat/F/keyword/simmer/product/10504

I bring oats and milk or water to the boil then turn the gas down to lowest, put the mat on the gas and pan on mat and it will stand like that for as long as you like and it is ready as soon as you like. It is brilliant

I do the same thing using something similar to this:
http://www.lakeland.co.uk/F/product/6280_10426
(Except I got a much cheaper one from Debenhams or BHS I think) It has rusted a bit which is annoying (and marked the bottom of my saucepan which won't come off, maybe I should get the Lakeland one if it doesn't rust even if it's 4 times the price!)

But anyway, each morning I just put porridge and milk in the pan with the diffuser thing on the hob and then put the gas on low and leave it. It might need one or 2 quick stirs but by the time I have boiled the kettle, made the coffee and washed a few dishes the porridge is ready (about 5 minutes). I think it tastes different made in a saucepan compared to a microwave and I prefer the taste using the saucepan method.

My favourite is based on Rude Health's fruity date porridge but make my own version in bulk as it's much cheaper - oats, oatbran, chopped dates, a bit of dried apple, bit of cinnamon, little bit of salt - yum!

blue_monkey_2

I have started getting the porridge and milk/water ready and 'soaking' it for a few hours before I eat it. Instead of 3 1/2 minutes it only takes 2. Maybe get it ready the night before and pop it in the microwave the next day.

I've also started adding a bit of Tesco Light Choices Evaporated Milk. Makes it take creamy and sweet for the same amount of 'weightwatchers' points as a spoon of sugar. Yummy. Keeps me full for the entire morning. If not on a diet you could use the full fat verison, just gives it that something extra.

Savvy_Sue

You can cook porridge in a slow cooker overnight, but please don't ask for quantities and timings! Long time since I've done it, not worth it for just me ...

clutterydrawer

i love porridge...if i've nothing in for dinner, I'll jsut have porridge instead and go to bed happy.

I make it with about 1/4 semi skim milk, 3/4 water, handful or raisins stirred through it then a bit of golden syrup or brown sugar on top. Or if i'm having an apple surplus I stew them and stir through.

I really want some now, but i'm in halls at college for two weeks so theres no cooking facilities

Guapa1

Yummy yum. I love porage. My gran used this make it all the time. She made it with oats, milk, condensed milk, nutmeg and cinnamon leaves.

I don't make it with milk, but I still add the condensed milk for creaminess and sweetness.
Scotts is on offer at Sainsburys for a £1. I use their own brand though and it's fine for me.

Caterina

I adore porridge, and often I have it the Scots way (like JackieO!) with salt - but no cream or milk for me, occasionally soya milk is used in cooking it.

Other times I have it with honey or banana, often with toasted pumpkin and hemp seeds on top.

BUT: much as I love it, no matter how much of it I eat, it is almost a certainty that after two hours I have the most godawful hypoglycaemic shakes, why is it? I thought that this is a slow release food.

I am not diabetic and my blood glucose is ok, and if I eat, say, eggs on toast, I do not get this and can go on without food until lunchtime, but never with porridge.

Does anyone else get this?

Edited to say: forgot to add: sometimes I also cook whole oat groats, preboiled for 1 minute and then left on the woodstove in a hot casserole overnight, then a quick heating and yummy yummy breakfast - they are not as bad as porridge to give me the hungry shakes mid-morning though!

Caterina

jinny

I just put a handful of porridge oats for each person in a flask (I have a wide neck one) a tablespoon of powdered milk and cover with hot water. Put the top back on and leave for a few minutes. Cooked to perfection all lovely and soft. If I make it for myself i even just eat it out of the flask topped with milk. Keeps me full for hours.

Caterina

Ah well all this talk of porridge has inspired me to put some oat groats to soak for tomorrow breakfast!

Caterina

bitter-roses

Hi, this is my first post in this part of the forum so hopefully I’m doing it right

I like to have porridge for breakfast, mainly because I like it but also because it’s (a) quick and easy to make in the microwave and (b) I hate all other kinds of cereal (and believe me I’ve tried just about every kind there is).

At the moment I use the little sachets of Quaker Oats that are meant for use with a microwave. I’ve been making this with water and salt, because that’s the way I usually eat porridge – granted, usually this is with proper porridge oats and not the floor-sweepings that seem to be what Quaker puts in these sachets – and because it’s cheaper than making it with milk.

Problem is, making it that way isn’t keeping me full until lunch, and I end up snacking on the biscuits, etc., that are in our biscuit tin at work (I don’t eat breakfast at home because I am not a morning person and so rarely have time before I’m supposed to be at work).

Is it false economy to be eating oats cooked with water that (I think?) are manufactured specifically to be eaten with milk? Because I suspect if I started making the porridge with milk again it would keep me full until lunch and so I wouldn’t snack so often.

Thoughts welcome!

tanith

Don't use the Microwave porage, its not nearly as filling as proper Porage Oats made with or without milk...It only takes 3 or 4 mins to make up a pan of Porage Oats , I make mine with water then just put a little cold milk and syrup on when its cooked.. but salt would be fine too..