Oat So Tasty!

Apparently 49% of people in the UK* eat porridge, so if you aren’t yet on this oaty bandwagon, now’s your chance. I was lucky enough during my time in London to live with a super Swedish foodie; this first recipe is hers and first appeared in the Sunday Times here and the second recipe is from Ginny Knox, one of the authors of the beautiful Hedgerow Cook Book, which you can buy here. 

1. Erika's Super Porridge with Apple and Ginger Compote

Ingredients:

40 g rye flakes
40 g oats
1 tbsp bran
2 tbsp chopped almonds and/or hazelnuts
1 tbsp sunflower seeds
1 tbsp linseeds
200 ml water (or mixed water and milk)

How to make:
 - Put the nuts and seeds in a dry frying pan and roast for a few minutes on medium heat.
- Meanwhile, bring the other ingredients to boil and simmer on low heat 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Season with salt to taste and serve with berries and milk, jam, honey and banana or with apple compote and cinnamon.

For the Compote: (Makes around 2 cups)
6-8 British sweet apples
100 ml water
1-2 tsp dried ginger (can be replaced with cinnamon)
1 tbsp cane sugar (optional)
A pinch of salt (optional)

How to make: 
Peel and core all apples but one, cut the flesh in wedges and place in a pot. Add the water and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring once in a while to ensure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Add sugar, ginger and salt to taste and mash gently.
- Leave to cool.
- Before serving, peel the last apple, cut the flesh in small cubes and mix with the rest.  

Erika is producing a series of beautifully illustrated, fun & interactive e-books & recipe cards for children, telling the story of where the food we eat comes from. - find out more here 

2. Bircher- Style Muesli with Fresh Hazelnuts

Ingredients
200g of rolled porridge oats
400ml of milk
150g plain yoghurt
40g raisins
40g pumpkin seeds
2 large crisp dessert apples
Sugar or honey to taste
40g fresh hazelnuts, chopped.

How to make:
- Just before you go to bed pop the oats, milk, yoghurt, raisins and pumpkin seeds in a bowl and mix together. Cover, and chill overnight, during which time the muesli will become thicker because the raisins will plump up, the pumpkin seeds will soften a little and the oats will take up as much moisture as they possibly can. Don’t be tempted to add the apples at this stage, or you will end up with unplumped oats and raisins, and lots of runny apple juice.

- In the morning, quarter and core the apples, but do not peel them. Grate them coarsely and add the apples to the oat mixture. Sweeten to taste, spoon into bowls. Scatter the chopped hazelnuts over the top.