Cardamom Spiced Winter Porridge

Cardamom Spiced Winter Porridge

This simple winter porridge is inspired by one of my favorite pastries from an awesome little bakery in Bend, OR. They make this incredible "Ocean Roll" that is made with croissant dough and spiked with a healthy does of cardamom, sugar and vanilla. It's the best damn pastry I've ever had and is one of the reasons we almost moved to Bend instead of Parkdale to farm. Unfortunately, Bend isn't the best climate for growing vegetables but if it were, we'd live there and eat Ocean Rolls every single day! Honestly, if you ever find yourself in Eastern Oregon you must swing through Bend and check out Sparrow Bakery. You can thank me later. Anyhow, this winter porridge is reminiscent of the Ocean Roll in that I've added a healthy pinch of ground cardamon, a splash of vanilla extract, maple syrup, local apples, dates and plenty of toasted hazelnuts. This is the most comforting breakfast we've had in ages and while it's not quite the same as an ocean roll, it's pretty darn delicious in its own unique way. I chose to use oat bran for this porridge but feel free to use old fashioned oats or any other grain you have on hand. Pair this with a cup of strong black coffee and I'm one happy farmer. For those of you curious about our little kitchen remodel it still isn't complete (a few missing pieces that need to ship to us) but at least we finally have a new kitchen sink and a working stove. I can't wait for the project to be complete but I'm less anxious now that I don't have to do dishes with the garden hose!  If you're in a breakfast rut and need a little inspiration you've come to the right spot. Brew some extra strong coffee, sit down with the morning paper and enjoy a piping hot bowl of winter porridge. Cheers!

Cardamom Spiced Winter Porridge

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup oat bran
  • 2 cups water
  • pinch of fine sea salt
  • 2 large Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1-2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup (more or less depending on sweet preference)
  • 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped
  • 1 apple, sliced
  • 1-2 Tablespoons hemp seeds
  • Pinch of cinnamon for topping (optional)
  • Drizzle of almond milk (or milk of choice) for serving

Preparation

  1. Bring the water and salt to a boil in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the oat barn and dates (adding the dates while it cooks lets them soften and melt into the oat bran which makes them more rich and delicious!), reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the cardamom, vanilla, maple syrup. Taste test and adjust seasonings if need be.
  2. Divide between two bowls and top with hazelnuts, apple, hemp seeds, a drizzle of almond milk and a pinch of cinnamon.

Notes

*Use this recipe as a guide. *If using another grain the cooking time will vary. *Adjust measurements and ingredients as need be. *Taste test as you go.

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