I was going to get up, take a shower and then exercise. Instead, I went downstairs to the kitchen and cooked a batches of Whole Oat Porridge and Blueberry Compote.
Exercise has fallen to the wayside during this Covid epidemic, and this season of winter. I did spy a snowdrop flower in my garden the other day, a sign that winter is coming to a close and spring will soon follow. And like the snowdrop flower growing out from the bulb in the ground to have its flower face rise up to the sun, I am sending my energy out into the universe, my own face lifted.
It is easy to feel overwhelmed when one's personal applecart has been upturned. Recently, I have mostly dealt with all of the following: a plumbing leak; a plaster ceiling falling down in my cupboard closet; a toilet that ran because it needed its flush valve replaced; a microwave that showed its power was waning by making mysterious gurgling noises when not running; a modem-router that needed to be upgraded because of the 5G transition by internet providers; and a printer that could no longer be found and therefore no longer worked because of said modem-router replacement. I am healing from these setbacks which have been mostly cured, and ready to move on.
In order to cope, I am trying to do more by doing less. Cooking had fallen to the wayside. I had developed the bad habit of scrolling through food delivery apps instead of cooking. The result is an awful feeling of living an unhealthy life.
In keeping with trying to do more by doing less, I practice looking at a cookbook and picking out just one recipe instead of five. I know I have said this before, but I would like to shop more frequently, buy less, and buy specifically for the recipe I have chosen to be the "star" of my day. The criteria for choosing is whether the food resulting from the recipe would be something I would like to eat instead of something that might be healthy and therefore good for me. Of course healthy is always a criteria, but not the only one. I am looking for taste and something that brings joy to my heart. Life during this everlasting Covid pandemic has been so bland, that I am craving stronger flavors in my food.
So, while I intended to jump out of bed and shower to greet the day, and exercise as I did yesterday morning (thank you Melissa Wood!), I instead made my way down to the kitchen. The morning's task was to cook some recipes from Whole Food Cooking Every Day by Amy Chaplin. However, if the carbs of an oatmeal breakfast is not your thing, and you are more in the mood for protein and a veg, try making Cooking the Kitchen's recipe for Shakshuka. If oatmeal floats your boat, continue to follow along.
Last night I soaked a cup of whole oat groats in 3 cups of water in preparation for making Whole Oat Porridge. This morning I drained the oats, added them to my vitamix, and was then off to the races. If you follow the recipe below, you may start your morning thusly. The Blueberry Compote completed the dish. Enjoy! Afterwards, take a walk outside, and see what winter flowers you spy with your little eye. I think it may be time for witch hazel trees to flower.
This year April had a blizzard
Just to Show she did not care
And the new dead leaves
They made the trees look like children with gray hair
But I'll push myself
Up through the dirt
And shake my petals free
I'm resolved to being born
And so resigned to bravery
Spring Street by Dar Williams
Whole Oat Porridge with Blueberry Compote
This Whole Oat Porridge is made with whole oat groats, and is a nice change from cooking rolled oats for breakfast. The whole oat groats I used were McCann's Steel Cut Irish Oatmeal. For the blueberry compote I substituted lemon juice for orange, as that is what I had in my fridge. Remember that you never need doggedly follow a recipe, but may always use it as a jumping off point. Of course I needed to add a bit of maple syrup at the end as my blueberry compote was tart. You may really use any berry for this compote recipe. Note that this recipe calls for filtered water. If you do not have filtered water, just use tap water, as do I.
Ingredients
Whole Oat Porridge
- 1 cup whole oat groats, soaked overnight in 3 cups water (5-½ ounces / 160g)
- 4 cups filtered water
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
Blueberry Compote
- 3-4 cups fresh or frozen berries; if using strawberries halve or quarter them into ½ inch pieces
- ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice (120 ml)
- 1 tso vanilla extract
- tiny pinch fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoon arrowroot powder (used as a thickener; optional)
- 1 tablespoon filtered water
Instructions
Whole Oat Porridge
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Drain and rinse the oat groats and transfer them to an upright blender
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Add 4 cups of water to the blender
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Add the cinnamon, and salt to the blender as well
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Pulse ingredients in blender until the grains are coarsely ground
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Pour into a medium pot and bring to a boil over high heat, whisking frequently
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Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking
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When ready, grains will be soft and porridge creamy
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Serve hot, using blueberry compote as a topping, or any topping of your choosing
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Leftover porridge may be stored in a widemouthed glass jar or other container in which you allow to cool, then cover tightly and store in fridge for up to 5 days
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Reheat in saucepan, adding 2 to 3 teaspoons of water or nut milk per serving and bring to simmer over high heat, stirring frequently; cover pan, reduce heat to low and simmer for a minute or so longer, until porridge is heated through; stir once more and serve. Alternatively, reheat in microwave.
Blueberry Compote
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Combine the berries, orange juice, vanilla, and salt in a medium pot (I also added ¼ teaspoon of ground cardamom per Amy Chaplin's variation recipe), and bring to a boil over high heat
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Cover pan, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the berries have softened and released their juice
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Dissolve the arrowroot, if using, n water in a small cup, then slowly drizzle into the simmering berries, stirring constantly
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Once the compote has returned to a simmer and thickened, remove from the heat
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Serve warm or at room temperature
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Store the cooled compote in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 5 days
