How to make Porridge taste nice

whitewave wrote: »

Do you put in both? Does that make it quite watery/liquid-y? I usually use just 4 milk but find it hard to get the right consistency

For me, using milk only tends to create a more solid consistency. Using water and milk works for me, I like it to be more liquid than solid - not a big fan of porridge that's too stodgy!

I use skimmed milk and a squirt of honey. Very nice

I see others at work adding in berries instead

Yes to the above, a pinch of salt seems to bring out the oat flavor, especially if you are just having porridge on its own.
All Bran, the one that looks like little sticks, is lovely with porridge.
As a treat , a petit filous mixed in to the bowl is lovely,makes it really creamy.

ryanf1 wrote: »

I'm struggling to deal with constipation and really dont want to be using medical remedies for longer than I need to. I know I will for a while but after that I need to try and add fibre to my diet. That wheatgermn liooks good, I like that it van be mixed with something rather than just eating it plain

Some dried fruits like prunes, dates or apricots chopped in will help constipation. I also like to add in a spoon of flaxseed.

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Make your porridge with milk of magnesia.

Bye-bye constipation.

*vomit* anything soluble really.

I LOVE PORRIDGE!!!

I make mine with water and i add in lots of raisins, almonds and walnuts - all good...all natural and all yummy!!! ;-)

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

You'll probably need to invest in a pair of rubber gloves and some industrial strength bleach as well.

When the water charges come the husk eaters are screwed....

For me, 1/2 cup of porridge oats, 1 1/2 cups water with a dash of milk, pinch of salt, and few pinches of cinnamon and the tiniest amount of dried ginger (gingammon ? 4 parts cinnamon, 1 part dried ginger). Everything's put in a small non-stick pan, brought to the boil, and left simmer gently until it reaches the consistency I like. At that point I add a handful of chopped dried cranberries, a dollop of apple sauce, a grated apple, and a small splash or two of maple syrup. Throw all that into porridge in the pan to mix, tip it all into a warmed bowl and enjoy.

Previously I've liked to add blueberries (frozen, added to the porridge several minutes before the porridge is done), or flaked almonds. In the past I've also made up my own seed mix from equal parts sunflower seed, pumpkin seed, hemp and flax, all ground up and mixed together. The basic porridge formula is simply the oats, water with dash of milk, salt, and maple syrup to sweeten - that's the base for whatever else I add.

If you're wondering why I use a non-stick pan, its to minimise cleaning afterwards. I find porridge on the hob has a different texture from microwaved porridge, and cooking the porridge in a small non-stick pan that is deep enough to hold the porridge, allows me to pour some water into the pan before I eat, and clean the pan in ten seconds when I am finished. The wide bottom and surface area of the pan also mean that the porridge cooks very quickly, coming to the boil within minutes, and then simmering for about 3/ 4/ 5 mins to reach the consistency I like.

The dash of milk I find essential by the way, adding just the smallest bit of creaminess to the porridge that a porridge made with just water lacks, and without the gumminess of a porridge made with a decent quantity of milk. The heated bowl is simply achieved by pouring boiling water into the bowl a few minutes before the porridge is done, and then discarded when the bowl is warmed.

All the above probably sounds slightly convoluted/ complicated, but with porridge I find we all just find what we like, something that's usually a combination of trial and error. Equally, once in the porridge habit every morning, whipping everything up takes little time I find, and from mixing the oats to eating them, I find takes about 8/ 10 mins. If really caught for time, microwaving is definitely an option, but you will need to add less water, and checking every so often and giving a stir, I find helps avoiding your porridge spiralling over the sides of your bowl. If you've never tried porridge on the hob though, you should, as microwaved porridge leaves the porridge tasting a little sponge-y in my experience.

Oh, for any porridge you have left over, even just the scraps you clean off your pan, birds and other types of animals seem to love it. The cleaned scraps from my pan go out in the back garden every day, and within minutes usually have been devoured

30g- 40g of oats and a big spoon of peanut butter into the microwave to soften for 30s. Add a soft banana and mash into a pulp. Add milk and Nutella microwave for a minute or so. Nomnomnom

Yakuza42 wrote: »

Peanut butter (natural if you can, or at least 90% peanut content) is awesome, I mix it in when Im heating my oats in a saucepan with some skimmed milk.

Tried peanut butter in my porridge this morning. Really good Nice change from my usual frozen berries.