Okay, so this one is for those mornings when you want something special. You want to spend some time to create a delicious bowl of oats, packed with flavour and different textures that work together in harmony to create breakfast porridge magic. This is it guys. The porridge is filled with nutty almond flavour and chopped almonds and hazelnuts, and it works so well with the cherry chia jam on top! I got the inspiration for this flavour combination through a couple of recipes from the Rebel Recipes cookbook by vegan food blogger and influencer Rebel Recipes, https://www.instagram.com/rebelrecipes/ . Though I promise, I have not at all copied her recipes, I’ve simply found inspiration in her combination of flavours. Anyways, let’s make some porridge!
Ingredients: 2-3 portions
1/2 tsp plant based butter
1/2 cup steel cut oats
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cup plant based milk of choice – I use a combination of Alpro unsweetened almond milk and Dream rice milk with almond and hazelnut (the last one is quite sweet, which in my opinion makes the porridge more like dessert and hence more awesome as well)
about 1/2 cup pre-made chia pudding (or simply add 2 tbsp chia seeds and an extra 1/2 cup of plant based milk directly to the porridge)
2 medjool dates, chopped into quite small pieces (it doesn’t matter if they stick together when you chop them, they’ll come apart in the porridge)
1 small handful of almonds and hazelnuts, chopped
a few drops of almond essence
a pinch of vanilla powder
a tiny drizzle of cinnamon
1 tbsp homemade roasted almond butter – wondering how to make it? Here’s my recipe: https://greenwolff.com/index.php/2019/03/24/almond-butter/
Optional toppings in addition to cherry chia jam: more almond butter, coconut yogurt, chopped almonds, other types of jam (you can follow the same jam recipe using other berries), granola, a splash of plant based milk, a sprinkle of seeds, whatever you like really.
Chia Cherry Jam:
300g frozen and pitted cherries
1-2 splashes of water
2 medjool dates, chopped into small pieces
1-2 tsp maple syrup
1 tbsp chia seeds
Method:
- First make the chia cherry jam. Add the frozen cherries to a small saucepan over medium heat until they’re completely defrosted. Add a splash of water and the chopped dates and simmer until the cherries have broken down. Stir occasionally. You might want to lower the heat to a medium/low heat.
- Once the cherries are mostly dissolved, add the chia seeds. If the mixture is not too liquidous anymore, add another splash of water and stir in the chia seeds. Keep stirring occasionally for another 5 minutes while the mixture thickens. Then, stir in the maple syrup and remove from heat. Transfer to a cute little jar to cool off. The jam lasts about a week in the fridge (at least).
- In a medium sized pan over medium/high heat, add the butter. Once melted, add the steel cut oats and stir. This step greatly enhances the flavour of the oats, so you don’t want to skip it. Add the chopped dates as well and stir.
- Once the oats begin to smell nutty and they’ve got a slightly more golden colour, transfer to a medium/large saucepan over medium heat. Add the water and plant milk and stir. Add the vanilla powder, cinnamon and almond essence and mix. Next, stir in the chia pudding until it has dissolved in the porridge mixture. Add the chopped nuts as well and stir. Continue to stir occasionally as the porridge cooks until you’ve reached your desired consistency. Remove from heat and stir in the almond butter.
- Serve the porridge in bowls and top with chia cherry jam. Enjoy!
Toasting the oats.. 
Chopped dates 
Chia pudding<3
