Sweet, soft, fragrant pears sit on top of this deliciously creamy porridge flavoured with cardamom and scattered with chopped pistachios. Get the recipe below.
Wake up happy
You've heard it time and time again, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I'm sure there's some scientific backing for it but for me its a no brainer. Just like most people need coffee before they can speak to humans I need food. Most days my colleagues don't have that luxury. Their first interaction with me will undoubtedly be before I've made my way down to the work canteen to pick up a piece of buttered toast... Not as glamorous as you thought?! At the weekends if I don't make breakfast then Jon knows all too well that by 10am I am going to be HANGRY. As much as I love for weekend breakfast to be an elaborate affair (hello huevos rancheros followed by sourdough pancakes I do love a two course brekkie...) at this time of year my favourite way to start the day is with a hot bowl of porridge.
Porridge is just so pleasingly simple. You heat some milk and oats then top it with something delicious. If, like me, you struggle to do more than grunt at people in your first waking moments then porridge is a good breakfast for you! Stirring the oats and milk is actually somewhat therapeutic. Especially if that milk is also flavoured with cardamom! Last year I discovered the joys of adding cardamom infused evaporated milk into porridge. You can check out my peach and cardamom porridge recipe here. It's delicious, but some what decadent for an everyday breakfast so I've taken to simply infusing my milk with a couple of cardamom pods before adding the oats. It also means that I can use my favourite plant-based milk (unsurprisingly oat milk) making this recipe vegan friendly!
Pears are the perfect accompaniment for porridge because they are in season right from the end of summer and through to winter. While my porridge is bubbling away happily, I peel and chop them, add them to a pan with some dairy free butter and maple syrup (agave would also work well). I let them cook gently until they are just starting to get squishy and give around the edges. I don't want them mushy but I also want them hot through to the middle. Once the porridge is finished cooking, I spoon it into a bowl and topped with the pears. To finish it all off I sprinkle over a handful of chopped pistachios. It certainly adds a bit of vibrancy to the dark winter mornings!
If only I could work out how to get up early enough so I could enjoy a bowl in the week before I head off to work...
The recipe
Vegan Pear, Pistachio and Cardamom Porridge
Ingredients
- 2 pears
- 100 grams jumbo porridge oats
- 1 tablespoon dairy free butter
- 600 millilitres oat or nut milk
- 4 cardamom pods
- 1 handful pistachios
Instructions
- Cut the pear ino 1.5cm cubes and add to a small saucepan along with the butter and the brown sugar.
- Cook the pear on a low heat until softened and slightly caramelised.
- In the meantime, heat the milk and cardamom pods in a seperate sauce pan and slowly bring to the boil.
- Once the milk has boiled removed the cardamom pods and add in the oats, turn down the heat and leave to simmer for 5 minutes or until the milk has been absorbed.
- Split the porridge between two bowls and top with the pears.
- Roughly chop the pistachios and sprinkle over the pears to finish.
More breakfast recipes
Do you prefer sweet or savoury for breakfast? Get the full range of breakfast recipes here.
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