Porridge with apricots and toasted almonds

This may not seem like the best recipe for this time of year, especially during a heatwave, but when it comes to a healthy, budget breakfast, you can’t get much better than the humble porridge. I’ve tried to make it a little more summery with the addition of apricots and almonds, but you could also add a little extra cold milk to it once served to cool it down a little if desired. A lot of porridge recipes recommend the addition of cream, sugar and certainly no water. I don’t doubt for a minute that these versions would be rich and creamy, but I’ve tailored my recipe to be a little lighter on the tummy and on the purse strings. As you may have noticed with most of my recipes, quantities are not exact… this is very out of character for me as I’m normally pretty precise, but the luxuries of weighing scales and measuring jugs are not things I have to hand in the staff house. I thought it would drive me insane, but it is actually quite refreshing to return to cooking by eye… although I fear I may be less positive when I attempt to bake a proper cake!

 Ingredients:

1 large cup of oats

Very small pinch of salt

Milk

Water

Almonds

¼ tin of apricots

 

Method:

·Chop the almonds into small pieces and toast in a pan on a low heat. Set aside once lightly browned.

·Add the oats to a milk saucepan and add enough milk to just cover the oats.

·Add enough water to fill the pan to about 1-2cm above the oats (you can always add more as it cooks, so don’t add too much initially.)

·Cook on a low heat, stirring regularly, until the oats have absorbed the liquid (add more milk/water if the mixture becomes too thick – thickness is all a matter of preference)

· Add a little more milk just before serving to make it a bit creamier. Stir for another minute (to heat the extra milk through) then pour into a bowl.

·Add the apricots and a couple of teaspoons of the juice/syrup.

·Scatter with almonds and serve.