For various reasons, I've been experimenting lately with cutting down on my wheat, dairy and egg consumption which has left me in a bit of a pickle over breakfast. It's no secret that breakfast is my favourite meal of the day. I'm an inconsistent eater and will often skate through a day on two big main meals (breakfast and an early dinner) and a few snacks and thanks to the gap between dinner and morning I often wake up hungry: a delicious and filling breakfast gives me something to get out of bed for and keeps me smiling well through the morning. Don't get me wrong, Marmite on toast has its place, but I'd much rather start the day with a stack of "paleo" banana pancakes or a classic bacon and egg combo and not have to stop at 10 for morning tea to quiet a growling tum!
Enter porridge... now, I've personally never been a big fan of porridge but after talking to my mum about the ins and outs and alternatives to oats it dawned on me that I could turn one of my favourite desserts - hearty, creamy, old fashioned English rice pudding - into a wholesome and healthy breakfast that's both eggless and actually enjoyable.
Now, I know rice porridge is not news. I've encountered traditional rice porridge, or congee, in a few forms before, most notably in unfortunately bland airline-food form on a long-haul flight. Traditionally, congee is made with white rice and slow cooked in water, served either sweet or savoury and as a side or main component to any meal, not just breakfast. It's also just not for me, I guess a combination of its nutritional profile and texture just doesn't suit my increasingly fussy palette. I wanted to try creating something closer to the rice pudding I grew up with, with the texture of wholegrains and a few nutritional additions to keep me satiated all morning.
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| Porridge ain't porridge without a square of chocolate :) |
