Inspired Breakfast Porridge

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We are home again! Having been away for several weeks - renovating our beach house - it was comforting last night to settle into a familiar, comfy and much loved armchair to read awhile.

Having purchased the latest (August) edition of Delicious magazine I read with interest the featured piece about one of my favourite Australian food bloggers, Sophie Hansen. I have followed her gorgeous blog  'Local is Lovely' for a couple of years now.

I was particularly taken with one of the featured breakfast dishes shared by Sophie - Pear and Spice Baked Porridge with Toasted Hazelnuts.

We love porridge and have it for breakfast most winter mornings. A new taste sensation for tomorrow morning's breakfast I thought!

Checking the fruit bowl and pantry cupboard I was disappointed to find that I was a couple of ingredients short! No pears for starters - we'd eaten those on the trip back home, and the hazelnuts at the back of the pantry cupboard - upon close inspection - went straight in the bin!

Disappointed I returned to my fireside seat and re-read that recipe - it still sounded wonderful.

This morning - inspiration! The deep red, sweet and succulent pot roasted quinces I had taken out of the freezer looked just the thing to top my breakfast porridge!

With a pinch of cinnamon added to flavour the porridge, and served with a dollop of thick creamy Greek yoghurt, I have to tell you, this morning's porridge was amazing - with special thanks to Sophie and Delicious magazine for the inspiration!

Inspired Breakfast Porridge

Ingredients per person*

1/2 cup of rolled oats
half a pot roasted quince (sliced)
generous sprinkle of ground cinnamon
Milk
Greek natural full cream yoghurt (our favourite is Jalna)

Method

Place the rolled oats in a cereal bowl. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon. Add cold water to the oats until the water level sits just below the top of the oats. Please note - too much water makes the cooked oats soggy, while too little makes them dry.

Top the oats with the slices of pot roasted quince. Place the bowl in the microwave. Cook on high for one and a half minutes.

Carefully remove the hot bowl to the breakfast table taking care to place it on a heatproof placemat.

To serve add 2 or 3 tablespoons of milk and top with a dollop of thick, creamy, unsweetened Greek yoghurt. No sugar needed!

Eat!!! Enjoy!!!

Sigh! Porridge will never be the same again!

Cheers!

Marian

PS: How do you enjoy your porridge?


Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post.

Regarding the yoghurt - we fell in love with glorious Greek yoghurt when we visited Greece 18 months ago. Since returning we have tried many brands of yoghurt in search of the 'real deal'. Jalna Greek yoghurt is the closest we have found so far. If you have found a 'real deal' Greek yoghurt be sure to let me know!

The Best Bacon, Bean and Vegetable Soup

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It's been cold! It's been wet! It's soup weather!

Like me, at the first sign of cold, rainy indoors-by-the-fire sort of weather do you get the itch to make a large pot of soup?

Here at Coffin Bay, like much of southern Australia, we are experiencing a very wet and cold winter. Just the weather for a spot of soup making.

Doing the weekly shopping in Port Lincoln I found inspiration for this soup in a tray of beautiful bacon bones, a bag of mixed dried beans and an enticing range of fresh vegetables. They sung to me of a tasty Bacon, Bean and Vegetable soup!

Together with thick slices of warm crusty bread, this soup has made for an easy, tasty and heart warming lunch on the coldest of days.

It has been particularly welcome when we arrive home, chilled to the bone, from our beach house renovations!

Click here to see what we've been up to!

The Best Bacon, Bean and Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

2 meaty, smoky bacon bones
300grams minestrone soup mix (wash and then soak the dried beans overnight
 in plenty of water)
3 stalks celery
2 large carrots
1 large potato
1 onion
1 turnip
1 swede
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and pepper

Method

Drain the soaked beans and put aside. Peel and dice the vegetables.

Lightly grease a large frying pan with a little of the butter. Cook the bacon bones over medium heat until nicely browned. Place the bacon bones and beans in a large stockpot and cover with water or stock. Bring to the boil and simmer gently.

Add the remaining butter to the frying pan. Add the diced vegetables and cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the onions are opaque. Put aside until the beans in the stockpot are cooked when tested - this can vary depending on the beans - but is usually between 15 - 20 minutes.

When the beans are cooked add the vegetables - and more liquid to cover - if required. Bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. The aroma filling your kitchen will be amazing!

Taste and adjust the seasoning of the soup with salt and pepper.

Remove the bacon bones to a plate. With two forks shred any meat on the bones and return the meat shreds to the soup.

Serve with toast or crusty bread.

Enjoy!

Cheers!

Marian

In My Kitchen ... in July

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After a couple of months off I'm excited to contributing again to the In My Kitchen series!


In My Kitchen ... in July I've said goodbye to this little kitchen in our Coffin Bay beach house. We are extensively renovating the house to meet our changing needs.

In my Coffin Bay kitchen this month I donned protective masks rather than an apron, used a grinder rather than a stick blender, and ground hundreds of spots on bricks rather than whip a storm in the kitchen!

I am hoping to be able to reveal the new kitchen next month!

While the renovation is underway, in the property we have rented, this is my kitchen. It is a very nice space in which cook! 

It's been particularly cold and wet so I've been cooking soups to warm us. This was a particularly tasty Bacon and Bean soup.

We love hearty chickpea dishes. This was served hot for lunch with feta sprinkled over! Yum!

Our next door neighbour dropped in with these little beauties - freshly caught local prawns! Cooked in oil with chilli and garlic, juices mopped up with crusty bread, they disappeared before I thought to take a photo!

At the monthly Coffin Bay Farmers Market I purchased supplies for a barbeque from ethical, free range prime producers 'Minniribbie Paddock'.  The Moroccan flavoured sausages are the best I have tasted anywhere!

Of interest is that this local farm is custodian of two registered rare old breeds of pig - the Tamworth and the Berkshire. These animals are raised free range.

Our two oldest grandsons came to stay so I had enthusiastic helpers assist me in baking - and devouring -  a double batch of Condensed Milk Cookies! Delicious!

To support good health I have been investigating foods packed with probiotics. This is my first attempt at the ancient health drink, Kombucha. I am very pleased at the 'mother' growing on the top of it - and it tastes OK too! I'll be making more!

Not my usual storm in the kitchen - but I do love freshly caught fish for dinner. This meant that I relented and used the stick blender to whizz up burley for my husband to use fishing! Whew - the smell!!!

Finally, I wish to extend my congratulations to Celia of Fig Jam and Lime Cordial, host of the In My Kitchen series, for being named Number 21 in the top Australian food blogs list for 2014!

Do visit Celia's inspiring blog - you will not be disappointed!

Thank you so much for visitng my kitchen/s this month!

Cheers!

Marian