Eat Well Live Free : Farro Porridge With Pecans and Currants

Saturday mornings, sleeping in (past 6 a.m.) and laying in bed for a while thinking about the excitement of the day to come is probably the most special time of the week. Moments that the only energy spent is purely on the excitement of a hike, working in the garden or a day of shopping and errands, are something to cherish in our fast paced lives. And then comes the inevitable question of the day, “What’s for breakfast?”

Marcos’ favorite breakfast, hands down, is anything you can pour maple syrup on. You could give the guy hot cereal, cold cereal, Greek yogurt or fresh peanut butter- set a jug of real maple syrup on the table and he is a happy man.

My favorite breakfast meal is a creamy bowl of hot porridge.

Porridge can be made with many types of grains including but not limited to, oats, millet, wheat berries, quinoa and oh so delicious farro. A porridge is made simply by boiling any grain in water or milk until tender. Which grain you use is really not important, one can easily find a basic cooking time and a liquid to grain ratio online for any grain. Just remember, every grain sold is a different size, weight and dryness. This means that cooking time and liquid to grain ratio may vary slightly. Do not panic. There is a very scientific fix for having too much liquid, and that is, pour off the excess.

Once you select a grain, you need toppings. I guess I am not surprised that I love frozen yogurt buffets. For my porridge extravaganzas, I like to pick a spice and fruit theme from somewhere exotic like Morocco or India. Sometimes, just like at a frozen yogurt buffet, I make a big mess. Usually, it comes out sweet, fragrant and comforting.

For this post, I made a pretty basic porridge to get you going. I used the fabulous farro grain available at most markets in healthy foods aisle or at any co-op. Although it looks really “grainy” and possibly tough, it absorbs all the liquid it comes into contact with. The longer you cook it, the softer and squishier it becomes. It also absorbs all the flavors that it comes into contact with including the strong musk of real vanilla extract and the creamy smooth soy milk. When you combine it with nuts, the crunchy combination you end up with feels sturdy and healthy. Layers of sweet fruit soaking up the milk brings the comforting quality to the meal.

I also added a list of some exciting toppings at the end if you are in the mood for experimenting with ingredients hanging around your pantry or refrigerator.

See the recipe here.