Deliciously Ella’s Speedy Porridge, Four Ways

Porridge is my favourite breakfast and in winter I eat it almost every day. This is the best version for weekday mornings as you soak the oats while you get dressed, so they only need to cook for a few minutes. All four flavours are delicious and I mix them up during the week for variety. I especially like the almond butter variation if I’m going to yoga or the gym in the morning, as it’s full of energising plant-based protein.

All serve 1

ALMOND BUTTER AND HEMP
60g rolled oats
100ml plant-based milk
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup (optional)
½ teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons almond butter shelled hemp seeds

Place the oats in a saucepan and pour in 150ml of boiling water. Leave to soak for 10 minutes; all the water should have been absorbed and they should be just about soft enough to eat.

Pour in the milk, coconut oil (this adds flavour and texture), honey and ginger. Add half the almond butter.

Cook for 5–10 minutes, until it’s nice and creamy and the oats are really soft.

Serve, with the remaining almond butter and a sprinkling of hemp seeds on top.

Kitchen Know-How
Be careful of different types of oats! Porridge oats take only 3 or 4 minutes to cook; soaking turns them to mush. Extra-thick rolled oats take much longer and need more liquid. Use standard rolled oats instead.

BANANA AND HONEY
60g rolled oats
100ml plant-based milk
1 heaped teaspoon honey
1 banana, sliced

Soak the oats and cook as before with half the banana. Serve with the remaining banana.

CINNAMON AND DATE
60g rolled oats
100ml plant-based milk
4 medjool dates, pitted and chopped
1 heaped teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon coconut oil

Soak the oats and cook as before.

RAISIN AND APPLE
60g rolled oats handful of raisins
100ml plant-based milk
1 red apple, coarsely grated
½ teaspoon vanilla powder
1 teaspoon maple syrup

Soak the oats with the raisins. Cook as before.

Extracted from Deliciously Ella Every Day by Ella Mills, published by Yellow Kite, £25
Photography by Clare Winfield