Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Challenge Book #24 - Maple Banana Porridge



If anyone has any ideas about how to take a good photo of porridge, please let me know!! It just does not lend itself to aesthetics. It's beige and kinda lumpy and formless. The only thing I could think to do was focus on a spoon.

Just as well it tastes so much better than it looks. I found the recipe for this - Maple Banana Porridge - in Sydney Food by Bill Granger. I've only ever eaten plain old traditional porridge - a dash of milk with a sprinkling of brown sugar. I've never really thought that it could be anything else. It's just one of those functional foods that you never really think much about. So this flavoured porridge was a real revelation to me - pleasantly but not overly sweet with a delicious banana flavour.



Bill serves his porridge with buttered apples. But who can be bothered with all that first thing in the morning? I simply diced up some fresh apple. I think it went rather well. It added a lovely bit of texture, crunch and flavour. Really I think you can use any fruit you wish.

Sydney Food is book number #24 in the KJ Wants a Kitchen Aid Challenge. I love Bill Granger's cookbooks. I have quite a few. Strangely though, despite the fact that he is an Australian chef, I have never seen his TV show. It is only shown on pay TV and I am too stingy to shell out for Foxtel. Anyway I watch too much TV as it is, without another 30 channels to waste my time over.

Banana Maple Porridge
(adapted from Sydney Food)

1 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup milk
pinch salt
1 tbspn (4 tspn) brown sugar*
2 tbspn (8 tspn) maple syrup
1 banana, finely sliced

Place oats and water in a saucepan and leave to sit for 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to the boil over a medium heat. Reduce to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes. Stir often until the banana is almost dissolved. Remove from the heat, cover and leave stand for about 10 minutes. Serve with warm milk, some extra maple syrup and additional fruit if you wish.

*This is an Australian recipe. 1 Australian tablespoon = 4 teaspoons. 1 US tablespoon = 3 teaspoons.

10 Comments:

At 10:05 pm, Blogger julie said...

Hi KJ,
I'm a new reader of your blog and enjoy your posts very much. I think I may try this porridge very soon, I love Bill too.

Also wanted to say that I really like your cookbook challenge, and it's inspiring me to use mine more, I keep on buying new ones and I should really stop for a while! I like the idea of a reward too.

Keep up the good work ;-)

 
At 4:17 am, Blogger Patricia Scarpin said...

KJ, I have watched some of Bill's shows on You Tube and I really like them. The recipes look fresh and delicious (I have tried two so far, with great results). Strangely, I bought 2 of his books (Holiday and Simply Bill) and after going through them I did not feel like cooking at all. :(

This porridge may change my mind. :)

 
At 12:24 pm, Blogger giz said...

I had to laugh at your lumpy description. I do agree - porridge is one of those things that tastes a whole lot better than it looks.

Thank you also for the measurement definition. I just received two Australian cookbooks and would have for sure messed them up.

 
At 5:41 pm, Blogger grace said...

sounds scrumptious. i think the crisp, fresh apple would be an awesome touch.

meanwhile, why must americans and australians have this different measurements? we need a universal system, dang it. :)

 
At 2:15 pm, Blogger steph- whisk/spoon said...

looks good--your challenge is coming along nicely! i love having breakfast at bill's places here in sydney...his ricotta hotcakes with honeycomb butter are the most decadent things you can eat in the morning. his show tho...it's good, but i feel like they air the same 10 episodes over and over...maybe that's all theat were produced?

 
At 9:36 pm, Blogger Big Boys Oven said...

I just drool over those banana with the exsisting of maple syrup . . . will definitely drive me nuts!

 
At 1:26 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

You know I don't think the pics look bad at all! But I know we are all harder on our own photos.

What a great recipe, this is the kind of food I like to eat for breakfast.

 
At 10:38 pm, Blogger julie said...

Now I'm returning to say that I've made the recipe twice, it's that good! I use less sugar/syrup though. Thanks for sharing it.

 
At 2:13 pm, Blogger KJ said...

Hi Julie, thanks for visiting me. I am so glad you liked the porridge.

Hi Patricia, I understand. He has many recipes I just flick over, but then there are some which are just so fantastic I can't help but be a fan.

Hi Giz, glad to have helped. I hope you enjoy your Australian cooking.

Hi Grace, I agree 100 per cent. It is so annoying having to work out where a recipe comes from in order to work out how much of anything I should be putting into it.

Hi Steph, that could be right. I would love to go to bills one day!!

Hi Kevin, sorry about that!!

Hi NB, thanks. Porridge is a great starter for the day.

 
At 9:55 am, Anonymous sarah said...

Just made this for breakfast. It was delicious. I didn't have any maple syrup so I used 1 tbspn of honey instead. Yum! Yum! I'm making it tomorrow as well:)
Thanks KJ!

 

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