Sunday 26 February 2017

THE SIMPLE THINGS IN LIFE

Recipe of the week...
... Cinammon n Rhubarb Porridge


Ingredients: 2 bigger or 3 smaller stalks of rhubarb, 1 tablespoon caster sugar, a splash or orange juice, a vanilla pod, a shake of cinammon, 50g porridge oats, a big glug of milk or water, a teaspoon of soft brown sugar.

Time taken: Half an hour



Hi readers,

Hope this finds you well today. Are you having a lovely, lazy start to the day? I hope you are! Are the pyjamas on? Are you under the duvet? Is the kettle yet to be brewed? As I write, readers, it’s a quiet Sunday morning in Sheffield. Looks to be a grey February day outside, and things are cosy inside the ChefBeHere household.

I’m sat in my armchair right now, with a cuppa perched on the arm, and Sunday Brunch on the telly. The house smells of cinnamon (as I’ve just treated myself to a delllicious breakfast, recipe to follow shortly..) and I’ve no plan to stand up anytime soon. No plan to do much of anything today, really.

As it’s Sunday. And it’s been a long week. And I’ve ticked off everything on my To Do list. And, readers, I’m endeavouring to go easy on myself – at least from time to time – to enjoy moments like this where the pace slows. This is a new focus of mine, which has come about as I’ve just this week started reading the book ‘Happy’ by Fearne Cotton.



I’m only a few chapters in (will keep you posted on the rest of the book!) but am really enjoying this new read. It hasn’t been out long I don’t think, a recent release, and in this book Fearne writes about her quest for happiness. As someone who has spent parts of her life feeling blue, this book shares Fearne’s experiences with depression and helps people to find and create happiness in their own lives. A wonderful idea for a book, in my eyes.

So, I’ve started reading ‘Happy’ this week and am getting on really well with it, and enjoying having a good book on the go. And, one of Fearne’s first ideas that she shares in this book, as a tool to live happily, is to keep things simple. I relate to this, readers. Fearne finds that eating good food, stretching her legs, getting fresh air, spending time with her family.. these simple things bring happiness into her life.

And I agree. Do you need much more on a Sunday than a slow-paced day with good food, and friends and family, and stretching your legs and getting some fresh air? I don’t. I don’t think I need anything more than these simple things, in order to happily appreciate a day away from the complicatedness of the week and workings of the world.


So, let’s keep Sunday’s simple. And happy, readers. I hope you all have a happy, simple Sunday ahead. Take things easy and be kind to yourself, and your friends and family. Offer them a brew, maybe? Give them a hug? Say something nice? Do this today.

And – in the spirit of a simple, happy Sunday – perhaps treat yourself to a tasty, warm breakfast? This week I’m sharing with you, readers, a recipe for a simple fruit porridge with a strong flavour. Our recipe of the week, this week, is one for Cinammon n Rhubarb Porridge.

This recipe comes about as I happened upon a photo this week on Instagram, of a pretty pink-looking bowl of porridge, and then later that day I wandered into a farm shop and was met with a large display of local grown rhubarb. I left the shop, rhubarb in hand, and found a recipe online on the Tesco website (read here) for a simple rhubarb porridge to make at home.

This is a recipe for the weekend, readers, as I don’t think many of us have half an hour to spare on a weekday morning for porridge prep. But, on a weekend, if you’re starting the day off leisurely and fancy trying out a new porridge flavour, here’s is a recipe that will knock your socks off. Intrigued, readers?? Then rustle up a bowlful Cinnamon n Rhubarb Porridge in just ten easy steps…

1.     Heat your oven to 180C.
2.     Cut your rhubarb up into chunks and tip it into a shallow baking dish.
3.     Sprinkle with caster sugar and drizzle a little orange juice over the top of your rhubarb.
4.     Then, use a sharp knife to split your vanilla pod lengthways and scrape out the seeds inside. Add both the pod and the seeds to your baking dish, and give everything a bit stir together so that the rhubarb is evenly coated in juice, sugar and vanilla.


5.     Safely transport your baking dish into the oven, and roast for 15 minutes until your rhubarb is soft. Take ten minutes to chillax.
ChefBeHere TopTip: Find something good on the telly and stick the kettle on. See what the weather’s doing and have a look what’s occurring in the news, maybe.
6.     Next, you add your porridge oats to a bowl and shake some cinnamon over them, then pour milk or tap water over your oats, until you’ve about half-filled the bowl.
7.     Give things a stir together, and then pop your bowl in the microwave to heat stirring halfway through.
ChefBeHere Top Tip: You know your porridge is ready when it begins to rise in the bowl. When you see this happening, cancel the microwave and give the porridge a minute to settle back down and cool off.
8.     Carefully remove your porridge from the microwave, lift your rhubarb out of the oven, and turn the oven off.


9.     Spoon your rhubarb into your porridge bowl, taking care to leave the vanilla pod behind in the baking dish, and then give your porridge a good stir to mix in the fruit.
10.  Sprinkle a little brown sugar over the top of your porridge to sweeten, and then tuck in while it’s warm! Enjoy your breakfast.

And that readers, is all there it to it. What do you think? Do you like?? Because, I really do! I love a warm breakfast, and I enjoy taking the time at the weekend to make a special effort and cook up something jazzy in the morning.. and this porridge tastes great! A very tart, zingy, spiced bowl of oats. A treat on the tongue!


Personally, I love it. This is the first time, I think, that I’ve eaten rhubarb at breakfast and I’m really happy it came out well. Wasn’t sure what I was doing with the vanilla pod and wasn’t sure whether I was adding too much or too little with the sugar and cinnamon.. but I needn’t have worried as it turned out fine. And tasted a treat.

Let me know, readers, if you give this recipe a try. I’d love to know whether or not you rate rhubarb as a porridge topping? And whether you got on okay baking the rhubarb in the oven to create a compote – did you have any trouble with this? And then, when you sat down with your bowl of porridge, did you like the taste? Was it a good breakfast?

Share your thoughts on the recipe, readers, and let me know and ideas you have to improve this, perhaps, or put a spin on a rhubarb porridge?? Hope it all goes well for you in the kitchen! And here’s wishing you a simple, happy Sunday.

Simplify safely,

Hayley


 
A simple way to start the day




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