Making Porridge

Clár

I was eating my porridge this morning and happened to read the package that it comes in. It says on small writing that it contains 25 x 40g servings. Im was like WTF, i reckon i have this bag of porridge about 4 weeks and only eat it around 3 times a week and i reckon that i have around 2 servings left. So does that mean i am eating about 80g of porridge when i make it : / that cant be right..

I soak it overnight as it is pinhead porridge and takes forever to cook. I add 1/2 - 1 cup (tiny cup not mug)of porridge to 2 cups water. It literally makes either half or a full cereal bowl, so i dont know how the hell you would get 25 serving from the bag.

Its the same with my bran flakes, it says there is 25 serving in that but there is no way i ever get that many. When they say 40g how much is that exactly it that like a measly hand full in your bowl. Even aftera full bowl of porridge i feel nicely full never uncomfortabley stuffed and i findit very very hard to think im eating 80g of the stuff.

segadreamcast

I know, it's a bit annoying - odds are that you are probably eating roughly 80g yeah - but I just noted that I think you're the only other person I've ever heard of who eats Bran Flakes or porridge (apart from myself, of course!).

CJhaughey

Look at the stupid little boxes of cereal that you see in hotels etc.
They are supposed to be a serving, but wouldn't feed an ant.
Manufacturers only put the recommended serving size so as to standardise nutritional figures.

wexhun

Yeah, I was with weightwatchers at one stage and they showed us a 'serving' size portion of cereal, I had to crane my neck over the bowl to see it I eat x4 that amount,no wonder I was at WW. Have you tried the Odlums microwaveable porridge...sooo handy and tastes good, no soaking and you get a handy spoon to measure out your portions.:D

Clár

Yeah i love both porridge and bran flakes in the morning. I sometimes eat porridge for lunch at weekends if i wanna stuff myself, i get some strange looks from the folks.

Those little boxes you get of cereal are so patetic, im the same Wexhun i eat a bowl full not a handful.. I am gonna check out the Odlums microwavable porridge, i really dont have time in the morning for cooking it and the spoon for measuring seems dead handy.

Cheers

babypink

have to admit that i'm a flahavans fan....always will be!

big bowl every morning without fail yum!

parasite

NoelRock wrote:

but I just noted that I think you're the only other person I've ever heard of who eats Bran Flakes or porridge (apart from myself, of course!).

nothing bates a bowl of flahavan's of a winter's morn' :v:

bandraoi

what I do is I get normal porridge (just over half a cup) and I add boiling water from the kettle (just under a full cup).

Leave it to soak for about two minutes - the porridge essentially half cooks.

Then microwave it for a minute or so.

That way you don't have to watch it for the five minutes it normally takes to cook.

cormie

I have porridge every morning, it's great, I have nice big round ceramic (I think) bowls, I put a bit of porridge in, put enough water in to cover all porridge and put it in the microwave, 800w for 2 minutes, take it out, stir it, add cornflakes, milk, yum!! Fills you right up for the day. I tend to go for the flahavans myself too:)

The_Conductor

I haven't made porridge in a little while but what I normally do is:

Get a small mug full of rolled flaked oats (Flahavans is normally easier to find).
Soak overnight in another mug and a bit of water
Following morning add about another third of a mug of water and simmer (not boil) Note: water in the morning is salted- two pinches of salt.
Eat it when sufficient of the water has evaporated so it isn't too thin.

I serve it with a little cream and honey- and its yummy!

Cormie- you put cornflakes in your porridge? How strange....

TerrorFirmer

I remember a few years ago I somehow made it so that it was warm and set, sort of like a soft jelly, and applied a fine layer of sugar to the surface. I don't like normal porridge but this was delicious.

The_Conductor

Yes, it doesn't take a lot to get it to set- its virtually pure starch after all.

Another thing to do with the sugar was to wait until a thin skim developes on the surface before sprinkling with sugar. The sugar melts and runs to the lowest point on the surface- before breeching the skim and sinking into the porridge. When you start to eat it then there is a well of sugar going all the way down to the bottom from which you can source your sugar syrup.

Maybe I play with my food too much......

vasch_ro

try porridge with apples, or apricot and cinnamon now your talkin !
also organic oats are now widely available and they are only a few cent dearer!

ButcherOfNog

just add cinnamon and raisins

Limey

Readybrek is another Hot Oat Cereal, anyone know if it is better of worse for you?

I've tried nuts and raisens in that but not porridge, I normally put a spoon full of honey to make it taste better.

babypink

not entirely sure whether better or worse but i rekon it looks foul...like baby puke

don't like the stuff really but i'm a traditionalist really....porridge+honey = happy babypink

fits

remember the ad with the family in their tracksuits

'flahavans the way to start the day, on a cold and fro-osty morn-ing':D

porridge + all bran + honey keeps me healthy. Its often the only nutritious meal I'd have in a day

sprinkles

Never tried honey in it.....will do tomorrow. Any other things people put in theirs??

FergusF

sprinkles wrote:

Never tried honey in it.....will do tomorrow. Any other things people put in theirs??

Sliced banana
Grapes
Chopped up apple
Raisins + cinnamon - even nicer if you soak them with the porridge the night before.
Squares of dark chocolate, let it melt and mix it in (yum)

Mandarin orange segments, pineapple chunks, or those frozen berry mixes from Aldi (only use these if you are making it without milk, otherwise they will curdle the milk - no harm I think but the taste can be a bit sour!)

Anything for a bit of variety really..I eat it every morning in winter and most days the rest of the year and plain porridge can get a bit monotonous!

sprinkles

Well that is food for thought (excuse the pun)

I'll have to stock up on supplies

vasch_ro

what i have started doing lately is using half a pack of a quaker product think its called oatso simple, there are different flavours I have only tried blackerry and apple, anyway i mix half a pack in with half amount of the normal oats i use and hey presto tasty porridge with a little extra !!!

chuckles30

I use Flahavans and just add cold milk & put it into the microwave for about 3 minutes. I don't like it made with water, but that's a personal choice. Then add a spoon of sugar. Lovely on these cold mornings. But again I reckon my servings would be bigger than what's recommended.

Tree

chuckles30 wrote:

I use Flahavans and just add cold milk & put it into the microwave for about 3 minutes. I don't like it made with water, but that's a personal choice. Then add a spoon of sugar. Lovely on these cold mornings. But again I reckon my servings would be bigger than what's recommended.

i thought i was the only one who made it with milk there for a while.

its lovely w/ melted choc.... or rasberry jam

440Hz

I make mine with half milk half water (to try and be good), but I add linseed and sometimes flaxseed to it as well. Health++. Then when I feel like having it a little sweeter I sprinkle some poppyseeds on top, or sometimes wheatgerm. Hmmmm porridge!!

For a real real treat, for people who like theirs with cream, trying adding some baileys or cointreau. Had it like this in a hotel once and it was fab!

niallb

Seen stoatsporridgebars.co.uk yet?
They were on Newstalk during the week.

NiallB

zAbbo

Flahavans - Half a cup(not a mug!) of oats to 1 cup of water/milk and microwave for 2.30-3mins.

You're probably using too much, add whatever you want to spice it up.

Freelancer

440Hz wrote:

I make mine with half milk half water (to try and be good), but I add linseed and sometimes flaxseed to it as well. Health++. Then when I feel like having it a little sweeter I sprinkle some poppyseeds on top, or sometimes wheatgerm. Hmmmm porridge!!

Terrifying....

For a real real treat, for people who like theirs with cream, trying adding some baileys or cointreau. Had it like this in a hotel once and it was fab!

Terrifying, for different reasons.

And porridge should be made with milk, if you're health conscious use semi skimmed.

440Hz

Freelancer wrote:

Terrifying....



Terrifying, for different reasons.

And porridge should be made with milk, if you're health conscious use semi skimmed.

How is it terrifying?? adding the seeds adds texture and flavour. and I do use semi-skimmed. Tis yummy like that. I dont see how it could possibly be called terrifying?

cuckoo

Freelancer wrote:

Terrifying....



Terrifying, for different reasons.

And porridge should be made with milk, if you're health conscious use semi skimmed.

I was a little scared by the sheer virtue overload of seeds in porridge, but now want to try it.

Add me to the list of 'half water/half milk' people, i find it too rich if it's made with undiluted milk.

Baraboo

Have to suggest that Microwavable and normal porridge are not the same meal.

sorry to get technical but here goes.

In order to get the creamy texture that is normal in porridge it is necessary to have the mixture of 1/3 milk (even skim milk) and 2/3 water plus the actual oats, boil for 3 minutes.

It doesn't have to be a roiling or high heat boil but once it reaches the boiling point, it can be turned down until a small amount of bubbles reach the surface. This way it can maintain a high temperature. It is best to leave after this stage to cool slightly either in the bowl or in the saucepan.


In this way it is possible to get a small amount of oats with a relatively large amount of water/milk to "set"

It does this in the same way that cornflower (Bisto or similar) does - The grains of Starch in the Porridge expand and link with....Ok not too technical - it just does, but it takes a lot longer at the boiling temperature for oats to do this.

This is why Microwave porridge takes a higher ratio of grain to water - O and by the way if you use a shallow wide bowl in the microwave it will be less likely to boil over as the bubbles in the mixture expand the volume and in a steep sided deep narow bowl this can force the mixture up over the edge and result in you spending more time cleaning than eating.

No I am not a chef, more a sort of hungry geek.

rubadub

Baraboo wrote:

O and by the way if you use a shallow wide bowl in the microwave it will be less likely to boil over as the bubbles in the mixture expand the volume and in a steep sided deep narow bowl this can force the mixture up over the edge and result in you spending more time cleaning than eating..

Tell me about it!, I got some of the odlums last week. Trick is to turn it down to defrost once it starts to rise. Honey is lovely in it, also honey is sweeter than sugar so you add less for the same sweetness, tastes better too.

Does anybody add protein shakes to porridge. I notice odlums wheat bran is something like 35% fibre!