breakfast with a zest ...

so my morning routine took a bit of a turn today ... thankfully not a turn for the worse, possibly for the better and certainly a turn for something surprising, fresh and new. A turnaround you could say...

my cinnamon lemon porridge with my customary dusting of oatbran and some scattered activated almonds and #my2dailybrazils

I start my mornings with a glass of hot water and freshly squeezed lemon juice (this helps to alkalise our systems apparently and that, is a good thing). While the kettle is boiling I make up my bed and tidy away any clean, dry dishes from the day before ensuring that I wake myself up before I read. I've tried getting back in to bed with my book and my drink but nine times out of ten will find myself waking for the second time that day the water now cool beside my bed. I have been known to have a snooze whilst holding a full glass upright or a book open in my hand but I don't want to chance pouring it all over myself again- once was enough. The need to start the day requires I employ a different strategy so up I get up and leave the beckoning linen behind before the sheets grab hold of me again.

I was obviously on the asleep side of the spectrum this morning while I was pottering in the kitchen. I took out the last bit of almond milk (I try to keep my dairy intake on the low side) before it goes off and I need to pour it down the drain so I decided that porridge was on the breakfast menu today. I poured boiled water into my glass and then some on the oats alongside a few flakes of Maldon salt that I had just put in a pot so it could stand for a while before I slowly cooked it. The next minute I realised I was squeezing my fresh lemon juice in to the oats. "No!" my head yelled. I immediately recalled a day when I was little- my Mom had accidentally poured a bit of orange juice in to my Dad's cereal bowl. Easily done- both cartons we're white and orange, talk about a design flaw. She's never been one to waste and took the chance to see whether my Dad would notice, well of course he did and now I found myself thinking; "Act fast, you're not going to throw this out!" What to do?

Well to be honest, for a nanosecond I did think of throwing it out but then took a spoon and quickly ladled up a tablespoon worth of fluid in the area I released the citrus over the oats and water. "Maybe I won't notice?" I kid you not, that thought flashed through my mind! The apple hasn't fallen too far from the tree.

the zesty culprit

I’ve always maintained that breakfast and dessert are almost one and the same, different permeations of the same ingredients. Maybe that's why I enjoy breakfast so much? I came to my senses and went "No, I'm going to embrace this and see what I can do" So I reached for some raisins and popped those in, closed the lid and let the oats stand for a while. When I took a break from my reading, I decided I was all in for this little culinary experiment, added the almond milk - expecting it to curdle and then a healthy heap of cinnamon. Like any good chef would do, I tasted my dish...mmm well, surprisingly not hideous but definitely needed more sweetness. I have some gorgeous honey in my cupboard but thought it would be too fragrant so added a small spoon of light brown muscovado sugar instead and kept the temperature on a very low setting. When I next tasted, no curdling and one of my childhood favourites on a typical winter's day came to mind- thinly made pancakes more like crepes really (that was always my job) with cinnamon sugar and lemon. "Yay!" The oats made a comeback and could go in to my tummy rather than in the bin.

Recipe and method:

+/- 1 cup of oats in to a pot

Pour a bit of boiling water over

Add a small handful of raisins

Put the lid on and let it stand for a while (stove not on at this stage)... you could even do this the night before.

When you're ready, add some almond milk or any other diary alternative you may prefer (I personally don't use soya and am not a fan of coconut-wannabe milk) and as much cinnamon as your tastebuds desire. Put it on a low heat and stir gently.

When you come back to it in 3- 5 mins, you can very slightly increase the temperature if you need to and have a little taste, you'll possibly want to add a spoon of sugar. I avoid white, refined sugar but gladly use a bit of the less processed varieties. If you are brave enough at the end, grate some lemon zest (I didn't do that today but definitely will next time) and squeeze a little bit of lemon juice, stir well and serve when the porridge is the perfect consistency.

a handful of raisins, some cinnamon and muscovado sugar to try and save the day

It was a beautiful autumnal morning, it almost felt like summer although the sun was a tad low and telling. I got carried away with my reading sitting in the sun so by the time I had my porridge I wish I had more almond milk to my disposal to help smoothen the consistency and the lemon flavour was a little less fresh and very slightly reminiscent of preserved lemon- which is possibly stretching some people's tastebuds just a bit too far.

Have a great day - may any unexpected blunder you encounter make a turn around and pleasantly surprise you today!

#fresh #citrusflavours #lovelemon #lemon #dairyfree #dessertforbreakfast #fabulousflavours #turnaround #tasteandsee #tasteseelive #newthings