Low GI porridge with apple and strawberries... not slimy like normal porridge!
Inspiration for this delicious breakfast meal came from our all time favourite bakery: “Knead Bakers” in Hawthorn, Melbourne, Australia, who make a delicious porridge with maple syrup. If you are ever in the vicinity, you MUST go there. Not only do they make the most delicious organic sourdough bread, but their brunch menu is superb. They have a range of cakes and treats which are delicious, and overall, not too sweet, a good compromise for that special treat. Given they are baked with wholegrain organic flours we believe many of their heavier treats would be low GI too (not the croissants and brioche though of course). Check out this review in Epicure, and Dan Warne’s review here.
Our version of the porridge has LOTS of fruit, designed this way to avoid the slippery/slimy texture of traditional porridge and will keep you satisfied well into the morning. The skim milk provides protein which will help to fill you up, and the fresh fruit adds taste and lots of fibre, lowering the overall carbohydrate load (GL) per serve.
Be sure NOT to use instant oats. These are actually high GI because they cook so quickly the carbohydrates are already largely broken down and can be digested quickly, resulting in a blood sugar spike.
The trick to keeping porridge low GI is to ensure a few whole oats are visible in the cooked version, which slows digestion and actually contributes to the taste in a good way!
Preparation and cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
- 1 cup rolled oats* (not instant oats which are high GI)
- 1 cup no fat skim milk
- 1 cup water
- 1 dessert spoon sultanas (preferably those with no added vegetable oil, otherwise you get an oily kind of taste in the porridge)
- 2 apples or 1 apple and another fruit of choice (eg pear) grated
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- single grate of fresh nutmeg
Method:
Place the porridge, water and skim milk in a small heavy based pan over a low heat. Simmer gently for approximately 5 minutes, then stir. Simmer for 2-3 more minutes.
The porridge is tastiest (and lower GI) if there are still a few whole oat grains evident. While the porridge is simmering, grate the apple and/or pear. When the porridge is ready, turn off the heat and then stir in the fruit. Mix in the apple, add the cinnamon and nutmeg and serve!
A tasty addition is a few frozen berries zapped in the microwave for 1 minute to turn them to puree poured over the top. (Even better, if you have time on the weekend, fresh berries like blueberries and sliced strawberries can be mixed in.)
This recipe is a winner. Easy to prepare and it looks very nice in the bowl. I chopped finely, rather than grated, the fruit and that worked well too.Thanks for the site, it is much needed and your comments and extra explanations are appreciated. It is as if you were speaking to us. My consumers really appreciated their breakfast and ordered the same thing for all the time they were visiting us.
Thanks Elaine! I thought the explanations would make the instructions a little clearer. I also thought that adding a little bit of information about GI and cooking technique into each recipe would make it easier for people to apply the low GI principles to their own cooking. I will also be adding a "Your Suggestions" option at the top as a forum to allow for discussion and development of the recipes.
i'm sorry, but i have no idea what the 'dessert spoon sultanas' is, and i'm very interested in making this recipe. please help?
thanks.
Hi Britt, this is Dan, Libby's husband… (and grateful eater of this delicious porridge/oatmeal every morning…!) Libby's referring to a dessert spoon as the measurement — she's just talking about regular sultanas. So, 1 x dessert spoonful of sultanas. If you're not sure which one is the dessert spoon, there's a Wikipedia page on it… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dessert_spoon — they're the spoons you would normally eat breakfast cereal with.
Hi Britt, thanks for the comment, I hope hope you enjoy the finished
product as much as we do. The key is lots of fruit, so for one cup of
porridge, at least three pieces of fruit. Sometimes I vary it – I'll
use banana and pear if I run out of apples, or I'll use rasberries and
apples (although Dan likes strawberries better). If you have a food
processor, use the food processor to grate it, it is so much quicker
and easier! The sultanas add a little sweetness, (as do the apples and
pears), I actually usually don't measure the sultanas, but just add a
light sprinkle, so any small scoop or spoonful will be fine. Enjoy,
and I'll look forward to hearing how you go! Cheers, Libby
OMG….I soooo love this site……'specially these 'Quick to prepare' recipes…..
I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes …7 years ago…..and it took me a long time to sort the GI/carbs thing….and work out recipes…..
You have done it all for us….and so clear and so well explained…..LOVE IT!!!
BTW….I do my oatmeal in the microwave…..around 4 minutes……but I have a low wattage oven…..700W…..You would need to adjust time for your microwave.
I’ll have to dream up some more quick and easy recipes during January!