Monday 23 January 2012

The Breakfast Club January Detox - Fruity Porridge & Savoury Persian Porridge, Haleem


To make my fruity porridge take five tablespoons of organic oats per person and twice as much water, a spoonful of honey (preferably local or Manuka)and place in a porringer or saucepan.  Add fruits or raisins. Blueberries or windfall mulberries frozen at the end of summer are perfect for sour sweetness, and you can just pop them in straight out of the freezer. Cook slowly until the oats turn soft and comforting, and the raisins and berries plum-up, sweetening the porridge naturally. Serve with fruity sauce (when not detoxing!)and thick greek yoghurt...low fat of course...Fuel for a whole morning...

Or...

A's favourite savoury Haleem...Persian chicken porridge 


Traditionally cooked overnight in bakers' ovens and served in little cafes that open from dawn. Originally made with wheat and turkey or lamb, but more often with porridge oats and chicken in our house.  It's a great way to use up left over chicken or turkey from a roasted dinner.

To make enough for three to four people place a teacupful of oats into a saucepan or porringer and a good pinch or twist of sea salt. Poach a chicken breast in salted water until just tender but not dry. (I usually reserve the cooking liquid to make chicken stock.) When cool, shred the chicken with your finger or two forks using the same method used in Chinese restaurants to prepare duck with pancakes. Add this to the oats in the saucepan.  Gradually add  cold water into the oats and cook over a moderate heat, feeding the water in, in the same way that you would a risotto.  This is one of those dishes where you need to stand and stir...a bit of cooking therapy...After a little while you can add milk instead of water to give a much creamier texture. Cook until the oats are broken down into a smooth porridge.


When not detoxing I like to eat it with the traditional spoonful of butter. It's also served with the addition of a little cinnamon and sugar or clotted cream stirred in but I prefer to keep it savoury.
  

This month I'm joining the Breakfast club blog-hop hosted here why not join in too?


8 comments:

  1. Yum. Yum. Yum.

    You sure know how to tempt the tastebuds Debby. That fruity porridge looks and sounds delicious ... I think perhaps I could even manage to make a batch myself.

    xx

    ReplyDelete
  2. The secret is to add so much yummy stuff so that you don't even taste the porridge!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have never tried savory porridge, I hadnt thought of it actualy...
    Your fruity porridge looks yummy, I d love to have that now. =)
    thx a lot for sharing. nice blog u v got here, by the way.

    ReplyDelete
  4. It took me a little while to get used to it at first Helene but now I love it...although I still can't eat it with sugar and cinnamon!

    Thanks for the nice comments about my blog. :o)

    Deb

    ReplyDelete
  5. Looks divine...and reminds me I have a pomegranate sitting in the fridge ready to be used.

    ReplyDelete
  6. It's great rel that something that tastes so good is actually good for you too...full of antioxidants...

    ReplyDelete
  7. Debby! Great to meet you through this event. Your blog is beautiful - love the photos! - and your recipes are so tempting! Nothing about these two recipes 'seems' like detox when they sound so flavourful and delicious :) Can't wait to try them both, but especially the latter: a breakfast dish very new to me, but flavours I already love!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Aimee, Thanks for popping over and for your lovely comments.

      Delete