‘Nothing in this world is as it seems. Except possibly, porridge’
This is such a beautiful sweet porridge, which doesn’t call for any added sweetener due to the natural sweetness that comes from the dates and bananas. I like to make the date-banana paste in batch at the weekend, so I can use it for porridges during the week or on top of pancakes or as an addition to yogurt.
This dish is a comforting breakfast on a colder day, left to cool down a refreshing dessert on a warmer day and is easy on your digestion any day. Mr B loves sweet and unctuous food, so this is a soul pleasure for him.
I use steel cut oats here, but you can use rolled oats. I prefer steel cut for porridge and rolled for granola and other recipes. Both have similar nutritional values; however, steel cut oats have a higher fibre content and more density.
Oats are a great staple in your diet. They are naturally gluten free, help to lower cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar due to the type of fibre they provide called beta glucans. They also provide insoluble fibre which helps your digestive system function properly. They are a good source of protein with ¼ cup providing 7g. They are a good source of iron, which helps oxygen circulate throughout your bloodstream feeding your organs and tissues. ¼ cup of oats provides 10% of your Iron RDI. Simple, humble, ancient grains.
Ingredients
- 2–3 Medjool dates, according to preferred sweetness
- 1 ripe banana
- 170ml soya milk
- 30g steel-cut oats
Method
- Remove the stones from the dates. Peel the banana, slice off one third and set aside with one date half; these will be used to finish the porridge.
- Chop the remaining dates and banana very finely. Place in a small pan and pour on 185ml boiling water. Cook over a low heat until you have a thick, mushy, reasonably smooth paste, stirring regularly and using the back of the spoon to crush any lumps; this should take around 10 minutes. You can also use an immersion blender to deal with any stubborn lumps.
- While the banana-date mixture is cooking, pour the milk into a bowl, tip in the oats and leave to soak for a few minutes.
- When the banana-date mix is ready, add the milk and oats to the pan, bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 12–15 minutes, stirring regularly, until the oats are completely tender.
- Slice the remaining third of the banana and finely shred the reserved date half. Serve the porridge in a warmed bowl, topped with the banana slices and dates.
