Excerpted and slightly adapted from SPICEBOX KITCHEN: Eat Well and Be Healthy with Globally Inspired, Vegetable-Forward Recipes by Linda Shiue, MD. Copyright © 2021. Available from Hachette Go, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
PHOTO CREDIT: Michelle K. Min
There’s nothing more comforting than a bowl of oatmeal. Scottish porridge oats cook up quickly into a creamy bowl of hot cereal. If you can’t get them, McCann’s Quick Oats or Bob’s Red Mill Rolled Oats make good substitutes. The key here is to use a lot more water than you expect to, and to stir and stir, as you would with polenta, to make the oats extra smooth and creamy. The ginger and orange zest dress it up with little effort. Consider using different colors of oranges, including rosy Cara Cara and crimson blood oranges, to make this simple breakfast both sophisticated and beautiful.
Makes 6 to 8 cups oatmeal
2 cups Scottish porridge oats or quick rolled oats
8 cups water
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons ground ginger, plus more to taste
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon dried orange zest
2 oranges (optional)
Garnishes: chopped walnuts, splash of milk (any type)
Place oats and water in a saucepan along with ginger, dried orange zest and salt, stir well, and bring to a boil.
Lower heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring every few minutes, until thickened and creamy, 5 to 10 minutes. Add more water, to desired consistency, if needed.
If using fresh oranges, zest them and set zest aside. Then, use a knife to cut off rest of peel from oranges, removing all pith (white membrane). Slice peeled oranges crosswise into disks, then cut those in half.
When porridge is ready, remove from heat, add additional ginger to taste, and stir in fresh orange zest or additional dried orange zest to taste.
Serve hot in individual bowls with garnishes of orange disks, walnuts, and an optional extra pinch of ground ginger and splash of milk.
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