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Do you ever buy something from the supermarket and think this is the item that will change the way I cook forever? I’m going to love it and use it all up. In fact, I know I’ll go through (insert product here) so quickly I’d better buy two. Then, you get home and think, “What am I going to do with all this rice milk?” No? Okay, must be just me then…
My people had gone camping. It had actually been my idea. I figured, just because I had to work over the holidays didn’t mean they couldn’t go on an adventure without me. I was going to have the house to myself for three whole days and two nights. It was the first time since the kid was born that I was going to be alone for any significant amount of time. Let me tell you, I was long over due.
I had it all figured out. I’m talking chick flicks and dinner with the girls. Maybe even an extra yoga class. Then I could go searching for buried treasure at some far away thrift store that I’ve always wanted to visit. And smoothies. Smoothies are nutritious and really easy to throw together. The perfect meal for one. I had come across a recipe at Blissful Basil for a smoothie that I really wanted to try. I had my frozen ingredients all ready to go, I just needed the milk to bring it all together.
Off I went to the supermarket. I don’t really drink cows milk, it’s always given me a sore tummy. I wasn’t in the mood for almond milk. So then, rice milk? Of course! It’s fortified with calcium, suitable for vegetarians, I’ll give rice milk a go.
My grand plans of endless smoothies didn’t really pan out. But I discovered that rice milk has a lovely mild, slightly sweet taste and is perfect for making yummy bowls of porridge. Whether you’re staying away from animal products or just in the mood for a change, my Rice Milk Porridge with Almond Butter and Pear is a really nice way to mix it up in the morning.
Now you know how much I love cashew butter, but in this instance I felt the roasty nuttiness of almond butter would compliment the sweetness of the rice milk, pears, and blueberries. Pears and blueberries because they’re in abundance at the moment. Super fresh and ripe. Topped off with some crunchy raw pepitas and you’ve got a satisfying, nourishing meal that I could (and do) eat at any time of the day. Especially now I have so much rice milk to get through…
Rice Milk Porridge with Almond Butter and Pear
Serves 2
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 cups rice milk
1/2 heaped cup of fresh blueberries
half a fresh pear (cored and diced)
1 tbs almond butter
1/2 tbs pure maple syrup
1/2 tbs raw pepitas
Method:
To make the almond butter:
Place 1 cup of dry roasted almonds into a food processor and blend on high. Your almonds will go through a few different stages before they become almond butter, first grainy, then sticky, then almost smooth, then delicious runny almond butter. You may have to stop the food processor from time to time during the process and scrape down the sides.
The whole process should only take around 10 minutes. It’ll take even less time if you have a good strong food processor (I’m saving up for one).
You can store your almond butter in a clean glass jar in the fridge. It should last you at least a week.
For the porridge:
- Place your rolled oats and rice milk into a pot and put them on the stove on a medium heat. Give it a little stir and then leave them to come to the boil while you attend to your fruit.
- While your porridge is heating up take all but a tablespoon of blueberries (these will be sprinkled on top of your porridge at the end) and put them in a heat-proof container. Cover your container with cling-film and poke a couple of holes in the top with a fork. You’re going to heat the blueberries in the microwave and the holes in the cling-film are there to avoid an explosion. Put the blueberries in the microwave on high for 15 seconds. As the blueberries cook they will deepen in colour and their yummy juices will start to leak out. Not quite juicy enough? Put them back in for another 10 seconds until you’re happy with the consistency.
- Now check your porridge on the stove. If it’s started to bubble, give it another stir and turn it down to simmer. Cook your porridge gently in this way for around 10 minutes or until the oats are soft and have absorbed most of the rice milk.
- Once your porridge is ready it’s time to plate up. Divide the porridge evenly between two bowls. Next comes the cooked blueberries and all their lovely juices. On top of that put your diced pear and the fresh blueberries followed by a dollop of almond butter – around 1/2 a tablespoon for each bowl. Drizzle the maple syrup over the fruit and almond butter then top it all of with the crunchy pepitas. So good!
