If you asked me a year ago how I saw myself next winter, I would never have told you that the winter blues would get me so hard. Maybe because I didn't know that I would find myself in another country with a colder climate. But unfortunately the blues were here for a few days. Mostly in the mornings... due to awful weather and foggy atmosphere. Having to study for numerous tests at University doesn't really help either, when you have to stay inside, while everyone else is outside having fun. Wow, life is amazing!
I have found comfort in food a lot of times for the wrong kind of reasons, but this is not the time or place to talk about these issues. Before you drop into the wrong colclusions about where I am going with this, I am talking about the beauty of eating something that yes it's not so healthy, but it makes you feel slightly better, like you earned it!
When I am having a blue mood I tend to crave sweet stuff. Luckily for me, I only eat dark chocolate most of the time, which is proven to elevate happy hormones and fill you up with copper and antioxidants. So, the other day it was a hot cocoa kind of day. But I was a bit hungry and I knew that only drinking hot cocoa would not fill me up and instead I would end up feeling less empty. I decided to make some hot porridge with steel cut oats, pour some milk, cocoa and spices (and some other ingredients) and make a dream recipe for a morning breakfast during winter time.
Prepare yourselves by putting on some calming Sunday music or anything else you find to be relaxing for you. Leave your screens switched off and start cooking. The one thing I love about cocoa and chocolate, is this deep and suffocating in a way smell that it brings out. As with coffee, I love smelling it as much as I love consuming it. There's just something that's kind of a ritual when you smell cocoa, like it touches every cell of your body. I love it! This recipe is really easy and quite healthy if you ask me. I avoided the usual sugar that you would normally have to add and decided to add some smashed banana. Make sure your banana is ripe, otherwise it won't make your porridge sweet at all.
Spicy Porridge with cocoa for winter
ingredients (for 1 person)
1/2 cup steel cut oats
1/4 cup milk of your preference
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 ripe banana smashed
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
for serving: crushed walnuts, slices of kiwi
How do I make it?
1. Put all your ingredients in a small pan and turn to medium heat. Mix them very well with a big spoon and start cooking your porridge. Your porridge will be ready when it has a moist, but not liquid consistency.
2. Transfer into a bowl and garnish with the crushed walnuts and the slices of kiwi.
3. Enjoy while it's still hot.
Tip: if you want your porridge to be sweeter add some honey as well.
