Gingerbread Oatmeal & Buckwheat Breakfast Porridge (Vegan)

Recipe from Snixy Kitchen (Sarah Menanix)

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes about 6 (½ cup servings)

Treat yourself this winter with this delicious porridge. Make it on the weekend and then enjoy it through the week. (It can also be prepared in an Instant Pot.  Directions at the bottom.)

Porridge:

¾ cup steel cut oats

½ cup raw buckwheat groats, toasted on the stove until golden and fragrant

3½ cups water or non-dairy milk

1-3 Tablespoons dark brown sugar or Sucanat (I used 3 Tablespoons because that was in the original recipe, but I thought it made the porridge more in the dessert category J , so next time I make it, I will use 1 Tablespoon of sugar or maybe even maple syrup.)

1 Tablespoons dark molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¾ teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon sea salt or Kosher salt

Serving Options:

Non-dairy milk

Pear or apple, sliced or chopped

Pecans, toasted and chopped

Before you go to bed, toast the buckwheat groats in a dry skillet. Then measure out all the dry ingredients into a medium bowl or jar along with the toasted buckwheat and cover. Set aside on the counter. In the morning, bring the water or non-dairy milk to a boil in a large saucepan on medium-high heat.  Add all of the porridge ingredients to the pot and stir well. Reduce the heat to a low simmer.  Simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has been absorbed to the desired consistency and grains are cooked through.  (This took about 20 minutes.  The original recipe stated 30 minutes, but I found that the porridge was beginning to scorch.  So, begin checking at 20 minutes and go from there.) If the grains haven’t cooked to your liking after the liquid has been absorbed, add another 2 Tablespoons water or non-dairy milk at a time, until cooked through.

Serve warm with a splash of non-dairy milk, pear chunks, and toasted pecans. 

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.  Add a few tablespoons of water to loosen it up while reheating.

Instant Pot Directions: (Not Husband-Tested)

Add all the ingredients to the instant pot and stir to combine.  Place the lid on the pot and make sure the pressure release valve is in the sealing position.  Press the pressure cooker button, making sure it’s on high and set the time for 6 minutes.  When the timer is up, let the pressure cooker naturally release for 10 minutes.  When the time is up, release any additional pressure by carefully moving the pressure release valve into the venting position.