I just can't stop

Enough with the porridge, already.

I know, I'm sorry. I just can't stop.

The excellent world of instagram has opened my eyes to endless porridge possibilities. Just last week I said I was favouring simplistic bowls, but people have been doing crazy and inspiring things with their oats. Don't even get me started on baked porridge, it's a "no time to stir" saviour. Yesterday I made carrot cake baked oatmeal for the first time and though I was a tad keen with the honey, I can tell after a few tweaks that oaty carrot and sultana dish will be a firm favourite. My recent obsession? Cacao porridge topped with tahini...

I was inspired to combine these two ingredients by a Wednesday Breakfast Club member on instagram (named @appetiteforhealth), who posted a picture of brown rice cacao porridge slathered with tahini. To this, my porridge brain swiftly swooned, "yes. Do this. Preferably tomorrow, please." So I did. And then I made it again. And again. And again.

I've made this bowl about five times in the past two weeks, for myself and Ben. Oooooh I'm a little in love. I find cacao and tahini to be a terribly delicious combination, the sesame paste providing a nice contrast to the sweet chocolate oats. The more generous I am with the tahini, the longer this bowl keeps me going, which is always welcome when I have clients at 11am or midday. Otherwise I find myself begging  "so what type of biscuits did you say you ate? No really, describe them to me..." Tahini satiates the hungry food detective in me and helps keep me on the case.

Nope, I just can't stop. And I don't really want to.

Cacao Porridge topped with Tahini

Serves 1

Ingredients
1/3 cup Rolled Oats
1 cup Milk (extra for drizzling)
1 tablespoon Raw Cacao (this is a keen portion, use less if you don't like such a rich bowl)
1 heaped teaspoon Maca Powder (not necessary, but it's something I'm playing with at the moment)
1 heaped teaspoon Coconut Palm Sugar (feel free to use any sweetener you wish here, I just had a bag to use and love the flavour of this stuff)
1 tablespoon Unhulled Tahini
1/2 tablespoon Sunflower Seeds
A small pinch of Sea Salt

Method
1. Soak your oats in 1/2 cup milk for 15 minutes while you have a shower or do whatever you fancy (this helps the oats to get super creamy).
2. Heat the oats, adding 1/4 cup more milk (and then more milk/water as required) until they're soft, cooked and plump. Use a low-medium heat and turn the oats down as you get into the cooking process. I don't stir them constantly but just watch to make sure they don't bubble over or catch on the bottom. I cook my oats for about 10-15 minutes, depending on whether I've added some steel cut oats to the mix or how long I've soaked them for.
3. Meanwhile, toast your sunflower seeds until golden for a couple of minutes in a pan on the stove over low heat.
4. Towards the end of the cooking process, add the cacao, maca and sweetener. Stir well (use a whisk if required to remove any lumps - trust me, you don't want a lump of straight maca in your mouth) and add some more milk if required (I always add more here).
5. Serve your porridge in a bowl, topped with tahini (I warm mine in a bowl sitting in hot water if it's too firm to drizzle) and sunflower seeds and a cheeky pinch of sea salt if you're so inclined.

Heidi xo