I’m sorry. This isn’t really even a recipe. Just a suggestion, I guess, of how to make porridge even more delicious. And I’m sure there are plenty of other examples out there on the internet of similarly pumkiny oaty goodness. But this is the only thing I’ve been eating lately that isn’t some all-in soup concoction designed to ward off a virus that in the last two weeks has transformed my house into a den of dirty tissues.
It was the autumn last week, and so the celebrate – and also to use up the last bit of pumpkin in the fridge – I whipped up this for breakfast. It turned out great! Warm, spicy and utterly satisfying.
Aside from using a fancy kind of “cereal” to make this, I think the pumpkin, maple syrup and spices really balance this meal. About once a year I get waaaay excited about cooking up a pot of oats every morning for breakfast, before realizing (on roughly the third morning) that it kinda just tastes like a big bowl of glue.
But not these: no, Sir. The sweetness of the syrup is just delicate and complex enough for morning time and the pumpkin itself, though again not particularly strong, blends in perfectly to give the cereal extra dimension. I’ve enjoyed other fruits in porridge before, but it’s always been in contrast to the oats, never working together like this.
Anyway, one reason I decided to share this one, aside from how much I enjoyed both making it and eating it, was that despite the plethora of sweet pumpkin recipes all over the blogosphere most of these recipes are American/Canadian. This means that (a) they get posted at the wrong time of year for Australian consumption; and (b) they often use canned pumpkin, which isn’t widely available here and, to be honest, doesn’t seem like my kind of thing. Fresh pumpkin all the way, baby!
So, here’s to embracing all things Aussie autumn: cardigans, the only-occasional deciduous tree, and seasonal breakfast treats sans canned goods. Oh, and apparently none of these things. Apparently 30 degree days. Maybe wait it out til it actually is cardigan weather, but definitely, definitely try this.
Ingredients:
1 cup oats/”cereal mix”
3 cups boiling water
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
200g roast pumkin
¼ tsp nutmeg
3-4 tbsp maple syrup
¼ cup sultanas
Directions:
The night before, or whenever you have time, roast 200g of pumpkin in the oven until soft. In saucepan combine salt, cereal, and boiling water. Heat on medium for ten minutes or until thickened. While cereal is cooking puree roast pumpkin (or mash as well as you can) and add to mixture. When mixture has thickened add spices and sultanas. Serve warm with extra syrup, sultanas or some nuts.
Straight Talking Vegetables 
Porridge is often like a big bowl of morning glue. Mmmm.
But I’ve never thought about pumpkin/porridge. My brain is going: VEGETABLES FOR BREAKFAST, ARE YOU MAD WOMAN, but it does sound lovely.
I tried doing this once from a different recipe and it was not a success, but I think I want to try again. Looks like you used abundant pumpkin and no milk, whereas I went with small amounts of pumpkin and soy milk and it was… not good.
Yeah, soy just randomly doesn’t go with some things. The no-milk I think was good. And the super-grainy porridge-base too, ’cause it wasn’t like eating mushy vegetables.
1. this looks like my kinda deal
2. it offends me that Americans refer to butternut pumpkin as butternut squash, thus revoking pumpkin status – what are your thoughts on this?
I’m generally perplexed by this and by a lot of American/pumpkin relations. Like, pumpkin in a can with the spices already in it? What is that? Anyway, on the squash thing: is squash perhaps an umbrella term encompassing ALL pumpkin and also those little zucchini-UFO things that I think of when I think of squash? Is THAT it?
Not only those UFO things, but there is another vegetable called a squash that is a small green – & delicious – pumpkin, I found some in Harris Farm once. I think the saying goes, “a squash is a pumpkin the size of your fist”.
I hear you on the “get all excited then remember porridge tastes like glue”. I end up eating just rolled oats + cold unhomogenised milk, or if I am very organised, layering a jar with rolled oats, chopped dried figs, cranberries, desiccated coconut, water or apple juice then plain yoghurt. To seal out the air overnight.