Oat Bran Porridge

Oat Bran Porridge

With Poached Pears, Chocolate Chips, Maple Syrup & Sesame Seeds

Serves 2

For those of you who are not familiar with it, we would like to introduce you to oat bran, a secret obsession of ours. Oat bran is the outer layer of the oat groat, which sits underneath the inedible hull and covers the oats we all know and love. Oats do contain bran, but it is also available and sold separately, which is what is used in this amazing recipe.

Of course, you can use anything you like and as much or as little as you wish to dress this oat bran recipe. This is our favourite way of preparing it. A beautiful, luxurious porridge, topped with poached pears, a touch of melted chocolate, maple syrup, and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. You can simply chop a pear, or any fruit you like, if you are in a rush. But the poached pears are worth the extra time if you have it, as they are fragrant and lovely, softened in coconut milk and spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. One of our favourite breakfasts, this recipe is creamy, wholesome, warming, sweet, chocolatey, fruity and absolutely scrumptious! And did you know, oat bran has an even higher nutritional value than oats? (See notes). It's a win-win.

Ingredients

1 conference pear, peeled and cored

500ml coconut milk from a carton (Koko super 9 is our favourite)

1tsp ground cinnamon

1/2tsp ground nutmeg

1tbsp maple syrup

100g oat bran

A pinch of salt

- To serve -

1tbsp vegan dark chocolate chips

1tbsp grade A maple syrup

1tsp toasted sesame seeds

Method

Peel and cut the pear down the centre lengthways, core it, place it in a small saucepan and pour the coconut milk over it. Add the maple syrup, the cinnamon the nutmeg and a pinch of salt. Bring the milk to a gentle simmer and poach the pear halves in the milk for 15-20 minutes, till they are tender.

With a slotted spoon, remove the pear halves and set them aside. Add the oat bran in the warm milk and stir. Continue to simmer for a couple of minutes, until the mixture thickens and becomes creamy.

Transfer the porridge into two bowls. Place the pear halves on top. Drizzle maple syrup, scatter chocolate chips, sprinkle sesame seeds and enjoy every single mouthful!

Notes

Oat bran is incredibly nutritious and has been proven to have numerous health benefits. Like rolled oats, it is packed with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Oat bran and rolled oats contain comparable amounts of saturated fat, sodium, carbohydrates, protein, sugars, calcium and iron. Oat bran however, contains significantly more fibre than rolled oats, providing 58% of an adult’s daily requirement in a 1-cup serving. A cup of cooked rolled oats contains 307 calories and 21% of an adult’s daily protein requirement, while 1 cup of cooked oat bran provides 231 calories and 33% of the protein requirement. Oat bran also provides significantly larger amounts of nutrients such as potassium, phosphorus, folate and selenium as well as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

Here are some of oat bran’s amazing properties:

– As it is high in beta-glucans, it helps reduce cholesterol and lower blood pressure, which in turn, helps prevent heart disease.

– Its high soluble fibre content, helps prevent blood sugar spikes and controls blood sugar levels. As a result, oat bran helps prevent or improve type 2 diabetes.

– Oat bran helps keep the gut healthy and bowels regular and happy.

– Tests have shown that oat bran contains several compounds that protect against colorectal cancer.

– Oat bran may help provide relief for people with chronic bowel inflammation such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Crohn’s disease, by nourishing colon cells and reducing inflammation. One 12-week study in people with ulcerative colitis found that eating 60 grams of oat bran daily, significantly reduced stomach pain and reflux symptoms.

– Lastly, oat bran is also particularly satiating, suppressing hormones that induce hunger, thus aiding weight loss.

And did we mention that it’s absolutely delicious?