Thursday 9 June 2016

Breakfast Mango-Coconut Oats Porridge With Peach Coulis

"What's that yucky white thing, Mummy?"
"Mummy two spoons bas. I'm full!"
"Do you know what Lola eats? She never ever, not ever eats oats. It won't make her tall."
"Oats is not good for my teeth. My dentist said so."

If I had to write a book on creative reasons to not have oats, my kid will make sure I have enough material for every morning in a year. Ever since the glory and rage around healthy-eating oats hit the market, I have tried every morning, in vain, to embrace oats into my kitchen with arms wide open -well, and with an army of aromatic spices, nuts and fruits, all working their magic to snazz it up and to hide the fact that we're actually consuming something healthy.  The things we do as moms, right?

May I just say that it hasn't been an easy journey. Many a bowls of healthy oaty goodnesses have sacrificed their lives in gluggy anonymity to come to a point where the mention of oats on the breakfast table could actually bring some level of glee and anticipation in the faces of my husband and kid.

Every time I picked a packet of Quaker Oats, I trembled. I thought to myself. In the simplest form of water and oats, we pack so much nutrition but no flavour. A packet of oats is a canvas to me, waiting to be painted in rosy-hued colors, to be embellished in multi-textured nuts, fruits, spices and juices.

And then it occurred to me. That sneaky packet of Quaker Oats is the most versatile hero in my pantry. It can lend itself to any fancy-pancy definitions that you can conjure from all your Masterchef hour scribblings. Moreover, it is affordable, indulgent and being a mom of a four-year old picky princess, it has an added advantage of accommodating different flavours, fruits, nuts and spices as a way of trying out new food combinations.

I present to you a summery healthy recipe of oats that makes best use of the juices of ripe Alphonsos to give you a bowl of oats both comforting and delightful to your kids. My kid ate each spoon with a bite of Alphonso and I didn't hear no complaining :). A generous sprinkling of peach coulis packs a bit of tang and complexity. Spoon it into a cereal bowl and sit back and relax. Best served cold.

Tip: You may make it overnight and refrigerate it. But since oats have a reputation of turning gluggy, you'll have to heat it in the morning with added water and coconut milk.

Mango-Coconut Oats Pudding With Peach Coulis (Serves 2)



INGREDIENTS

 2 cups water
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 to 4 tablespoons mild honey (I used Litchi honey) - to taste
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Quaker oats
1 teaspoon rose water
3 tablespoons Peach Coulis (see below for recipe)
1 cup diced mangoes
To garnish:
Slivered almonds
Pomegranate Seeds

Step 1:
In a cooking pot, mix together water, coconut milk, salt and honey and vanilla. Bring to a boil. Stir in Quaker oats and cook on medium flame while stirring with a fork constantly. Bring to a boil and simmer for three-four minutes. You should have a creamy texture of oats, completely cooked through. If you think it is turning pasty, add more coconut milk and water until you get a creamy texture that is easily pourable.

Step 2:
Stir in rose water and turn off the heat. Pour it onto dessert bowls, allowing to cool for several minutes. Add the oozing Peach coulis. Add a layer of diced mangoes. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and slivered almonds.

Step 3:
Refrigerate for at least half-hour before serving.

Peach Coulis

INGREDIENTS:
1 large Peach pulp
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon lime juice
Sugar to taste

Step 1:
Puree the peach in a blender. In a pan, combine water, cinnamon, sugar to taste and the puree and bring to a boil.
Step 2:
Let the sauce thicken on its own.
Step 3:
Once it's thickened slightly, remove from flame, add lime juice and let it cool completely.

This recipe is an entry for #bringyourtastiestbowl #bytbcontest challenge for Quaker Oats. If you try it, please leave me your thoughts :).





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