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Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Slow Cooker Apple Cranberry Einkorn Porridge

Slow Cooker Apple Cranberry Einkorn Porridge
Let's talk hot cereal for a moment. I grew up with Cream of Wheat, Malt-O-Meal, and oatmeal...and I liked them. Warm, comforting food that made a cold, midwestern morning a little more bearable. And the "new" microwavable oatmeal packets of the day? It was a toss-up between apple-cinnamon and maple brown sugar for which was my favorite.

Fast forward to present day. Not a single one of my kids likes oatmeal, or any hot breakfast cereal or porridge, for that matter. What!? I admit that I prefer pots of steel cut oats or a hearty grain porridge over those instant packets these days, but I'd even buy those if the kids would eat them.
Slow Cooker Apple Cranberry Einkorn Porridge
But I'm not giving up (even with one already out the door and at college). My porridge experiments continue, and today I broke out the slow cooker to assist me. Imagine the scent of apples and spice easing you awake in the morning. I know it would be enough to coax me into the kitchen, but would it work on my kids?

Meh, sort of. They love the smell, but still aren't fond of the idea of hot cereal. I love the chewiness that using whole wheat berries lends (and really, it's nothing like oatmeal) a bowl of porridge. Plus, being able to throw ingredients into a crockpot the night before and wake up to breakfast being ready is everything—especially during the holidays and when you have overnight guests.
Slow Cooker Apple Cranberry Einkorn Porridge
This would also work with farro, barley, spelt, quinoa, and other whole grains. Or, try a mixture of several kinds of grains...and experiment with fruit (fresh or dried), spices, nuts, and milks. The possibilities are endless. I'm bound and determine to find one that my kids will enjoy one of these mornings.

Speaking of loving a crockpot meal, be sure to check out all of the different recipes linked at the bottom of this post for more slow cooker recipe ideas!



yield: serves 4-6print recipe
Slow Cooker Apple Cranberry Einkorn Porridge

Slow Cooker Apple Cranberry Einkorn Porridge

prep time: 10 MINScook time: 4 hourstotal time: 4 hours and 10 mins
Einkorn grains, fresh apples and cranberries, nuts and spice go into the slow cooker overnight so that you can have a hearty breakfast when you wake up.

INGREDIENTS:


  • 1 cup einkorn berries
  • 1 medium apple, peeled (if you wish), cored and chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
  • 1/4 cup roughly chopped pecans
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon total mixed ground warming spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, cardamom)
  • pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS:


  1. Combine all of the ingredients for the porridge in the crock of a 2-quart slow cooker. Add 3 cups of water and cover. Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or LOW for 6-8 hours; if you prefer your grains "al dente" (firm to the tooth and chewy), don't go over these times, but if you prefer a softer, splayed grain, feel free to cook for a couple of hours longer.
Serving Suggestions:
  1. Serve with as many (or as few) of these optional toppings as you like: milk, pecans halves (or chopped), diced apples, dried cranberries, brown sugar
Created using The Recipes Generator