On the weekends, I make a porridge so similar to this one. With bruleed bananas and coconut flakes and all those good-for-you grains, this version by Sheila is darling and scrumptious. It will make a weekend get-together extra nutritious… and sweet. ~Maggie

This time last year, I was working at a lovely, charming cafe in Berkeley, California called Bartavelle. It was part of a glorious trifecta of businesses central to the food-centric city: Bartavelle is situated in between Acme Bread Company and Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant. All of the delicious bread on one side, all of the delicious wine on the other. And in the middle, take those two things, add the best coffee and focused small plates, and you have my favorite little cafe ever. It was here that my love affair with porridge started…

Every night, we would slow cook the porridge for the following morning with quinoa, red and brown rice, amaranth, and flax seed. In the morning, we would sell bowl after bowl of porridge with so many yummy toppings: ghee, a perfectly cooked soft-boiled egg, avocado slices with marash pepper and sea salt, or even sesame oil and gomasio. For a sweet tooth, there was brown sugar or maple syrup, butter, and milk.

My time in Berkeley was limited, and when I came back to Cape Ann late spring of last year, I sorely missed those beautiful breakfasts and lunches. Where is that perfect espresso, those comforting bowls of porridge that were the perfect fuel for a busy day?

So I started making it myself, bringing a little bit of California home to New England with me. After this long winter, and with the buzzing excitement that longer days and the promise of spring and summer around the corner, the sweet smell of caramelized bananas and toasting coconut reminds us that we will bask in the sun again. And until that happens, there’s a little bowl of vacation for breakfast.

Multigrain-Cereal-Bruleed-Bananas-4-Eat-Boutique

Multigrain Breakfast Porridge with Bruleed Bananas and Coconut Flakes

This is a general guideline of how to make this porridge — cooking times and ratios may be different depending on the kind of grains you decide to use, so keep that in mind, especially as different grains are cooked together in the same pot. Also, you will cook it longer than you typically would cook rice: taste it as you go. The grains may absorb all the water, but you might need to add a little more water and cook longer to give it that softer, porridge-like consistency, rather than a nutty, al-dente rice texture.

Ingredients:

For the Porridge

3 cups water, to start
1/4 cup pink rice
1/4 cup brown rice
1/4 cup red quinoa
1/4 cup amaranth
2 teaspoons flax seeds
1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

For the Toasted Coconut & Bruleed Bananas

1 cup unsweetened, raw coconut flakes
2 bananas, sliced in half, and again lengthwise
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

For serving

Milk
Unsalted butter or coconut oil
Spoonful of brown sugar or maple syrup

Directions:

In a heavy bottomed pot, bring 3 cups of salted water to boil. Add the grains and seeds and turn down the heat. Cook on a simmering low, stirring regularly, until the grains absorb all the water. When this happens, taste, and see if they are done to your liking. If you prefer a softer grain, you can add another half cup of water, and continue cooking until that liquid is also absorbed. This will vary from grain to grain, palate to palate.
In the meantime, heat the oven to 400°F. Spread the coconut flakes on a sheet tray, and toast in the oven for about 5 minutes. Stir the flakes to toast the bottom pieces, which will only need about 1 minute or 2 more. Set aside and turn the oven off.
In a heavy bottomed pan, preferably a medium-sized cast iron, heat the butter with the brown sugar over medium heat until all melted and mixed together. Add the banana pieces, flat sides down, and try to leave them be (do not flip them yet!) for a couple minutes. You want a nice, crispy caramelized banana. Flip with a metal spatula, and let the other side caramelize.
To serve your porridge, scoop heaping spoonfuls of the grains into a bowl, top with a little dab of butter or coconut oil, a little spoonful of brown sugar or maple syrup, 4 banana slices per bowl, and a splash of milk and some toasted coconut. Close your eyes and pretend you're somewhere tropical!

Photos taken and styled by Sheila Jarnes.

Eat Boutique is an award-winning shop and story-driven recipe site created by Maggie Battista – an author, business guide and alignment seeker. After hosting pop-up markets for 25,000+ guests, Maggie is now supporting entrepreneurs as they create values-based businesses in service, food, & retail through Eat Boutique Studio. Follow Maggie Battista on Instagram.