It’s been a while since I last posted a porridge recipe, so here it is! A steaming fresh, summery porridge with mango and pecan nuts. Not a flavour I ever thought I would try, but the world belongs to the brave, right? It’s actually really tasty and I’m buzzing to share it with you.

My old blogging friends may remember that I love my porridge. It’s just that perfect, balanced, nutritious, healthy and tasty breakfast to me. It’s also a great way to add some fruit in your diet and enjoy sweet taste in a healthy version. I usually choose sweet and juicy fruits, like all different types of berries, or soft ones that mash up easily, like bananas. However, there are fruits I would never even think about mixing with milk. Anything acidic – oranges, grapefruits or kiwis – is probably a nope for putting it in milk. There’s also a whole bunch of sweet, juicy fruits that simply don’t feel like a good addition to milk, even though I can’t pinpoint why – I’d mention watermelons here as an example. And finally, there’s that grey area I’m unsure about – peaches or pears, to name a few. That’s also where mangos were, until recently.

To put it simply, I had a craving for a porridge, but I also had a ripe mango that needed to be eaten asap. So I thought – why not have both? I assumed it could only go two ways, and should it go the wrong one – my sense of taste is weak anyway now, so I thought it wouldn’t hurt too bad. Spoiler alert – luckily, the experiment was a success!

Before I get to the recipe, there’s one special mention – for a 100% cocoa bar of chocolate. I got it from the office snacks cupboard, had a bite and ouch! That stuff is rancid. I have nothing against dark chocolate, ones with around 80% cocoa are great. But 100% is definitely too much. Bitter and sour! Nevertheless, I kept the rest of the bar with a plan I’d use it for some baking or cooking, and the day has finally come. Phew! It must have spent at least a year and a half in my cupboard waiting for its time to come, since I haven’t been to the office since March last year. But hey, I don’t like wasting food and I’m glad I didn’t.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (40g) rolled oats
• 1/2 cup (125ml) boiling water
• 1/2 cup (125ml) milk
• 1/2 ripe mango
• 4-5 pecan nut halves
• sprinkle of cinnamon

Put the oats in a bowl or small saucepan (depending on whether you want to microwave or hob cook your porridge). Add boiling water and leave for 3 minutes.

Add the milk, finely chopped up mango and cinnamon.

Cook the porridge for 3 minutes in a microwave or 5-10 minutes on low heat on the hob. The consistency should thicken.

Decorate with a few extra pieces of mango and finely chopped pecan nuts.

Enjoy!

• Sweet