Porridge that warms the heart

It may seem a little weird, but the food trend that's burning through the Twitter-sphere is porridge. This surprising trend includes not only ordinary old Quaker Oats, but ancient grains of all descriptions, cooked every which way.

I was born with a porridge spoon in my hand, so I'm completely comfortable with this, but some of you, perhaps those who went to boarding school, might have an aversion to this goopy food. And that's OK, because in the new porridge world, there's something for everyone.

Overseas, porridge restaurants are popping up in cities and food vans are sells bowls of congee, jook and porridge. Cafe Grod (Grod is Danish for - you guessed it - porridge) has opened in a trendy suburb of Copenhagen, with an informal atmosphere and all-things-porridge menu. The Danes are loving this cheap, organic peasant fare, and in true Goldilocks style, aficionados are rolling in for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The specialty at Grod is spelt porridge with apple and toasted almonds and chestnut puree.

There's a huge range of grainy possibilities, from buckwheat, rice, semolina, millet, barley, quinoa, oats, spelt, to the lesser known teff, amaranth, tapioca and all kinds of ground legumes. Add milk, cream, butter, water, stock, meat, coconut milk, fruit, nuts, spices, fish, sugar, honey or syrup.

Inspired by chestnuts and with a nod to Grod, I have made millet and apple porridge with chestnut cream ready to reheat for a chilly weekday morning. Jars of chestnut puree are sold at delis or the Essential Ingredient for about $14, or make your own from fresh chestnuts. It's a bit fiddly but not difficult.

Millet porridge might be step too far for Mother's Day, in which case French toast is a safe option, and with some supervision, the kids should be able to whip it up with minimal collateral damage.

My thoughts turn to my poor mother who endured well-meant but horrendous breakfasts on Mother's Day. One time, my sisters and I delivered the teetering tray - a large bowl of cold milk, a sparse layer of rice bubbles floating on top, and lots of sugar laying in wait at the bottom. As my older sister handed the tray over, she tripped and Mum ended up with rice bubbles stuck to her eyelashes and swimming in sweet sticky milk. Forever scarred, I can no longer look at rice bubbles in the same way.

My firm view is breakfast in bed should be toasty and fruity, and not too sweet, crumbly or drippy. French toast works a treat - low risk and you can have it done in 15 minutes. This recipe includes flour to the egg mixture, which increases the crispiness. Using day-old bread also means the French toast is less likely to fall apart after soaking in the egg mixture. Roast the rhubarb the day or evening before and leave in the fridge overnight.

> Debbie Skelton is a Canberra food writer, debsravingrecipes.blogspot.com

Millet and spiced apple porridge with chestnut cream and almonds

1/2cup uncooked millet (I used organic millet flakes from Mountain Creek Wholefoods)

1-1/3cups water

1 granny smith apple, cored and diced

1/2-tsp cinnamon

1/4-tsp ground ginger

1/4-tsp nutmeg

pinch ground cloves

maple syrup, to taste

4tbsp almond slivers, toasted

1/4-cup chestnut puree (from delis)

1/4-cup pouring cream

Combine the millet, water, apple and spices in a saucepan. Stir, bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 15 to 20minutes until the millet and apple are cooked and tender. Stir and check occasionally while cooking, adding extra water as needed if the mixture is too thick.

When it’s almost done, add a drizzle of maple syrup and taste. Start with just a teaspoon or two.

Place the cream and chestnut puree in a small jug and mix together. Warm in the microwave.

Remove the porridge from the heat and serve with a large dollop of the warmed chestnut cream and slivers of toasted almonds.

Crunchy French toast with yoghurt and rhubarb

¼cup plain flour

1cup milk

pinch salt

3eggs

½tsp ground cinnamon

1tsp vanilla paste

1tbsp sugar

6thick slices of good quality day-old bread such as sourdough or brioche

Measure the flour into a wide, shallow mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in the milk. Whisk in the salt, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla paste and sugar until smooth.

Heat a lightly buttered frying pan over medium heat. Soak the bread slices one by one in the egg mixture until saturated. Cook the bread on each side until golden brown.

If you want to keep the French toast warm while you are cooking the rest of the slices, heat the oven on very low, and place the cooked French toast in the oven on an oven tray.

Serve with a large spoon of roasted rhubarb and a big dollop of creamy yoghurt. Top with a drizzle of good-quality honey if you wish.

Roasted rhubarb

2cups chopped rhubarb stalks (1 bunch), washed well

¼cup of honey

2tbsp fresh orange juice

1tsp orange zest

Preheat the oven to 180C and lightly grease a shallow baking dish. Place the chopped rhubarb in the dish.

In a small jug, whisk together the honey, orange juice and orange zest. Pour the honey mixture over the rhubarb and mix until well coated.

Place the rhubarb into the preheated oven and bake until soft and tender, about 15 to 20minutes. When it is cooled to room temperature, place the rhubarb in the fridge until ready to use.