This quick and easy hot breakfast bowl delivers a complex flavor experience. Peaches have a subtle honey-like sweetness that pairs perfectly with the densely tart unsweetened dried cranberries. Turmeric, ginger and cardamom, a spice combination used in traditional South Asian healing remedies, magnifies the warmth of this fruit forward bowl. Any fast cooking hot cereal mix can be used in this recipe.
WHY I LOVE IT
Fresh peaches are one of my favorite summer pleasures. As summer fades away and breakfast time gets chillier, this bowl smooths the transition from summer to fall. I’m still filling my grocery cart with summer produce, but I’m also starting to think of warm cozy fall-themed breakfast bowls to warm up my mornings before I go back to central heating. Peaches and cranberries are a fruity match made in heaven, while cardamom happens to be my favorite spice for sweet recipes. Ginger and turmeric, known for their anti-inflammatory, immune boosting, properties are a delicious way to prepare my body for the challenges of colder weather.
FAST COOKING HOT CEREAL
Any fast cooking hot cereal, or cereal mix, is great in this recipe. By fast cooking, I mean a hot cereal that cooks in 8 to 15 minutes. I used Bob’s Red Mill 10 Grain Hot Cereal because I had some on hand. Whatever cereal you use, go by the cooking time suggested on the package. If you are gluten free, there are some wonderful gluten free cereal grain mixes available. Cereal mixes that take significantly longer to cook would work too, but the peaches will get mushier (not necessarily a bad thing) unless you add them further into the cooking process.
FRESH OR FROZEN PEACHES
This recipe is great for summer when fresh peaches are everywhere. But in many parts of the world grocery stores stock frozen peaches year round. Frozen peaches would work perfectly in this recipe and you don’t even need to thaw them first.
SPICE LEVELS
Deciding on spice levels for a recipe can be tricky. For one thing, individual preferences vary widely. Also, the flavor intensity of spices is a little different for each brand. And then there’s the shelf life factor. We all have spices in our pantries that we don’t use all that often. Meanwhile, the pungency of most spices decreases over time. A spice that’s been sitting on a shelf for years will probably be significantly less strong than one that’s been recently purchased.
The amount of ginger can be increased, even doubled, for those who enjoy like a more intense spice level. If you’re not sure what you like, start with small amounts of all these spices, taste the cereal after it’s cooked, then add more spices, a little at a time, according to your own preference.
VARIATIONS
These are just a few suggested variations. Many more variations are possible. As always, have fun experimenting and make this recipe your own!
- A Different Fresh Fruit: Fresh apricots would be my top pic
- Dried Cherries: Substituting dried cranberries for dried cherries always works
- Prunes: Substituting dates with chopped pitted prunes is a flavorful alternative
- Hemp Seed Alternatives: Any seed or nut can be used instead of hemp seeds
- Add Bananas: You can add bananas before or after cooking the cereal
- Add Chia Seeds: Adding chia seeds boosts nutrients—just add a bit more water
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Multigrain Hot Cereal Bowl with Peaches, Dried Cranberries, Dates and Turmeric
Equipment
- Medium Saucepan (3 to 4 quart capacity is ideal)
- Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
- 4 cup water (keep more water handy to add in case cereal starts sticking to the pot during cooking)
- 1⅓ cup Bob's Red Mill 10 Grain Hot Cereal, uncooked* (or any multigrain hot cereal blend that cooks quickly)
- 1½ cup chopped fresh or frozen peaches (about 2 smallish peaches)
- ¼ cup dried cranberries (preferably unsweetened)
- 2 Tbsp hemp seeds
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- ½ tsp ground ginger (more if you like things spicy)
- ¼ tsp salt (optional)
Instructions
- Place water in the sauce pan and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Add all other ingredients to the water and bring to a boil once again.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes stirring constantly to prevent sticking. You may need to add more water, a little at a time, if the mixture begins to stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Remove from heat and let stand for 2 minutes before serving.
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