top of page
Good Cheap Grub ! Eating well on a low budget
Another staple of 'healthy and economical' eating is porridge . As scottish people have recognised for centuries , Oats are a freely available , inexpensive and highly nutritious foodstuff ; unfortunately for these reasons porridge has become closely associated with nasty 'prison food ' .
As Porridge enthusiats might tell you , however , 'there is porridge and then there is porridge' (!) .
The quality of porridge depends largely upon how it is prepared . Standards of Porridge can range from a scarcely edible , dry , cement like mixture ( as often seen in 'Victoran' prison dramas ) to a quite luxurious concoction .
The most unctuous and luxurious porridge is made by boiling the oats with whole milk and a pinch of salt in a pan , and then adding cream and usually sugar or syrup to the bowl . Bananas or raisins could also be added . This recipe makes it a more expensive food though .
A more economical alternative is presented here , with alternative methods . I have used a slow cooker , but something similar to the basic 'quick version' could be made more rapidly in a saucepan but might not be as good .
Remember , you should always add a large pinch of salt to porridge because it greatly improves the flavour.
Most people eat porridge with sugar or sweetener , but it can also be eaten 'savoury' with extra salt. The 'salty' version is actually the traditional Scottish way . Remember , if it's regarded as good food in the cold climate of the Highlands , it's probably good for you too !
So here are the directions for a 'simple but good' porridge . This recipe makes about 3 medium bowls or 4 small bowls of porridge . :
Throw about 5 handfuls of oats into the slow cooker ( a confession ; I've currently got two slow cookers because I like using them so much . If you shop around you can get a good one for about £20 . In U.S currency that's about $30 . If you put this in perspective it's not a massive investment , especially considering the cooker will probably last years and allow you to conveniently use inexpensive dried ingredients in soups and stews and also easily cook cheaper cuts of meat if you wish , to a delectably tender state ).
Turn the slow cooker to high to heat it up .
ADD A TEASPOON OF SALT (!)
Boil a kettle and pour enough hot water over the oats
to cover them by about 1cm .
3 different methods :
Either
a : leave the slow cooker on high for about 20 minutes or half an hour .
Make sure the porridge doesn't become too dry . When it seems ready TURN THE COOKER OFF , then put some in a bowl and add about a third of a cup of milk , and extra sugar or salt if you wish
OR
b : turn the slow cooker to medium and leave it for about 40 minutes to an hour .
Make sure the porridge doesn't become too dry . When it seems ready TURN THE COOKER OFF , then put some in a bowl and add about a third of a cup of milk , and extra sugar or salt if you wish .
OR
c : turn the slow cooker to warm and leave it for a few hours or overnight . Since you might not be checking it you should add some extra water to be sure there is plenty of water in the slow cooker so it won't become dry as the porridge expands . When it seems ready TURN THE COOKER OFF , then give it a good stir , put some in a bowl and add a generous splash of milk, and extra sugar or salt if you wish.
The slow method seems to make a 'creamier' porridge from fewer ingredients. P.S You can leave the slow cooker on warm if you want to eat more later ; I generally recommend turning it off otherwise in order to avoid other problems , such as food spoiling or loss of hygeine .
Most people associate porridge with breakfast , but I sometimes eat it two or three times during an an entire day .
If you have any left over , put it in the fridge overnight ( it'll keep for a couple of days ).
A slightly more luxurious 'sweet treat' version can be made by following the directions above , but also adding half a teaspoon of cinnamon or allspice and a handful or two of sultanas in the early stages of the cooking . Add milk and sugar or sweetener to the cooked porridge :
Bueno Appetito !
STOP PRESS !
ULTIMATE 'CHEAP BUT REASONABLE' PORRIDGE ( Single Serving ) METHOD :
1:Put about 1cm of porridge in the bottom of a small bowl with a large pinch of salt .
2:Boil a kettle , then cover the porridge with about twice as much water as porridge .
3:Wait at least 15 minutes then either eat luke warm or reheat quickly in a pan or microwave
( it's a bit better if you leave it longer and reheat it !)
4: Add a good splash of milk , and whatever else you like .
bottom of page