Today it is raining.

Outside my window.

And in my brain.

Not to sound like some teenage Sylvia Plath.

Although that is me using humour to deflect the point…

Sunday’s are a hard day.

They seem to stretch on forever.

I won’t go into detail but having spoken to other people who suffer with mental health, weekends are always difficult for them too.

And when it rains, it pours.

However this weekend I am visiting my mum and stepdad.

An escape to the countryside.

And I promised them, this particular porridge that I had wanted to trial.

So I dragged myself out of bed and started preparing.

My stepdad has the flu and I have the last dregs of it, so this oatmeal packed full of GINGER, is a seriously delicious decongestant.

It’s also a perfect oatmeal to start a ‘Blue Sunday’. It’s dessert in a healthy breakfast bowl.

It’s reminiscent of a heaping bowl of rhubard and ginger crumble with lashings of warm, comforting, golden custard.

It’s childhood nostalgia.

It’s a winter warmer.

It’s that ‘You WILL get out of bed today’ pick me up that you sometimes (more often than you’d like to admit) need.

I made my parents their version with cow’s milk and a little muscovado sugar as they are not vegan and prefer things that are sweet.

However I can’t tolerate too much sugar in the morning as it just sends my energy crashing and makes me really hungry for the rest of the day. So I didn’t add the muscovado sugar but PLEASE feel free to do so yourself.

If you are making for more than one person, double the quantities as you go.

Rhubarb is packed full of Vitamin K and Calcium (great for strong bones), vitamin C (flu busting), iron and magnesium. Ginger is a great anti-inflammatory and fantastic for gut health. I’m including all of this information, as I’m investigating how food can HEAL your body and your mind. The healing has to start somewhere, so why not give it a shot?

Rhubarb and Ginger Crumble Oatmeal

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Serving: serves 1

What you’ll need:

• For the rhubarb and ginger compote-
• 3 stalks of rhubarbs
• 1 thumb sized piece of ginger
• 2 tbsp of maple syrup
• For the porridge –
• 1/2 a small cup of water
• 45g of oats
• Enough plant based milk/ milk to cover the oats and a little more.
• 3 tbsp of water
• pinch of salt
• 2 tsp of cinnamon
• (Optional) 1 tbsp of dark muscovado sugar)
• For the crumble topping
• A small handful of ground almonds
• 1 tsp of cinnammon
• For the ‘custard’ and extra topping
• 1 tbsp of vanilla coconut yoghurt
• 3 small pieces of crystallised ginger chopped (optional)

How to make it:

1. Chop rhubarb into large pieces and grate the ginger/
2. Add rhubarb and ginger to pan covering in the 1/2 small cup of water and maple syrup.
3. Gently heat, stirring until all the liquid has absorbed and the rhubarb has softened.
4. Get a frying pan and put over a high heat until when you put your hand a few inches above the pan, you can feel the heat. Add the ground almonds and cinnamon and move around the pan until lightly toasted and golden. Remove from heat and put into a bowl and place to one side.
5. In a small saucepan, add oats, cinnamon, pinch of salt, muscovado sugar if you want it sweet, milk and water.
6. Gently heat, stirring continuously until porridge reaches texture that you desire.
7. Serve porridge into the bowl. Top with compote, ‘crumble’ topping, crystallized ginger (optional) and vanilla coconut yoghurt.
8. Sit down with bowl of oatmeal, look out the window and remember that THIS TOO SHALL PASS. Breathe and enJOY.

I hope you all have gentle Sundays relaxing around those that you love.

Do not isolate yourselves.

Talk and relax.

And eat GOOD FOOD.

Much love,

Joy xxxx