Porridge
Trust me... I know, I know, you've been mentally traumatised by stubborn adults force-feeding you sludgy, yucky gruel as a kid and ever since the thought of porridge has sent tremors of fear coursing up and down your spine.
However, let me take this opportunity to reassure you that those very adults that force-fed you were incompetent chumps that shouldn't have been allowed into the kitchen. Porridge (when done right) hits the spot and as a gym rat I love early morning porridge as quick-start, rocket-like fuel that warms me up, puts a content smile on my face and most importantly prepares me for a hard workout. (Grrrr....!)

And don't forget how versatile porridge is; it really soaks up all sorts of flavours. For extra spice in your mornings try a tablespoon of these in your breakfast bowl:
Maple syrup, lime and banana
Honey and cinnamon
Vanilla, brown sugar and lemon

Serves 4

Ingredients
225g / 8oz oats
1.4ltr / 2.5 pints milk
55g / 2oz margarine / butter
2 limes, juice and zest of
3 Tblsp maple syrup
1/4 Tsp salt

Mise-en-Place:
Zest and juice the lime

Method:
Place the oats, salt, margarine and milk in a saucepan
Place over a medium / high heat
Bring to the boil for 3-5 minutes, stir continuously to prevent sticking / burning
The porridge is done when it has thickened and the oats are soft
Remove from the heat, stir in the maple syrup and lime juice
Serve

Adjust:
Too bland: Add more salt and flavouring of your choice
Too thick: Add more milk
Too thin: Continue cooking, the oats will continue to swell and thicken
To enrich: Add more fats: butter, full fat milk or cream

Presentation:
Serve in a bowl, spoon over or layer a teaspoon of the flavouring as garnish
ie.
Two slices of banana
A swirl of maple syrup or honey
A slice of brandy butter

Chef Tip: Did you know that early societies used oats as a binding material, similar to a glue? So to avoid getting a beating from your kitchen porter for giving him a saucepan full of cement use a saucepan with soft curves instead of a pan with sharp corners which only too easily become bogged down with rock hard porridge. (Believe me when I say kitchen porters detest porridge mornings, I still carry the scars and on cold mornings I wake up with a painful ache in my bones!)
For those chefs cooking large quantities bring the milk to the simmer before adding the oats, then finish the porridge in a double boiler to reduce the risk of burning (C'mon, you know you're always burning large pots of porridge, don't pretend it never happens to you, especially first thing in the morning when your holding onto your coffee mug for dear life!)