High-protein, whole-grain Ginger Date "Molasses" Cookie Porridge (with 5 grains!)

I'm a huuuuuuuuuuge oatmeal fan. Mind you, I'm pretty picky about it. I'm not crazy about instant oats, which never develop the proper ratios of stickiness and toothsomeness that regular rolled oats or steel-cut oats do. I like a porridge with a bit of bite that's still cooked until gooey and thick. For a change, I decided to try a new mix of grains to add nutrition, protein and flavour. Here, the pot barley adds extra gooeyness, the rye adds a new flavour to the mix, buckwheat gives an earthy roasted flavour, and millet adds some fun to the texture with its tiny grains.

I also added dates for some of their natural sweetness (and high iron/fibre content!), and coconut sugar for the rest- because of its intense molasses-like flavour, it reminded me of a molasses cookie when I tasted it, so I decided to stick with the theme and add some fresh grated ginger and cinnamon. To make it richer without any sort of oil or butter, I mix in ground flaxseed once the mixture has already cooled down to preserve the integrity of the essential fatty acids they have as much as possible from oxidation/heat. However, even without these, flaxseeds pack an additional punch of protein and help achieve that perfectly gooey consistency (I can't stop going on about how much I love the goo in my breakfast, can I?).

While this is a perfect autumn or winter's day breakfast, I'm sure happy to eat it in spring, too. Although, if you're in the Southern hemisphere, the perfect time to try this out is just coming up...

Ginger-Date Molasses Cookie Porridge
3 to 4 C. water
Fat pinch of salt
1 Large cinnamon stick
1-2" piece of peeled fresh ginger
1/2 C. Old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 C. Rye flakes
1/4 C. Pot barley
3 TBSP Buckwheat groats, preferably roasted (a.k.a. Kasha)
3 TBSP Millet
6-8 Dates, pitted
1/4 C. Ground flaxseed
Coconut sugar or date sugar, to taste
Your favourite kind of milk, to serve (optional)

Bring water and salt to a boil. Add all of the grains, the dates, and the cinnamon stick. Let simmer at a very low temperature for about 40 minutes, or until all of the grains are soft. Check periodically and add more water if needed- you want to keep the mixture relatively thin as it will thicken a lot when you add the flaxseed later.

Grate the ginger in and add about 1/4 C. of your sugar. Let rest off the heat, covered, for 10-15 minutes.

Once warm but not hot, stir in the flaxseed. Add more cool water if the mixture becomes too thick.

Serve with your favourite plant milk (if desired, for a little extra creaminess), and extra sugar and cinnamon to taste.