Ancient Porridge

I love injera bread! That spongy, slighty sour flatbread is the very best part about eating at our local Ethiopian joint, Abyssinia. And even though there's an injera recipe in Papa Tofu Love Ethiopian Food, I'm still a little intimidated about making the fermented bread with ancient teff grains. So when my friend Katie gave me a bag of Bob's Red Mill Teff, I wasn't sure what to do with it.

Someday, I'll use some to make injera. But I found a quicker way to put the teff to use on the back of the Bob's Red Mill bag — Teff Porridge! Teff makes an excellent and protein-rich stand-in for oats or other breakfast grains. It has a nutty taste that some say has chocolate notes, but I didn't notice much chocolate taste. Just nuttiness.

Since I had still had some So Delicious Coconut Nog, I decided to make a Holiday Teff Porridge:

That's slow-cooked teff mixed with nog and dried cranberries. It made for a hearty breakfast on this cold, rainy morning. And even though I hate all things Xmas until after Thanksgiving, this actually got me in the holiday spirit a little early.

Holiday Teff Porridge
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1 cup water
1/4 cup teff
1/2 cup vegan nog
1/2 tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. sweetened dried cranberries

Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Whisk in dry teff to ensure no lumps form. Lower heat to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until porridge is thick and teff is soft.

Stir in the nog and continue to simmer for a few more minutes or until mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat. Whisk in the maple syrup and cinnamon. Top with dried cranberries. Serves one.