The spices in this breakfast cereal are reminiscent of a spicy chai I enjoy in Seattle. Paired with oats, they provide a warming, satisfying start to the morning.

Chai Spice Porridge

Serves 4|Adapted from Oprah Magazine Sept 2010

• 1 cup steel cut oats
• 1 tbsp. freshly grated ginger
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Seeds from 6 cardamom pods (or 1/2 tsp ground cardamom)
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper*
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 3 cups water or unsweetened almond milk
• almond slivers and sweetener of choice, if desired.

Lazyman method: Dump everything into your Zojirushi Rice cooker the night before and set to porridge. Consume the following morning. Remove cinnamon stick before serving.

Alternatively:

1. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Turn off heat and add all ingredients. Let steep overnight.
2. The following morning, reheat over medium until boiling. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes or until oats have softened.
3. Serve with sweetener of choice and a sprinkle of almond slivers for crunch.

You can add variety by using an assortment of grains since this is an overnight soak. Try millet, buckwheat groats, or polenta to play with different textures and flavors.

*at VIBRANCE Nutrition and Fitness, we beg you not to insult your tastebuds with anything less than freshly ground peppercorns. If you do not have a peppermill you can purchase one at Trader Joe’s or most large grocery chains and refill it with bulk peppercorns once the original batch is consumed.