Nothing beats the winter blues better than a big bowl of warm porridge. For a quick on-the-go breakfast or dessert, keep a pot of this cooked porridge in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (250 mL) AGAINST THE GRAIN high beta-glucan barley berries*
• 1 ½ cup (375 mL) apple juice or apple cider
• 1 ½ cup (375 mL) water
• 2 apples, peeled and diced
• ½ cup (125 mL) dried apples, dates or cranberriesHoney or maple syrup to taste

Put all ingredients into a pot (except honey) and cook on medium-low heat for about 25 minutes (stirring often) until barley berries are cooked, but still retain a bit of crunch. Or, to make this porridge with a slow cooker, cook on low for 4 hours, or high for 2 hours.

To serve, add your favourite toppings—dried fruit, yogurt, maple syrup or honey. For a different flavour, swap out the apple juice for almond milk, coconut milk or another fruit juice.

*Barley berries are hulled barley seeds. This barley has not been pearled—so it retains all the bran, endosperm, and germ—and has all the benefits of a whole grain.

Makes 4 servings (1 cup/250 mL each).

Recipe developed by Shelley Spruit, owner, Against the Grain Farms of Winchester.
For more recipes, visit againstthegrainfarms.ca.