Orange & strawberry oat porridge with rose bud tea
Warm, creamy oats topped with strawberries, orange and zest, with a cup of rose bud tea — bright, fragrant and a lift for the morning.
- 15 min
- Serves 2
- Boil
- Easy
Why it suits you: Qi Stagnation brings low mood, a tight chest and frequent sighing, and as the liver needs to spread freely at Awakening of Insects, emotions swing more easily. Fragrant orange zest and rose soothe the liver and move qi, the bright sweet-sour fruit perks you up, and a regular breakfast steadies the mood.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 5 min- 1Soak the strawberries in water for 5 minutes, rinse, hull and halve. Finely grate a little orange zest, then cut out the orange segments.
- 2Steep the rose buds in the hot water for 5 minutes to make two cups of tea.
- 3Put the oats, milk and water in a pan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring, for 3–4 minutes until thick.
- 4Off the heat, stir in half the zest. Spoon into bowls, top with the strawberries and orange, drizzle with honey and scatter over the remaining zest.
Cautions
- Skip the rose bud tea during pregnancy.
Chef's tips
- In a hurry? Microwave the oats, milk and water in a large bowl on high for 2 minutes, stir, then give it 1 minute more.
- Not drinking milk? Use oat milk or unsweetened soy milk instead.
The TCM view
Rose buds are sweet, slightly bitter and warm, soothing the liver and lifting low mood; orange is sweet, sour and cool and opens the chest, while its zest is fragrant and moves qi; strawberries are sweet, sour and cool and replenish fluids; oats are sweet and neutral and support the spleen and heart. Fragrance that moves qi plus sweet-sour fruit that restores fluids soothes the liver and nourishes yin — right for this term.
