VEGETARIAN

SLOW-COOKER THREE-GRAIN PORRIDGE WITH DATES AND HONEY

3 cups water

3 cups milk (whole, 2%, 1%, or fat-free)

1 cup oat groats

½ cup hull-less barley

¼ cup millet

6 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped

2½ tablespoons honey

One 2-inch cinnamon stick

Stir everything together in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 9 to 10 hours. Stir well before serving.

SERVES 6

Active time: 10 minutes

Total time: 9 hours 10 minutes

CHEF IT UP!

• Honey is not one thing but a multitude. There are so many varietals besides the standard “wildflower” or “clover.” To complement the cereal, search out a dark, rich honey like buckwheat or oak.

TESTERS’ NOTES

• A 2-inch cinnamon stick is shorter than the standard ones found in the jars from the spice aisle. Break one of those longer sticks into a segment that’s about this length so the spice won’t overpower the porridge.
• It’s hard to imagine this spirited, sweet but earthy porridge without a slice of whole-grain toast on the side. Seems like that toast would require apple butter, too.