Trail Mix Porridge

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons bulgur (or #2)
• 6 tablespoons grits (or hominy)
• 1.5 cups cranberries fresh chopped
• 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 0.8 cup brown sugar light packed
• 6 tablespoons maple syrup 
• 6 tablespoons millet 
• 0.8 cup quick-cooking barley 
• 0.3 teaspoon salt 
• 0.5 cup walnut pieces toasted
• 6 cups water 

Equipment

• food processor
• frying pan
• oven
• ziploc bags
• slow cooker

Directions

1. Stir all the ingredients in a slow cooker until the maple syrup has dissolved and all the grains are moistened. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the porridge is creamy and the grains are tender.
2. Ingredients for a 2- to 3 1/2-quart slow cooker:4 cups water1 cup chopped fresh cranberries1/2 cup pearled barley1/2 cup packed light brown sugar1/3 cup walnut pieces, toasted and coarsely ground1/4 cup medium-ground bulgur (or #2)1/4 cup corn (or hominy) grits1/4 cup millet1/4 cup maple syrup1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/4 teaspoon salt
3. Ingredients for a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker:8 cups water2 cups chopped fresh cranberries1 cup pearled barley1 cup packed light brown sugar2/3 cup walnut pieces, toasted and coarsely ground1/2 cup medium-ground bulgur (or #2)1/2 cup corn (or hominy) grits1/2 cup millet1/2 cup maple syrup1 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/2 teaspoon saltTESTERS' NOTES • For more whole-grain goodness, use whole-grain corn grits, a specialty item not always available in supermarkets but certainly offered by online suppliers. They'll give a much more intense, sweet, even earthy corn taste to the cereal. • Fresh cranberries are not necessarily available year-round. When you see them in the supermarket around the holidays, buy a few extra bags and toss them into the freezer. There's no need to thaw the cranberries before using them in a cooking or baking recipe. ALL-AMERICAN KNOW-HOW Grind walnuts in a food processor fitted with the chopping blade, pulsing repeatedly until the consistency is a little coarser than sand, but with no chunks in the mix. For more flavor, first toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 4 minutes, then cool for 30 minutes before grinding. Save any leftover nuts in a zip-sealed plastic bag in the freezer to add to cookie and bread batters, or to coatings for pan-fried or oven-fried fish or chicken. INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED Millet is the smallest grain available in the modern supermarket—tiny little yellow specks that can turn into a pain in the neck if you spill the bag. Unless otherwise specified, use whole millet, not finely ground millet grits. Because millet goes rancid quickly at room temperature, store it in a well-sealed bag in the freezer for up to 5 months. But always smell it first. It should smell grassy and sweet, not bitter or acrid.