“When you wake up in the morning Pooh, whats the first thing you say to yourself?” “Whats for breakfast. What do you say Piglet?” “I wonder whats exciting going to happen today” Pooh nodded thoughtfully “Its the same thing”
It started with Frosties, dry, no milk (because lets face it, when they get soggy its like something the cat threw up), then I grew up a little and it progressed to Crunchy Nuts. I got my first real job and all the women were living on Special K and Ryvita, so naive 17 year old that I was, I went that way too.
I never particularly liked breakfast cereal except 3 minutes after my mother told me it was time for bed to be up early for school – then it was the perfect diversion! But in the last decade that has all changed.
In short, I met a man. A tall handsome man. We met on a Tuesday, again on Thursday and Friday and on Saturday he asked me to have breakfast with him on Sunday. I thought it was sweet and something different so he collected me at 10:30 and we went to a cute little cafe in Cork called Cafe Oz. It’s long since gone now, but at the time (15 years ago), it was one of the few cafes in Cork that didn’t serve Maxwell House when you ordered a coffee.
We ordered a feast. Fresh squeezed orange juice, aromatic coffee, pancakes dripping with maple syrup and adorned with succulent crispy bacon. Heaven had arrived on a plate that day and I suddenly became a morning person. I discovered the comfort of sitting down to a hot meal in the morning and that will be tied in my memory forever with deciding that this was the man I was going to marry.
Fast forward 15 years, there have been 2 weddings (Yes, I married him twice – just because I could), 3 children and 3 dogs . We stopped counting the cats…and the horses (not enough fingers and toes). Where am I standing with breakfast? Well funnily enough, I try to have breakfast with friends. I wait until I can sit down and enjoy my meal without rushing. If I’m working early, I get up 30 minutes early so that I can sit and eat. I know that everyone doesn’t have this luxury with small children up early and long commutes, but thats why I feel preparation is so important. With the intention of offering a little inspiration, I have posted some quick and easy breakfast recipes below.
Next time you get asked or you’re doing the asking for a date, suggest breakfast. There is something magical and innocent and honest about meeting someone without the cover of mood lighting and loud music.
Baked Eggs in a Pepper Slice, Pancakes and Huevos Rancheros
Ok, maybe not all at once, but each of them makes a great breakfast if you want to eat something hot.
Baked Eggs; I usually slice the peppers quite thick and near the narrow end of the pepper. This way, you get the egg right up to the sides. When you put the pepper in the pan, put a small square of butter inside the ring and press down on the edges of the pepper to form a seal as you pour in the cracked egg. This stops the white spilling out around the edges.
Pancakes: We all know and love these. But rather than use 1 egg and 4 oz of flour, I use 2 eggs and 2 oz of flour and enough milk to give me the desired consistency. If you want them small and thick, keep the mix thick. Change things up by adding a handful of blueberries and be sure to use self raising flour.
Huevos Rancheros: I would eat this every day given the chance. You have the choice of using fresh tomatoes chopped up into small cubes or if you’re stuck for time, use tinned tomatoes. For this recipe, I usually add chopped kale as it gives the mix a nice bite.
- Fresh tomatoes (chopped) or 1 x tin of chopped tomatoes
- Kale, courgette, carrot, kidney beans
- garlic, coriander, red onion, fresh turmeric (not essential but so yummy) and a fresh chilli and of course, don’t forget your eggs.
Cook the onion, garlic and one by one, add the carrots, courgette and kidney beans. Add the tomatoes and cook until they start to liquify (keep the heat low). Add the fresh chilli, turmeric and some chopped coriander while the mix is bubbling. Crack some eggs on top and if you want to add some more fats, sprinkle some cheddar on top. Pop it under the grill to cook the top of the egg whites. Et voila! We sometimes have this for dinner if I’m honest! Eat it with my homemade tortillas and dip and scoop to your hearts content.
Chocolate Overnight Oats with Almond Milk and Roast Hazelnuts
mmmm – this one piqued your interest didn’t it! I love these as a mid morning snack. They are portable (same tub used to store them in the fridge) and they really help me with cravings, namely because they taste of Nutella. You might ask why I don’t just have nutella on toast – the macros would probably be similar…. but I prefer to eat food that I know is nourishing me. I like to save my treats for when I want them, not eat them because I have to because I’m hungry.
30g jumbo oats (that portion is enough for me -you may prefer more)
50ml almond milk, 0.5-1 tsp raw cacao, 1x flat tblsp roast chopped hazlenuts
Put all ingredients into a bowl and mix and leave in the fridge overnight.
Eat warm or cold. For a tasty treat, add a spoon of vanilla yoghurt on top before you cover it up for the night.
Green Omlette with Bacon
Chop a handful of spinach very finely and add to two whisked eggs. Slice one piece of bacon and add to the frying pan. Cook until it begins to brown and crisp up, then add your egg & spinach mix to finish. Add a sprinkle of cheddar and grill on top if you need to add more fats to your diet. I love using a little feta or some parmesan.
All my favourites on one page! I also love french toast but as I have been living on bread recently due to the fact that himself has learned how to make sourdough, I’ve decided to cut back! I am also on a quest this month to fit into some new bikinis I have bought for holidays and feel good in them.
With that said, I’m off to run around the block and do a few squats.
Much love