Believe it or not but there is a way to start your day on the right note and that is with a good breakfast. We have been told and retold the importance of the first meal of the day but not many of us have the luxury to prepare grand breakfasts when there are a gazillion chores that need to be done before we head to work, which is why The Week brings to you some ultimate breakfast ideas. 

Homemade Granola

This is a breakfast you can whip on a Saturday and use it for the rest of the week. You can take ordinary oats and turn it into a much healthier and tastier breakfast option, minus all the artificial sweeteners that are pumped into store bought granolas. This easy recipe is for two medium sized cups of oats.

Ingredients  

•    Half a cup of maple syrup (100% pure maple syrup if possible)

•    A quarter cup of coconut oil

•    2 cups of oats

•    1 cup of almonds and pecans.

•    Half a cup of pumpkin seed, coconut gratings or chips (according to your taste)

•    Half a cup of chopped dried fruits. Again, here you can use mixed fruits of your choice. Usually apricots, raisins, figs, dried plums are all mixed together.

Methodology

•    Heat the coconut oil in a small pan until it melts.

•    Then in a large mixing bowl, mix the melted coconut oil with the maple syrup.

•    Stir in the oats, almonds, pecans and pumpkin seeds into it as well. 

•    You can then place this onto a baking tray. Flatten it so that it is evenly spread and then place it in the oven (170°C) for 15 minutes. (When you bake dried fruits from the start, it gets chewy so we add them only after the first baking shift.)

•    After 15 minutes, take out the baking tray from the oven, give it a stir and then mix in the dried fruits. Bake this further for another five minutes.

Now you have your own homemade granola for breakfast cereals. You can make these breakfast granolas in one big batch and save it in a container for weeks. 

Breakfast Smoothies

These smoothies are basically breakfast on the go. They are quick, refreshing, healthy and just right for those who are a little pressed for time. This recipe is for the yellow smoothie (mango, pineapple, banana) but first, here two tips to help your smoothie making process that much easier.

•    Use frozen fruits. Whether you plan to use oranges, carrots or bananas, it’s best to cut them, spread it on a tray and freeze them over night because a watery smoothie isn’t really that good. 

•    Also when it comes to using your blender, be sure to add your liquid. This will help your blender run a little more smoothly.

Methodology

•    Start with a half a cup of juice. It could be pineapple or orange juice. You can also use milk instead, if you want.

•    To that, add a half a cup of yogurt. This is going to add some much needed protein into your smoothie. 

•    Then, we are going to add the fruits. You might also want to grate some ginger into the blender, just to liven it up.

Some chefs like to color coordinate their fruits. This recipe may be called the yellow smoothie with frozen mango, pineapple, banana but you can just as easily create an orange smoothie with frozen peach, orange and shredded carrot or a ruby red smoothie with some milk, frozen watermelon, strawberries and cherries and many more. Feel free to sneak in any vegetables or fruits you think you should be consuming more of. 

Fulfilling Frittata

Frittata is an egg-based dish but unlike your plain omelet, frittatas have additional ingredients. You can choose to cook it with vegetables, cheese, meat and even pasta. Needless to say, this breakfast option has plenty of room for improvisations and will make for a hearty serving, guaranteed to withstand till your late lunch. 

Methodology

Cooking a frittata requires some preparation before you actually get to the egg. This recipe is for non-vegetarians with bacon fillings (you can substitute it with sausage as well) and potatoes and mushrooms. 

•    Begin by preheating the oven.

•    The potatoes need to be diced into small squares. Take a big, nonstick pan, put some oil and stir the potatoes. Once they are golden brown, sprinkle some water and cover the pan until they are cooked.

•    While the potatoes are cooking, slice the mushroom. They don’t have to be diced into small pieces. These mushrooms need to be sautéed with salt and pepper.  FYI, whenever you are cooking any vegetables that retain water for a frittata, for example, zucchini, make sure you cook out the liquid, otherwise the frittata will be soggy.

•    When the mushroom is being cooked, chop some chives and grate some cheese. Where the bacon or sausage (as per your choice) is concerned, you will need to cut them into thin, small slices. Then dice some onions and cook them with the meat. Cook the onions until they are translucent and golden. 

Cooking the frittata

1.    Finally, we move on to the eggs. After you have whisked the number of eggs you think will be required, add some salt, pepper, liquid cream and chopped chives into it.

2.    Over at the stove, once the onion and bacon are done, turn the stove heat to low and add the potatoes and mushroom and stir it.

3.    Evenly distribute the mixture and spread some of that grated cheese.

4.    Pour the egg mixture over the top and stir lightly to incorporate the egg with the vegetables and meat.

5.    While cooking the frittata on the stove, the edge must be cooked. You will see some scattered portions of the egg cooked but it will still remain very wet. Do this for five to six minutes.

6.    Sprinkle some more chives and then put the pan in the oven for 15-20 minutes. The surface of the frittata must be set. If the egg jiggles then it is not cooked. Bake it for extra minutes if necessary.

7.    Later, set it aside and let it cool slightly. Use a spatula to loosen it form the pan. Gently slide it onto a cutting board. Cut and serve.

The new toast

This is merely a new take on the same old bread and egg toast. 

Ingredients

•    2 slices of bread

•    2 slices of cheese

•    Half thinly sliced avocado

•    1 egg

•    1 tablespoon of butter

•    Salt and pepper

(You can add sausages or other vegetables as per your liking)

Methodology

•    Using a small steel glass or biscuit cutter cut a hole in the middle of one of the breads.

•    On medium heat, toast both the cut and uncut slices of bread with some butter. 

•    When they turn golden brown, crack an egg into the hole of bread that you had cut. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Later, place a slice of cheese on top of it.

•    Add avocado slices, cheese (or sausage) to the other slice of bread as you cook it on the pan. 

•    Cover the pan and cook until the egg whites set and the cheese melts. 

•    Place them on top of one another on a plate and serve.

 
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