Let's talk breakfast... unless I have seriously over indulged the evening before I cannot skip breakfast. In fact I think it is the meal I most often look forward to. I eat porridge throughout the colder months but in the summer I love Bircher muesli in all its variations, full of healthy ingredients which is just as well given the vast amounts of gin and tonic cheesecake consumed this week!
I'm sure I'm teaching my garndmother to suck eggs here but if you have never tried this before... you must! It was devised by Swiss physician Maximillian Bircher-Brenner in 1900, for patients at his sanatorium as a way to get them to eat more fresh fruit, most specifically apples. It consisted of soaked oats, with natural yoghurt or milk and loads of grated apple.
For each portion I use about 25 - 30 g of rolled oats and add a tablespoon of either mixed seeds or linseeds and soak this overnight with 100 ml water, although you can also use apple juice. I confess that I usually forget to soak them overnight but find if I put it together with some boiling water before I walk the dog in the morning, by the time I've got back, showered and dressed it has cooled down and is perfect. If I'm using apple I'll also add a handful of raisins and some cinnamon to the mix before soaking. I then grate in an apple per person, stir in a couple of spoonfuls of natural bio yoghurt (always full fat) and then top it off with a sliced banana, a sprinkle of cinnamon and anything else I have to hand. Some chopped almonds or pecans work well too.
.
But the beauty of this is that it can work with any combination of fruit you happen to have at the time. One of my favourite ways is instead of apple I mash a banana with some raspberries and stir this into the soaked oats with the yoghurt. This then gets served with an extra dollop of yohurt and some more fresh berries. What more could you want...
...except pancakes now and then! I learned to love American style pancakes from my years living in the US and they make the occasional treat topped with yoghurt and fresh fruit. I use the same recipe I've used since my boys were small which mixes up in no time - 225g of self raising flour plus a teaspoon of baking powder and 2 tablespoons of caster sugar whisked up with two eggs and 285 ml of milk. Stir in approx 25g melted butter and then cook in dollops (approx 60 ml) on a hot griddle or fryng pan. This makes about 14 pancakes which don't last long in our house!
But tomorrow morning, as a Sunday treat, we'll be having poached egg on mashed avocado on toast with grilled tomatoes. I might even fry up some mushrooms too. I'm already looking forward to it!
What do you like to eat for breakfast?
I love a full English breakfast but I love thick, fluffy American pancakes too!
ReplyDeleteLove Bircher Muesli and other forms of overnight oats, although good old porridge takes some beating. Going out for breakfast is a great treat in this house -though not usually a full English now most cafes have such a variety. Had a lovely Breakfast Complet at Cote in Exeter last week and hazlenut bread and fig jam at Carluccio's in Bristol whilst I was on holiday for a few days.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI grew up on Bircher Muesli. Funny thing is that in Switzerland, it is usually eaten for supper, not for breakfast. I finished many days with a bowl of it. I rarely make it now. Have you tried raspberry yogurt instead of plain? This was always my favourite. Your Sunday breakfast looks yummy. I never had mashed avocado on toast, must try. x
ReplyDeleteGina, I am so lazy when it comes to breakfast. Until a couple of months ago, I made a lovely toasted muesli. Now, it's 2 pieces of whole grain bread, toasted - one spread with Marmite, one with grapefruit marmalade, which I make myself. The grapefruit are just right (still slightly green)now so I will make some this week. Washed down with English Breakfast tea...the only time of the day when I drink tea.
ReplyDeleteI always have oats, a few cashews and a little chopped dried fruit - apples, apricots or cranberries, soaked overnight in unsweetened soya milk then with three spoonfuls of Greek yoghurt stirred in. I am a creature of habit! I was just thinking the other day that I think it's my favourite meal of the day. Your avocado and egg looks delicious as well, I wouldn't mind that for breakfast once a week, not at all. CJ xx
ReplyDeleteYour breakfasts look delicious. I never eat a cooked breakfast and for ease I eat the same cereal concoction almost every morning. A small amount of oat based granola topped with sliced banana and finished with a sprinkling of oat flakes and milk. If it's very cold I make porridge. Years ago I made my own muesli and more recently made my own granola, but old age has made me lazy and I now buy it.
ReplyDeleteGina, your breakfast suggestions are very welcome. However...during summertime I will probably stick to my very simple bowl of Cheerios.
ReplyDeleteThank you though, for reminding me of muesli I remember last having it for breakfast back in the last century. Ha ha! xo
usually pink grapefruit and either muesli or porridge followed by croissant and marmalade....i love breakfast! Yours all look wonderful.
ReplyDeletel
I was told not to eat the same breakfast more than twice as the metabolism stalls and becomes 'bored' so I try and vary my breakfast. Cannot get away from the cereal, fruit and yogurt combo though. It looks different every day but it is virtually the same. Looking forward to using some home grown fruit any time now. It is my favourite meal too but I can never face anything cooked. You are a more organised starter than I will ever be!
ReplyDeleteI've not tried Bircher muesli, but I've read several articles about it now and it looks yum. I tend to have fruit, various types depending on the season and yogurt, topped with a small scoop of granola. I love breakfast!
ReplyDeleteI'm currently enjoying the joy of overnight (in reality an hour at most) oats but I'm also loving malted bread toast with marmite, then a layer nut butter, topped with slices of apple. Honestly, it works.
ReplyDeleteI soak oats in coconut milk overnight then eat with linseed and blueberries. Perfect for energy for running!
ReplyDeleteWith the liquid in the oats, I nuke it in the microwave 1 1/2 min stir and then another 30 min. Sometimes I add the fruit before, sometimes after.
ReplyDeletePerhaps soaking is better for you? But I would never manage to do it the night before or to wait til it has soaked any amount of time in the morning!
Sandy in Bracknell
not another 30 min...30 seconds! yikes.
DeleteOats + fruit = bathroom. 'Nuff said.
ReplyDelete