Banana bread for breakfast

Winter is fast approaching us, the days are getting shorter and the mornings darker.  I find at this time of the year it is all the more hard to get going in the morning and fitting in breakfast before leaving for work becomes even more tricky than I normally find it.  I have studied nutrition for over five years and I know that eating breakfast is important.  I have even taught school children that eating breakfast is important as well as their teachers. As a classic case of knowledge not transferring into action,  I remain an average-to-poor-scoring breakfast eater.  I blame this on seldom designate enough time in the morning for creating something I actually want to eat.  Some would put it all down to poor planning and those people would be entirely correct.

I have recently stumbled upon a sure-fire solution.  This scrummy banana bread is nutritious, fantastically filling and the preparation of it (in its simplest form), only requires a few easy strokes with a good quality bread knife.  If you want to put a bit more effort in, its quite lovely toasted and served with yoghurt, maple syrup and a few berries. 

The Almond and Egg Pancake

Behold! The Almond and Egg Pancake.

Each Sunday morning, upon awaking, my husband and I prepare for a sit-down brunch together. This is a time each week we set aside to reflect on life, love, and good food.

Hence, more often than not, I vouch for the Almond and Egg Pancake topped with full-fat yoghurt, goji berries, blue berries, and coconut flakes.

These pancakes are completely void of sugar and sweetener and are therefore great for children as well and adults. You could say they are fit for the whole family, especially considering how easy they are to make.

I'll also take this time to suggest alternative toppings: grilled bananas, berry compote, or if you want something particularly decadent, a homemade cacao coconut syrup.

Little Quinoa and Kumara (sweet potato) Cakes

I love a good poached egg.  It's my go-to when I'm out for breakfast.  Why I pay $13 for someone to crack two eggs into a pot of boiling water and put them on a slice of Vogel's when there are far more original options available,  I do not know.  But I do, almost every time, because they are awesome.

These little cakes are a lovely, slightly more interesting, slightly less refined, alternative to toast (and a little bit of a twist on a potato rosti).  The quinoa and hazelnuts add a lovely crunchy texture to these sweet treats.  They are versatile and can be used in place of falafel, feel free to add them to  a salad, a wrap, anything your little heart desires! Please play around with the ingredients (I've added a few alternatives).

Bacony Mushroom Egg Muffin sans bread

These are a staple in our house. Every Sunday morning I stumble out of bed, throw back a glass of water, and head to the freezer to commence the defrosting of bacon rashers. I cut out three or six circles of baking paper, line a muffin tray with them, place a rasher of bacon around each base, toss in half a mushroom, and crack two eggs over each muffin cup. Thirty minutes later these bad boys are ready to chill on the bench before being stored in the fridge. It's really as simple as that.

Week mornings used to be much more complicated. When you're on the run or in need of a quick chow-down, it's unbelievably difficult to consume a nourishing breakfast. Toast, muesli, bagels, scones - all these quick and easy modern day breakfast ideas - unfortunately leave you under-nourished and hungry in a matter of hours.

Thank the brilliant homecook!, who at some point in time created the "Paleo Muffin" or "Bacon and Egg Muffin." What ever name you give it, it remains the same compact, healthy, delicious, easy breakfast that goes swimmingly with half an avocado and a handful of spinach.

If you're hoping to start a "health kick" after the "everything goes" silly season, this is a great way to begin.

Bacon Buckwheat Breakfast Tarts (with sour cream)

 In our house we’re pretty big on having a nourishing breakfast that offers quality fats, moderate protein, and food that can be found in the garden, usually spinach, mushrooms, or some avocado. Sometimes I have to think pretty hard about what to make, especially if I want breakfast to be a tad more interesting than the standard eggs, bacon, tomato, and greens.

Today it felt as though all my hard thinking has actually been worth it. My husband came home from work and told me that he would be happy to eat this for breakfast… always.

The Infamous Chia Pudding and Raspberry Chia Jam

I’m no rice pudding or porridge girl… which is why I was pleasantly surprised by my first taste of chia pudding. This delectable breakfast (or dessert) is creamy, smooth on the tongue, and incredibly satisfying. I had it before a day of work and it took me through till lunchtime.

In all honesty, I was particularly dubious about the health food craze around chia seeds. A tiny quantity of small seeds soaked in liquid overnight to be demolished the next day, didn’t exactly represent a meal in my mind, but had more in common with a smoothie. How wrong was I?! 

Quinoa, Buckwheat, Maple Nut-ola and a Lesson on FAT…

I make this once a fortnight, store it in a large jar, and slowly watch it reduce in volume. It’s seriously that good. But not only is it worth the taste buds of an exceptional palette, when accompanied by a good quality fat, it acts as great fuel for the body.

There has been a lot of flak given to fat in the past few decades, which has impacted our understanding around the many advantages of ingested fat.

We are here to advocate fat!