-- or if you face a groaning board of variety like Thomas Wolfe's Look Homeward, Angel: "… eggs, ham, hot biscuits, fried apples seething in their gummed syrup, honey, golden butter, fried steaks, fragrant brown sausages, a bowl of wet cherries, fat juicy bacon, stacked batter-cakes…" breakfast could be the makings for a perfect nutritional melt-down.

 

Thankfully, there's a stack of nutritious, delicious options between these two food book-ends.

 

Taste-test and tweak the following recipes to suit your taste buds and energy needs.

 

 

4 eggs, beaten very light 

1/2 cup sunflower seed meal (a coffee grinder does a fine job grinding seeds)

1/2 tsp. minced dulce flakes

1 tsp. minced chives (more would be better, this is all I could steal from the early offerings of my spring garden chives)

 

Heat a heavy skillet. Blend ingredients. Add to the hot skillet (I used a medium-med/high heat) a bit of coconut oil or olive oil. Pour in the mixture; let brown on the bottom, tipping the pan as needed so the runny mixture gets to the hot part of the pan. Cut in quarters; flip over and brown on the other side. serves 2-3

 

 

note: The sunflower meal may seem an odd addition but it adds healthy polyunsaturated fats; minerals: manganese, magnesium, selenium; and vitamins B1 and E. This omelet would travel well too, in a sandwich or pita pocket with shredded lettuce, sliced tomato, cucumber and sprouts.

 

 

2 apples, washed, unpeeled

1 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 - 2 tsp. raw honey

1/2 cup plain unsweetened yogurt

1/4 cup chopped dates

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup cashew halves

1 tsp. ground flaxseed

(additional options: other nuts, dried fruits, banana chunks, etc.)

 

 

Core apples and shred. Blend in everything else, folding in the yogurt last. This is one of those breakfast meals that doubles as a dessert or a salad. Makes 2 generous servings. (This is becoming my favourite "anything" meal!)

 

 

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds

3/4 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup chia seeds

1/2 cup raw walnuts

1/2 cup sesame seeds

 

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ginger powder (or more, to taste)

 

1/2 cup hot water

1/2 cup of milk of choice (dairy,soy,almond,rice,hemp) - if so desired

options - fresh fruit and more crunchy nuts

 

 

Pulse ingredients (except for liquid) in a food processor or coffee grinder - a small Bullet blender works well if you pulse half a recipe at a time.

 

To serve:

Mix 4 Tbsp. of the mix with 1/2 cup very hot water.

Let sit and thicken for about 7-8 minutes.

Add milk and other options:  chunky nuts, fresh fruit.

 

Store leftover mix in a glass container in the refrigerator. Recipe makes enough for 7-8 servings.

 

 

 

This recipe also works well for taking along:

- to work

- out camping

- on a touring bike ride

- on a day hike

.......wherever you can heat water (or transport it) and take along your choice of milk, if desired.

 

(recipe credits to the "domesticdiva" )

 

 

In blender, mix together until crumbly but not gummed together:

- 5 - 6 pitted medjool dates* (or 7-8 other whole dates)

- 1/3 cup cashews*

- 1/3 cup unsweetened large coconut flakes*

*if not using high-powered blender {e.g. Vitamix} - pulse blender often until ingredients are pulverized

 

 

 

Add:

- 3/4 cup rice flakes OR oat flakes - along with the blended mixture of dates, cashews and coconut

- 1/3 cup currants or raisins

- 1/3 cup dried cranberries

- dash of sea salt

 

 

Stirring often, cook for about 8-10 minutes.

 

Remove from heat, stir in 1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract.

Serve while still hot - (the rice variety has a tendency to thicken up quickly).

Adding more milk is optional - I like to eat it as is.

 

Sprinkle with toasted pecans and cinnamon.

 

Makes 3 good-sized servings of "dessert for breakfast".

 

 

Yummmmy!

 

(Thanks to my son-in-law, Damien, for this recipe.) 

 

What do you eat to"break-your-fast"?

 

Blog P.S. How could I have forgotten this one? I dressed this dish up nice and pretty for my Dad's 90th birthday brunch. The recipe is on this previous post. One tweaking: I'd leave the peel on the apples and add a splash of lemon juice.