So, I’m in my new house and I have some eggs and pesto in my fridge.  So why not make some eggy bread?  But why not make it with a difference?  Pesto!  Who doesn’t love pesto?

This combination combines this recipe into an almost green eggs and ham dish for vegetarians.  You’ll see I cooked up a couple of vegetarian hot dogs to go with it and I have to say, it was a delicious and hearty breakfast.  It also could definitely be a hangover brekky or brunch for those inclined.

Other breakfast recipes you may be interested in:

• Banana Oat Pancakes
• Anzac Porridge
• Strawberry Ricotta Porridge
• Cherry Ripe Crumpets

Makes:

• 2 pieces

Ingredients:

• 1 egg beaten well
• salt
• pepper
• 1 tsp garlic mince
• 2 tbs cream
• 1 tsp pesto
• your favourite bread – 2 slices
• butter or margarine to cook with

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, beat the egg and mix in the rest of the ingredients well.
2. Dip your pieces of bread in the mixture (each side) and place on a well buttered pan.
3. Place the remaining mixture on top as you turn the pieces of bread.
4. When brown, flip the bread over.
5. Serve when each side is brown with sides of your choice.

No matter what I do, I still have bananas at the end of the week black! This recipe not only takes advantage of the black bananas, but also a healthy way to start the day with oats!

The oats here, are used as the main flour by blending it down to a fine pulp, with a combination of some self raising flour.

Makes:

• 6 pancakes

Ingredients:

• 40 grams wholegrain oats
• 20 grams self raising flour
• pinch salt
• 1/2 cup milk (I used light)
• 1 banana
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
• drizzle olive oil for frying

Instructions:

1. Blend the oats in a vitamiser.
2. Mix in the self-raising flour and blend.
3. Add the banana, vanilla, salt and cinnamon blending again.
4. Pour the mixture into a jug and mix through the milk.
5. Heat a flat pan up and drizzle a little olive oil onto it.
6. Pour the mixture on the pan and once golden brown, flip it over cooking the other side.
7. Serve with a little butter and maple syrup!

I guess you’re wondering why would you make baked beans when it’s readily available from a can?  Nothing beats a homemade version with fresh navy beans and your own flavours that you love!  Try it with some of nice fresh crusty bread and you have one mean brekky or snack full of protein!

With this recipe, I was actually attempting to make a soup, but I think this is much better as your traditional baked beans!

Vegans: This is totally vegan apart from my topped shavings of parmesan!  The photo was the only time I actually put cheese on it – it’s definitely not missed, in fact, I reckon it’s better without it!

Serves:

• around 5 cups / 5 serves

Ingredients:

• 1 cup navy beans, dried
• 1 can tomatoes, diced
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 2 tsp garlic mince
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp all spice
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp molasses
• 1 tsp chilli
• 1 tsp white pepper
• water for soaking and cooking
• pinch salt

Instructions:

1. The day before, soak your beans overnight in water and a little salt.
2. The next day, drain your beans and sit aside.
3. In a large pot, mix the tomatoes, garlic and onions together and cook until soft.
4. Add all the other ingredients (including the beans), stir well.
5. At this stage, pour about 5 cups of water and allow to boil, before turning to a low heat.
6. Simmer for two hours, adding more water and stirring occasionally as you go, ensuring it doesn’t stick or dry out.
7. Test your beans to see if they are soft and season if required before serving.
8. Place in the oven for 10 minutes and stir.
9. Cook for another 5 minutes or until the oats have dried and are golden brown.
10. Mix again and allow to cool before storing!

For some reason, I’ve never really been a big muesli fan. I can’t really give a reason why, especially seeing nearly every day I make oats. This was all up until a couple of weeks ago, when I had a craving to make some muesli from home.

The fruit and nuts were purchased on the cheap at a wholesaler (NSM Wholesalers) in Brunswick, that sells them by the barrel-load and has a direct outlet there too for small purchases! If you can find a wholesaler near you, I’d recommend going there instead to buy your ingredients cheap and probably more fresh than your local supermarket!

My personal recipe uses only a few simple ingredients but the combinations are endless.  I have to say though that cranberries, almonds and dried coconut goes down a treat and recommend trying this before steering too far down the track!

Here are some ideas to tempt your tastebuds:

• apple and walnut
• apricot and coconut
• apples and strawberries
• pistachios, dates, raisins, apricots and craisins
• cranberries, raisins, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and apples

Do you make your own muesli, if so, what’s your favourite mix?

Serves:

• 2 – 3 bowls

Ingredients:

• pinch salt
• 100 grams wholegrain oats
• handful shredded coconut
• handful cranberries
• small handful flaked almonds
• 2 tbs warm water
• 1 tsp molasses
• 2 sachets sweetener
• 1 tsp olive oil

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C or 360 degrees F.
2. Pour all the dry ingredients in a high-walled tray and mix.
3. In a cup mix all the warm ingredients in and pour over the oats.  Make sure you stir this thoroughly to mix the molasses through.
4. Place in the oven for 10 minutes and stir.
5. Cook for another 5 minutes or until the oats have dried and are golden brown.
6. Mix again and allow to cool before storing!

Updated: This has just been awarded the weekly winner of the Golden Gnome award for “Best Snack/Dessert” on Make Me Hungry’s flickr group. View here.

Who can’t resist waking up to crusty bread, spread with butter and fresh marmalade?

I guess when you’re a child, it’s not very appealing but for those a little older it’s the greatest thing in the world! A bitter-sweet morning treat with a fresh cup of coffee or orange juice would nearly be the ideal Summer (or Summer-feel) breakfast!

The idea for this came about due to my Kumquat tree being loaded with fruit. Whilst Kumquat Tea is usually the recipe of choice, now that I’m having difficulty finding passionfruit syrup, I’ve been leaving the kumquats as a Christmas decoration on the tree!

Although Kumquats could be mistaken for looking like a mini orange or mandarin, they aren’t so sweet like their counterparts. They’re not exactly the right fruit to bite into, as you might be in for a very bitter surprise! Due to this, I’ve always thought they’d be ideal for a marmalade. Hence, how this recipe came about.

Serve it on some toasted crusty bread or inbetween your sponge cake and cream, instead of the usual apricot jam!

Serves:

• 2.5 jars

Ingredients:

• fresh kumquats (around 3- 4 cups worth)
• 3 cups white sugar
• 50 grams pectin (Jamsetta with pectin – brand in Australia)
• 3 cups water

Instructions:

1. Pick your kumquats the same night, washing them and slicing them as fine as possible. Remove the seeds as well as you can. Transfer the kumquats and the juice to a large jug.
2. Add some water to the jug, mine came to about 800 grams for the water and kumquats together.
3. Cover the jug and soak overnight.
4. Pour the contents into a large pan and boil with a little more water for an hour.
5. Pour this back into the jug and find out the volume of your kumquat mixture. You’ll need to make sure you add the same amount of sugar as to the kumquat mixture. At this same time, mix in the pectin. Quickly mix everything in and transfer back to your pot.
6. Once all the sugar has dissolved, boil the ingredients. You’ll need to not stir this for around fifteen minutes.
7. Turn off the heat and remove any of the scum (bubbly component, seeds or dregs from the top), resting for another fifteen minutes or so.
8. Sterilise your jars and scoop the contents into the hot jars.
9. Cover with some plastic wrap over night, leaving overnight.
10. Place the lids on your marmalade and start using it!

This version has is very near to the real anzac cookie mixture and taste just as good. If you’d like it sweeter again, add another tablespoon of golden syrup. The diet version is also very similar in taste.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 1 tbs brown sugar
• 1 tbs golden syrup
• 1 tbs dessicated coconut
• milk and water to cook with
• (optional) 1 tsp flour (to thicken it)

Instructions:

1. Place oats in with boiling water or milk. Boil for 5 mins.
2. Add the sugar, syrup and coconut to mix, stirring to ensure that it does not burn.
3. You can mix the flour in to thicken here.
4. Serve with milk.

Ingredients:

• rolled oats 70 grams
• 1 tbs dessicated coconut
• 1 tbs brown sugar
• 1 tbs molasses
• 1 tsp butter
• 1 – 2 cups water – to cook oats with
• pinch salt
• milk to serve
• sweetener (optional for more sweetness)

Instructions:

1. Place 60 grams oats in boiling water with salt. Simmer until cooked.
2. Add coconut, molasses, brown sugar, rest of oats and butter. Stir.
3. Serve with milk and extra sweetener if you require.

This porridge is quite tasty and quite a nice way to start in the morning. It’s very low in fat using the essences to get the flavour and using stevia powder for sweetness. This photo was taken without any milk. Top with milk afterwards or mix some extra light ricotta cheese in to add for a more liquidy consistency.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbs cherry essence
• 1 tsp coconut essence
• 1/4 tsp stevia powder or use your own sweetener
• 1 tbs dessicated coconut
• 1 tbs – 2tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
• 60 grams rolled oats
• 1 cup water
• 6 dried cranberries, chopped finely
• pinch salt
• (optional) milk or extra light ricotta cheese, stirred in after

Serves:

• One

Instructions:

1. Add salt and water in saucepan. Wait to boil.
2. Place oats in saucepan and simmer until cooked and water evaporated.
3. Take off heat and add cocoa, cranberries, essences and stevia powder. Mix in well.
4. Place in bowl and serve with either milk or ricotta.

This morning I felt like a hearty porridge, but was bored of my normal concoctions. So I came up with this zesty little number that’s very reasonable with the calories. If you don’t want it so lemony, reduce the zest and juice! Very filling and great for those with a sweet tooth!

Ingredients:

• 60 grams, rolled oats raw
• juice 1/2 lemon
• zest 1 lemon, grated finely
• 2 tbs splenda or sweetener
• 25 grams extra light cream cheese
• 25 grams extra light ricotta cheese
• pinch salt
• 2 cups water

Calories:

• 291 calories

Serves:

• One

Instructions:

1. Place water in saucepan, salt and pinch of zest and boil.
2. Place oats and lemon juice with a bit more zest in and stir. Wait until oats are cooked and water is dissolved.
3. Let the oats settle (cool) before stirring in the sugar, cream cheese and ricotta in. Warm the pan to blend the ingredients.
4. Serve in bowl, sprinkling remaining zest on top.

I had a spare banana and worked out some ingredients that would take alright with that! This is gorgeous!

Makes two big bowls, can be reduced down further!

47 min 2 min prep

Change to:
servings
US
Metric

• < 60 mins Granola & Porridge
• Low Protein Granola & Porridge
• Comfort Food Granola & Porridge

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees celsius.
2. grease cake tin or oil it.
3. place all ingredients in tin and stir.
4. bake for 45 minutes.