recipes please!

[fahye]

Right, I need some input here. I'm about to start the early-rising-for-work thing and I am having breakfast issues, namely:

- I don't like most cereals
- I am bored of toast
- eggs are time-consuming
- I should probably stop just eating yoghurt, and add some carbs to my first meal of the day

I like the idea of making a batch of breakfast muffins and then sticking them in the freezer, and defrosting one to eat every morning. The internet of course has recipes aplenty, but I thought I'd canvas personal opinion. So. Does anyone have any favourite recipes for muffins or other breakfast options that are fairly healthy, and filling, and would freeze well? Sweet or savoury, don't mind.

Comments

[sophistry]

Oatmeal! You can cook up a batch pretty much any way you like, let it cool, then store it in serving-size containers (or empty jam jars!) in the fridge. Since the individual containers aren't being opened every morning for you to scoop out a portion, the porridge should keep perfectly well for several days.

[sophistry]

(Recipe-wise, my favourite porridge trick is to stir an egg into a batch as it's cooking. It gives it an extra protein boost, and a really nice silky texture. Make sure your porridge isn't at too high a temperature when you're doing this though, as otherwise the egg will cook too quickly and you'll be left with a bunch of eggy bits in your oatmeal.)

[fahye]

Huh, that's a neat trick! I'll have to try it come April when the mornings are cooler :)

[fahye]

I don't mind porridge in winter (though it falls under 'most cereals' in that I'm heartily sick of it after a week or so) but it's definitely too hot for it at the moment.

[highlyeccentric]

Nigella's pear and ginger muffins are good. So is her breakfast bar recipe, actually.

How far does your objection to cereal go? Museli in your yoghurt?

[fahye]

Sounds good, do you have any handy links?

Muesli-and-yoghurt doesn't do it for me unless it's toasted muesli, which is usually a lot unhealthier. I suppose I could look into making my own.

[highlyeccentric]

Muffins, Breakfast bars.

FWIW, I think I prefer the muffins with apple and cinnamon to pear and ginger. Same recipe, swap the ingredients.

[highlyeccentric]

Oh and: eggs are time-consuming, but what about hard-boiled in batches and kept in the fridge? Egg sandwich for breakfast?

[kayloulee]

I have a recipe for apple and cheese muffins that was fantastic at breakfast, but I can't link you or copy it into this comment because I'm at my parents' place. I'll copy it into a comment tomorrow when I get home. There's also the magnificent idea of baked oatmeal, which I haven't made but I would love to make: Banana bread oatmeal, Gingerbread oatmeal and peach blueberry oatmeal, all from Beth at Budget Bytes.

[fahye]

Ooh, that baked oatmeal does look great!

[kayloulee]

I am now able to provide you with the apple and cheese muffin recipe!

Spicy Cheddar Muffins

250mL milk
2 tbsp melted butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
generous pinch cayenne pepper
200g plain flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp caster sugar
pinch salt
150g grated cheddar (recipe says as vintage as you can get, but it's fine with regular 'normal' cheddar)
100g walnuts, roasted and chopped, or 1 grated apple

Preheat oven to 180C. Combine milk, butter, egg and cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Toss grated cheddar with flour to mix well. Add the cheese and flour mixture to the wet mixture and mix well. Add the walnuts or grated apple.

Spoon into greased muffin trays, cook in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Definitely don't use muffin cases or cupcake papers, the cheese sticks to the paper and you lose half your muffin.

[jothra]

UGH breakfast is so annoying, isn't it?

I haven't tried to freeze muffins, but I can demolish a batch in a week if they are the right kind. I can dig up my blueberry recipe, but it's pretty standard.

Other thoughts: home made granola is better and less cereal-y than bars you buy at the store. You might try looking for frozen pastry style thingies like croissants, too. Pretty quick and easy. And if you must have carbs and protein but have no time, instant breakfast drinks like Carnation are okay. I lived off those for years in high school when I thought I would puke if I ate that early in the morning.

Frozen bagels are also handy.

[fahye]

Granola is not even a thing in Australia; as far as I know it's kind of muesli-like?

I love pastries! but I think I need more complex carbs to get me through the morning, light-and-buttery only gets you so far.

[jothra]

*reads wikipedia*

Similar! I think my idea of granola generally involves more nuts than most.

Our recipe goes something like:
Peanuts
Almonds
Sunflower seeds
Pumkpin seeds
Cashews
Wheat germ
Honey- then bake everything. Add dried fruit after.

[schiarire]

That is waaay too healthy for me to have a relative recipe! Although Claire is kind of right about muffins being sneaky cake. I do remember that my roommate Emily baked a lot of applesauce muffins? I was a fan of that. There are some on Tastespotting.

[fahye]

I will investigate this! I am sure one can buy applesauce here, I've seen it in the European Food section of the supermarket.

[ashen_key]

*cheerfully stalks post for ideas herself*

[silveraspen]

Ditto. :)

If you are a cottage cheese person, I find that makes for an easy breakfast when combined with fruit (or for a less sweet taste, with something like a tomato or plain with salt and pepper, and it's still good).

Crockpot oatmeal works well, can be made in batches overnight, and is tasty.

[genarti]

I have seen recipes for little mini-quiche kinds of things baked in a muffin tin, which always sounds like the kind of thing I would love. Alas, I'm not sure I've saved any, because I'm also too lazy to do that kind of baking ahead for the morning.

Recipe I have memoried because it looked interesting, but not actually tried for myself: Muffins that taste like doughnuts (Similarly named recipe at http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/114029/Muffins-That-Taste-Like-Donuts, which may be the same one, I dunno.)

My mom does some very nice cheddar cheese muffins, but I don't have the recipe on hand. I can ask her for it if you want!

[fahye]

Those muffins look AMAZING but almost certainly too sugary for a breakfast food. I might have to make them anyway as a snack :D

[jothra]

I can testify that those muffins are sugary, but effing DELICIOUS. I make them often.

[electrumqueen]

My mom toasts her own muesli, which is pretty easy + healthy to do afaik? (I steal containers of it and have it with bananas. I think it is just muesli + oil + brown sugar on 100 celsius for about forty minutes, stirring occasionally.) And it keeps for aaages and is like, two minutes' effort in the morning which is useful because I am a zombie in the mornings.

[dementedsiren]

So, here's a recipe that a friend of mine got me hooked on and it is so tasty. I know you say eggs are time-consuming, but I've actually found that, if you get some of the little silicone egg poachers this is actually really easy/quick.

So.
Get multi-grain bread (or english muffins, or anything, really). Toast bread.
Poach eggs.
Cut up avocado into slices
Put avocado slices on bread. Put poached eggs on avocado. Put salt/pepper (to taste) on poached eggs.
Eat like an open sided sandwich.

This is so, so simple but it's tasty, really filling and is actually pretty good for you

Also, personally, I'm a huge fan of cottage cheese (not sure if you have access to it or if it's just a US thing as I could never find it in the Netherlands) with a spoonful of sugar.

[fahye]

I am a heathen and not that fond of avocado D:

[dementedsiren]

No, not fond of avocado? I can't fathom (I was practically raised on it and sort of forcibly inherited my mother's love for it) :)

You could subsitute something like wilted spinach but that starts running into the time issue again.
Can you get premade pie crusts (already in aluminium outers)? If so, I'd go for pre-making a full quiche and then eating off it for a week. You can use up tons of veggie leftovers that way and it stores and reheats pretty well.

[fahye]

I love the idea of making a full quiche for breakfasts but unfortunately I am living with four other members of my family: I would make it and in two days it would be GONE.

[dementedsiren]

Quiche thieves!
Alas. Muesli/granola, fruit and yogurt may be the best bet :\

[cookingtaco]

(Didn't notice it was crossposted on Dreamwidth, so this comment is on your LJ also)

When I used to have to get up at 4am *shudderrr* I would prepare my breakfasts the night before.

(It may have been recommended, but I'll say it anyway.)

I would get some of the Coles brand oat cereal (It has dried fruit and other Things in it) then add some Greek yoghurt, maple syrup and frozen raspberries to it and put it in the fridge. It would become a large soggy mass of things, and I understand if it sounds disgusting, but it helped me get through those God-awful mornings...

Also, the amount of yoghurt can be reduced with milk used to replace it... You can find packets of frozen raspberries in Coles for around $10/kg...