It’s easy to get off topic when you think about so many things in a week, and then write about them. It all ends up being quite a mish-mash of journaling through the years. The other day I was just thinking how breakfast is supposed to be such an important meal of the day.
This is well documented by many well-respected dieticians and other experts. Even writers sometimes stick their oars into the discussion. |
I don't happen to eat a big breakfast, and maybe one of my favorite breakfasts is avocado, with a touch of salt and pepper, mashed up with a fork on a piece of toast. Well, that’s a recipe!
Sometimes, when my body (or is it my brain?) cries out for protein, I’ll open a small can of mackerel, put the neatly filleted contents into a bowl, add a swish of rice vinegar, some sea salt, and hey, presto! I have a Scandinavian breakfast!
That’s the kind of recipe many of us use on a daily basis. We no longer have to think about it, we just do it.
Following right along
⅓ cup oatmeal
¾ cup water
Mix together in an individual-size microwavable bowl. Microwave 1½ minutes. Stir, and microwave for two minutes. Done.
Important note: Do not uncover the bowl while microwaving, otherwise, you risk making a terrible mess if it explodes all over the place in your microwave. I know, I've been there.
Now, I'm making an assumption here. You know how to fry an egg. If you don't, you're really in poor shape, and need to get help from someone who does.
Fill a frying pan with water and bring to a boil. Add I tablespoon of vinegar, and stir with a slotted spoon, then, quick as a flash, break your eggs and add to the swirling water.
The vinegar makes the albumen (or egg white) set, and you get perfect eggs. When done to your liking, pull them out with the slotted spoon, drain them and plunk them on top of a nicely buttered English muffin.
"English muffin," you say. I can just see your face light up. Those English muffins are the core of any single person's life. Not only for breakfast either, although you can do a pretty good "Bennie" job if you use some cheese whiz, or something similar, on top of the eggs, then a crisp piece of bacon to top the whole thing off.
Those English muffins are important in the lives of singles for a reason. They go with just about anything, and you can call it a recipe. Breakfast, lunch or dinner.
This is what the lone cook looks for. Some of them actually eat a muffin with peanut butter and jam for every meal. It has protein, a moderate amount of carbs, and is easy on the stomach.
No veggies there, but read on and you might come up with something you like.
I'm not advocating English muffins as a staple diet. In fact, that's why I have a book here, giving a few new ideas for making morning food to those who really don't care if they eat, let alone cook.
You can serve English muffins open face, which means side by side, or closed face, which means you put something on one half, then put the other half on top.
You always get some folks who want adventure though, and these muffin combos are for them; I'll keep it to the breakfast ones.
- Scrambled egg, bacon/sausage. Muffin.
- Cheese, bacon. Muffin. (For an exotic touch, slip this one into the micro for 15 seconds.)
- Avocado, salt, pepper. Muffin. *This one sounds simply deranged but I love it.
Now, if you can stretch to a really easy waffle recipe, it might be worth your while to make these. All you need is a wooden spoon and a big bowl. If you like deep-pocket waffles you need a Belgian waffle iron. If you don't care, a regular one will be fine.
Other than that you need a large bowl and a large whisk or wooden spoon.
So, here's a really great, totally easy, traditional, full-of-flavour recipe to try. If you love slightly tangy waffles, with incredibly crisp outsides, and a creamy delicious inside texture, these are a winner. They do have yeast, so it is important to have all ingredients at room temperature or just lukewarm. That means, just warmer than room temperature.
There is one drawback. You need a waffle iron. Any kind works, but to get the deep crisp square pockets to slather with butter and maple syrup, you really do need a Belgian waffle iron. An electric one is great, and very easy of course, but you can get off-grid ones too, for anyone who might be interested.
You'll also need a mixing spoon, and a big bowl. That's it for the equipment part
Now, in your large bowl, and with your large spoon, mix all the following ingredients together, in the following order. (Actually, it really pays off if you double-check that you have these ingredients before you start.)
3 ounces melted butter
2 Tablespoons maple syrup (this is optional. but use real maple syrup, not Aunt Jemima's, or leave it out altogether.)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs (warm them by placing them (with the shells on) into a cup pf hot tap water for a few minutes, before using them)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons dried yeast. (Find it in the spice section.)
You only need to stir these ingredients together. You don't have to beat them together with a mixer.
Make sure your bowl is big enough to allow the mix to double in size. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, or whatever you have that will do the job, then leave it to stand for at least an hour. If you want your waffles right away, cook them in your preheated waffle iron, usually about six minutes, or until you don't see any more steam coming from the waffle iron.
If you are wonderfully organized, or want others to think you are, mix your waffles the night before you want them. Leave the mix to stand for an hour, then put the bowl in your fridge, ready to use in the morning. This mixture makes about four large waffles. They freeze well, too.
I don't know how anyone could want more than these choices, because I know they're not going to use them. Single people are smart with their cooking, and they're very selective.
A smart tip for cracking eggs
You know how you hate picking out those little bits of shell, after you've smacked the egg against the bowl? Well, a better idea is to tap it on the counter, then break it into whatever bowl you're going to use. I don't know what the scientific principle is, but I do know it works 100% of the time. No yucky crunchy little bits of eggshell in your scrambled eggs!
Told you there are veggie possibilities!
One of my very favorite breakfast things is cauliflower, broken into bite-size pieces, steamed in water with a bit of salt added, drained and slathered, with knobs of butter. Simply delicious.
That’s all for today.
Lemon Cypress & Gaultherias
Some of my ornamental potted plants were just a mess of dried, brown remains of plants.
I replaced them with small, bright green lemon cypress, and mixed a few gaultherias (wintergreen) in between.
They do what I wanted, completely brightening the days!