Autumn breakfast options

Here we are back in coverage, enjoying a beautiful autumn on the east coast while parking up for the next couple of months in Kaikoura while himself does some work to restore the local rail network after earthquakes last October. It has been a busy 2 weeks of travelling from the bottom of the South Island up to nearly the top of the South Island while catching up with friends and family along the way.

Many of the aspects in our life took a back seat (such as school work, blogging and journalling) to the travels and socialising however domestic life continues regardless of the location or dwelling.  Dishes still need to be done, floors swept – yes, swept as we lack any modern devices at the moment to assist … soon though my dreams may become reality 🙂 – and food prepared.

I have continued to make our bread, which is a bit of a staple food now, and as I let you know the other week our ferments are still on the go.  Another staple I have been making at the moment is muesli so that now that some of the other cereals have been used up we have an option besides toast in the morning.  Muesli is a great autumn transition food before the winter porridge appears and is also a fantastic way to get a few more nutrients into themselves without much effort on my behalf which makes it a very appealing plan!

Warm and toasty out of the oven … hard for themselves to resist especially with some creamy raw milk we were given!

This muesli is super easy as it is really just chucking in what ever you like and then drizzling with oil before baking in the oven, of course you can also have a raw version by omitting the oil and oven part.  I have been making muesli for a few years with a honey and oil drizzle, then when the price of honey went up and we noticed the effects of honey on our youngest I began to just use oil without any objections.  What you don’t know doesn’t hurt you I say! 🙂  I do add a few dates chopped up and coconut so that is a fair bit of sweetness to soothe the soul.  Below is what I use to create our morning muesli however it is really just a guide for you to explore and create your own, dependent on tastes. I don’t use a measure either (sorry), rather I just chuck in a bit of everything with oats being the majority of the mix

Morning Muesli

Oats – largest portion

Pumpkin Seeds

Sunflower Seeds

Sesame Seeds

Desiccated Coconut

Dates – chopped

Almonds -raw

Olive oil or similar (optional: omit if you want raw muesli)

• Mix everything thoroughly, especially the chopped dates as they will clump together if not mixed into the dry ingredients.
• Drizzle olive over the top and mix well again.
• Bake in an oven at around 200 C, watching and mixing occasionally until it is golden brown.

Play and enjoy.  Until next time I hope this finds you all basking in the sunshine of life.

Arohanui

Y

www.becominghealthy.co.nz

GF, DF Griddle Cakes

These are super easy and fast to make and delicious!  Herself loves making pancakes on the weekends and since they don’t really sit well with me I thought I would create my own GF and DF version.  I have to say that after playing around and trying numerous mixtures of flours these Griddle cakes are the best mix I have managed.  Basically I have swapped the flours and milks to make a basic pancake recipe gluten and dairy free so I’m sure there are a million and one other versions online if these don’t tickle your fancy.

Warm and ready for breakfast.

They are thick (the mixture is thick so the cakes are too as the mixture doesn’t run) and just the right taste to be able to use as a toast or pikelet substitute.  I also cooked these in coconut oil, something new for me I have to say, which actually made them all the better.  I have had them for breakfast with spreads, for breakfast with a poached egg and for lunch with some salad.  As with most GF things though they are best used on the day they are made however they can be made in the morning and still tasting good at lunch.  Actually, to be completely honest,  they haven’t lasted beyond lunch for me to know if they would be good after this!

Just as delicious with lunch.

Anyway … enough chat. Here is the recipe.

GF, DF Griddle Cakes (makes 12-15)

1/3 Cup Rice Flour

1/3 Cup Buckwheat Flour

1/3 Cup Coconut Flour

1 Cup Rice Milk

1 Egg

• Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until they are well blended.
• Heat a cast iron pan (griddle) and put some coconut oil in.
• Spoon in the mixture and flatten a little into a round shape.  I fitted about 3 cakes into the pan at a time.
• Cook until there are air bubbles/pockets appearing on the surface and then flip.
• Remove when they are browned on both sides.
• Enjoy!

It really is that simple.  As I said before there are probably heaps of other alternatives to these that you can find online however why not play around and get your own ‘sweet’ mixture?  They are a great, quick ‘whip up’ meal when time is short and a yummy afternoon treat with jam too if need be.

Hope this finds you enjoying life to the fullest.

Arohanui

Y

www.becominghealthy.co.nz

 

Hmmm….. maybe not that way?!

I love rice, I really do. Honestly I could eat it everyday, if my family were willing, and still not be sick of it.  It was fantastic while travelling in Asia to indulge and to be one of the majority rather than the minority that I currently am in this household.

So when yet another person told me that they had rice for breakfast I decided it was time for me to scrap the Rice Flake porridge and try the real stuff!  I had thoughts of delicious rice pudding cooked in Rice milk – yes even my milk is rice 😉 – and eagerly ventured into the kitchen.  In went the rice and the milk and on went the pot. Very quickly the pot was a bit on the dry side so in went more milk. Then more milk, then more and yet more again!!  By now you will realise that I am not a ‘Master Chef’ in the making nor will I ever be yet I was determined to have my rice breakfast so I preserved. 😉

I was having my doubts as to ever getting fed when, after nearly 1 litre of rice milk was used and at least 20 mins (I lost track of time by this point in my concern over having enough milk) had passed,  the rice looked like it was beginning to be ready.  Just as culinary skills elude me so does patience on many a day.  Close enough was good enough for this girl, at this point, with 2 hungry kids waiting for breakfast!  Hmmmm….. maybe not the way to cook rice in the mornings?!

It was, I must say, worth waiting for though and I really enjoyed it – the eating part that is 😉 So tomorrow I will try, try again this time with water to start and then add in the yummy milky bits after. I’d love to hear any suggestions from all you breakfast rice eaters out there too.

Hope this finds you happy and healthy, with a bit more culinary nouse than I possess 🙂

Arohanui

Y

www.becominghealthy.co.nz