Breakfast- most important meal of the day

Breakfast, breakfast – some people can’t get started without it; some people don’t break their fast until lunch time. For some, hot tea or coffee will suffice; for others, fill up the plate.

For those of us who love a morning meal, the perfect go-to staples are eggs and wheat flour, which can be made into an amazing variety of meals especially when mixed together. For many of us who get a quick breakfast because we have to leave for work, or get the children to school on time, that first meal of the day is usually toast with or without the egg, or some sort of cereal.

But since breakfast is the first meal of the day, it should be exciting. The secret to a good, tasty, different breakfast is the preparation. Do some prep the night before (measuring, chopping, pre-cooking) to make it easier to prepare a quick and delicious first meal.

Here are some delicious breakfast recipes to try out; maybe you’ll make them a breakfast staple in the new year.

• 1 cup (250g) cold mashed potato (you can cook the potatoes if you have time) • 2/3 cup (75g) of flour • 2 tsps baking powder • 2 eggs • 125ml milk • 1 tbsp finely cut chives • 1 tbsp oil (light olive oil or sunflower oil) • 1 generous teaspoon of butter 1. Mix the sieved flour and baking powder with the mashed potatoes. 2. Whisk the eggs and milk together and add to the potato mix with the chives.

Whisk the batter until smooth. 3. Prepare a dish for the finished pancakes. 4. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. 5. Add ½ tsp of the oil and a bit of butter.

When it’s hot, add 1 tbsp of batter for each pancake and cook 4 at a time.

Cook for about 1 min until the underside is golden brown. Turn the pancakes and cook until golden. Put the finished pancakes in the dish to keep warm. 6. Repeat the frying process, adding a tiny bit of oil and butter to the pan as and when needed, until all the batter is used. 7. This is a basic pancake, to which you can serve with foods which have different varieties like ham, bacon, eggs, mushrooms, salmon, cheese and sausage, tomatoes, avocado, spinach.

Ingredients • 100 g oats • 100 g cottage cheese or cream cheese • 2 large eggs (even better if they’re free-range) • 1 teaspoon baking powder olive oil or unsalted butter, for frying • 1 avocado, optional • 2 large free-range eggs, optional • chilli sauce, optional 1. Put the oats, cottage cheese or cream cheese, 2 eggs and the baking powder in a blender and mix until smooth with a tiny pinch of sea salt. Add a bit 2. of water to loosen if it’s too thick. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a mediumhigh heat with a small amount of oil or a small bit of 3. butter. Add the batter to the pan, a large spoonful at a time (you may need to do this in batches), and fry until golden. Turn and fry the other side. 4. Serve topped with your favourite toppings.

Pop-overs

This is an American version of the British Yorkshire pudding. It was found on www.sugardishme.com. • 1 ½ tablespoons melted unsalted butter • 1 ½ cups flour • ¾ teaspoon salt • 3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature (4 large ones would do. If the eggs are cold, warm them by placing them in a bowl and cover with hot water (as hot as your tap will go). Let them sit for 10 minutes. • 1 ½ cups milk, at room temperature

A bit of oil to grease the pans. (You can use butter for greasing if you’re an expert). Method 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. 2. Generously grease popover pans or muffin pans with oil or softened butter. Grease the edges too.

Place the pans in the oven for exactly 2 minutes to preheat. 3. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, salt, eggs, milk, and melted butter until smooth. The batter will be thin. Fill the pans less than half full and bake for exactly 30 minutes. Don’t open the oven to look. 4. Bake the popovers on higher heat for 20 minutes and then reduce the heat for the last little bit of baking.

This recipe makes 12 popovers. They’re much nicer warm, and you can eat them with anything, sweet or savoury.