If your breakfasts have become a little lackluster lately, you might need to change a few things. These five inspiring dishes will give you some much-needed motivation to get out of bed in the morning, and take your taste buds on a tour of some of the world’s favorite early morning foods. So here’s the Insider’s Guide to breakfasts that will change your life.
For a truly life changing experience try these breakfasts on a restaurant balcony in each recipes’ home country, or if you are staying closer to home at the moment why not head to one of the ethnic restaurants wherever you are to indulge in a treat prepared for you by an expert. Either way, your breakfasts will never be the same again.
Sweet Breakfast Porridge – Jamaican Style
This is an indulgent Jamaican-style take on the traditional porridge recipe. Taking about 40 minutes to cook to perfection, this may be a breakfast that is best saved for those slow mornings at home. This tastes so good, though, it might actually be worth getting up early for.
Sweet breakfast porridge mixes ground cornmeal and whole milk with the magic ingredients – sweetened condensed milk, cinnamon, and vanilla to create a comforting breakfast those with a sweet tooth are sure to love. If you are inspired to try a bowl on your next lazy day, you can find a full recipe in Carla Hall’s book, ‘Carla’s Comfort Food.’
Breakfasts in Jamaica are usually savory (think ackee and saltfish), so this one bucks the trend. Combine it with a mug of traditional Jamaican hot chocolate, with more condensed milk, nutmeg, and cinnamon leaf for a breakfast treat to be remembered.
Brazilian Feijoada
In Brazil, Feijoada is served for breakfast as well as for other meals. It is traditional that a big pot will be brought to the table to be shared by friends and family. No more bowls of uninspiring cereal – this is a truly hearty start to the day for meat-lovers, and there are vegetarian versions too.
Brazil has a rich culinary history, as immigrants from all over the world influenced the local cooking. It is thought that Feijoada began as a dish cooked by slaves. It is full of black beans – a plant that would have been easy for the slaves to grow for themselves. To the beans, the slaves then added any cuts of meat that they could find, including the leftovers and throw-away cuts their masters did not want.
Traditionally Feijoada would include both beef and pork (smoked and un-smoked), blood sausage, tongue, ears, and tails. Modern recipes often cater for a more squeamish diner and will leave out the more recognizable meaty parts. Accompanied by white rice and boiled cabbages, this breakfast is a protein-packed meal that will power you through the most difficult of days.
The Smoothie
The smoothie truly does have the power (and the vitamins) to change your life If you haven’t tried a smoothie breakfast yet, you are definitely missing out.
Smoothies are best made fresh, but if you are always short of time in the mornings, consider whipping up a big batch and freezing individual portions. These can be defrosted overnight or even taken with you while still frozen in a zipped freezer bag. As your smoothie defrosts, you can drink it straight from the bag by unzipping one corner.
Packed with vitamins and minerals and low on calories, experts believe that the nutrients in smoothies are readily absorbed by the body. There are so many combinations of fruit and vegetables you can add that you won’t ever get bored, and you can let your creative side flow. For an inspirational kick-start try some of these super-healthy recipes.
Children love smoothies too. Make sure they get a head start on healthy eating each morning by making a family sized batch – they can even get involved in choosing what to add.
And if everything goes wrong and you’ve rushed out of the door without your healthy home-made smoothie, don’t worry, you are certain to pass a place where you can pick one up on your way to work.
Middle Eastern Fatteh
Fatteh is a versatile dish enjoyed all over the Middle East. It is made from layers of soaked pitta bread and a selection of other ingredients. Which ingredients are chosen will depend on whether the Fatteh is to be breakfast, main meal or supper dish. The word ‘fatteh’ in Arabic means ‘crumbs’ or ‘broken bread.’
For a delicious vegetarian breakfast version, chickpeas are cooked in tahini sauce and traditional spices. These are then put into a serving bowl and covered in small pieces of toasted pitta and then covered with a thick layer of cold, plain yogurt sprinkled with fried pine kernels.
Finally, garlic fried in an oil-butter mix is poured over the top while still warm. The contrast of warm and cold, crunchy and soft makes this an interesting breakfast, and one that offers a new twist on some now well-known Western ingredients.
Indian Poha
A very quick and healthy breakfast with an Indian twist, Poha (or Pohe) is a must-try food. You can make it yourself or look out for a nearby Indian restaurant to have Poha prepared freshly for you.
Poha is a Gujurati dish and is based on flattened or beaten rice. The husks are left on Poha rice, so it is full of fiber and nutrients. It can be served with a cup of tea and is a brilliant food to carry in a lunch box if you can’t eat it right away.
To make a Batata Poha, onions, cubed potatoes and chilies are fried in hot oil alongside cumin, curry leaves, and mustard. The soaked Poha rice is added and cooked for a few minutes to soak up the flavors. The finished dish can be served garnished with roasted peanuts.
You may also like to try this healthy no-cook, child-friendly Milk Poha. First, Poha is rinsed, and then chopped nuts and dates are added. Hot, whole milk is then poured on and the mixture is stirred and left to soak for a minimum of five minutes.
