I can’t think of a better start to a day than going out for breakfast/brunch with your friends, your boyfriend/girlfriend, or your family. There is something special about sitting at a café, waiting for your food to arrive, observing the other customers, catching up with the person you’re with, and of course, the food! The one thing I’ve missed a lot during quarantine is exactly that. Curbside pick-up or take-out food delivery just isn’t the same… Although I believe that it is important to support local businesses as often as you can, I’ve also been making my favorite breakfast meals at home, inspired by my usual choices when I go out. If you miss going out for brunch, invite your siblings, parents, or whoever you are living with to go out for a quarantine brunch with you in your own kitchen and try out some of these simple recipes:
Turkey, egg, and avocado on a biscuit
Prep time: 5 min
Bacon, egg, and cheese’s healthy sibling takes no time to make and is just as delicious (in my opinion) as my favorite café-breakfast order. Start by cooking your eggs, any style you like! I usually scramble mine in the pan but before it breaks up into tiny pieces, I push it around into a shape of the bread I’ll be putting it on! While your egg is cooking, whip out some cold cut turkey (or ham, bacon, etc.), a few slices of avocado, and a carb base for your creation. Brioche buns, bagels, and biscuits are my personal favorites. The egg doesn’t take long to cook, so just stack all your ingredients on top of each other, drizzle some sauce if you’d like, and voilà! You can pretend you’re at your favorite bagel shop.
Breakfast burrito
Prep time: 7-10 min
Grab your favorite vegetables and protein from the fridge (my go-to’s are leftover roasted sweet potatoes, zucchini, eggplant, and bell peppers with a few turkey or ham slices). Then, chop them up into bite-sized pieces and toss them in a pan with some oil. Once that has warmed up, crack in an egg or two (depending on your preference and the size of your tortilla wrap). Scramble it all together, add some salt and pepper, and drizzle some hot sauce (optional). Get a tortilla wrap and spread some mashed avocado on it (incredible cheese substitute). If avocado isn’t really up your alley, put some cheese on top of your hot mix in the pan. Place the mixture from the pan onto the tortilla and do your best to wrap it so no veg is left behind. It can be challenging but you can do it, I believe in you! If want to take the extra step and toast your burrito, go ahead and put it back into the pan and let it sit there for another minute. This will help seal the burrito as well as give it a nice golden color and a toasty taste.
Oatmeal bowl
Prep time: 7 min
Quick oats, old fashioned 5 min oats, or even steel cut oats work for this recipe! I usually boil some water in a small pot and add a cup of old fashioned oats which take 5 minutes to cook. While they’re cooking, I gather all the toppings that I want that day. Some of my favorite combinations are:
1) Banana, walnuts, peanut butter, flax seeds;
2) Chocolate chips, coconut flakes, chia seeds;
3) Any type of berries, almonds, some oat or almond milk;
4) *If I’m feeling fancy* Apple slices baked in a mini oven (for 5-10 min at 450 F), pecans, cinnamon, maple syrup.
Once the oats are done, I put them in a bowl, add all my toppings, take 10-20 pictures of my beautiful creation, and enjoy it outside!
Yogurt parfait
Prep time: 4 min
Similar to the oatmeal bowl, yogurt bowls, or parfaits if you will, are another quick and simple breakfast option you can make at home. This time, instead of oats, put some plain Greek yogurt in a cup and dress it up with the toppings I mentioned in the previous recipe! For extra sweetness, add in some jam or maple syrup into the plain yogurt before you add any toppings. It will be like the fruity yogurts sold everywhere but without the whopping amount of added sugars…
Roasted veggie bowl
Prep time: 7 min (if you have pre-roasted vegetables)
Such a quick and healthy breakfast option if you take some time to roast your favorite vegetables and cook some healthy grains ahead of time. I always have pre-cooked rice or quinoa in my fridge and I like to roast all my vegetables as soon as I buy them, otherwise, I neglect them until they go bad. For this “leftover” bowl, heat up some vegetables, crack in an egg for extra protein, and add some healthy grains for a wholesome meal. My bowl isn’t complete without some red pesto and, of course, a few slices of avocado.
Avocado toast
Prep time: 5 min
If you couldn’t already tell, I’m a huge avocado fan. Avocado toasts have become so popular in cafes, not to mention overpriced! You can easily make it at home by taking half a ripe avocado, mashing it up, adding some smoked paprika, flax seeds, and sea salt. Once you have that mixture ready, spread it on a piece of toasted bread and add some feta cheese if you’re feeling extra 🙂
