I don’t know about y’all, but I go in waves with what I eat for breakfast. That means that I’m into something, eat it daily ad nauseam, and then get epically sick of it. Rinse and repeat. Past breakfast go-tos have included a berry-filled vegan smoothie, the occasional oatmeal (amped up with good fats and berries), avocado toast, and omelets. 

During these past two months, I’ve found myself getting sick and tired of my usuals more than ever, so I challenged myself to try a few new options and recipes, including a few sweet options that felt more like decadent treats than my usual nutrient-dense breakfasts. These were the winners, and all of the recipes are below for you to use and adapt. I also broke down all of the elements of my frequent “breakfast salads” and made a choose your own adventure checklist so you can build the salad of your dreams tomorrow morning (and the morning after, and the one after that.

Happy eating, and don’t forget to follow #caros_kitchen for all of my IRL, real-time cooking dispatches from my home kitchen!

SWEET

 

Butter and Salt Pancakes

¾ c. almond flour

1 T. all-purpose flour

1.5 t. baking soda

1 T. melted ghee

Hefty pinch of flaky Maldon salt

½ c. cashew milk

1 egg

Whisk together the dry ingredients, then add the wet ingredients and mix until smooth (no lumps!). Heat up your cast iron, grease it up with ghee, and fry them up. Top with ghee, maple syrup, and a few more pinches of flaky Maldon sea salt. 

Original recipe can be found here.

 

Olive Oil Granola with Dried Apricots and Pistachios

1.5 c. old-fashioned organic rolled oats

¾ c. cups raw pistachios, hulled

0.5 c. raw pumpkin seeds, hulled

½ c. c. coconut chips

⅓ c. c. pure maple syrup

¼ c. cup extra virgin olive oil

½ t. kosher salt

¼ t. ground cinnamon

¼ t. ground cardamom (add more if you like this flavor, I did!)

⅓ c. cup chopped dried apricots

 Full fat, plain Greek yogurt or coconut yogurt, for serving (optional)

 Fresh berries, for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, combine oats, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, coconut chips, maple syrup, olive oil, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and cardamom. Spread mixture on a rimmed baking sheet in an even layer and bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until golden brown and well toasted.

Transfer granola to a large bowl and add apricots, tossing to combine. Serve with yogurt. and fruit. 

Original recipe can be found here.

 

SAVORY

 

Bombay Frittata

12 large eggs

½ c. unsweetened, unflavored almond milk

½ c. finely chopped red onion

2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

¼ c. tightly packed fresh cilantro leaves

½ t. garam masala

½ t. fine sea salt

½ t. black pepper

½ t. ground turmeric

¼ t. red-pepper flakes

2 T. ghee or coconut oil

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, onion, scallions, garlic, cilantro, garam masala, salt, pepper, turmeric and red-pepper flakes and beat with a whisk or fork until just combined.

Heat the ghee or oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet, such as cast iron, over medium-high heat, tilting the skillet to coat it evenly.

When the ghee bubbles, pour the eggs into the center of the skillet, shaking to distribute evenly. Cook, undisturbed, until the frittata starts to firm up on the bottom and along the sides but is still slightly jiggly on top, about 5 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven.

Cook until frittata is golden brown and has reached desired doneness, 15 to 25 minutes. 

Original recipe can be found here.

 

When In Doubt, Build a Breakfast Salad

Choose something from all of the categories below (and feel free to double up on veg and toppings!)

Greens base

• Spinach
• Radicchio
• Mixed greens
• Kale
• Swiss chard
• Dandelion greens

Protein

• Always eggs (2), can fry, scramble, poach, soft boil to your heart’s content
• If vegan, could add hemp hearts, beans, legumes, quinoa, etc.

Fat

• ½ an avocado
• If making scrambled or fried eggs, 1 T. ghee or avocado oil
• Drizzle 1 T. of extra virgin olive oil on top

Veggies

• Leftovers from dinner
• Canned artichoke hearts
• Fermented foods – kimchi, sauerkraut
• Anything you need to use up in the fridge
• Defrost some frozen veg, such as broccoli, peas, or green beans

Acid 

• Squeeze of lemon or lime
• Your favorite vinegar – I love apple cider vinegar, sherry vinegar, and red wine vinegar

Toppings

• Red chili flakes
• Fresh herbs
• Flaky Maldon sea salt
• Cracked black pepper
• Turmeric
• Paprika
• Everything bagel seasoning
• Sumac

 

ANDDDDD when in doubt, make Shakshuka !!!