Kosher Gourmet
Great breakfasts to get you going
By: Sharon Lurie
Would you believe that only about a third of adults regularly eat breakfast, and over 50% skip breakfast at least once a week. Mornings can be hectic, but what’s even more hectic is getting ravenous at about 10 and grabbing a slice of chocolate cake or a donut to satisfy the craving. Science has proven that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Whether it’s a full-on meaty breakfast, a healthy yogurt and stewed fruit, or a grab-and-go, DO IT!
PROTEIN PACKED BREAKFAST (which will hopefully keep you satiated until dinner!!
Nothing can beat a meaty breakfast with all the accompaniments. This plate of ‘yum’ should keep one going till mid-afternoon, then you can have your scone and cream! Scrambled eggs on croissants (don’t ask me how to make croissants when we have the best available in store!) However, the minute steak, breakfast sausage, macon, lamb chop, fried peppers, onion, mushrooms, and blistered tomatoes should keep you going! I actually tried to fit my version of hash browns (a combination of potato latke and potato kugel) onto the plate but the stylist said: “No, Shar, it’s over the top.”
CINNAMON BUTTER AND CREAM BULKE
I love playing with bread doughs. Sometimes I forget to write down what I did to make it the perfect dough!! However, for this babka dough I wrote a step by step guide (only on the second time, of course). This is a two day process, so make the dough the day before. It’s the real butter and cream that does it!
½ cup warmed cream (125ml)
10g active dry yeast
2 tsp honey
2 eggs
10ml vanilla essence
½ cup sugar
2 tsp salt
4½ cups all-purpose flour ( level cups)
225g butter at room temperature (divided into four)
CINNAMON BUTTER
½ cup melted butter
1 cup firmly packed treacle sugar
2 heaped tablespoons cinnamon
Pinch salt
2 tsp vanilla essence
METHOD
In a large bowl, I used my bowl from my Kenwood machine as I’m going to knead it in my machine. Place warm (not hot) milk, yeast, and honey into a bowl and mix. Then set aside for 10 mins to allow yeast to activate. Add sugar, flour, salt, and eggs and mix with a wooden spoon to form a “scraggly” dough. Using a dough hook in your machine, start kneading the dough on Speed 3 for about 5 – 7 minutes. Add the first ¼ portion of butter. After two mins add the next portion of butter until you’ve incorporated all four portions. Stop machine and scrape down sides after each butter addition. Knead for a further 10 – 15 mins on speed 5. The dough will still be very soft and tacky to touch. Flour or oil a work surface lightly and turn the dough out onto the flour/oil. With the heel of your hand, shape the dough into a large single tight ball. Rub a little oil (1 Tablespoon) over the dough and place it back into a lightly oiled bowl, cover (I like to use a large plastic bag), and refrigerate overnight. After a minimum of 8 hours refrigeration, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and press dough to gently deflate. Roll dough out lightly to about 35 – 40cm x 25 – 30cm. Spread half the cinnamon butter over the surface of the dough. Roll up tightly along the long side of the dough then slice and place them flat side down in a loaf pan, so that the spiral is facing you. Place into a large rectangular baking dish or into two loaf pans. Cover the dough with plastic wrap, and let it proof at room temperature for about 1 hour or until it has doubled in size. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 170C. Bake the proofed cinnamon babka in the preheated oven for 30 – 35 minutes until golden brown. Combine 1 cup sifted icing sugar and 3 Tablespoons of boiling water to make a pourable icing. As you remove the babke from the oven, pour the icing over.
My friend Liora called from Simon’s Town to say that she’s on a huge health kick! A walk, followed by a swim in the ocean, gym, a shower, one of my health rusks and coffee, and she’s ready to face her clients. So here’s a breakfast that works for some!
LIORA’S GET UP AND GO RUSKS
**PLACE PIC OF 3 RUSKS ON BLUE PLATE NEXT TO BLACK COFFEE HERE – Any pic from jpeg 0239 – 0242
1 box vanilla cake mix (I like Sasko brand)
2 cups all bran flakes
1 cup jungle oats
½ cup sunflower seeds
1 cup chopped pecan nuts
250g butter
½ cup coconut oil
2 cups buttermilk
2 x-large eggs
Preheat oven to 180C. Toss the cake mix, all bran flakes, oats, sunflower seeds, and nuts together in a large mixing bowl. Melt the butter in the microwave in a 1 litre glass measuring jug. Add the oil and buttermilk and mix well. Beat in the eggs. Pour over the dry ingredients in the bowl and stir everything together. Stir everything together until well mixed but don’t overmix. Line a 35 x 24 x 4cm baking tin with baking paper. Scoop the mixture into the baking tin and bake for 45 minutes. While still warm, cut them into squares and freeze them overnight still in the baking dish. Remove from baking dish and place them individually onto a cooling rack, leaving space between each one. Cook on low between 110 – 120C for about two hours until dried out. If they look like they are getting too dark (all ovens are different) then turn the heat down and allow them to dry out.
HOMEMADE COMPOTE, YOGHURT AND MUESLI
I LIKE J PEGS 248 249. 254. 255. 256. 257. 259. 288
4 cups pomegranate or cranberry juice
1kg dried fruit (mix your own favourite dried fruit together)
3 heaped tsp custard powder
2 cups cold water
Place 4 cups pomegranate or cranberry juice into a large saucepan. Add dried fruit. Mix the custard powder in the cold water and add to fruit and juice. Mix well. Bring to the boil, stirring very lightly every now and then reduce to simmer. Once the fruit is soft, switch off heat and allow to cool.
Serve with yoghurt and homemade granola.
HOMEMADE GRANOLA
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup honey
125g butter/coconut oil
1 cup cornflakes
1 cup desiccated coconut
1 cup jungle oats
1 cup finely chopped pecan nuts
½ cup sesame seeds
Preheat oven to 180C. Melt sugar and honey in butter over medium heat. Combine the cornflakes, desiccated coconut, jungle oats, pecan nuts, and sesame seed. Pour honey, butter and melted sugar (while still hot) over dry ingredients and mix well. Pour onto baking tray and bake for 10 minutes on 180C.
BUTTER AND SYRUP DRENCHED CRUMPETS
*** PLS PLACE PIC OF CRUMPETS JPEG 0330. O343. 0263. 0326. 0330. 0344. 0357. 0358. 0361. 0362. O368. 0370. 0371. 0373.
The greatest thing about these crumpets is that they come straight from a Golden Cloud packet of pancake mix!!! Yes, I can hear you saying “how hard are pancakes to make?” But the premixes are just perfect. If you can get them Parev, grab them because, there’s nothing tastier than a pancake with syrup, topped with Macon and avocado pear! Don’t poo-poo it until you try it!
SCRUMPTIOUS FARMSTYLE SCONES.
I’m not one for perfectly round scones, where the dough is dusted with flour and shaped with a “scone cutter”. I prefer a wetter dough where I scoop the mixture into well buttered muffin tray and bake.
*** PLS PLACE PIC OF SCONES, BUTTER JAM AND CREAM HERE. 0197. 0198. 0203. 0204. 0205. 0206. You can actually choose your favourite from the pics of scones sent to you. 0302 and 0303 are also quite cool!
2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1½ Tbl baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp salt
125g butter grated
½ cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla essence
½ cup cream
1 large egg, beaten
2 tsp vanilla essence
Preheat the oven to 200C. In a large mixing bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate, and salt. Add the cold butter to the flour and toss to coat. Using your thumbs and fingers rub the butter into dry ingredients. The dough should become shaggy. In a smaller mixing bowl, beat the egg and then add the vanilla essence sour cream and cream to the egg and whisk to combine. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the eggs and cream. Mix well but don’t overmix. Grease a muffin tray and place two Tablespoons of scone mixture into each muffin cup. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. When the scones are done, cool them on a wire rack. Serve with your favourite jam and cream.
SAVOURY “BIKITZ” AND CHEESE
*** PLS PLACE PIC OF SEEDED BISCUITS AND CHEESE HERE – 0291. 0289. 0298. 0299. 0301. O300 is ok if we crop the tea cup by half as there is spilt tea In The saucer which doesn’t look great. 0304 also nice and 0305. 0306.
When I visited London after Covid and met my grandson Raf for the first time, I introduced him to South African rusks! He would regularly come into my room requesting “Bikitz”. How can this word not conjure up so many warm, loving feelings for me? So Raf, sweetheart, here’s something a little more savoury and healthy for you.
750g assorted seeds (poppy seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, etc)
150g crushed pecan nuts
250g techina
2 eggs
¼ cup honey
2 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 170C. Combine the techina, eggs, honey, and salt in a large bowl. Add seeds and nuts and mix until well combined. Pour mixture onto a well-oiled baking sheet and spread. The spreading of this mixture is a lot easier with wet hands. Bake for 30 minutes then reduce temperature to 120C and continue to bake for 1 hour, to make them really crispy. If they are still a bit soft after they have cooled, place them back in the oven for another 30 minutes at 120C. Serve with cheeses, dips, and spreads.
GRAB-AND-GO TORTILLA EGG AND SALMON ROSES
PLS PLACE PIC OF EGG IN TORTILLA on a muffin tray either . 0274. 0275. 0276.
½ Red, ½ green, and ½ yellow pepper, finely chopped
1 red onion finely chopped
100g smoked salmon bits
4 eggs (well beaten)
½ cup grated cheese
3 tortilla or laffa cut in half to make 6 grab-and-go tortilla roses
Parsley for decoration
Pre-heat oven to 200C. Cut a tortilla or laffa in half. Spread fried peppers, onions, and smoked salmon over the laffa and fold the bottom 3cm over to prevent the peppers from falling out. Roll it up tightly and fold the highest part of the tortilla back on itself to resemble a rose. Put it into a well-greased large muffin tin. Don’t worry if the tortilla opens up a bit as the muffin cup will hold it all together? Meanwhile, beat the eggs, add the cheese mix well and pour inside each tortilla in the muffin tin. Bake in a PREHEATED oven for about 6 – 8 minutes until light brown. Remove from muffin cup, serve, and enjoy!
