Breakfast
Fast, healthy and cheap is usually the game plan for breakfast—with as much pleasing flavor as I can manage in my grouchy morning state. Whether you have hours or minutes, there’s a great breakfast to be had for little.
For today’s breakfast, fluffy, creamy eggs hold together a mass of tangy, juicy, sweet tomatoes.
1/2tbsp butter
4 cups tomatoes, chopped
4 eggs
salt and pepper
basil or other herbs, chopped (optional)
Put a small pan on medium heat and melt the butter, then swirl it around to coat the pan. Add the tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes release their juice and most of the juice evaporates, about 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, crack the eggs into a bowl and add a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Beat the eggs lightly with a fork. Once most of the juice has cooked out of the tomatoes, turn the heat down to low and add the eggs to the pan. Using a spatula, gently mix the eggs and tomatoes. Carefully stir the eggs to keep them from forming chunks. Turn down the heat as low as possible; the slower your eggs cook, the creamier they’ll be. Once the eggs are done, turn off the heat and add any chopped herbs you have around. Basil is the best with tomatoes. If you have some around, serve over toast or a tortilla
Oatmeal
This basic recipe can be dressed up in so many ways, you’ll never get bored. Oatmeal makes a hot and comforting breakfast; it’ll give you energy for a great morning. It’s also extremely inexpensive, so you can spend a bit more on lunch and dinner
1 cup rolled oats
2 cups water
1/4 tsp salt
In a small pot, add the oats, water and salt. Place it on medium-high heat, just until the water comes to a boil. Immediately turn the heat to low and place a lid on the pot. Cook for 5 minutes, until the oats are soft and tender and most of the water has cooked off. You can add more water if you like your oatmeal smooth and thin, or use slightly less if you want a thick oatmeal. This is just the basic recipe; several ideas for how to make it your own follow on the next pages. Whether it’s milky and sweet or savory and salty, I’m sure you can find a favorite way to enjoy a hot bowl of oats in the morning!
COCONUT AND LIME OATMEAL
COCONUT AND LIME OATMEAL : the coconut and sugar to the oatmeal, water, and salt. Cook as normal. Turn off the heat and squeeze the juice of half a lime over the top.
1/4 cup coconut, shredded
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 lime, juiced
BERRY OATMEAL
BERRY OATMEAL : Cook the oatmeal as usual, but 2 minutes before it’s ready, add some fresh or frozen berries and the sugar, then stir to combine. There’s nothing more to the recipe than that, but it’s surprising how many variations you can come up with just by trying a new type of berries or combining several varieties.
1/2 cup berries, fresh or frozen
1 tbsp sugar
PUMPKIN OATMEAL
PUMPKIN OATMEAL : Whisk the pumpkin, milk, and water in a pot. Add the oats, salt, sugar, and spices, but omit the normal 2 cups water. Cook on mediumlow until it bubbles. Turn to low for 5 more minutes. Add syrup or more sugar to taste.
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cup milk (or almond / soy milk)
1 cups water
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
OPTIONAL
1/4 tsp ginger powder
1/4 tsp clove powder
maple syrup
BAKLAVA OATMEAL
BAKLAVA OATMEAL : Before cooking the oatmeal as normal, add the cinnamon, orange zest and 2 tablespoons of honey. Once it’s cooked, top each bowl with another tablespoon of honey and a tablespoon of nuts.
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp orange zest, finely grated
4 tbsp honey
2 tbsp almonds or pistachios, chopped
APPLE CINNAMON OATMEA
APPLE CINNAMON OATMEAL the oats in juice and cinnamon instead of water. Top with the apple. If you want the apple to be soft and warm, cook it along with the oats.
2 cups apple juice or cider
1 tsp cinnamon
1 apple, cored and chopped
SAVORY OATMEAL
SAVORY OATMEAL : Cook the oatmeal with scallions. Just before it’s done, add cheese. Melt the butter in a pan on medium heat. Crack in the eggs, then cover. Fry until the yolks are runny but the whites are cooked, then top each bowl of oats with one fried egg!
2-3 scallions, finely chopped
1/4 cup sharp cheddar, grated
1 tsp butter
2 eggs