Quick weekday winter breakfasts

As the mornings cool down, our weekday family brekky menu tends to warm up. There is just more need for comfort food on a cold morning, don’t you think?

(Although this week it seems everyone wants a smoothie EVERY DAY.)

Here are four of my favourite fast winter breakfast ideas to warm up your morning:

1. Pancakes and spiced fruit

Pancakes are actually quick to make once you get the hang of them. I often make a big batch of spiced fruit on the weekend and use it during the week for pancakes or to serve warm with yoghurt or custard as a dessert.

Spiced fruit

Peel and chop a pile of your chosen fruit – in winter Ioften go for apple or pear. You could also use frozen blueberries or oranges, perhaps.
Put in a saucepan with a little orange juice, some maple syrup and half a teaspoon of cinnamon, half of ginger, and a star anise (or some mixed spice powder).
Bring to boil then gently simmer until they are the texture you are after.

Pancakes

My go-to pancake recipe is simple: 1 cup of wholemeal self-raising, 1 egg, 1 cup milk.

I find the quickest way is to cook three or four at a time, using a small ladle full of mixture for each in a greased frying pan. They are the size of a large pikelet and are quicker to cook and more manageable to handle at that size.

2. One-minute one-egg omelettes

I love making these delicate little omelettes. They are thin, almost like crepes, but they seem less rich and more palatable for young children first thing in the morning.

Melt a knob of butter over medium heat into a small frying pan – don’t burn the butter!
Beat up one egg, pour it in the pan and swirl around (the egg, not you).
Grate a handful of cheese over the omelette.
(Optional) add a small amount of filling, whatever you like, such as finely chopped tomato, ham, shallot, rocket or mushrooms.
Wait for it to almost set, then fold.
Use a large spatula to slide out.

Repeat for the next person.

3. One pan, family big breakfast

We make this a lot at home. You basically just throw eggs and whatever extras you happen to have in the fridge into a frying pan.

If you’re a carnivore, start with the bacon, cook it as you like.
Scatter some veg throughout the pan (mushrooms, tomatoes, asparagus).
Break in your eggs – try and break them evenly throughout the pan, so when you serve up, everyone gets a bit of everything.
Nudge some greens into the gaps.
Make it really decadent by adding haloumi or grated parmesan over the top, or sprinkling with truffle oil.
It’s done when the eggs are cooked to your liking