WinWin Magazine Edition One WinWin Magazine Edition One

Fuel your day.

Girl, say goodbye to boring breakfasts! Our resident food and nutrition expert Camilla Ferraro is here to inspire you to maximise your brekky.


Are you a crack-of-dawn ‘breakfast, get in my belly’ type? Or are you a bit more ‘meh, not that hungry, I’d rather sleep-than-eat’? Either way, there’s no denying that the first meal of your day has some pretty big shoes to fill; powering those brain cells and keeping distracting hunger pangs at bay!

Here are a few things to consider when making your brekky (or brunch, if you like to snooze).

First. Try to include a source of carbohydrate, protein and fat; also known as our three main macronutrients.

Carbohydrates (grains, cereals, fruits) supply the body and brain with its most prized energy source, glucose. A source of protein (dairy, eggs, nuts) keeps us feeling full and provides the essential amino acids we need to build the proteins that make up every cell within our body. And fats. Don’t fear the fats! Oils, butter, nuts and avocado not only make things taste great but also help to ensure that we can absorb and use many of the vitamins in our food. The very vitamins needed to maintain healthy skin, eyes, nails and hair.

Second. Keep things interesting by including ingredients of different textures. Try yummy, crunchy nuts and seeds; fresh versus cooked fruits and mixing up salty and sweet.

Finally. Think about time.

Nobody I know has hours to whip up breakfast from scratch on a weekday. I’m often thinking of ‘cheats’ to prep ahead, or batch-making dishes. Imagine a world where your brekkies are ready, in advance… a world where if you sleep through your alarm there is something ready in the fridge to grab as you dash out the door.

Well, imagine no longer!

Bec Dickinson serves up three simple, portable and delicious breakfast recipes that promise to get your day off to the best start.

Breakfast jars
of joy!

Yoghurt and berry bircher breakfast jars.

Made the night before, all you’ll need in the morning is a spoon! Enjoy the layered delight straight out of the jar or tip into a bowl for an effortless start to the day. If you’re anticipating a busy week, simply double (or even triple) the recipe to make multiple jars for the days ahead.  

Makes: 1 jar serving
You’ll need: 1 small-medium sized jar
Tip: The compote is delicious, but if you don’t have time, leave it out. Use your favourite seasonal fruit as a layer instead

Ingredients.

  • 120g berries (roughly half a punnet) frozen or fresh
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • ½ tsp vanilla
  • ½ cup oats
  • ¼ cup milk
  • ½ apple, grated
  • ½ cup yoghurt of your choice
  • Fresh berries or nuts to serve, optional

Method.

Compote: In a small saucepan, add the berries, maple and vanilla, and gently stir over a medium heat for 5-10 minutes to make a thick berry compote. Set aside to cool. Alternatively you can make a large batch of this to sit in the fridge until needed.

Bircher mix: In a small bowl stir together the oats, apple and milk to make the bircher mix.

To assemble, add half the bircher to the bottom of the jar, then top with half the yoghurt and compote. Repeat the layering with the remaining ingredients. Place in the fridge overnight, and top with optional berries or nuts to serve for added freshness or crunch.

This eat-on-the-go porridge can be warmed up and slathered with honey, nut butter or even ricotta.

A rushed breakfast that feels like a luxury; perfecto!

The yummiest muffins
I ever did eat.

Blueberry and coconut porridge breakfast muffins.

If you’ve got leftover porridge you’re off to a great start!

Makes: 6 large muffins or 12 small muffins
Tip: If you’re making porridge, keep 1 ½ cups aside for your muffins-to-be

Ingredients.

  • 1 cup oats
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 1 ½ cup flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup shredded coconut
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 100g butter, melted
  • ½ cup honey
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 200g blueberries, frozen or fresh and whichever berries you have on hand
  • Raw sugar to sprinkle on top
  • Nut butter, honey or whipped ricotta to serve

Method.

In a small saucepan and over low heat, stir the oats together with the water until thickened and porridge like, then stir in the milk for creaminess. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease a large muffin pan or line with paper cups.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, coconut, sugar, cinnamon and salt to evenly distribute the dry ingredients.

Then in a separate bowl, whisk together the porridge, honey, butter, eggs and vanilla to combine and help blend all the wet ingredients together.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients until just combined. Lastly, gently stir through the blueberries.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin and sprinkle raw sugar on top for a caramelised muffin top. Bake in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes, or until a skewer through the middle comes out clean. Tip onto a wire rack to cool, then either freeze until needed or if fresh out of the oven, lather in your chosen condiment.

Yummo!

Frisky fritters.

Zucchini haloumi fritters with tomato salsa and lemon yoghurt.

Make these fritters ahead and freeze until needed, or bring together on a slow weekend morning.

Makes: 10
Tip: Carrots will make a perfect substitute for the zucchini, and replace haloumi with any other hard grated cheese.

Ingredients.

  • 3 zucchinis, grated
  • ½ red onion, grated
  • 200g haloumi, grated
  • ¾ cup plain flour
  • ¼ bunch basil, roughly chopped
  • 1 egg, lightly whisked
  • 200g punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ¼ bunch parsley, roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ cup greek yoghurt
  • Zest 1 lemon
  • Juice ½ lemon
  • Salt and pepper
  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • Poached egg serving option

Method.

Fritters: Begin by placing the zucchini into a colander, and with your hands squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Tip into a larger bowl.

Add the red onion, haloumi, flour, basil, and egg. Generously season with salt and pepper to bring out the flavours, and mix to combine.

Heat a large fry pan over a medium heat with enough vegetable oil to cover the base of the pan. Put a little drop of your batter into the pan and if it bubbles, you are ready to go.

Take heaped tablespoons of the fritter mixture and press to flatten in the pan with the back of the spoon. If the fritter looks golden on the underside, flip to cook both sides.

Fry all until golden brown and then drain on paper towel.

Salsa: Between fritter batches, in a small bowl, toss together the cherry tomatoes, parsley, olive oil and seasoning to make a salsa.

Yoghurt: In another small bowl stir together the yoghurt with the lemon zest and juice to make your very own lemon yoghurt.

Serve either fresh from the pan, with the salsa and yoghurt, or freeze until a busy morning requires only a quick dash to the kitchen.

If you’re in the mood, a soft-boiled egg on top would never go amiss!