Kitchen Confidant

Stuart O'Keeffe – 30 November 2012 10:30 AM

There is no doubt that when the cold winter kicks off in ernest hearty, nourishing food is what we need to keep us going. And as we all know, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. For a bit of variety try these three unusual winter breakfasts on for size.

BLT sandwich with egg

Serves 1

Ingredients

3 slices thick-cut

rashers/bacon

2 slices Swiss cheese

2 thick slices of rustic

bread, toasted and warm

1 tbsp mayonnaise

2 slices tomato

2 leaves of your favourite lettuce

1 pat of butter

1 egg

Method

In a non-stick pan, cook the bacon until crisp

Place cheese on one side of the toasted bread, spread mayonnaise on top of the other slice of bread and place bacon on top, followed by lettuce and tomato.

In another saucepan, melt butter and fry egg to your liking.

Place egg on tomato, close up the sandwich and eat.

Mexican Eggs

Serves 4

Ingredients

60ml extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp oregano

Salt and pepper

1 jar of pasta tomato sauce

3 handfuls tortilla chips

60g shredded cheddar cheese

8 eggs

Chopped coriander, garnish

Method

Preheat oven to 190°C.

In a saucepan, heat olive oil and saute onion, jalapeno, garlic and oregano.

Season with salt and pepper. Cook for five minutes.

Add the tomato sauce and a little water, simmer for five more minutes.

Place tortilla chips into bowls, top with tomato sauce mix and cheese, crack an egg or two on top and bake for 15 minutes or until egg is set

Serve, garnished with coriander.

Pecan Pancakes

Serves 4

Ingredients

250g all purpose flour

3 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

75g chopped pecan nuts

230ml buttermilk

175ml milk

2 eggs, separated

30g melted butter

Vegetable oil

Extra pecans and maple syrup for garnish

Method

In a bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients.

In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk and milk, egg yolks and melted butter.

Gently combine the two bowl mixtures together.

Whisk egg whites until you achieve stiff peaks.

Fold the whites into the batter. Fold about 15 times then stop. (Do not over fold or you won't get fluffy pancakes.)

Heat some oil in a saucepan until it's quite hot.

Place a drop of batter (about 2 tbsp) on the hot surface and cook until the bottom is nicely browned. This will take about two minutes per side.

Repeat and stack three pancakes per serving.

Drizzle with some maple syrup and then sprinkle additional pecans on top.