719. Hunza Apricots

Hunza apricots are a specific variety of apricot grown in Afghanistan and dried. They’re smaller and paler than regular dried apricots, and they come fully dried so you have to soak them in water for a couple of hours before you can use them. They’re recommended as being good for using in tagines and stews, but on this occasion I decided to make a compote out of them to eat for breakfast.

719 down, 1077 to go

691. Star Anise and 692. Allspice

I like oatmeal, but I tend to get bored of having it just plain with milk and a bit of sugar on top, so I’ve been trying to think of ways to make it more exciting. On this occasion I decided to give it a spiced apple twist. I finely chopped some green apple and added it to the oats before I started cooking, I swapped out the milk for apple juice, and I flavoured it with some cinnamon, allspice, and star anise. It was pretty good so I am going to continue experimenting!

692 down, 1104 to go

678. Caramelized Oranges

I’m constantly on the lookout for different foods to have for breakfast. When I saw that there were caramelized oranges on the list I figured that they would be a perfect way to start the day when paired with some lovely Greek yogurt. They were really simple to make - I peeled and then sliced a large orange then pan-fried it with a small knob of butter. As they were cooking I sprinkled a tiny bit of brown sugar onto the slices just to help them get as caramelized as possible. 

678 down, 1118 to go

663. Hash Browns

I love hash browns. Actually I love any kind of breakfast potatoes. Breakfast is always better when it involves potatoes. I made these with grated potato and onion bound together with a little egg and flour, then served them with a couple of fried eggs. Breakfast heaven.

663 down, 1133 to go

635. Strata

Strata is another one of the American dishes that I had never heard of before starting the blog. When I saw that it was like a savoury bread pudding I got very excited. I decided to keep mine relatively simple and mixed the cubed bread with some cubed potatoes, ham and cheese before pouring over the egg mixture. I made mine for dinner rather than brunch so I made it early morning, but I think it could have done with even more time to get all soaked up and moist and squidgy so next time I shall leave it overnight.

635 down, 1161 to go

632. Toasted Teacake

I already had hot cross buns for the list before, which are basically a decorated toasted teacake, so this was perhaps a pointless addition to the list. Then again, I’m never going to complain about eating a warm, toasty, crispy, sweet, spicy, butter-drenched bun. I love to have toasted teacakes for breakfast, or as an afternoon snack with a cup of tea. I have some in my freezer now…

632 down, 1164 to go

605. Migas

I had never even heard of migas until a little while back. Then one day I was browsing my Pioneer Woman cookbook and there it was, a migas recipe, and in seconds I immediately went from having no clue what it was to wanting to eat it immediately. Basically, it’s like a Tex-Mex scrambled eggs - eggs scrambled with tomatoes, bell peppers, cheese and crunchy pieces of fried corn tortilla. You were also supposed to add coriander but I forgot to buy any so I just topped it with a few chives instead. Mexican-style egg dishes are always awesome and this was no exception, it was really yummy and made a great Sunday brunch.

605 down, 1191 to go

531. Egg-in-the-Hole

At the weekends I always like to have proper breakfasts. During the week I just make do with cereal or toast if I’m feeling adventurous, but at the weekend I like to have delicious homemade things with eggs or bacon or fruits or pastries or whatever it is I fancy that week. One week I fancied egg-in-the-hole, and yes, I used a cookie cutter to make the toast-holes egg-shaped. It made it better. (You MIGHT be tempted to say that the shape of the hole does not make a difference to the taste, but you would be wrong). I always make my egg-in-the-hole by buttering the bread. It must be real butter, as frankly that’s pretty much the whole point. Then at the end I sprinkle with salt because eggs + salt equals a bunch of delicious. I was feeling posh that day so I used 532. Fleur de Sel de Guerande, which is supposed to be just about the best salt in the world and comes in these lovely big delicious crunchy flakes.

532 down, 1264 to go

510. Rosti

At the weekends I always like to try and make a ‘proper’ breakfast to compensate for just having cereal all through the week. It doesn’t always have to be cooked, I often have something like yogurt and fruit, but the other week I decided I’d make some rosti and poached eggs. Rosti is really easy - I make mine with just potato and butter, that’s it. Just grate the potatoes, squeeze the water out (this part is the most important bit), melt some butter in a small frying pan and sprinkle the potato on top. Press it down lightly, and then I always add extra little bits of butter around the edges which melts down underneath. After a little while (let’s say 10 minutes, I can’t say I normally time it, sorry!) flip it over and repeat the butter around the edges thing. Then after another 10 or however minutes, voila, delicious crispy potatoes!

510 down, 1286 to go

498. Frittata

Frittata is really what I always knew growing up as Spanish omelette (even though it is technically Italian). You can put pretty much anything in it (which makes it a great way to use up leftovers), but I always like to have plenty of sliced potatoes, and in this one I also put bacon and peas, and I topped it with both cheddar and cream cheese. I forgot how long it takes to cook them all the way through, so I nearly served it up with raw eggs in the middle, but luckily I realised in time to put it back on the stove for another 5 minutes!

498 down, 1298 to go