Midwinter Breakfast

If breakfast is the most important meal of the day, then midwinter breakfast is critical for those of us living in the northern hemisphere! Looking back over the years I can relate to many breakfast recipes. As a child it was al always cooked porridge sometimes indulged with cornflakes if I got my way! As a student it was a coffee. As an employee I was lucky to have toast with that coffee. Occasionally I treated myself to the full Irish breakfast or at least a bacon sandwich on the hoof! Then for years it was simply a soft boiled egg with buttered toast. Today, in midwinter,  I have settled on a more healthy and dramatic start to the day. It still includes coffee but is accompanied with a freshly squeezed orange juice, a fruit and nut oatmeal muesli and a cup of delicious home made broth!

Ingredients for 2 persons

2 oranges freshly squeezed.

Muesli 

10g  porridge oats

10g muesli 

1 orange peeled/deseeded and cut into segments 

1 pear peeled/deseeded and cut into small segments 

6 walnuts 

6 dates cut into small segments 

Milk ( oatmeal) poured over the muesli once served (but you could use any type of milk or juice ( apple juice) as preferred). 

Broth

It was during a visit to the Asian market in Singapore that I first became acquainted with the practice of a morning broth! It is a great immune booster and you can feel your body craving for those nourishing ingredients.

I litre fresh chicken broth brought to boil.

1 clove garlic cut up very small

1 shallot cut up very small

1 chili cut up very small 

1 sprig fresh coriander ( finely chopped and served on top)

Simply boil up the broth in a saucepan. Finely chop the raw garlic, onion and chili adding it to the broth and  removing from heat. Serve in mugs with the coriander on top. I sometimes add ginger to this broth which adds an additional magic. Season with salt and pepper.