Breakfast Power: Chia, Millet & Oat Jars

So we’re all chiming in a new year. 2024! It’s real and raw as many are probably searching for a cause, looking to set new goals, counting the achievements, or just looking for a purpose. Let me give you some anti-philosophy!

Apricot Oat Spelt Bread Loaves

The last thing I expected to really get hooked on in terms of food, when I first moved to Germany, was bread. Having lived in many countries I was used to a great variety of bread, mostly flatbreads. In my arrogance - or call it ignorance - I was sure that while Germany had some great bread-types – think of the pumpernickel, others were overrated – for me the pretzel!

Overnight 5 Grain Bircher Muesli With Goji berries & Green Apple

Ready, steady … go! Most mornings many of us are dashing out the door, grabbing a quick piece of toast and a coffee to go. I know you all are smart enough to know that a good meal at the start of the day takes you further, keeping your energy levels balanced. For me a good breakfast also keeps any mood swings or headaches at bay and I realized a long time ago that a good regular breakfast kept me focused by improving my concentration levels.

Breakfast of Champions - The Big Breakfast Post

 

Breakfast is for champions! And according to the trend it is sneaking its way into the other meals of day. We have a tendency to put an egg on everything and serve up “breakfast for lunch/dinner” – a trend that I follow myself, especially when the traditional eggs, bacon, grilled tomatoes and baked beans are concerned.

Mujadara Jnoubiyeh - Lebanese Lentil and Bulgur Pilaf and Cabbage Salad with Za’atar and Sumac

Weimar – Brussels – Normandy Coast – Paris – Weimar

Weimar – Valdobbiadene – Rome - Amalfi Coast – Venice - Weimar

We are thinking of getting away. Satisfy the itch on our feet, packing up and heading to different shores. Not the travel we have been doing for work, workshops or photo shoots but the travel for us. The kind of travel where time is not an important commodity, instead it is the adventure and the experience that makes a trip memorable.

Vanilla Spelt Porridge with Caramelized Quince and Cranberries

For 8 years now I have called myself a blogger. Let me correct that … a food blogger. After all we food bloggers are just special in many ways. We deal with beautiful ingredients, cook up soul satisfying and sinful treats, write about food, its culture and origins, photograph drips, drizzles, sprinkles, dollops from all angles and we are constantly hungry for more. Being a food blogger can be extremely addictive and exactly 8 years ago I became a part of the addiction.

Almond Milk Quinoa Breakfast with Fresh Fruit and Toasted Pecans

“Don’t eat breakfast cereals that change the color of the milk” - Michael Pollan, Rule 36

I instantly cringe as I remember eating bowls of Fruit Loops and Lucky Charms as a growing child all those years ago. Although my mum was particular about our meals and paid attention to eating well and healthy, somehow this did not apply to breakfast. Growing up in the early 80s we were subjected to the common, popular TV commercials - bright, gaudy and colorful. The cereal commercials always had my brother and I proverbially eating out of their bowls. My mother, usually strict and alert, snapped, crackled and popped with our selection of breakfast cereals.

Tropical Fruit, Nut and Spelt Granola

Experts have told us over and over again that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and one should never skip it. The ancient proverb “Breakfast like a King, lunch like a Prince and dine like a pauper” has more than a grain of truth in it.

I grew up in an Indian family traveling around the world. Living outside of India as kids a lot of our food habits were often influenced by the cuisine of the the country we were currently living in.  What I distinctly remember however was, contrary to the proverb, we would dine in true royal Indian manner! 

Berry Nut Chocolate Intense Granola

  

I love my morning granola or muesli! My jars at home are usually almost always filled with either a muesli or granola blend I make at home. I know I am not alone when I say that homemade muesli or granola always hits home with me.  

Garlicky Marinated Halloumi Cheese with a Roasted Tomato Quinoa Salad

 

Having my cousin around at the moment is so exciting. The fact that the last time I saw her, she was still a toddler in her diapers and today she has blossomed into a beautiful and sophisticated 25 year old young lady, would probably surprise you. But it’s true! The last time I visited India was roughly 20 years ago. That in itself is astonishing considering it is my birthplace and some of my dearest family live there.

Mint Lamb Meatballs with Spelt Risotto and a Coriander Pesto

  

I’ve always had the utmost respect for all the single working mums out there. It’s not easy to juggle a job, child/children, house, hobby and everything else a woman desires to do. Now, however as I too am a “single mother” for a major part of the week, all I can do is tip my chapeau in pure admiration and humble dignity. 

Saffron Wholemeal Whole Wheat Bread Rolls

 

Parts of me are waxed, my toes are pedicured and fingers manicured, my favorite sundress and peep-toe heels are packed and I am raring to go!

Four Grain Very Berry Pistachio Nut Granola Bars

 

This past week I spent getting used to a new routine. As Tom departed onto a new adventure of a new job in a new city, I stayed behind to guard the fort and the child. It’s exhausting when there is no one to share the chores, worries and daily life with. All of a sudden I alone have the huge responsibility of looking after the most precious being – Soeren.

Cooking School: Falafel with a Tahini-Yogurt Sauce and a Minty Tabouleh

 
There are many reasons why I love going to visit my parents in Dubai - the main one, of course, is seeing my parents and brother! But also on the top of my list is the food - the Arabic food to be exact. Regulars to my blog will know that I have lived a larger part of my younger years in the Persian Gulf countries and literally grew up on good Lebanese, Egyptian and Syrian cuisine. Thanks to the large expatriate community in these countries we had several friends from these countries who often spoilt us with their large mezzes and delicious dishes.

Fluffy Buckwheat Cottage Cheese Pancakes with a Touch of Thyme

 

It is my firm belief that mothers do not need one specific day to celebrate their being! Mother’s should be celebrated every day of the year. They should be praised and idealized for their love, sacrifices, inspiration, motivation and protection. But we do have a special day to celebrate the unconditional love of a woman who calls herself a Mother.

Celebrating 3 with a Power Breakfast: Wholegrain Porridge with Goji Berries and Cashew Nuts

7:45 AM - Weimar: I've just dropped Soeren off at school and am on my way to work. I turn up the radio as my favorite band, Coldplay rock to the sounds of "Viva La Vida". My usual trip to work always cheers me up. It's the same everyday but everyday I discover something new. At this hour the streets of Weimar are already alive and wide awake.

Lime Chicken and Vegetable Farro Risotto

A new life sized poster of the very hot Jonathan Rhys Meyers stared down at me as I walked into the perfumery. "Anywhere in your Element" proclaimed the new Hugo Element Ad. I closed my eyes and was instantly transported to a day dream for a few seconds.

"Delicious!" I smirked as I came back to the real world. Heading towards the cashier I could hardly wait to bring my day dream to real life!

Szechwan Pepper and Ginger Mixed Sprouts

Brrrr!!! It's cold out there. With temperatures sinking down to -20 degrees C, it's beyond cold out there! The day was postcard perfect - clear blue skies, puffy white clouds matching the fresh powder snow and frozen snow crystals on the trees. Each time a sun ray caught a crystallized branch it glittered a rainbow of colors. I so badly wanted to take a few pictures to show you - but I think I would have frozen before I even got around to setting up my equipment. 

Millet Vegetable Cakes

Dishes like this really excite me. At first they look like any ordinary savory cakes, but a look closer and you'll be pleasantly surprised at the versatile revelation. These cakes are inspired by the famous potato latkes, which here in Germany are eaten as a side to several types of dishes. You'll often find them served with veal in a creamy sauce, with beef ragout and my favorite with a simple order of apple sauce.

I've taken the potato latkes and given it a whole new dimension. Instead of potatoes I've used millet, added a few Mediterranean vegetables and some aromatic rosemary. The result is an extremely flavorful and versatile side dish that can accompany fish, meat, poultry and vegetables. Not only that but I've also served them for breakfast with omelettes or scrambled eggs, for lunch with elegant smoked salmon and for dinner with a hearty ragout or just roasted vegetables. The possibilities with this are truly endless.

I started experimenting with millet a few years ago. Here in Germany babies are encouraged to eat grains and cereals. Often called "brei" (porridge), these are amongst the first types of solid foods a baby is introduced to in the form of porridge. Soeren grew up on millet, spelt and 7 grain cereals and porridge. Then after he began eating the same food we did, I stopped buying these cereals.

One day, a few years ago, I had time to spare and was not in a rush to go through the aisles at my organic store. I noticed packets of cereals and grains. Not in the baby food aisle but in the aisle where rice, couscous and co. were stored.

Were these always here? Or are they new? I put back the packet of couscous on the shelf and instead put a bag of millet in my shopping cart.

Back at home I was scratching my head at what to make with it. Besides baby porridge I was unsure of how to put the bag of millet to use. I was surprised that my mum came to help. Surprised because I did not even remember ever eating millet while growing up. But she assured me that millet was a staple in Indian cuisine, often grinded into flour.

"Use it like you would rice." she advised. So, began my experimenting phase with millet. I made several pilaf type of dishes. Rediscovering millet was something of a revolution in my kitchen, with both Tom and Soeren loving the mild nutty. Soeren's tastebuds must have been familiar with flavor as he had no trouble re-accepting it back in our diets.

I've come up with several great ideas using millet over the past few years. It is a wonderfully versatile grain and can be used in several ways. It can be creamy like mashed potatoes or puffy like rice. Besides cooking it as breakfast porridge it can be used alternatively to rice or potatoes. Grinding millet and adding the flour to bread, cake or muffin recipe will add a new texture and flavor to your baked goods.

It is important to thoroughly rinse the grains under cold running water before cooking them. To release the nutty flavor millet offers dry roast the grains in a skillet before boiling them. When the grains turn a golden color simply add them to the boiling water or stock.

For fluffy rice like millet cook one part millet grains to two and half parts boiling water. Once the liquid and returned to a boil, turn heat down and covered, simmer for 25 minutes. A more creamier texture can be achieved by cooking it like risotto - stir frequently and add the liquid every now and then.

There is not much you can do wrong with this grain. My recommendation just let your imagination run wild. I did and came up with these savory millet vegetable cakes.  

 

Ingredients
Printable version of recipe here.

250g millet grains, rinsed and drained.
600 ml vegetable stock
3 eggs, separated
100g quark - substitute with sour cream or crème fraiche
1 red bell pepper, cut into juliennes
1 red carrot, cut into juliennes
50g olives, chopped
1 tablespoon sage, chopped
1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Method

Dry roast the millet grains in a skillet until golden. In the meantime bring the stock to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add the roasted millet into the boiling liquid, turn heat down and simmer for approx. 30 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In a mixing bowl stir together, egg yolks, quark, vegetables, olives and herbs. Incorporate the cooked millet into the mixture. Salt and pepper to taste.

Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks have formed, then fold into the millet mixture. Heat the olive oil in a skillet.

Form small flat pancake-like cakes with the millet mixture and on low heat fry the millet cakes for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden.

Serving suggestions:

• For breakfast or brunch, with eggs like omelets, scrambled eggs, baked eggs and sausages.
• For lunch with a few thin slices of smoked Gravad Lax (dill-cured salmon) and dollops of crème fraiche and honey mustard sauce.
• For dinner with a beef ragout or creamy veal and mushrooms or root vegetable stir-fry.  
  

 

 

---

Verdict

Maybe you can share my excitement for these. They are never really out of place and can be served with any meal. What I truly like about these is that you can create a new flavor combination every time, using other vegetables, spices or herbs. I have gone Indian, Italian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern with these cakes, by adding items like garam masla, pecorino cheese, sprouts and chickpeas to name a few. The ideas are plentiful - one thing remains delicious healthy millet cakes.

Grains are being featured for two events this month. My friend and Daily Tiffin colleague Suganya of Tasty Palettes is hosting this month's session of Jihva for Ingredients (JFI) and chose Whole Grains as her theme. Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen was also craving grains. Being this month's hostess for Weekend Breakfast Blogging (WBB) she asked us to show us grains in our breakfasts. I'd like to send both of them these great savory millet and vegetable cakes.

You might like these ideas from WFLH:

	Couscous Salad
	Amaranth Nut Granola
	Bulgur with Vegetables and Feta

From around the blogs:

• Tea & Cookies - China Forbes Quinoa with Avocado
• Kitchen Parade - Quinoa & Black Bean Salad
• Veggie Meal Plans - Breakfast Bars
• Green Gourmet Giraffe - Pumpkin and Millet Bake

 

Daily Tiffin Reading Tip:

•  Meal Frequency and Calorie Intake by Helen

---

All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2008 Meeta Khurana unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First

Mediterranean Flair: Couscous Salad

One of the things I do at my work is organize events. Parties, workshops, seminars, lunches etc. It's actually the part I love the most. My first major event I planned was the opening of a new unit at the university for which I am a part of - the Research Training Group. Especially created to develop the engineering faculty in their different fields. It's a big thing for the university as the group is being funded with a lot of money.

As you can imagine the party was to be on a large scale too. In the process of the last weeks I met a lovely French lady who I hired to cater for the gala dinner last Friday. She and her husband run a gorgeous new French Bistro here in Weimar. The minute I met her we hit it on so well. I knew from day one that I wanted her to cater for our event. We spent hours discussing our food obsessions and passions and what started out as work has turned into a lovely friendship. She is in her mid 50s and a charming lady full of zest and spirit.  The funny thing was we both complemented each other so well. She knew in an instance what I had in mind and I could relate to all her suggestions. Each tiny detail was perfectly organized - right down to the decorations. I wanted something summery in the Provence feeling, natural and not over the top, she brought a car load of lavender, lime and baskets of fresh fruit. The food was elegant but light the desserts spectacular.

One thing we both realized was our penchant for the Mediterranean kitchen. She said it's what she too grew up on as France is heavily influenced by the cuisine of Algeria and Morocco, so there too we found our similarities. We both agreed couscous in any way was something we could have anytime and everywhere. To mark our new found friendship she wanted to make a statement and suggested a couscous salad for the buffet. I agreed instantly.

Funny how things are - I was planning a couscous salad the minute Mansi announced the theme to this month's Monthly Mingle - Appetizers and Hors D'oeuvres. So I too am dedicating this to Elizabeth - a new friend!

---

Ingredients
Printable version of recipe here.

 

200g couscous
1 cucumber, chopped
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (optional)
1 large ripe tomato, de-seeded and chopped
1 red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 large bunch mint, chopped
1 large bunch flat leaved parsley
Zest and juice of 1 lime
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Sprinkling of sumac
Salt and pepper

---

Method

Cook the couscous according to the instructions on the packet. Set aside to cool.

In the meantime toss the vegetables with the herbs and the garlic, if using, in a large bowl. Add the juice and zest of the lime and olive oil. Mix well to incorporate all the ingredients. Finally add the couscous and gently fold in. Salt and pepper to taste. Taste the salad and add more lime juice or oil according to your taste.

Set aside for at least half an hour in the fridge to cool and for all the flavors to infuse with each other. Serve with a good sprinkling of sumac and garlic pita bread or in a large bowl for your party buffet. 

---

Verdict

Couscous in any way! I love it and the fact that it is one healthy grain is an added benefit. Making a salad like this for a party, a get-together or a barbecue is ideal because it's so easy to put together and can be made an evening in advance. A different type of salad that everyone will love. It can be varied in several ways. I often like adding some red lentils to the whole salad for a lovely texture, or crispy sautéed onions on top.

The gala dinner was a hit - the sad thing was the Professor (one of my two bosses) thanked me, for all the perfect organization and helping to make the opening such a success, in front of the big time guests attending the event - and I missed the speech because I was busy setting up the buffet! Thanks to Tom and several friends (who all work at the university) I was told many times what was said. I was in seventh heaven!

I would also like to send this entry to Siri of Siri's Corner who is hosting this months session of A Worldly Epicurean's Delight (A.W.E.D)created by the lovely Dhivya. This month's theme Middle Eastern Cuisine. How can I miss that!

More couscous ideas you might enjoy on WFLH:

	Chickpea Pumpkin Tajine With Coconut Couscous & Coconut Chutney
	Spicy Arabian Chicken with Couscous

I have almost 1000 posts in my reader that I need to catch up on, there are several mails I need to answer and I know I have a challenge to execute and plan! But folks you'll excuse me for just a bit longer - summer and soccer has gripped Europe and after Germany's win over Poland last night the party is on! I miss you all!

---

Technorati Tags: couscous,mediterranean,salad,appetizer,buffet,party,catering,vegetarian,grains,food,recipe,photography,Nikon D70s

---

All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2008 Meeta Khurana unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First