American Omelette

We as a family, love American breakfast. And so we dine quite often at Denny's or IHOP. I particularly like the fact that, when you make it at home, even though you don't prep much the previous night, for your breakfast next morning, you could get it ready on time. And the best part ; I don't have to plead, to have it finished. Since they like it, the breakfast vanishes quickly.

Now American Omelette, unlike the Indian styled ones; are not cooked thoroughly. It took quite some time to get it right. I would end up overcooking it everytime. So its would be just like the Indian Omelette with some cheese and vegetables in it. Clearly, they cannot be tagged under American Omelette. The fact was, even though the base would get cooked, the surface of the Omelette would remain liquidy and uncooked and it would make me flip it and cook. So one trick helped me to balance even cooking of the Omelette without flipping, which make perfect American Omelette. What is that one trick? Well you will have to check out the recipe for that :).  

Eggs Kejriwal

Simple breakfasts with complicated names can make my lil one finish it without throwing fits. And it can also spark a little conversation about how the dish got its name :). Which in this case was so funny when I announced what we were going to have for breakfast. Isn't that, little joys of having a family breakfast over the weekend, when its rainy outside and there is no rush to get to anywhere and you have all the sweet time in the world to just sit and relax and have your breakfast and chit chat as a family.

When I got to introduce myself to Eggs Kejriwal, I was so curious to know and try it. It is one of the different versions of bread and egg combo that one can have for breakfast. The melted cheese and the sunny side up, sandwiched between the bun when taken a bite into, can be just a yummy treat everyone would wish to start a day with. So if you are an egg lover and love having it for your breakfast, then I would definitely recommend to try it. You would love it.

Banana Bread Waffles with Blueberry and Quinoa

Weekend mornings are about some hot breakfast served and all of us sitting down together to have some talk over breakfast. When compared to the weekdays, where there is no sitting down for breakfast, I overlook for weekends to come to have some family breakfast and also gives me an opportunity to try new things for breakfast :). This waffle comes together in just minutes and its another recipe to use up those overripe bananas yet not let the consumer know about the presence of overripe bananas in it :).

The little crunch of quinoa and a bite into some juicy blueberries is an additional bonus of these waffles which makes it a joy to have it for breakfast. We love the waffles that we get in Costco and so I got inspired to try this recipe and I must say that this recipe is just the alternative to those waffles. Try it and let me know if you like it. 

Homemade Granola

Remember the homemade Yogurt that I had posted a week back. Well we use the same yogurt to top it on this homemade granola to make it our breakfast or tea time snack. They are super delicious and addictive. And what is wrong in getting addicted to such a super delicious, healthy and easy to make granola.

Dropping all the ingredients in a bowl and tossing it is all it takes from our end. Rest the oven takes care off, i.e. to make it crunchy. 

Smoothie Bowl

Smoothie bowl has been all over the internet for a while now. Usually its said, the things that look pretty are bad for health. But these smoothie bowls are pretty, healthy, easy and yummilicous (if at all that is a word.) My kid hates fruits. And you would see me mentioning that quite often in posts that include fruits. It really bothers me. I don't know why, but I really wouldn't have bothered if he likes atleast one fruit. Anyways, so this time again, the smoothie bowl was tried, to make my fruit hater take in some fruits, while I have some nuts garnished over the smoothie to bribe him.

This is one awesome breakfast or after school snack option if you are running out of time or too exhausted to make something to feed yourself and your family. So filling, so colourful and healthy that anyone would wipe the bowl clean without cribbing even a bit. I have used papaya smoothie here. But you could use any smoothie and toppings of your choice.

Capsicum and Corn Cheese Sandwich

With the bad weather change, we have been hit badly. The boy has been down and I know I am going down too or say I am going to be pulled down too. Because the lil one has been showing extra affection since he's been sick. So all those kisses...as much as I love them I dread that they would end up getting me sick too and I just cannot afford to be sick. Like they skipping office/school, if only I could skip home..he he.

Thankfully I had cooked lots of food and stored, over the weekend and we have been surviving on that. But there is lots and lots of cleaning. Because my lil one hates those syrups and one dose of medicine would mean minimum of three trials to make one dose go in, rest all are just thrown up. So now, that we have the little one gone to sleep, I made myself some yummy sandwich and that is what I am here to write about. Blogging is hard work..all those clicking pics and then editing and uploading with the recipes written etc. But it is therapeutic. After a long day, it just doesn't seem to be a work now. So I am just lying on my couch munching down this sandwich and happily blogging about the recipe which you might love to have handy.

Rava Dosa / Rava Onion Dosa

I am a breakfast person. Just can't skip it. Its in the morning that I am hungry the most. Infact, its the hunger that wakes me up. Even though it is a holiday, my eyes just open early. In a way its good, I get to make food and photograph it in the most appropriate time of the day, when the light is just perfect. And I don't have to rush through the photography as there is no one waiting hungry out there. I don't know if it is the hunger that makes most of my breakfast items seem to be very tasty to me and are my favorites. I have infact liked it the most since I was a kid. I don't mind if it is parathas from the north or idli-dosa from the south or pancakes from the west. I love all of them.

This rava dosa is one saviour on those days when I am hungry the most and have no clue what to make. With just simple ingredients available in the pantry they make way for the most amazing breakfast. I remember the first time I made it. It was a disaster. I just took it to be the same as our regular dosa and made the batter thick that it was just a lump of cooked rava. But with years and thankfully those youtube video, I can now make them and it is a family favorite.

Crepe with Chocolate sauce

Who wouldn't like to have a hot breakfast served to them in the morning. It just makes my day. I have heard of people skipping breakfast, which is something I really can't think of. Breakfast is one of the most important meals of my day. I love it when you don't have to rush to somewhere in the morning but just enjoy your breakfast at peace, something which has not happened to me in a while now :).

I love to make these crepes. Super simple to make on a busy morning and is liked by all equally. We love to combine it with some chocolate sauce. So you know, having chocolate early in the morning has to make your day a good one :).

Waffles

I know of so many people, who love waffles, but don't make it at home as it required waffle maker. Since these waffle makers are just meant to make waffles, they don't seem to be worth buying. Well, I had those waffle trays that came along with the grill that my brother had gifted me way back. But I somehow didn't make it.

The fear of doing something wrong or just predicting it to be too tough to succeed or may be shear laziness, made me not to try them untill last year. And I seriously think I should have tried it earlier, to have extended our breakfast options. So easy, so filling and so yummy.

Ragi Paniyaram

Day turns out to be good, if you started good. For me, if I have managed to have a good breakfast, day goes good. Its a bonus if I get some time to make something special, which is on weekends, since all are off from school and work and get up late, which gives me enough time to make something else if my hopefully interesting recipes turns out to be a disaster.

On weekdays too, we make variety of breakfast other than just cereals or sandwiches, which helps me not to deal with the tantrum of lil one wanting for something different and ignoring to eat what is offered. Well, I have the luxury of being a stay at home mom, if I may say so, which lets me plan a variety of breakfast option, so why not do it right?

Pumpkin Pancake

The joy of waking up on a weekend a little late than usual and having no particular schedule for the day is such a pleasure. Those days call for a beautiful family breakfast. On other days, it is like, husband grabbing some bites of the breakfast; me having it after he has left and mid way my breakfast, a toddler who gets up crying and clinging on to you, that I leave the breakfast and go after him. And then while the kido is having his breakfast hot, I would be finishing off my leftover cold breakfast. And oh in between all this drama, there is a cup of tea that gets reheated multiple times or if I am just fed up of the reheating business, I just have it cold. So, yes the weekend family breakfast is much look forward to, when everyone gets up together and eat together :). 

Last Saturday, I wanted to have these pumpkin pancakes. But Jacob was craving for Omlet. So I thought why not give the little one an option to choose his breakfast as well. After lots of thinking with ehh's and ahh's he finalized on banana bread from previous day. I was expecting some pizza or pasta or pie as the outcome but he made my work easy..he he.. Even though all of us chose something for themselves, every body got a share of everything, to have for breakfast.

Blueberry Loaf

Berries in cakes/bread/loaf is one of my favorite version of having them. Blueberries in a loaf is just superb to have with some hot cup of coffee. Hmm...my mouth gets all watery whenever I think of them.

When made at our home, these don't last long. When I say long, I meant not even a day. Yes, it gets over in a day. These are so light and fluffy and soft that anybody would fall for it. And its pretty hard to deal with the temptation that you tend to eat one slice after the other.

Oats and Banana Mini Pancakes with raisins

Pancakes are our goto snack or breakfast, when nothing really clicks, as to what to make and feed the herd. Now when bananas have been ignored by people for couple of days and they start getting spotted and get even more ignored, those end up in the pancakes too. 

These pancake are healthier because they have oats in them and they taste great when had like these yummy pancakes. And it's a great way to include oats in the diet if someone doesn't eat it otherwise. So here is how I make it.

Ribbon Sandwich or Tricolour Sandwich

Ribbon Sandwiches are a great snack option for picnics, parties or even your kid's tiffin box. If you have the tomato and coriander spread in your fridge, (which if made before hand, can be stored in the fridge for about a week) the tiffin could be packed up by the kid :). Its so easy a sandwich, yet so appealing to the eyes and also your tastebuds.

Spinach and Corn Cheese Sandwich

The initial days of anything is hard...be it work, or motherhood or relocation into a new place or a business, say anything. So was my initials days at work. Those days of training, we hardly slept, ate or talked to family.  After having nothing for breakfast, because our days started early, we were spared just half an hour for lunch to be grabbed from a cafeteria filled with hungry people. Guess what, half an hour would be just spend in the queue to order food, forget about having it.

The Amul stall was our rescue those days. We would have a cheese filled sandwich which was easy to fill our stomach and would be ready in minutes times, or else get to pack it back to our desk. And not to forget one of those chilled shakes that we would grab to wash down the sandwich. The taste have lingered around for like years now, because its already 10 years since I had one of those sandwiches from Amul. And now when I go back to their stalls now, I don't find sandwiches on their menu. Sad.

Sabudana Khichdi

If you have a kid who is a picky eater, you tend to experiment anything to make him/her eat. My picky toddler takes hours to finish the food on certain days esp. when you are running short of time to rush to get somewhere. Mornings are harder when you have to send him to school. Pack for his tiffin, Jacob's lunch etc... which all are easy a task when compared to making Jordan finish his breakfast. So I went on to extending my menu for breakfast. The variety of options means, you don't repeat one dish in like minimum 3 weeks, so it gets easier for him to relish on something that he would have almost forgotten the taste of and would happily eat.

I had never tried sabudana khichdi before. But my idea of extending the breakfast menu options made me try it and we were so glad that we did. Such an easy option that makes your task so easy in the morning to prepare when you have so many other stuff to do. Try this sago khichdi, and let me know if it was a hit at your home.

Gobi Paratha - Indian Flat Bread Stuffed with Cauliflower Masala

Breakfast options is what I break my head upon everyday. I want them to be simple, yet filling because the other simple options like cereals, just don't fill me up and I end up hogging on other snacks before lunch. Stuffed parathas have always been a life saver - Aloo parathas, Gobi parathas, Carrot parathas etc. go so well with a pickle or a simple raita that I don't even have to bother making a side for it.

I think, the only difficulty in making it is the stuffing, esp. when it comes to grating the cauliflower. So you could make the stuffing and stock it up to use it for your breakfast and not necessarily work on it from scratch on a busy weekday morning.

Madakku San / Love Letters / Eylanchi

These used to be my favorite among the tea time snacks as a kid. At home, we used to call it as Muttayappam . Then when I went to hostel for college, we used to get it as tea time snack there. It was well known as love letter among the hostel mates. I am not sure if it is named the same anywhere else. Unlike other tea time snacks like Ullivada, Aval vilayichathu, Bonda etc.  this snack was liked by all.

I don't know why is it called love letter. May be because of the sweet filling rolled into those pancakes like a love letter with so much romantic and sweet words that goes into it :). I was surprised to hear it when I first heard it. Anyways, I love the name.

Idli Upma / Seasoned rice cakes / Tadka Idli

I don't think there is anyone, who can predict the number of Idlis/Chapati/Appam/Pancake or anything that would be just sufficient for the family. Atleast, I can't. I go by the thought that it is better to make a little extra rather than going by a fixed number to just suffice the need. In short, I am scared to let anyone stay hungry. Result, I end up having leftovers, which I hate.

Leftovers are very difficult to feed my Janta. So I try to turn them into something else so that my crowd is happy having it and I am happy to have used up the leftover :).

Idli Upma is something that we usually end up making with the leftover idlis. Jordan loves it. If he catches us having it, then he would attack us and keep saying, "Thanne Thanne"  meaning "Give it to me". We are trying to correct it to Tharamo meaning Can you give it to me?  But still, we are so much relieved that now the number of meaningless cries to get something while we break out heads to understand what he wants, is going to reduce once he starts to communicate. Ahh, he is a big boy now. I donno if I am happy or sad about it. Anyways, coming back to Idli Upma, try it for your kids and family as tea time snack or breakfast. These are amazing.

Ingredients

1. 6 idlis - cut into four
2. 1 tbsp of oil
3. 1/2 tsp of mustard seeds
4. 2 tbsp of finely chopped onions
5. 1 tsp of finely chopped ginger
6. 1 strand of curry leaves
7. 1 green chilly, chopped 
8. 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
9. A pinch of asafoetida
10. 1-2 tbsp of chopped coriander leaves
11. Salt to taste
12. 2 tbsp of water

Method

• In a pan, heat the oil. Once hot, add the mustard seeds and let it splitter. Now add the chopped onion, ginger, curry leaves and salt. Stir it untill the onions turn tender.
• Add the turmeric powder and asafoetida. Stir it. Add 2 tbsp of water to it. Now drop in the idli pieces. Mix it well so that the masala mixture coats each idli piece. Cover it and cook for about a minute or two. Switch of the heat. 
• Sprinkle the chopped coriander leaves over it. Serve it hot.

Tips

1. If you love cumin/jeera, you could add jeera while the mustard seeds pop. It would add flavour to it.
2. A tbsp of water is added to dilute the masala mixture, so that it would be easy to coat the idli pieces with it. Do not add too much water else the idli would get soggy.

Grilled Vegetable Sandwich

When my brother and sis-in-law visited us the first time(2 years back this time..he he ...It took me 2 long years to pen this post), they had gifted us with a grill- George Foreman grill. We grilled chicken on it the same day. It was so yumm. But those were the initial days  of my morning sickness(well, the term 'morning' should be replaced with 'Day long' in my case). If you have suffered with it ever, then you would know how one may start hating things they once loved. Exactly that's what happened with me. I couldn't stand the look of the grill, as it would make me sick. Yeah, it was that bad for me. Now, why am I telling it all now. Because, that is the very reason why I delayed this post.