Breakfast has become a real thing for me because in the last five years we have gone from having your stock standard ‘Big” Breakfast to the most amazingly healthy and delicious combinations of eggs, vegetables, meats, fish, nuts, seeds & fruits in glorious Breaky Bowls. The combinations are endless and there are so many good ones out there.
I like to consider myself relatively well travelled, having been to a number of different continents and I do declare……nobody pulls out a breakfast like the Aussies. The UK and USA are a close second but I think you will find that behind the cafes dolling out this kind of fare in those countries, there will be an Aussie lurking in the corner. On my last trip to the USA we visited a number of cafes in Soho for Breakfast and yep…..they were all owned and run by Australians. We might be known as larrikins around the world and that is a badge I am somewhat proud of but I am super proud of the fact that we are dishing up the most amazingly creative and tasty breakfasts in the world. This Breaky Bowl is an ode to all of those who are putting us on the food map yet again, you are legends!
The beauty of a bowl such as this is that it can be a blank canvas. Be creative with your bowl, this is literally what I had in the fridge and cupboard but you can add whatever you like. Smoked salmon, bacon, roast beetroot, different nuts and seeds, sweet potato, fetta, asparagus and charred corn are just a few other additions you might like to consider.
Prep time: 30 Minutes
Cooking time: 25 Minutes
$$ Medium Budget
Serves 4
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Good quality Balsamic vinegar for drizzling
chilli flakes for sprinkling
Dried oregano for sprinkling
Sea salt and cracked pepper
4 wedges of Jap pumpkin, skin on
2 ripe Roma tomatoes, halved
1 cup of brown rice & quinoa blend, cooked according to packet instructions
2 small zucchini, halved lengthways
1 bunch of broccolini, bottoms trimmed and halved lengthways (if really thick)
4 eggs
4 radishes, thinly sliced
2 tbs of white vinegar
1 tbs of caster sugar
1 Avocado, peeled & sliced
Fresh dill sprigs, for garnish
1/4 cup of natural flaked almonds, toasted
1/4 cup of pepitas, toasted
80gm of ash goat’s cheese, sliced into 4 even disks
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Place the rice and quinoa mixture in a saucepan and cover with just under 2 cups of water ( I find 2 cups exactly makes the rice a little soggy, just shy of 2 cups is perfect). Season with a little salt and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and place a lid on, allowing the rice to simmer for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, turn off the heat and allow the rice to steam for 5-10 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
Place the pumpkin wedges on a lined baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and a little balsamic vinegar, sprinkle with chilli flakes, oregano, sea salt and pepper and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, place the tomato halves on the tray, give them a sprinkling and a drizzling as well and bake for a further 10 minutes until the pumpkin is gloriously golden and the tomatoes are just tender.
In a small bowl place the white vinegar and sugar and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Place the thinly sliced radish in the bowl and toss to combine. Set aside until you assemble your breaky bowl.
Heat a griddle pan to nice and hot and grill the zucchini halves until lovely charred marks appear on the flesh side and then turn over. There is no need to oil them as the natural sugars in the vegetables will give you the best caramelisation. Remove the zucchini and follow with the broccolini, cooking until lightly charred and a beautiful bright green in colour.
Heat a fry pan and drizzle with olive oil. Cook the eggs on a low heat with a lid on until cooked to your liking.
To assemble the breaky bowl, divide the rice and quinoa between four shallow serving bowls. Place the pumpkin, tomatoes, zucchini, broccolini, and avocado around the bowl. Top with the egg, pickled radish slices, goat’s cheese and sprinkle over the nuts and dill fronds. Use a spoon to drizzle over any pan juices from the pumpkin & tomato tray and the olive oil from the egg pan and serve.