4 fancy at-home breakfasts (which anyone can pull off).

By ELLY JEAN-LOUIS

I love eggs on toast. To me, you can rarely beat a poached egg on toast with a side of avocado and buttery mushrooms all covered in Tabasco sauce.

However, there are some days when:

a)      I need breakfast on the go.

b)      I don’t have time to make a cooked brekkie.

c)      I am all egged out.

That is why I have created a few breakfast alternatives for the days when you don’t feel like the good old scrambled, poached or sunny side up.  I did cook bacon to accompany some of these dishes however my Dad and Brother (aka the Vultures) snatched it off my plate before I could photograph it.

BERRY-COCO-NANA SMOOTHIE

(SERVES 2)

For when you need breakfast on the go… Pour your smoothie into a jar, pop the lid on and you’re ready to tackle the world.

What you need:

1 ½ cups coconut water

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 large banana

1 tbs chia seeds

3 dates

3 tbs natural or vanilla yoghurt

2 tbs honey – used to top or rim the glass

What to do:

1. Place all of the ingredients in a good quality blender, blend for 1 minute (or until smooth).

2. Enjoy.

SUPERFOOD CITRUS BIRCHER MUESLI

(SERVES 4-6)

This is a great recipe that can be made on a Sunday night and eaten for breakfast each morning during the working week.

What you need:

2 cups of coconut water

2 cups of oats (if you prefer, use your favourite muesli)

3 tbs chia seeds

4 tbs of natural or vanilla yoghurt

2 tsp cinnamon

Juice from one lemon and the grated rind

Juice from one orange

Top with your favourite fruit and nuts

What to do:

1. Add all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Soak in the fridge overnight.

2. Serve muesli in individual bowls topped with a dollop of yoghurt and additional fruit and nuts as desired.

THE ULTIMATE FRENCH TOAST

(SERVES 4)

This is definitely a special occasion brekkie. It’s everything you want: indulgent, tasty and leaves you feeling fuzzy inside. You can definitely add a side of bacon to this dish (like I had intended).

What you need:

Brioche (8 thick slices)

6 eggs

½ cup butter milk

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean

½ cup caster sugar

2 tbs butter

Top with fruit and maple syrup

What to do:

1. Whisk eggs, sugar, cinnamon, butter milk and vanilla together in a large bowl until combined.

2. Melt butter in a non-stick pan over medium heat.

3. Dip one piece of brioche into the egg mixture then place into the pan. Cook for roughly 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Repeat with the remaining pieces of brioche.

4. Portion out two slices of brioche per person, top with fruit and maple syrup and enjoy.

SMASHED AVOCADO ON TOAST

An all-round winner. This is also amazing with a poached egg on top.

What you need:

1 avocado

½ lemon, juiced

1 tomato, sliced

½ red chilli, sliced

Feta

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

2 slices of bread, toasted

What to do:

1. Mash avocado in a bowl with lemon juice and salt and pepper.

2. Place toast on a plate, add tomato slices to each piece of toast then top with: avocado, crumbled feta, chilli, salt and pepper.

3. Drizzle with olive oil.

4. Enjoy.

So there you have it. Four scrumptious breakfast recipes that are all eggstremely tasty and simple (sorry, I had to).

What breakfast recipes do you like to create on days when you’re feeling all egged out?