There is quite the bevy of breakfast options in internet-world, this much is true. Most weekday mornings, however, I don’t want to make pancakes or oatmeal because I’m usually prepping dinner/packing lunch before hustling off to work. No more pans to clean, please! That being said, dunking clementine slices in the Greek yogurt container is getting sort of old.
Is it possible to have a FANCY breakfast that takes the same amount of time as peeling a Clementine? Turns out, it is! The latest Bon Appetit mag explored the world of toast. Is there anything better than toast? I bought a small container of fat free ricotta cheese (would be even better with lowfat/full fat!) and let my pears soften to sweet perfection on the counter top. While toasting my Ezekiel bread (some rustic ciabatta would be that much better) I mixed the cheese with honey and a touch of cinnamon. Once the bread was toasted I spread it with the cheese mixture, then sliced my pear right onto it. It sure looked nice, but how would it taste? Simply delicious! I enjoyed every bite.
Breakfast is vitally important to me, and to be honest if you aren’t eating it, you need to start yesterday. It’s a big dang deal. I like my breakfast on the filling side – so how does this toast add up when it comes to nutrition? Well, let’s see. Toast, 80 calories (plus lots of fiber and several grams of protein – in Ezekiel that is). Ricotta cheese is just 40 calories per ¼ c., plus 6 grams more protein. The pear is a whopping 5 grams of fiber, plus liquids and nutrients. The tsp. of honey adds 20 calories and the cinnamon is free (and could help with your digestion!). Well gee whiz but this breakfast is healthy! Maybe you’re in a breakfast rut and though this recipe isn’t earth-shatteringly new, it could be just the thing you need to shake things up a bit.
Pear, Honey and Ricotta Breakfast Toast
Serves 1
1 slice Ezekiel or other hearty bread, toasted
¼ c. fat free, low fat, or full fat ricotta cheese
1 tsp. honey
¼ tsp. cinnamon
1 pear, ripe and sliced
1. Mix cheese, honey and cinnamon and spread mixture on toast.
2. Top with sliced pear and eat!
Here are two more ideas –
I never learned to like oatmeal – but I’ve heard my mom talk about making a big batch in the crock pot then just microwaving individual portions as needed. No idea how long it would keep in refrigerator or if you could freeze it.
My husband makes a big batch of cheese grits with sausage that we freeze to take on vacation. He’ll make the grits with milk then add grated cheese and cooked sausage. Sometimes he uses part grits and part 9 grain cereal and sometimes adds chopped canned mushrooms. We keep in the refrigerator in small containers and reheat in microwave. Not sure how healthy it is but it sure is filling!