Breakfast with a Twist!

Everyday items stand ready in your pantry to be paired with unexpected companions.

Don’t toss out those day-old croissants—they make fantastic French toast. You say that all of the great berries and melons are out of season? Fret not—you can make the world’s greatest fruit salad with bananas and dried fruit. Do you think scrambled eggs are mundane? If so, that’s only because you aren’t adding the right dash—try some of the serving suggestions for scrambled eggs with everything.

Everyday items stand ready in your pantry to be paired with unexpected companions. Whether you’re cooking for two, or a brunch party crowd, the following recipes should get your creative juices flowing. In fact, creative juice is the secret ingredient in your successful unexpected breakfast.

Scrambled eggs with everything

• 6 to 8 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Your imagination

Scramble eggs in a medium-size mixing bowl. Melt butter in a large skillet. Pour in the eggs and stir until almost done. Before eggs are completely cooked, add anything from the suggested list, or your own inventions, and heat through. This is a fantastic way to use those items that are too good to throw out, and too small to make a full portion. Serves 4 to 6.

Everything List:

• Eggs Florentine: 1/2 cup chopped spinach, 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
• Golden Eggs: 1/2 cup crumbled bacon, 1 cup corn, 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• Denver Eggs: 1 cup chopped ham, 1/2 cup diced tomatoes, 1/2 cup chopped green pepper, and 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Deli Eggs: 1 cup cooked salmon, 1/2 cup cream cheese in small cubes, 1/2 cup green onion. Serve with bagels.
• Eggs Italiano: 1 cup cooked, bite-sized Italian sausage, 1/2 cup diced tomatoes, 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon dried oregano or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• Grecian Delight: 1 cup crumbled Feta cheese, 1/2 cup diced tomato, 1/2 cup diced green pepper, 1/4 cup sliced black olives, 1 tablespoon dried oregano

Always-in-season fruit salad

Rather than relying on melon and out-of-season berries, try this simple combination. Bananas are always inexpensive and available. Dried fruits are always evolving with interesting new twists, such as citrus essence and many other flavor enhancers.

• 1 medium bunch ripe bananas
• 3/4 cup dried cherries, craisins, apricot bits, golden raisins, or any other dried fruit
• 1/2 cup toasted, chopped walnuts, almonds, pecans, or hazel nuts
• 1 cup sour cream (regular or fat free)
• 1/3 cup real maple syrup

Toast the chopped nuts in a 350-degree oven until evenly browned. Set them aside. Slice the bananas into individual serving bowls. Stir together the sour cream and maple syrup. Spoon several tablespoons of the sour cream mixture over each dish of bananas. Sprinkle with dried fruit and nuts. Serves 6 to 8.

Outside-the-box oatmeal

No more satisfying dish exists than hot cereal on a brisk morning. You probably keep old-fashioned rolled or quick oats as a standard pantry item.

This might sound crazy, but there is no better way to cool your hot porridge than with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It’s a one-step way to add sugar and milk—and kids love it. Try it in Cream of Wheat, Ralston, and grits. (Ice milk will cut the fat calories. And, if you’ve watched kids add sugar to cereal, you know that the amount in ice cream will be less than their measurements.)

Try the following additions to add zest to a trusty staple.

To sweeten, try one (or more) of these:

• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons fruit-flavored syrup
• 2 tablespoons raisins or other dried fruit
• 2 tablespoons apple butter
• 2 tablespoons favorite preserves

For crunch, add one (or more) of the following:

• 1/4 cup granola
• 2 tablespoons chopped, toasted nuts
• 1/4 cup trail mix
• 1/4 cup bran cereal
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• Or, just for fun, try this:
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon orange or lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons toasted coconut

Bran (and more) muffins

Most pre-baked, store-bought muffins are just too sweet for breakfast. They are just right when you’re in the mood for a big cupcake. But, a high-fiber, rib-sticking muffin will see you through until lunchtime. Since scratch muffins can be messy and time consuming to prepare, we often shy away from them. The following recipe offers a solution because it doctors up a muffin mix available in stores.

• Bran muffin mix (7.4-ounce pouch, or 8.5-ounce box)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup applesauce, or shredded carrots
• 1 cup bran cereal
• 1/2 cup rolled or quick oats
• 1/2 cup dried fruit
• 1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup low-fat milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir the bran cereal, egg, milk, and applesauce (or carrot) together in a medium-size mixing bowl. Set aside. Grease and flour a muffin tin for six large, or eight medium-size muffins. Stir in the muffin mix, dried fruit, quick oats and 1/4 cup sunflower seeds. If making carrot muffins, add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves. Spoon well-mixed batter into prepared muffin tin. Sprinkle the top of each muffin with the remaining sunflower seeds. Bake for 22 to 28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center.

Croissant French toast

Just about any day-old bread makes great French toast. Even hamburger and hot dog buns can be a hit. Kids love pigs-in-a-blanket. Try putting cooked link sausage into the center of French toast made from half a hotdog bun. English muffins and raisin bread are also delicious. Be as resourceful and creative as your imagination will allow.

• 6 croissants, split lengthwise
• 6 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon orange or lemon zest (optional)
• pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons butter

Slowly melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a frying pan. Remove the pan from the heat. Whisk together eggs, vanilla, zest, cinnamon, and salt. Dip one croissant half into the egg batter, coating both sides. Place the pan back on the heat source and cook the croissant until it begins to brown. Be certain to keep a steady heat to prevent burning. Flip croissant, and brown the second side. Place the cooked French toast in a warm oven and keep covered until ready to be served. Repeat this process, adding butter to the pan for each croissant. (This might seem like a lot of butter, but this pre-buttered toast ends up being lower in fat than toast that is re-buttered at your table.) Serve this delicious treat with warm real maple syrup, or a dash of powdered sugar and sliced fresh fruit. Serves 6.

Mary Carter is American Profile’s contributing food editor.

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