‘Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast’.
I’m hoping Oscar Wilde was referencing the conversation not the cooking because I, for one, love a little bit of brilliance at breakfast time.
While others make a mad dash out the door or grab something on the go, I always take time to sit at the kitchen table, collect my thoughts and make a proper little meal. Perhaps it’s because my parents always made sure we breakfasted together as children, perhaps I’m just greedy, but breakfast is an important and considered start to my day.
In the week my breakfast is mostly a solitary affair: Carnivorous Husband will have left for the gym by the time I get round to my post-yoga (yes, we love our exercise round here) smoothie and porridge, green juice and bircher muesli or some kind of egg and avocado over toast. On the weekend we always sit down together: usually something on the sweeter side for me, something savoury and protein-packed for him.
On Saturday we celebrated our nine year anniversary. NINE YEARS! We might be newlyweds and only five months into marriage, but we’ve been doing the breakfast thing together for a very long time. As with any meal, I always take our individual preferences into consideration – a little more protein for him, a few more greens for me, a level of spice that can be scaled up or down: the little things that make for a personal perfect meal.
Having made a resolution in this post to share a few more savoury recipes, I can’t think of a better place to start than this meal. Pulses are an important part of our diet at any time of day and I almost always have a vat of black or pinto beans, cannellini or chickpeas soaking to be made into salads, soups, hummus and more. If you build soaking pulses into your everyday life, it’s honestly as easy as opening a can (one of my first ever little loaf savoury tips, for what it’s worth).
The flatbreads which form the base for this recipe are a simpler version of these, more frugal by necessity because I had no yoghurt in the fridge. The filling is also made from ingredients I needed to use up (spring onions, herbs, a few stalks of kale) and could easily be adapted to use different spices, spinach and leeks or whatever you have to hand. The salmon adds richness, the feta and avocado creamy texture the egg that all-important oozing yolk, but again the toppings are up to you and infinitely adaptable. Just make sure you make the salsa as it wakes up the tastebuds and brings everything together.
I’ve called these tostadas because the flatbreads (flour tortillas?) are pan fried until slightly more crisp than usual, but if you fancy a burrito cook them just a minute or so each side and roll everything up rather than leaving them open. I’m never entirely sure that I know the difference between tortillas and tacos, burritos, tostadas and enchiladas, but what I do know is that this recipe tastes amazing.
A brilliant breakfast. My second savoury recipe in 2014. And nine years with the love of my life. Happy days.
- 165g wholemeal spelt flour
- pinch cumin
- few sprigs coriander, finely chopped
- large pinch salt
- 100ml water
- 2 tsp coconut oil
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 small lime, juice & zest
- large pinch salt & pepper
- 1 - 2 jalapeños, finely chopped
- handful cherry tomatoes, deseeded and finely chopped
- small bunch coriander, coarsely chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 spring onions, chopped
- 6 stalks cavolo nero, ribs removed and roughly chopped
- pinch cumin
- pinch coriander
- pinch smoked paprika
- 300g cooked black beans (plus a little leftover cooking water)
- salt & pepper, to taste
- Smoked salmon
- Free range eggs, fried
- Feta cheese, crumbled
- Roasted baby red peppers
- Ripe avocados, peeled & sliced
- Fresh coriander, torn
- To make the flatbreads, combine the flour, cumin, coriander and salt in a medium bowl. Add the water and mix to form a smooth dough. Knead for a couple of minutes until no longer sticky, wrap in cling film and pop in the fridge for 30 minutes for the gluten to relax.
- To make the salsa fresca, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and adjust if necessary (a little more chilli, salt, pepper etc) then cover and refrigerate to allow the flavours to intensify.
- To make the black beans, heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over a low heat. Add the spring onions and cook until slightly softened, then add the spices and cavolo nero and continue to cook until the greens have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the black beans, plus a little cooking water and simmer for a few more minutes then turn off the heat and cover to keep warm.
- Take the dough out the fridge and divide into eight equal balls. Flour the worksurface and roll each ball out into a thin circle, about 2mm thick. Heat a little coconut oil in a frying pan and fry the flatbreads, one at a time, until puffed, golden and slightly crisp - they will need a few minutes on each side.
- To assemble, place 1 - 2 flatbreads on each plate (we ate one at a time and came back for seconds). Divide the black beans between the tortillas then top with smoked salmon, fried eggs, crumbled cheese, a roasted pepper, avocado slices and coriander. Scrunch over some black pepper and serve.
Lovely and not in the least bit dull …
Why didn’t I think of this? May just be the perfect breakfast x x
That is one fancy breakfast, I like the savoury cooking tip as well, oh and happy anniversary!!
Thank you!
Well I can attest to the fact that you’re not dull and I’m pretty sure that you are brilliant at breakfast – anything that we have pales into comparison next to this!
Happy anniversary to you both too and here’s to many, many more years of breakfasting together : )
Haha, thanks Kathryn! 🙂
This breakfast looks amazing! I’m so glad you’ve started to do savoury posts! Happy anniversary!
Happy anniversary!! These look brilliant! I’ve been working towards including more interesting breakfast options into my repertoire, so this will definitely be filed away and used in the near future.
Thanks Jennifer. Your blog is a constant source of breakfast inspiration, but looking forward to seeing even more wonderful recipes 🙂
A belated happy anniversary! I love that you are posting savory recipes now too, especially because these days I am trying to avoid too many sweets. Loved the opening phrase.
Love that last photo! Big congratulations on the anniversary, and a great recipe – I normally go for sweet breakfasts but this is just the kind of thing that would make me go savoury for a morning or two. Breakfast with your other half is always the best part of the day I think! 🙂
Ha, I do too! I’m more of a sweet breakfast girl but whenever I eat savoury it reminds me how much I love it.
Kate, I love your revamped blog! It looks fantastic as does that breakfast tostada – just the kind of thing I love to eat in the morning too.
And happy 9th anniversary to you!
xoxo
E
Thanks Erin! So excited to see that your book is available for pre-order, you must be over the moon.
I love this, such a great idea. I am always looking for something different for breakfast.
Kate,
Happy Anniversary!
I’ll take savory over sweet for breakfast anytime—plus, I like my breakfasts eggy. Did you have me in mind when you posted this? 🙂
Congrats on 9 years together, and it’s just the beginning!
beautiful photos and the dish looks wonderful.
brill i like it tasty and spicy http://www.foodwebuk.blogspot.co.uk
yum. i love everything about this breakfast. especially the smoked salmon. and the chile peppers. and the avocado. and the egg. oh my.
I prefer sweet breakfast as well, but breakfast like this i could never say no. It would be just a perfect way to start the day! Happy anniversary!
Despite growing up with savoury breakfast in Germany that typically involved slices of rye bread, cheese and cold cuts, these days I am much more of a sweet breakfast girl. Although, if someone were to whip up a batch of these breakfast tostadas for me, I certainly would not turn them down! I love the mix of flavours and textures, sounds absolutely wonderful! Congratulations on your anniversary as well, it is incredible how time flies (me and my other half have our 7 year anniversary coming up this year and I cannot get my head around the fact we have been together this long already and how young I was when we met!).
AHHHH this recipy is TO Delish to handle 🙂 love your blog and im following now.
Check out my blog today…my all time fav. lasagna recipy 🙂
Have a fab week dear
LOVE Maria at inredningsvis – inredning it’s, Swedish for decor 🙂
These look amazing, look nice and healthy as well.
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