The weekday problem
Most weekday breakfasts fail on time, not on intention. The answer is to decide the night before and to keep the choices few. A breakfast that lasts combines protein, fiber and some fat, such as oatmeal with nuts, yogurt with fruit, or peanut butter on whole-grain toast with a banana. Sugar by itself, in the form of a muffin or sweetened cereal, leaves you hungry again by ten.
Oatmeal done properly
Rolled oats cook in five minutes at a ratio of one part oats to two parts water or milk, so half a cup of oats and a cup of liquid feeds one person. Add a pinch of salt at the start, because unsalted oatmeal is the reason people think they dislike it. Steel-cut oats are chewier and take 20 to 30 minutes at one part oats to three or four parts water.
Overnight oats need no cooking at all. Stir half a cup of rolled oats with half a cup of milk, a quarter cup of plain yogurt and a pinch of salt in a jar, and refrigerate it. It is ready in the morning, keeps for three to four days, and takes fruit, nuts, cinnamon or a spoonful of jam.
Pancakes from scratch
- Whisk together one and a half cups of all-purpose flour, one tablespoon of baking powder, one tablespoon of sugar and half a teaspoon of salt.
- Whisk one and a quarter cups of milk with one egg and three tablespoons of melted butter in a second bowl.
- Pour the wet into the dry, and stir only until no dry flour shows. Lumps are correct, and a smooth batter makes tough pancakes.
- Let the batter rest for five to ten minutes while a skillet or griddle heats over medium.
- Grease the pan lightly, and pour a quarter cup of batter for each pancake.
- Flip when bubbles on the surface pop and stay open and the edges look dry, after two to three minutes, and cook the second side for one to two minutes.
This makes about ten pancakes, and the first one is a test of the heat.
Making mornings easier
Set out the pan, the bowl and the coffee things before bed. Leftover pancakes freeze well between sheets of parchment and reheat in a toaster.
Tip Plain yogurt sweetened at home with a teaspoon of honey has a fraction of the sugar of most flavored cups, and it costs less per serving when bought in a large tub.
