Big Breakfast for Two (or Three or Four ... )

Sunday breakfast is special in our house even for the dogs! It's a break from the weekday routine of cereal or toast (and the tin and dry dog food). Most Sundays I'll cook a big breakfast of poached eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms and baked beans on toast, and maybe some rindless bacon or salt-reduced ham. If I break a yolk when cracking an egg, the egg becomes part of the dogs' Sunday omelette.

Serves 2

Times

These times are the times I require to cook a big breakfast for Hubby and me and a two-egg omelette for the dogs.

Preparation:

5-10 minutes

Cooking:

20 minutes

Ingredients

For each person:

• 1-2 slices of toast
• 1-2 eggs
• 1-2 tomatoes, thickly sliced
• 1-2 cups of sliced mushrooms
• ½ cup of baked beans
• Your favourite herbs and spices

  For the tomatoes, try fresh or dried basil, ground pepper, and optionally garlic granules.

  For the mushrooms, try dill and garlic granules.

• Rindless bacon or ham, optional

Method

• Toast the bread and place on plate when ready.
• Poach the eggs:
  1. Fill a large saucepan with water.
  2. Bring water to boil, lower heat and then let simmer.
  3. Crack egg into a cup or small dish.
  4. Stir the water in one direction creating a ‘whirlpool’.
  5. Drop the egg into the water and continue stirring until outside of egg is just cooked.

     Do not stir too vigorously; stir gently to keep the egg centred while it cooks.

  6. Leave the egg to continue cooking, approximately 2-3 minutes.
  7. Using a slotted spoon transfer the egg to the plate.
• Cook the tomatoes:
  1. Spray a frying pan with cooking spray.
  2. Place tomato slices in pan and sprinkle with herbs and spices.
  3. After a couple of minutes, turn over and sprinkle with herbs and spices.
  4. When starting to soften or brown, transfer tomato to the plate.
• Cook the mushrooms:
  1. Spray a frying pan with cooking spray.
  2. Placed slice mushrooms in pan along with herbs and spices.
  3. Stir until soft and then transfer to the plate.
• Warm the baked beans.

  Either place the baked beans in the frying pan and stir until warm, or place the baked beans in a microwave-safe dish, cover, and microwave on high for about a minute.

• Brown the bacon or ham, if you are including meat in your big breakfast.

Tips

• If you do not like the acidic taste of tomato, add a bit of sugar to the tomato slices.
• Consider adding some English spinach to your breakfast. Blanch the spinach in boiling water and then transfer it to the plate.
• To keep everything warm, try one of the following:
  • Use microwave-safe plates and microwave each breakfast on high for 30-60 seconds before serving.
  • Preheat the oven to around 100°C (200°F) and keep the breakfasts in the oven until ready to serve.