Breakfast in a Glass

My family loves going out for breakfast - it has become our Sunday ritual - breakfast and a catch up.

I look forward to Sunday mornings, but eating breakfast at a restaurant has become one of my biggest frustrations - how do you eat breakfast when you can't eat eggs, toast, mushrooms, sausages, yoghurt, milk, cereal...?

Yip, that's what I thought - you're as stumped as me!

Well, I have wangled my way around it - I usually just have chips with tomato and bacon - not the healthiest of options, but beggars can't be choosers! Or a fruit salad.

I love muesli, I sometimes do order this, but am worried about what goes into it - dried fruit is a no no (yeast intolerance) and so is the oats (gluten intolerance).

So, to get my muesli fix - I have created my own:

Homemade Buckwheat Muesli:
(Serves 4)

Nothing tastes as good as peace of mind on a plate.

The name 'buckwheat' or 'beech wheat' comes from its triangular seeds, which resemble the much larger seeds of the beech nut from the beech tree, and the fact that it is used like wheat. Although it has the word wheat in the name, it is gluten free. It can be boiled like rice - the water turns mauve as it is related to rhubarb.

Ingredients:

•  A Handful of Untoasted Buckwheat
• A Handful of Crushed Cashew Nuts
• A Handful of Flaked Almonds
• A Handful of Sesame Seeds
• A Handful of Sunflower Seeds
• A Sprinkle of Cinnamon
• A Drizzle of Honey
• 1 Grated Apple
• 1 Grated Pear

Directions:

• Heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
• Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix together
• Lay a sheet of tin foil on a baking tray and coat with a little olive oil
• Spread the mixture on the tin foil and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes until the mixture has dried out and is golden brown
• Leave to cool and serve with fruit and/or soya milk

Fruits with a Citrus, Mint Dressing:
(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

• 1 Naartjie, Peeled and Segmented
• 1 Granny Smith Apple, Sliced
• 1 Pear, Sliced
• A Handful of Sunflower Seeds

Dressing:

• Juice of Half a Lemon
• A Handful of Fresh Mint or a Teaspoon of Dried Mint
• A Teaspoon or 2 of Xylitol

Directions:

• Toss fruit in the dressing
• Sprinkle with sunflower seeds
• Serve on its own or with the homemade buckwheat muesli