Mediterranean Breakfast Ideas

In Mediterranean countries such as Greece, Italy and Spain, people tend to stay up late, typically eating dinner after 9 p.m. For them, morning time moves more swiftly as they rush off to work or school. They might grab a cup of coffee with a rusk or a sweet roll to tide them over until 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. At this time, they stop to savor a mid-morning snack that prevails as the more substantial breakfast meal and what westerners consider as more typical breakfast fare. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Greek

To invoke the ambiance of Greece and its islands, serve a traditional breakfast. Prepare thick Greek coffee sprinkled lightly with cinnamon or black tea sweetened with honey, accompanied by a glass of goat's milk and a rusk, which is a hard, dried biscuit (paximathaki).

For a more substantial breakfast, prepare foods such as feta cheese, Greek kalamata olives and sweet bread, or thick Greek yoghurt with honey and freshly cut seasonal fruits.

An unhurried breakfast with friends and family includes dishes such as freshly chopped tomatoes and cucumber with feta cheese, drizzled with olive oil and a sprinkling of freshly ground sea salt and chopped oregano. Add dishes such as spinach pie (spanakopita) and a side plate of dried figs and apricots to complete the breakfast. Further breakfast choices may consist of a tomato or eggplant omelet, Greek filo-based pastries such as cream-filled (Bougatsa) or egg bread (Tsoureki).

Italian

To prepare a more traditional Italian breakfast, serve caffe latte, steaming espresso or cappuccino with a dollop of steamed milk and a sprinkling of cinnamon. Accompany these warm drinks with a panino or pastry. Pastry choices include an Italian-styled croissant with an orange rind glaze (cornetto) or a breakfast tart (crostata) filled with fruit preserves such as berry or apricot.

For more substantial breakfast options, try warmed polenta with golden raisins and toasted sliced almonds drizzled with honey, served with fresh fruit. Prepare a zucchini or onion and portobello or cremini mushroom frittata. At room temperature, cut the frittata into thin slices to place between freshly baked crusty rolls.

Spanish

To serve a traditional Spanish breakfast, begin with a steaming caf con leche in a tall glass and a freshly baked toasted roll with butter or marmalade with optional slices of ham and soft cheese. Add freshly squeezed orange juice. As an alternative, serve hot and sugary churros to dip into a cup of thick and rich hot chocolate to jump-start the morning, or a selection of warmed chocolate croissants.

To dish up a more substantial breakfast, prepare a Spanish tortilla, not to be confused with the Mexican one. Similar to a frittata, a Spanish tortilla is made with eggs and contains potatoes with optional choices of tomatoes, peppers and onions, to name a few. Slices of jamon and other deli meats accompanied with sweet soft cheeses in a roll called bocadillas, little bites can be served or taken on the go.