Festive Breakfasting
We're counting down to the holidays with some joyous breakfast ideas and a look at what you can do with magical mince on the breakfast table.
Not long to go, now… but there’s still time to squeeze in a bit of menu planning or re-jigging before December 25th – read on for our favourite festive breakfasting ideas beyond usual croissants and Champagne. You may have spotted the new mince kid on the block on shop shelves – The Ultimate Kiwi Mince by First Light Farms, featuring our sweet, smoky shoulder bacon alongside their tasty and tender wagyu beef and venison. We’ve been having fun experimenting with delicious ways to make use of it at breakfast time, and we share ideas with you here.
We hope that for you, there’ll be time over the next few weeks to switch off the morning alarm for a time, to wake up to the promise of an uncluttered day, and to settle into a ritual – even if temporary – of pleasuring the taste buds and soul over a slow, scrumptious mourning meal.
Freedom Farms wishes you a relaxed festive season ripe with joyful eating!
JUST THREE MORE SLEEPS…
‘Til you can tuck into a delectable Christmas breakfast. While a hearty Christmas lunch or dinner is always a good idea, there’s more than enough hours on languid, summer-breezy December 25th to make a generous festive breakfast the most enjoyable way to start the day.
One-pan eggy breakfasts are an easy and highly tasty way of feeding a crowd – a saucy base with any number of veg or meat additions, and whole eggs cracked in, to cook through either on stovetop or in the oven. Think an Ottolenghi-style shakshuka, or go devilled with sliced Classic Pork sausages in a tangy sauce made with mustard powder, softened onion, brown sugar and tomato sauce. Or try sliced chorizo, sliced red peppers, sweet paprika, and lots of parsley for a Spanish take.
Make breakfast pizzas – start the dough the night before and let it rise slowly so it’s ready to go in the morning. Press out into long rectangles (easy to slice and share) and top with caramelised onion, rashers of streaky bacon, semi-dried tomatoes, carefully cracked and placed eggs, and discs of mozzarella. Bake in a super hot oven (or pizza oven if you have one) and serve hot with a generous drizzle of olive oil (truffled, if you like), and a smattering of chopped flat leaf parsley.
Or take that pizza dough and make a pull apart bread (also known as monkey bread) filled with bacon, chive, garlic, cheddar, and egg. Serve it hot for peak oozing cheese, for everyone to dig into with their (sparkling clean!) hands.
Does salad for breakfast sound up your street? Try these ideas: a power brekkie salad with fried cubes of potato and grilled bacon tossed with halved cherry tomatoes, rocket or baby kale, thinly sliced red onion, toasted pumpkin seeds and an aioli dressing. Or a wake-up panzanella – yesterday’s sourdough torn into chunks and toasted in a dry pan before being tossed with heirloom tomatoes, basil leaves, thinly sliced red onion, capers, anchovies, and a hefty amount of red vinegar and olive oil dressing, topped with torn mozzarella.
If you’re keen to keep things fairly light, flourless banana pancakes are a winner. Whisk several eggs, mash a few bananas, combine the two with a little vanilla extract and cinnamon (you can add some quinoa flakes, quick-cook oats, or LSA and ½ teaspoon baking powder if you’d like to bulk it up a little). Cook in a mix of butter and oil on each side till golden. Top with fresh berries and a wodge of oozing honeycomb, or add grilled bacon for a heartier vibe.
Mince magic
Our freedom-farmed pork mince was recently joined on shop shelves by another piece of mince magic – we’re proud to be contributing to the brand new Ultimate Kiwi Mince from First Light Farms. Both these products are great to have to hand for tasty breakfasts.
Our pork mince has a naturally sweet-and-savoury flavour. It pairs beautifully with many East and Southeast Asian flavours:
Soup is a popular brekkie throughout much of East and Southeast Asia. Season pork mince with salt, pepper, a little crushed ginger and garlic, and roll into mini meatballs. Add to a simple chicken or vegetable broth and cook on a fast simmer until cooked through, serve over cooked rice noodles with a handful of bean sprouts and a drizzle of soy sauce, sesame oil, and chilli oil.
Saute sliced shallots, garlic, ginger, and very finely sliced makrut lime leaves (optional). Add pork mince and brown. Add a splash of stock, a little palm or soft brown sugar, salt and pepper, some chilli flakes if wished, saute until the liquid has evaporated. Take off heat and stir through a little fish sauce, lime juice, and white pepper. Serve on steamed rice or toasted sourdough topped with a fried egg and coriander leaves.
The Ultimate Kiwi Mince is what it says on the packet – the ultimate... in flavour, texture, and nutrition. Rich, nutty wagyu and full-flavoured venison from First Light Farms is joined by our sweet and smoky streaky bacon in one terrific trinity. It’s great on its own but it also holds up to bold flavours:
Make breakfast burritos – brown your mince, add diced red capsicum and chopped garlic and soften, add a little chipotle in adobo, a little ground cinnamon and cumin, pepper and salt, and cook for five mins till mince is cooked through. Spoon onto tortillas, top with sliced avocado, scatter over Lucky Taco Pink Pickles, coriander leaves, spoon over some sour cream or thick yoghurt and a little salsa, roll up tortilla and enjoy.
Make breakfast Bolognese – make your favourite recipe (which will be even better with this mince, trust us). Serve on fresh, cooked tagliatelle topped with a poached egg, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, chopped flat leaf parsley, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Pierce the egg to commence the best breakfast ever.