Breakfast In The Sun – Review Crinitis Italian The Roof Top Kotara

Since last Sunday the need to have a time out and a decent breakfast in the sun has been huge. We haven’t had much time out lately and the last time we went to breakfast it was the middle of winter – freezing cold and I was only about 3 weeks out of surgery. Wasn’t fun. At that stage we needed to do groceries after a particularly gruelling physio/torture session so we chose Crinitis on the Rooftop at Kotara.

At this time I was struggling – still taking mighty pain killers and I couldn’t sit on those chairs – NO I COULD NOT. The breakfast menu was amazing and of biblical proportion as is the norm with Crinitis menu ( so much choice so little time) but the service was crap – the coffee was cold and the waitress tripped over me even though I chose to sit as far out of the way as I could. It wasn’t fun.. ( and the meals were so huge and served on planks of wood and I couldn’t get through mine).

BUT – we decided to give it another go the other day. Again we needed to grab a few groceries and do a little retail therapy and TRUST me .. Breakfast in the Sun at Crinitis mid week was a JOY!

Firstly – the menu has changed – FOR THE GREATER GOOD. Its still of biblical proportions but there is an all day breakfast choice on there as well as divine twists on the usual suspects.

Now I love an Eggs Benne – and will go out of my way to enjoy this particular meal – and I love nothing more than a twist on the original. Crinitis serves this up with perfection. You have a choice of your two poached eggs with hollandaise served with lashings of gently wilted baby spinach on toasted Italian bread – you can have bacon, prosciutto, porchetta or smoked salmon. I chose porchetta.

eggs-bennedetto

Melt in the mouth and gorgeously flavoured this rich rolled slow cooked pork is perfect for a delightful twist on my all time favourite breakfast. Next time I go Im going to ask for a side of the crumbed eggplant that came with my husbands Italiano Breakfast. As I could have stolen the lot of that from him!

Again – perfectly cooked and melt in your mouth – the only thing missing from this was the chilli on the side he forgot to order! The Italiano Plate  has house made Salame, Mortadella, Lashings of Crispy Crispy Bacon, Provolone , Italian Sausage and the Crumbed Eggplant plus two eggs done your way… AND MORE. Its like the Italian equivalent of a mixed grill but with cured meats. My hubby loved it. The only complaint that we had was that the eggs were overcooked for our usual liking. We both love a good runny yolk – but poached eggs can be tricky ( they were not busy – maybe chef got momentarily distracted? – maybe we should have specified runny yolks?)

italian-breakfast-plate

We had our coffees and pineapple juice and water was served to the table – so well hydrated and fed and at just under $60 this breakfast wasn’t an everyday treat – but it certainly was a delightful one that we will be back for again and again and again.

If you’re going on the weekend I would suggest booking a table as this restaurant really has to be the best choice to date on The Rooftop and they get excruciatingly busy and NOISY! Breakfast through the week is lovely and relaxing and with the weather changing – this will prove to be one of the places that the Husband and I frequent.

If you want to look at the menu before you go ( the choice can be overwhelming) you can find it here , the online menu seems to have little differences I’ve noticed – but the coffee was great and it was HOT this time! So Buon Appetito!

 

 

Spicy Chorizo & Egg Breakfast Pots

chorizo pots

This is a delicious breakfast and the chorizo and tomato mixture can be made up and and you just add your egg and feta and bake in the oven while you’re getting ready for work.

Its delicious, its filling and its super carb friendly if you combine it with your BPC at morning tea time.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tin Crushed Tomatos ( I prefer Ardmona or Aldi Brand as both have no added nasties and taste amazing)

1/4 Spanish Onion Chopped Finely

1 Chorizo Sausage De skinned and crumbled

1 Teaspoon of Your Inspiration at Home Salsa Dip Spice

100 g Feta Cheese

1 Egg per pot ( makes 4 serves so 4 eggs in total)

4 handfuls of baby spinach (one per pot)

METHOD:

Combine Tomatos, Onion Chorizo and Spice Mix and add to Greased Ramekins on top of the handful of spinach leaves.

Crack an egg on top of this and season to taste.

Crumble your feta ( 25 g per pot) over the top.

Bake in a 180 degree fan oven for 15 – 20 minutes.

To serve top with diced avocado and sour cream, and if you love coriander pop some of that on as well.

This is a delightfully spicy way to start your day – or can be an amazing meal at any time. Its so easy!

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

190 Calories per pot  Fat: 12.2g (not including toppings) 7.9 grams of Carbs  9.9g protein.

Crunchy Granola Not So Sweet

crunchy granola.jpg

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup whole raw almonds

1 cup shredded coconut ( unsweetened)

1/4 Cup Pumpkin Seeds

1/4 Cup Sunflower Seeds

1/4 Cup Flax Seeds

1/2 Cup Flaked Almonds

1/4 Cup Psyllium Husk

1/4 Cup White Chia Seed

100 g Coconut Oil ( melted)

1 Split Vanilla Pod

1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

5-8 Drops Liquid Sweetner if desired ( or 30 Grams Maple Syrup or Raw Honey if you are Paleo)

 

METHOD:

Put all ingredients into a large bowl  and mix well to combine.

Bake in a moderate oven for 10 -15 mins on a lined baking tray. Turning mix every 3 – 5 mins to ensure it browns and toasts evenly.

Allow to cool on bench and then place into fridge or freezer to set coconut oil.

Once set break into pieces and store in an airtight container in fridge.

Makes about 20 x 22gram size servings ( trust me its enough) .

This is great with coffee as a quick grab and go or sprinkled on your yogurt with berries.