Mango, Blueberry and Granola Breakfast Parfait

When it comes to eating breakfast regularly I will stand before you, hand on heart, and tell you that I am pretty lousy at it.

It's true that breakfast is the most important meal of the day: everybody knows this. It kick-starts your metabolism and gives you the energy to get through to lunch. It also prevents snacking on bad things... again, guilty as charged.

It's not that I don't enjoy breakfast - quite the contrary - it is just the last thing on my mind when I am rushing out the door to get to work. I try to have the odd muesli bar or yogurt when I get to my desk but it is never consistent. It's something that I need to be conscious of and hopefully in time it will become an unconscious activity.

When the weekend hits I have no problems with breakfast (this might have something to do with the fact that I don't have to have a screaming death-match with my alarm clock) and I can take my time with things.

Cue this colourful breakfast parfait. This was a joy to prepare and munch on over over the Sunday papers. It's the breakfast that keeps on giving, really. You need to make loads of granola (most of which won't be eaten in this particular sitting) and you can store it away to eat for breakfast during the week - which as I mentioned, I need help with.

Not only does this granola contain my current love: coconut oil, it is choc-a-block full of almonds, seeds and coconut bits. There is honey for sweetness and the egg white makes it nice and clumpy which is great for snacking on. Don't be afraid of the fact that it takes two hours to toast, just put some music on while you stir it. Make it at night so you can concentrate on the fruit the next day.

Mango and Blueberries - friends for life, in my opinion. It makes me seriously happy to see these colours together - aren't they beautiful? The little green flecks you see is lemon balm which I pounded with some lemon zest into sugar and sprinkled on the top to create a perfumed syrup. This is (of course) optional and you can control the amount you use. But I think it makes things pretty special, especially during a leisurely breakfast on the weekend.

I want you to know that I have had this during the work week too. It wasn't layered and in a glass with a silver spoon - instead it was served in a very classy, supermarket quality, plastic container. I ate this granola every day with different fruit and I didn't tire of it. This recipe is officially on permanent rotation, not only that, it is helping me to stick to my breakfast routine.

Win.

Home-made Granola
Adapted from HungryGirl Por Vida

3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup flaked almonds
1/2 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1 cup coconut chips
1/3 cup desiccated coconut
1/3 sunflower seeds
zest from 1 lemon
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
pinch of ground allspice
3/4 cup honey
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg white, beaten
Preheat the oven to 160C.
in a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except for the coconut oil, honey, vanilla and the egg white. Stir to combine.
In a medium saucepan, warm the honey and coconut oil together until just combined, add the vanilla. Remove from the heat. 
Pour the oil mix over the dry ingredients and toss to coat each grain.
Add the beaten egg white and toss to combine.
Spread the granola out on a large sheet pan and smooth over in an even layer.
Bake for 15 minutes, stir and then stir every 10 minutes for 2 hours or until the granola is toasted and golden brown. 
Cool the granola completely before breaking it up into chunks. Don't fret if some crumbles into smaller pieces, I didn't.
Store in an airtight container until needed...or wanted. 

Mango, Blueberry and Granola Breakfast Parfait
If you can't find lemon balm, mint will work beautifully. 
Serves about 3
1/2 cup lemon balm, loosely packed and torn
zest from 1 lemon
1/2 cup of sugar 
1 ripe mango, diced
2 punnets of blueberries
Unsweetened Greek-style yogurt
Home-made granola, see above recipe

Pound together the zest, lemon balm and sugar in a mortar and pestle or process in a food processor until completely combined. This should be pale green, damp and smell amazing.
Mix together the mango and blueberries in a bowl, sprinkle over the sugar to taste and leave for a couple of hours to macerate in the fridge.
In a glass, layer the fruit salad, the yogurt and the granola  Repeat the layers until you reach the top of the glass and finish with a final sprinkle of granola.
Keep any leftover lemon balm sugar in an air-tight jar for about a week.