Why I love continental breakfasts

I've just returned from a trip to Manali and while my friend went straight for the parathas and aloo puri on the breakfast menu at our resort, I was irresistibly enticed by the muesli, toast, omelettes, baked beans and hash browns. I've always loved a hearty continental breakfast and I think it all began with the childhood attraction to Kellogg's.

Kellogg's is to breakfast cereal what Maggi is to instant noodles. And while many preferred to Indianise their staple cornflakes, I loved it just like that, with milk and honey. Sometimes, I'd add some oats, chopped dates and almonds to spice things up. What reminded me of Kellogg's (apart from the wonderful muesli I had on my trip) is this new advert:

I was curious. What sort of recipes did they have up their sleeve? I went to their Facebook page to get a glimpse of the naashta options at Guptaji's place. I chanced upon coconut ladoos with their crunchiness enhanced by Kellogg's cornflakes, cornflakes with succulent flakes of sitaphal, a nutritious chivda made of cornflakes and chappati bits, delicious dessert balls made of cornflakes, cocoa powder and walnuts and a fresh, lovely salad with crispy cornflakes, vegetables and fruits. This was taking 'innovative' to a totally new level! I've seen a lot of brands employ the technique of inventing enticing recipes with their product as the main ingredient but I must say, I'm quite tempted to whip up a few of Guptaji's naashtas in my own kitchen. 

So, before you head over to check out some of these recipes for yourself, here's my favourite way to have Kellogg's cornflakes:

Rich cornflakes and oats melange 

Source: https://www.facebook.com/anaajkanashta

Ingredients

1 handful oats

2 handfuls cornflakes

5 dates, chopped

5 almonds, chopped

1 tbsp honey

2 cups warm milk

Method

1. Soak the rolled oats in one cup warm milk. 

2. While the oats are soaking, chop a few dates and almonds. 

3. In a bowl, pour the oats and another cup of warm milk. 

4. Sprinkle cornflakes, chopped dates and almonds and 1 tablespoon honey.

5. Mix lightly and serve. 

This bowl of porridge is tasty and filling and it's one of my favourite comfort foods for breakfast or teatime. The oats add bulk to keep you full and the cornflakes add lots of crunch to keep your palate interested. It's naturally sweet because of the honey and dates and thus makes for a slimming snack. 

So coming back to my love for continental breakfasts, it's obvious why I'm partial to a simple bowl of cereal. Here are my top five reasons:

1. It's quick.

2. It's healthy.

3. It's tasty.

4. It's adaptable. 

5. It's satisfying.

If you're creative, there's no end to what you can do with a bowl of cornflakes. And if you can't be bothered to concoct your own recipes, there's always #KellloggswaleGuptaji.