Category: Breakfast

Turkish Inspired Eggs

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Post-exercise, you want to consume carbohydrates and protein to help replenish glycogen stores as well as help repair your muscles. My Turkish Inspired Eggs contain plenty of protein thanks to Yeo Valley 0% Greek Recipe*, as well as carbohydrates from the sourdough bread served with them. I’m also pairing in plenty of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to help with recovery in the form of fresh fruits, veggies, and herbs and spices.

Ingredients

  • 150g Yeo Valley 0% Fat Greek Recipe*
  • 1 garlic clove, finely minced
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 spring onion, sliced
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 avocado
  • 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley
  • A few sprigs of dill

To serve

  • 1 slice of seeded sourdough, toasted
  • 100g blueberries

Method

  1. Mix the garlic in with the yoghurt and season with salt and pepper
  2. Heat the olive oil in a pan till hot and pour over a heat-proof dish containing the spring onions and paprika to create a flavoured oil
  3. Poach an egg for 3.5 minutes, or to your liking
  4. Serve the egg on top of the yoghurt with the avocado, drizzle over the oil and top with parsley and dill
  5. Serve with sourdough and fresh fruit
Turkish Style Eggs

Per serving: 801kcal/ 41g fat/ 8.2g saturated fat/ 64g carbohydrates/ 11g fibre/ 39g protein

*Gifted product

Sourdough Blueberry Bagels

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Blueberry sourdough bagels. Just a small amount of work and you will have the most delicious bagels – chewy crusts with a soft centre, filled with sweet and tangy blueberries which you know will do you good.

If you can’t find freeze-dried blueberries you can leave these out. Most shop-bought dried blueberries are sweetened with fruit juice and therefore won’t work as a replacement.

Makes 9 bagels

Ingredients

  • 200g frozen blueberries
  • 40g caster sugar
  • 150g active starter, refreshed 10-12 hours before
  • 500g bread flour
  • 8g salt
  • 75g freeze-dried blueberries (optional)
  • 20g molasses (to make vegan) or honey
  • Rice flour for dusting

Method

  1. Add the frozen blueberries to a large mixing bowl and pour over 200ml of boiling water. Allow the blueberries to thaw for 5 minutes.
  2. Add the caster sugar and sourdough starter and mix.
  3. Add the flour and salt, and mix in the bowl by hand for around 5 minutes before transferring to the work surface and kneading for a further 5 minutes. It will be sticky but keep working it.
  4. Transfer back to the mixing bowl, cover and rest for 1 hour.
  5. Top the dough back onto the work surface and knead for 1-2 minutes, adding the freeze-dried blueberries if using. Cover and prove at room temperature for 3 hours.
  6. Divide the dough into 9 equal portions around 125g and shape into a tight ball, using rice flour to stop them from sticking. Allow to rest for 30 minutes.
  7. Pinch the centre of each ball with your thumb and index finger, creating a hole. Then using both index fingers spin the dough around to create a bagel shape. Cover and rest in the fridge overnight, or for at least 8 hours.
  8. The next day, set the oven to 220°C fan, bring a large pan of water to a boil, and add the molasses.
  9. Boil each bagel for 30 seconds on each side before removing onto a wire cooling rack.
  10. Bake on a lined tray for 18-20 minutes, till golden brown and nicely puffed up.
  11. Delicious served with your favourite cream cheese and extra berries.
Sourdough Blueberry Bagels
Sourdough Blueberry Bagels
Sourdough Blueberry Bagels
Delicious served with fresh berries for further added phytochemicals

Lemon Asparagus Barrata Toast

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June 21st marks the end of British asparagus season, so I’m celebrating it in the same way I started – griddled and on toast with cheese.

It’s a simple yet satisfying flavour combination which is the perfect brunch or light dinner.

Serves 2

Ingredient

  • 2 slices of sourdough
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 200g asparagus
  • 1 ball burrata
  • Zest and juice of a lemon

Method

  • Brush the sourdough with olive oil on both sides before riddling in a hot pan till golden and crispy.
  • Brush the asparagus with olive oil and griddle for a few minutes each side.
  • Assemble the burrata on the toast with grated lemon zest over the top and pile the asparagus up high. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice and any remaining olive oil.

Mushrooms & Spinach on Toast

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Mushrooms on Toast

The Easiest Bank Holiday Brunching that’s perfect for my savoury tooth. It would also make the perfect light dinner, or post-gym meal thanks to the combination of carbohydrates, protein, and healthy monounsaturated fats in this dish.

Serves 1

Ingredients

  • 200g mixed mushrooms, roughly torn or chopped
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove of garlic, finely grated
  • 80g baby leaf spinach
  • 1 slice of sourdough
  • 2 eggs

Method

  • Heat a pan with half the olive oil. Tear the mushrooms into the pan and cook for 5-10 minutes till golden and crisp on some of the edges
  • Add the garlic and spinach, cooking till just wilted
  • Meanwhile toast your bread with some olive oil and poach your eggs to your liking. I cooked mine for 4 minutes to get a runny yolk
  • Stack the mushrooms and spinach on the toast and top with the soft poached eggs. Enjoy immediately
Mushrooms on Toast
Mushrooms on Toast

Griddled Asparagus Ricotta Toast

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A really easy brunch idea that is light and refreshing, and perfect for late-morning spring brunches. Each serving provides you with a portion of vegetables, a portion of calcium, and fibre throughthe asparagus and seeded sourdough bread.

Serves 1

  • 1 slice of sourdough bread
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 bunch of asparagus, woody ends snapped off
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 50g ricotta cheese
  • Zest of 1 lemon

Method

  • Preheat a griddle pan over a medium heat. Brush the bread with most of the oil and cook on each side till crisp.
  • Add the asparagus into the same pan, and brush with the remaining oil.
  • Once the bread is toasted rub the garlic clove over the surface of the bread to impart flavour.
  • In a bowl combine the ricotta cheese with the zest of a quarter lemon, season to taste and spread over the bread.
  • Pile the asparagus on top high and dust with a little extra lemon zest.
Asparagus Ricotta Toast

Chocolate Orange Ricotta Pancakes

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We often think of fluffy buttermilk pancakes, but sometimes I struggle to find buttermilk in the shops. However, these ricotta pancakes are just as fluffy and oh-so delicious!

At this time of year, oranges are in season, including these gorgeous blood oranges with their vibrant red flesh. They’re extra sweet too, so for me they work perfectly as a little drizzle over the top of the pancakes just before serving, helping to enhance the lovely orange flavour of the pancakes.

I love these served with Greek yoghurt and extra orange segments, but if you have an extra sweet tooth you could serve them with some maple syrup.

I’ve used wholemeal flour in this recipe, which adds an extra 3g of fibre per serving in comparison to plain white flour. That’s an easy add of 10% of your daily recommendation of fibre with minimal effort! Plus you won’t be able to tell the difference with the end product.

Serves 5

Ingredients

  • 250g plain wholemeal flour
  • 50g caster sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of Soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 4 eggs
  • 250g ricotta
  • 250ml milk
  • 1 orange, zest and juice
  • 120g 70% dark chocolate

To serve

  • 5 tablespoons of greek yoghurt
  • 2-3 oranges, segmented, and the remaining juice squeezed out

Method

  • In a large bowl mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarb and salt together.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, ricotta and milk together. Add the orange zest and 50ml orange juice.
  • Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together before adding the chocolate – don’t over mix the batter, keep some lumps of flour to ensure you get really lovely and fluffy pancakes.
  • Heat a pan over a low heat and brush with a little oil. Place 1 ladle spoon of batter into the centre of the pan and allow it to cook for 3 minutes (the pancake will spread out slightly so if cooking more than one in a pan at a time ensure there is sufficient gaps between them), watching for little bubbles to appear on the surface and the edges to start to darken before flipping and cooking for 2 minutes on the second side.
  • Repeat with the remaining batter, keeping the cooked pancakes covered and warm (option to keep the oven on at 50°C). You should make around 10 pancakes with the batter.
  • Serve warm with a spoonful of yoghurt, some orange segments and a drizzle of orange juice.
Chocolate Orange Ricotta Pancakes

Per serving: 763kcal/ 37g fat/ 20g saturated fat/ 67g carbohydrates/ 9.4g fibre/ 35g protein

Mushrooms on Toast

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This was a childhood recipe I would make it every weekend. I loved this recipe so much, but the original recipe used cow’s milk. I’ve turned it vegan by using some unsweetened soya milk and rapeseed oil in place of the butter. I still get that nostalgic feeling when eating this vegan version.

I’m using mushrooms which naturally contain vitamin D. I’ve written about this before where I talked about exposing shop-bought mushrooms to sunlight to make your own vitamin D mushrooms at home. You can buy mushrooms which have already been exposed to UVB rays, and therefore already contain vitamin D2. This can be useful if it’s not a sunny day or you don’t have time to let your mushrooms make vitamin D.

Serves 1

Ingredients

  • 10g rapeseed oil
  • 100g vitamin D mushrooms
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 1 tbsp mushroom ketchup
  • 150ml unsweetened fortified soya milk
  • 1 slice of toast

Method

  • In a saucepan, heat the oil and fry the mushrooms till they release all their juices and they evapourate off.
  • Add the flour and mix into the mushrooms before adding the mushroom ketchup. Add the soya milk in a little bit at a time, stirring continuously to get a smooth sauce.
  • Once all the milk has been added, cook for a couple of minutes before serving piled high on a slice of toast
Mushrooms on Toast

Per serving: 409kcal/ 14g fat/ 1.6g saturated fat/ 56g carbohydrates/ 3.8g fibre/ 15g protein/ 6.2μg vitamin D2

Omega-3 Enriched Granola

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Looking to increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids when you don’t eat fish? Here’s an easy fix you can use to help increase your dietary omega-3 intake.

Makes 20 servings

Ingredients

  • 100g pitted dates
  • 30g chia seeds
  • 30g linseeds
  • 150g rolled oats
  • 50g rye flakes
  • 50g barley flakes
  • 50g spelt flakes
  • 100g chopped walnuts*
  • 30g sunflower seeds
  • 50g desiccated coconut
  • 50ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 100g sultanas
  • 100g dried cherries

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 120°C fan/ 130°C convection
  • Soak the dates in 200ml boiling water for 5 minutes, before adding the chia and linseeds and blending to a paste.
  • In a large mixing bowl add the oats, rye, barley, spelt, walnuts, sunflower seeds and coconut. Add the date paste and mix thoroughly before adding the olive oil and mixing again.
  • Spread the mixture out evenly on a baking tray. Bake for 30 minutes before turning the mixture, keeping large chunks. Bake again for 20 minutes, before flipping over again one last time, breaking up any very large chunks before baking for a final 20 minutes.
  • Allow the granola to completely cool before mixing in the dried fruit and storing in an airtight container.
Omega-3 Granola

Per 50g serving: 202kcal/ 10g fat/ 2.4g saturated fat/ 21g carbohydrates/ 4g fibre/ 4.4g protein/ 1.035g omega-3

Mincemeat Stuffed Panettone French Toast

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Festive French Toast

Fancy something a little different this Christmas? Here is my Festive Mincemeat stuffed Panettone French Toast. Rich and indulgent, this is sure to put a smile on your face.

Ingredients

  • 1 thick slice of panettone
  • Mincemeat – use my quick and easy recipe to get the most delicious mincemeat for this dish
  • 1 egg
  • 50ml milk of choice
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla essence
  • 1 small knob of butter

To serve

  • Extra mincemeat
  • Yoghurt of choice
  • Berries of choice

Method

  • Take your thickly cut panettone and make a small pocket in the centre with a knife (like a pitta bread). Fill the pocket with 1-2 tsp mincemeat.
  • In a large dish crack the egg and add the milk, cinnamon and vanilla. Mix well.
  • Soak the panettone in the egg mixture for 5 minutes on all sides.
  • Heat a frying pan over a low heat and add the butter.
  • Cook the panettone for 2-3 minutes per side till golden brown.
  • Serve topped with extra mincemeat, yoghurt and berries.
Mincemeat Stuffed Panettone French Toast
Mincemeat Stuffed Panettone French Toast

Griddled Asparagus and Poached Egg

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I adore asparagus season, fleeting as it is. Therefore having it for breakfast seems the perfect way to enjoy the season to the max.

I love having asparagus soldiers dipped in a soft-boiled egg. But if I have the time I love nothing more than griddling it over a hot pan and serving it with a beautifully soft poached egg and some sourdough. For me this is the perfect springtime brunch.

Seasonal British asparagus also emits 5 times less CO2 in comparison to those transported from abroad. Therefore if you want to reduce your food carbon footprint, enjoy British asparagus in its peak season from mid-April to the end of May.

Serves 1

Ingredients

  • 1 small bunch of fresh British asparagus
  • 1 slice of sourdough
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 egg
  • Butter (optional)
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  • Prepare the asparagus by snapping off the woody ends
  • Preheat a griddle pan
  • Oil one side of the sourdough and place on the griddle pan to cook.
  • Lightly oil the asparagus and place it in the griddle pan alongside the bread
  • Before flipping the bread, oil the second side.
  • Cook for a few minutes till charred
  • Meanwhile, bring a pan of water to a gentle simmer, gently swirl and poach the egg for 3-4 minutes depending on your taste
  • Assemble the asparagus on the sourdough, adding the optional knob of butter on the asparagus if desired before topping with the poached egg
  • Season with salt and pepper to your taste and enjoy

Hot Cross Bun French Toast

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Leftover hot cross buns? Fancy an alternative breakfast this Easter weekend? Here is a delicious way to enjoy your hot cross buns. You can use shop-bought, or try my delicious Best of Both Apple & Cinnamon, or my vegan St. Clement recipes.

Serves 2

Ingredients

  • 2 hot cross buns
  • 1 egg
  • 50ml milk of choice
  • Pinch of cinnamon
  • 5g butter or cooking oil

To serve

  • Yoghurt
  • Berries

Method

  • In a flat-bottomed container, mix the egg, milk, and cinnamon.
  • Slice the hot cross buns in half and soak in the mixture for 5 minutes.
  • Heat a pan over a medium heat, and add the butter or oil.
  • Cook the soaked buns in the pan for 2-3 minutes per side till golden brown.
  • Serve hot with yoghurt and berries

St. Clement Hot Cross Buns

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These citrusy hot cross buns are plant-based using vegetable oil and dairy-free milk to create an enriched dough without the use of dairy and eggs.

St. Clement Hot Cross Buns

Makes 9 buns

Ingredients

For the buns

  • 2 oranges, zest and juice
  • 100g sultanas
  • 100g strong wholemeal flour
  • 250g white strong flour
  • 30g rapeseed oil, plus a little extra
  • 7g yeast
  • 30g caster sugar
  • 50g mixed peel
  • 2 tsp ground mixed spice
  • 125ml milk, I have used unsweetened soya milk

For the crosses

  • 5ml rapeseed oil
  • 25g strong white flour
  • 25-30ml water

For the glaze

  • 50ml of reserved juice from the oranges
  • 15g sugar
  • pinch of ground mixed spice
  • Buns ready to be bakes
  • Fresh out of the oven and glazed

Method

  • Zest and juice the oranges, reserving 50ml of the juice for later.
  • Weigh out the remaining orange juice and top up to 100ml if needed with water. Add the sultanas and allow to soak while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
  • To a freestanding mixer bowl, add the flours, oil, yeast, sugar, mixed peel spices, soya milk and orange zest. Add in the orange juice and sultanas and knead for 5 minutes on a medium setting. Alternatively you can do this by hand but resist the temptation to add more flour – the dough should be ever so slightly sticky.
  • Lightly great a large bowl the oil, place the dough in and cover. Allow to double in size for 1-2 hours.
  • Knock the dough back and evenly divide into 9 balls.
  • Line a baking tin with baking paper and arrange the balls in a 3×3 format.
  • Cover and allow to double in size again, about 1-1.5 hours.
  • Once the dough has almost fully risen, preheat the oven to 200°C fan/ 220°C convection.
  • Prepare the batter by mixing the ingredients together to form a smooth pipeable mixture. Place into a piping bag.
  • Once the oven it up to temperature, pipe crosses over the tops of your buns.
  • Bake for 15 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, prepare the glaze by heating the orange juice, sugar and spices together till the sugar has dissolved.
  • Once the buns are cooked, generously glaze them, using all of the liquid.
  • Remove the buns from the tray onto a wire cooking rack, removing the baking parchment as well.
  • Best enjoyed fresh on the same day, or delicious toasted if a day or two old.

Per bun*: 254kcal/ 4.6g fat/ 0.4g saturated fat/ 46g carbohydrates/ 2.8g fibre/ 6.1g protein

*Analysis based on unsweetened soya milk