Anytime Eggs

This is a simple omelet/frittata that works a treat as breakfast, lunch or dinner. It takes about 10 minutes in total to prepare and cook and you can eat it warm or cold or even as a filling in a crusty baguette. I used zucchini and chili because that is what I had on hand, but sliced blanched broccoli is delicious as are any roast veggies. I used a larger frying pan to sauté the zucchini because I wanted it to colour rather than sweat and then I transferred it to a smaller pan before I added the eggs. If you frypan has a plastic handle, wrap the handle in silver foil before you put it under the grill. If you don’t like parmesan, you can use any cheese you prefer.

1-2 zucchinis, cut into rounds

1 red chilli, finely sliced

6 large mint leaves, shredded

1 tbspn olive oil

salt and pepper

4 eggs

dash of milk

4 tbspn grated parmesan or chili pecorino

Preheat grill to high. In a large fry pan, heat olive oil. Add chili and stir. Add zucchini and try to spread rounds out so they are not crowding or overlapping. Allow zucchini to brown for a minute or two on either side.

Beat eggs with milk and add salt and pepper to egg mix. Transfer zucchini and chili to a smaller fry pan and distribute it evenly around the pan. Pour over the egg mix and cook for about 4 minutes or until the sides start to come away. Scatter cheese over the top and place under grill for about 2 minutes or until golden and bubbling.

Honey Toasted Muesli

I have made a lot of muesli in my time and I have found that pretty much any combination of nuts, grains, fruits and seeds can be delicious, and so much better than anything you can buy in the supermarket.  The only thing that you need to do is shake or stir the mix every 10 minutes during baking so the nuts and coconut don’t burn. You can substitute the honey for maple or golden syrup or apple juice and change the combination of ingredients to suit your taste. If you are adding dried fruit, slice it up and add it after the muesli is cooked and cooled.

4 cups rolled oats

1 cup raw almonds

½ cup slivered almonds

½ cup pumpkin seeds

½ cup sunflower seeds

½ cup shredded or flaked coconut

½ cup raw cashews

¼ cup chia seeds

1 tspn cinnamon

1 cup raisins

½ cup honey

Preheat oven to 160 degrees. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except raisins and honey. Microwave honey for 30 seconds and then pour into dry ingredients and mix well. Lay out muesli mix on two baking trays and bake for 10 mins. Remove trays form oven, stir muesli and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove trays, add raisins, stir again and bake for a final 10 minutes. Allow to cool and store in an airtight container. 

Cacao Bliss Balls

I try not to eat too much sugar but I do love chocolate and definitely feel like I need some most days at 3pm.  These are the perfect healthy snack to satisfy these cravings. The raw cacao sates the desire for the chocolate and the nuts make this fulfilling enough that you can generally stop after one (or maybe two…)

1 cup raw almonds

½ cup walnuts

2 heaped tbspn almond meal

1 heaped tbspn raw cacao

1 tspn cinnamon

½ tspn ground cardamom

250g dried figs, quartered

½ cup goji berries

2 tbspn coconut oil, melted

extra raw cacao

Place nuts and spices in a food processor. Pulse til nuts are chopped. Add figs and goji berries. Pulse again until figs are chopped and mixed through. Add coconut oil and pulse until combined. Roll mixture into balls and place on a tray lined with non stick paper. Sift over extra raw cacao and roll balls in the cacao until they are covered. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

(If your figs are really dry, soak in boiling water for five minutes before you use them)

You can also substitute any of the dried fruit, nuts or spices, and roll in shredded coconut instead of or combined with the cacao. If you want a softer paste, you can also add more coconut oil.

Bircher Muesli

I have never been a fan of bircher muesli. I generally find it too sweet and mushy, but I had this at a friend’s house the other day and I am converted. The key is to use a natural yoghurt (as opposed to vanilla or flavoured) and she swears by organic apple juice. I serve it with extra yoghurt on top with a sprinkling of mixed seeds and dried fruit, but my friend served it with raspberry coulis mixed with thawed frozen raspberries – yum!!

1 cup rolled oats

½ cup yoghurt

½ cup apple juice

¼ cup slivered almonds

¼ cup currants

grated green apple to serve

Mix oats, yoghurt, juice, almonds and currants in a bowl. Refrigerate overnight. To serve grate half a green apple per person and mix through oat mixture. Top with a dollop of yoghurt and a drizzle of honey, coulis or fruit and nuts.

Avocado on Toast #1

I have some variation of avocado on toast for breakfast most days. Lately, it has become in vogue and every café I go to seem to make their own version. This is my version, and I am yet to find anywhere that beats it. You need to start with good bread – my favourites at the moment are Noisette Bakery seeded or the Dench or D.Chirico sourdough. I like to toast the bread and then let it cool slightly so that when you put the topping on the toast remains crunchy.

2 pieces of toast

½ avocado

pinch salt (I use Maldon flakes)

freshly ground black pepper

zest of ½ a lemon

3 tablespoon parsley, shredded

drizzle of olive oil

Smear avocado on toast. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Cover with lemon zest and parsley. Drizzle over good quality olive oil. Enjoy! 

Breakfast Smoothie

This is a breakfast for champions that takes one minute to make. If you feel a bit like Rocky including the raw egg, you can leave it out or just use the egg white (and think meringue), but adding it gives you the protein element that makes you feel full and satisfied. I also like using ½ tspn of instant coffee for a bit of a buzz and to cut through the sweetness of the date. If you don’t have frozen bananas, you can use a fresh one but add ½ cup ice.  

1 frozen banana

1 date

2 tbspns almond meal

1tbspn chia seeds

¾ cup of milk

1 egg

Blend until combined or until iced crushed.

Variations – add ½ tspn coffee, 1 tbspn shredded coconut, 1/2 tspn raw cacao, 1 scoop of protein powder, 2 tbspn yoghurt

To freeze bananas, cut banana into pieces, place in a snap lock bag, seal and freeze.

Roast Mushrooms with Balsamic Vinegar and Thyme

A meal on their own, or delicious on toast with avocado or goats cheese as a side to eggs, this is a wonderful dish warm or cold.  For an interesting side, add these mushrooms to cooked barley, quinoa, brown rice or cous cous.

200g button mushrooms

200g swiss brown mushrooms

200g flat swiss brown mushrooms

3 tbspn olive oil

1 tbspn butter

2 tbspn water

zest of 1 lemon

pinch of salt

5 sprigs of thyme, leaves only

1 cinnamon quill

1 tbspn balsamic vinegar

3 tbspn finely chopped parsley

3 tbspn lemon juice

3 tbspn toasted slivered almonds (optional)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Wipe mushrooms with a damp cloth to remove any dirt. Slice mushrooms and place in oven dish. Sprinkles with salt and thyme leaves, add lemon zest and cinnamon quill, drizzle with olive oil and water and dot butter around the dish. Cover with foil and bake for 30 mins. Remove foil, add balsamic vinegar, stir and bake uncovered for another 25 mins. Add lemon juice, almonds and parsley and toss to combine.