Breakfast of Champions!

I know that really and truly I should have posted this on Friday night so that you could try this for brunch over the weekend, but life has just been a little too hectic recently to be that organised with my blog (the blog really has fallen by the wayside a little recently!) Anyway, now you have it well in advance of next weekend, which we all know is a special weekend! Yes, it’s Valentines, so no doubt you will all be serving your loved one a scrumptious breakfast in bed. Now you have your breakfast in bed recipe all ready to go!

I called this dish “Breakfast of Champions” because breakfasts don’t really get much better than this in terms of taste and nutrition! Organic free range eggs, smoked wild Alaskan salmon and creamy kale! It’s all in there. Just think of how your body loves taking in all that great stuff like omega 3, great quality protein, and the calcium, iron and magnesium from the kale.

Believe it or not, this was also the first time I have ever made poached eggs in the old school way, as I was always slightly afraid of ruining them. It was easy and after testing the way with the first one, which wasn’t as attractive as it could have been, they came out perfect!

Breakfast of Champions (Creamy Kale with Smoked Salmon and Poached Eggs) Serves 2

3-4 cups chopped kale, hard ribs removed
2-4 slices wild smoked salmon
4 eggs
1 tbsp cream cheese (optional)
1/2 tbsp butter
1 tsp white vinegar
1/4 cup chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Poach the kale in the chicken stock until tender (about 5 mins). Once cooked, drain remaining liquid. Add butter and cream cheese if using and stir until fully melted and incorporated. Cover and keep warm while you concentrate on poaching the eggs.

Poach eggs according to your preferred method. I used a large saucepan with about an inch of water in the bottom. Bring the water up to a rolling boil and add the vinegar. Crack the egg into a ramekin. Stir the water to create a vortex and then gently tip the egg in while the water is still swirling (but you are no longer stirring it). Turn the heat down a little so you can observe the egg’s progress. Allow to poach for around 3 mins (or longer if you prefer it a little less runny). Carefully remove egg from water with a slotted spoon. Cook each egg separately to avoid disaster!

Once all your eggs are poached, layer kale, then smoked salmon and finally the eggs on a plate. Season with Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Rainbow Smoothie

I have just returned from a lovely few days holiday in the country, staying in a big house with 90 acres of land with my family, boyfriend and a close friend of ours. My sister is really into making smoothies and inspired me and my friend to get decent blenders and get puréeing!

I was just out with a client who wanted to do a four mile run, so instead of taking my bike, I decided to do the run with him. When I got home, I needed a quick, easy and nutritious post-workout meal, so I came up with this smoothie, based on what I got in my organic veg and fruit boxes this week. I decided to beef it up with some organic grass-fed whey protein powder as it was to be a meal replacement, but this is entirely optional and really won’t affect the flavour or consistency of the smoothie.

Rainbow Smoothie (serves 1-2, generously)
Ingredients:

1 raw beetroot, sliced
1 pear, roughly chopped
1 cup chard, roughly chopped
1/2 frozen banana
1/4 frozen avocado
1 cm piece ginger, peeled and sliced
1 cup ice cubes
1 scoop organic grass-fed whey protein powder (unsweetened and flavour free)
1-2 cups water, depending on how runny you like it.

Put all ingredients into a blender and whizz for a few minutes until smooth.
Serve in a (martini) glass, put your feet up and revel in the fact that you are being incredibly healthy! (If you feel too virtuous, add a dash of vodka! Just kidding!)

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

I’ve gone on and on about my obsession with pumpkin before, so I’m not going to bore you with more talk of how much I love it! This smoothie is amazing – it tastes like a really decadent treat, yet is very healthy as a breakfast or post-workout meal.

Pumpkin Pie Smoothi (serves 1)
Ingredients:

1/4 cup chilled coconut milk
1/2 scoop organic 100% natural grass-fed whey protein (optional)
1/2 frozen banana
8 pecan halves
2 heaped dessert spoons pumpkin purée
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp mixed spice/ pumpkin pie spice
6-8 ice cubes.

Whizz all the ingredients together in a blender.
Drink up (or eat with a spoon as it can be quite thick).

Blissful Breakfast

I know I only just posted a breakfast dish two days ago, but this one I made yesterday was too good not to share.
Today is my last day of the 21 Day Sugar Detox, but I have decided to extend it by another 5 days. These pumpkin pancakes fit in with the detox rules nicely as they used mashed banana to sweeten them. I’m not the biggest fan of cooked banana, but the flavour was quite mild and masked by the pumpkin pie spices. I served these with some smoked bacon rashers (which I fried in the pan first, so that I could cook the pancakes in the bacon fat) and some grass-fed butter melted on the top.

Pumpkin Pancakes (serves 2, makes 6 small pancakes)

1 banana, mashed
4 heaped dessert spoons pumpkin purée
3 eggs, beaten
1 tbsp coconut flour
1 tsp mixed/pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp baking powder
Pinch sea salt
1-2 tsp coconut oil

4 rashers smoked bacon

Fry the bacon in a frying pan until crispy, reserving the fat for cooking the pancakes.
Mix all the ingredients (except coconut oil) together to form a batter.
Melt some coconut oil with the bacon fat and spoon some batter into the pan to form the pancakes. Cook for a couple of minutes each side.
Serve with some grass-fed butter and the rashers of bacon.

Post-Valentines Breakfast

Usually I would spend Valentine’s Day cooking some kind of sweet, chocolatey treat for my Valentine, however this year I was a) working all day and all evening so unable to spend any time in the kitchen and b) still doing my 21 Day Sugar Detox so didn’t want to tempt myself. So, sorry for no yummy chocolate posts yesterday.

I am however going to post a delicious frittata recipe for the morning after the love-fest the night before (yours, not mine! My night was spent teaching boxing, eating alone, and conversing for a few minutes with my other half before we both had to go to sleep. He did spoil me with a beautiful bunch of roses, some dark chocolate for when I finish the sugar detox, and some cacao body products which certainly made up for the fact that we didn’t see much of each other this Valentine’s day.)
This recipe contains cheese, so hardcore Paleo and non-dairy eaters, feel free to omit the cheese.

Mushroom and Chard Frittata (serves 2)
Ingredients:

4 eggs, beaten
8 mushrooms, sliced
Half a head of chard, finely sliced
2 spring onions, sliced
Knob of butter
Splash of milk or cream (optional)
Sea salt and pepper
Handful of grated smoked cheddar cheese

Preheat the grill (broiler)
Season the beaten eggs with salt and pepper and add the splash of milk or cream.
Sauté the spring onion, chard and mushrooms in a frying pan until soft and well cooked.
Add the beaten eggs and stir so that all the veggies are coated with the egg mixture.
Allow to cook for 5 mins or so on a low heat until only the top appears runny.
Pop under the grill until the top has set.
Remove and sprinkle the cheese over the top.
Place again under the grill and leave for a minute or two, until the cheese has turned golden and is gently bubbling.
Remove from grill and serve immediately.

A Meal In Itself

Today I did an intense chest and back workout comprising push-ups, pull-ups, kettlebells and TRX all in one super-intense circuit workout. I needed a quick post-workout meal which would keep me going until late afternoon as I had classes and clients over lunch and the following hours. This fruit, veg and nut smoothie did the job. I used half a scoop of 100% pure whey protein from grass-fed cows with no added ingredients (i.e. sugars, sweeteners or flavours) as I needed a good dose of protein following my workout, but hardcore Paleo people can omit this and it would taste just as good. If I had had any ice in my freezer, I would have added a few cubes, so feel free to do so (I don’t know abut you, but I like my smoothies really cold and thick).

Green Apple and Almond smoothie (serves 1)
Ingredients:

1 Granny Smith apple, frozen
1/2 scoop 100% pure whey protein (Pink Sun)
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp almond butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 handful organic spinach leaves

Put all ingredients into a blender.
Whizz up for a minute or two, or until well blended.
Enjoy.

My favourite breakfast – quick and easy Huevos Rancheros

Today is day 6 of my 21 Day Sugar Detox (written by Diane Sanfilipo, for those of you interested who have never heard of it). So far so good. I’m not really craving sweet things too much, however tonight is going to be the real test! It’s Saturday and I’m going out with my boyfriend and some friends, but I am not allowed to drink alcohol (at all!) This is going to be a real challenge. I’m not an alcoholic by any means, but I do enjoy a drink (or two) in a social setting. However, I am determined to prove to myself that I can go for three weeks without it!

It’s a beautiful sunny morning in West London – perfect weather for training a client outdoors. I decided this morning was the morning for some Mexican flavours for breakfast. One of my boyfriend and my favourite breakfast/brunch dishes is Huevos Rancheros. I always find the kick from the chillies first thing in the morning gives me a spring in my step for the rest of the day. I used to make this dish with black beans or refried beans on whole wheat tortillas before adopting a Primal way of eating. To be honest, I don’t miss either the beans or the tortilla as both are the least flavourful part of the dish anyway. This morning I served it with sliced avocado as I was in a hurry to get to my session, however if you have more time, feel free to make the avocado into guacamole (I posted a recipe for this previously with the Mexican spiced Tuna).

Quick and Easy Huevos Rancheros (serves 2)
Ingredients:

1 red onion, chopped
1 yellow (or whatever colour you have on hand) bell pepper, diced
A glug of EVOO
4 eggs
1 tsp cumin powder
1 whole chipotle chilli, chopped or pulverised in a food processor
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 large bunch coriander/cilantro, leaves and stalks finely chopped
1 avocado
1/2 lime, cut in two
Sea salt

Sauté the onion in a frying pan in the oil until slightly translucent.
Add the pepper and continue to sauté until it begins to soften.
Add the cumin and chipotle, stir to mix.
Add the tomatoes and season with sea salt.
Leave to simmer while you chop the cilantro.
Add the cilantro and mix well.
Crack the eggs onto the top of the tomato sauce, and cover the pan to help the eggs cook.
I like my egg yolks soft, so I left them to cook for around 4 mins. The yolks were still sticky and slightly runny in the very centre. Cook longer if you want completely solid yolks.
Serve with the sliced avocado, and a squeeze of lime juice.
Delicioso!

Green Power

After my rude awakening on Monday when I stepped on the scales, I did the unthinkable this morning and weighed myself again (I rarely obsess about weighing myself, but because I was so shocked on Monday, I decided to disprove my scales). Now, I have been good so far this week (ok, I know it’s only Wednesday). No dark chocolate, limiting myself to one or two lattes (homemade with organic milk in a small cup) per day, no treats of any kind, trying to be more conservative with my portions, plus working out pretty hard. So I was feeling quietly confident when I stepped on the scales this morning. I did it! I proved that my scales have a mind of their own and want to give me a reality check every so often as I was down 4lbs since Monday. There is NO WAY in hell that I have actually lost 4lbs in 2 days. My weight is now down half a pound since I weighed myself after Christmas. Half a pound less I can believe, so what the heck was that extra 4 lbs about? Anyway, the moral of the story is NEVER TRUST THE SCALES – how you feel, how you think you look and how your clothes fit is much more important. Having said that, it’s good to weigh yourself from time to time (once or twice a month) to check that you aren’t getting complacent and letting the pounds creep on.

Anyway, I digress. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m very much an “eggs for breakfast” kind of gal. From time to time, I do like a good smoothie though. I really enjoy a smoothie post-workout (mid-morning, having had my eggs a couple of hours before the workout). I made this little green gem on Monday. It was actually my lunch as I needed something quick to prepare and eat before I went to work teaching my lunchtime boxing class followed immediately by a one to one client. I don’t normally put vegetables in my smoothies, but I had a handful of baby spinach left in the fridge which was beginning to look like it had seen better days, so I felt inspired to chuck it in. The result was delightful!

Green Smoothie (serves 1)
Ingredients:

A handful of baby spinach leaves, washed
25g coconut mana/creamed coconut
1/2 frozen banana
1/3 cup full fat coconut milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
5-6 ice cubes

Put all the ingredients in a blender.
Whizz and enjoy!

A lazy Sunday breakfast

Well it’s Sunday morning and it’s snowing again! I’m not looking forward to working in the freezing conditions tomorrow – teaching in a gym with no heating and also outdoor bootcamp in the evening. I guess seven fleeces it is then!

I was watching one of the cooking shows on tv yesterday and the guy was making savoury crêpes with Parma ham, asparagus and hollandaise. It looked delicious although the pancakes were obviously made with refined wheat flour (urgh!). So I woke up this morning thinking of some way I could make a paleo/primal version. I didn’t have any asparagus or Parma ham, and I was too hungry/impatient to faff around making hollandaise (even though it’s one of my favourites), so I used regular ham, organic cheddar cheese and some of the other veggies I had on hand in my fridge; mushrooms, spring onions and courgettes (or zucchini if you like). Obviously you can omit the cheese if you are strict paleo or lactose intolerant. Feel free to use whatever veg you fancy (leek and mushroom would be delicious, as would asparagus)

Savoury Crêpes with ham, cheese and veggies (serves 2)
Ingredients

4 large mushrooms, sliced
4 spring onions/scallions, sliced
1 large courgette/zucchini, quartered and sliced
4 eggs
2 slices ham
1.5 tbsp coconut flour
A handful of grated cheddar cheese (optional)
Knob of butter
Sea salt and pepper

Melt half of the butter in a large frying pan and sauté the veggies until tender. Remove from the pan and set aside. Wash or wipe the pan to use for the pancakes.
Beat the eggs, season with salt and pepper and whisk in the coconut flour until a runny batter with no lumps forms.
Melt half of the remaining butter in the pan and add half of the batter. Tilt the pan to make sure the entire bottom is covered with the batter. If you have a small frying pan, you may want to make 4 smaller crêpes instead of 2 (which is what I did) as you don’t want them too thick or they will be quite dry.
Cook for a minute or two, then carefully flip. Straight away, put the ham on top to heat through, add the grated cheese if using and then pile on the veggies.
Cook for another minute or two and then carefully remove to a plate and roll up. Sprinkle with a little extra cheese if you like and place under a grill/broiler to melt the cheese and keep it warm until you have finished making all your crêpes.
Enjoy!

Rise and Shine!

Morning! It’s the first Sunday morning of the year and I’m not hungover or tired from a late night out on the tiles (yes, I know that imbibing lots of alcohol is hardly healthy or “Paleo/Primal”, but a girl’s gotta have a social life). Even though it’s a dreary old morning, I’m feeling good and looking forward to my trip later on this morning to my local farmers market which is just a hop, skip and a jump from my home – convenient eh?

Anyway, you don’t know me yet, but I’m a real “eggs for breakfast” kind of girl. I spent most of my life believing I should eat cereal and muesli for breakfast as it was the ‘healthy’ option, but it always made me feel lousy and ravenously hungry an hour later (now I know why). My life literally changed overnight once I realised it was ok to eat eggs for breakfast! Plus, I hardly ever fancy sweet things for breakfast (I’d rather have paleo pancakes for dessert than first thing in the morning). I adore omelettes, scrambles and frittatas and generally have a variation on one of these every morning.

…So you’ve had your warning! This basically means you can expect a myriad of omelette, scramble and frittata recipes! Oh, and some point in the near future, I will post my recipe for huevos rancheros for when you fancy something with a little bit of a kick for breakfast or brunch!

I digress. One of my favourite veg combinations to go with eggs is leek and mushroom. (Ok technically, mushrooms are fungi, so one of my favourite veg and fungus combinations is more accurate but sounds a bit wrong!) This morning’s fare was Leek and Mushroom Frittata. It was delicious as it was, but I kinda wished I had added some bacon (there’s always room for bacon, right?) Feel free to do so, I won’t take offense!

Ingredients: (serves 2)

4 or 5 eggs (depending on how hungry you are)

2 leeks

Knob of grass-fed butter

150g mushrooms

A handful of organic cheddar cheese (optional)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat your grill (or broiler if you’re American). Wash and finely slice your leeks and mushrooms. Melt the butter in a frying pan, add leeks and mushrooms and cook I until soft.

While the veg is softening, beat the eggs and season with sea or Himalayan salt. If you do dairy, you can add a slug of whole milk to the eggs. Pour the eggs into the pan and stir once to make sure the egg gets all the way down to the bottom of the pan and the veg are completely coated or even suspended in the eggy liquid.

Cook on a medium to low heat until it looks firm with a runny top. If you are using the cheese, sprinkle it on top and put the pan under the grill/broiler until the top is set and the cheese is starting to bubble. Serve and enjoy!