The Food Diaries

Wild blueberry bircher muesli

Place 1/3 cup jumbo rolled oats in a small tupperware container. Add 1/3 cup pressed apple juice and set aside till the liquid has been absorbed (about 10 minutes). Sprinkle on 1tbs coarsely ground almonds. Top with 1/2 cup blueberries (wild blueberries if you can find them).

In a small mixing bowl mix together 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, 2tsp blueberry jam (I like the low-sugar varieties, such as St Dalfour) and 1tsp agave nectar - to taste. Spread evenly over the muesli. Sprinkle with flaked coconut. 

This can be made the night before and stored in the refrigerator.

Serves 1.

Blueberry buttermilk pancakes

In a bowl mix together 80g flour (3/4 cup), 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, a pinch of salt, and 1tbs sugar. Add 250ml (1 cup) buttermilk, 1 egg and 1 tbs melted butter and mix till just combined.

Heat a grill pan to medium and brush with a little rapeseed oil. Ladle in the batter, 3tbs at a time (if you like your pancakes smallish). Leave room between the pancakes to they don’t stick together. Drop a few blueberries into the pancake batter. 

Once the batter starts to bubble and dries slightly around the edges flip over. Cook for another minute, till golden.

Keep warm till ready to serve (with maple syrup). Extra batter can be stored in the refrigerator.

Serves 2.

Eggy bread with cheddar

Take a couple of slices of thick country bread and spread a little English mustard on them. Place a large slice of mature cheddar in between and close into a sandwich. Whisk together 1 egg with 1/4 cup milk and dip in the sandwich on both sides till the liquid is well-absorbed. Melt a little butter in a pan and fry on both sides till nicely golden. Slice in half and serve.

A sort of Mexican breakfast

A really fresh and zesty breakfast option (or brunch) to set you up for a busy weekend day.

Finely chop 1 small ripe tomato and place in a bowl along with the juice of 1/2 lime and 1 finely chopped spring onion (white part only). Set aside.

In a hot pan place a corn tortilla, cover with a slice of cheddar cheese, sprinkle on a little chilli powder and cover with a second corn tortilla. Press down with a spatula to seal and fry till golden on both sides and the cheese has started to melt. Transfer the quesadilla to a cutting board.

In the same pan add a drizzle of olive oil and a handful of sliced swiss chard and/or spring onion greens. Stir fry till wilted. Move to the side of the pan and add two eggs and fry till set. Season with sea salt.

Serve the eggs, alongside the chard, salsa, corn tortilla (cut into wedges) with a spoonful of sour cream (optional).

Pikelets with bacon and maple syrup

These Australian-style pancakes are a cute alternative to the traditional pancake as the batter is “dropped” into the pan, forming into slightly irregular shapes. Served alongside some crisp streaky bacon and some Canadian maple syrup you have a perfect sweet and salty breakfast combo.

Mix together 140g self-raising flour, a pinch of salt and 2 tbs sugar. In a separate bowl whisk together 2 eggs, 180ml milk and 1 tsp melted butter (or oil). Stir into the flour mixture till well combined.

Heat a non-stick pan with a little butter or oil and drop spoonfuls of the batter in the pan. Cook for a couple minutes till bubbles appear on the surface and the base is golden. Flip over and cook till lightly golden on the other side.

Keep in a warm oven till you have finished all the batter. Meanwhile, fry up some streaky bacon till golden and crisp and then cut into bite-sized pieces.

Serve the warm pikelets alongside the bacon and a generous drizzle of maple syrup.

Serve 3 hungry people.

Cinnamon French toast bites

Sometimes the best culinary ideas happen by accident. Say you have some leftover, stale, bite-sized squares of a country loaf (which you served on New Year’s with the cheese fondue) and you are about to throw them out, when you have the brainwave to add them to a mixture of an egg or two and a dash of milk, turning them around till the liquid is all absorbed. Add a dollop of butter into a pan, and when it just starts to sizzle add the the bread pieces and fry till golden on all sides. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon and sea salt and turn in the heat for another minute before piling onto a plate and serving with a drizzle of maple syrup.

It’s as if you’ve taken the best bit of the French toast (those crispy, golden edges) and made this breakfast all about that.

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BAKED FRENCH TOAST >

Ricotta fritters

This recipe comes from Jamie Oliver and is the best little recipe for ultra-fresh ricotta cheese.

In a bowl, mix together 450g fresh ricotta cheese, 2 tbs grated parmesan, 2 tbs flour, 1 egg, and some sea salt and pepper. Set aside in the fridge for a few minutes.

Warm a little olive oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry the ricotta cakes in batches of heaping tablespoons and flip over when golden using a spatula. These are very delicate so give yourself some space between the fritters in the pan so it is easier to flip them over. 

Serve straight away, either as a savoury dish with a little side salad of cherry tomatoes, basil and olive oil, or serve for breakfast with a drizzle of maple syrup or some granulated sugar.

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CORN FRITTERS >

The Breakfast Club: Kedgeree with a poached egg on top

In a pot place 1 cup brown basmati rice with 2 cups water, bring to a boil and then simmer, covered. Meanwhile, place a 250g fillet of smoked haddock in a pan and just cover with water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the fish from the pan (retain the water for later), remove the skin, and flake. Slowly fry 1 large shallot (or small onion) in a little butter till softened. Add 1/4 tsp turmeric and 1/2 tbs curry powder. Stir around briefly and remove from heat. Poach 2-3 eggs(this recipe serves 2-3, so count 1 egg per person). I love these poach pods.

Now add the fish, the shallot, 1/2 cup frozen peas, and the juice of 1 lemon to the rice. You can moisten the mixture with the cooking water from the fish to loosen the rice (it should be quite unctious), and finish with 1 tbs cream and a seasoning of sea salt and pepper.

Serve with the poached egg on top.

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SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH PANCETTA >

CORN FRITTERS WITH AVOCADO SALSA >

The Breakfast Club: Avocado & scramble egg tortilla

In a small pan wiped with a little cooking oil, break two eggs and add a small handful of grated white cheese. Scramble the eggs on medium heat till they reach the desired consistency. Stir in 4-6 quartered cherry tomatoes. Season with sea salt, pepper and a little chilli sauce. Pile into 3-4 corn tortillas, warmed (either in the microwave or in a dry, covered pan on the hob), add a slice of avocado and a squeeze of lime.

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MEXICAN POACHED EGGS >

Bloody Gazpacho

In a small pitcher stir together the following (ingredients are per person): 40ml vodka, 100ml gazpacho, 1 tsp horseradish cream, a few drops Worcestershire sauce, a few drops Tabasco (I prefer Sriracha), a pinch of Japanese pepper (Sansyo), a squeeze of lemon, and a few drops of celery bitters (for instance Bitter Truth). Pour into a tumbler filled with ice and garnish with a slice of tomato and a pimiento olive.

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RHUBARB ICED TEA >

Scrambled eggs with pancetta

This takes all of 5 minutes to prepare - so is a perfect option for a lazy weekend morning.

In a small pan place 35g (1/4 cup) of chopped pancetta (I buy them ready-packed in the supermarket - otherwise French lardon or English bacon will do fine) with a knob of butter and fry till golden. In the meantime, break a couple of eggs (I like Burford Brown as the yolks are so rich and deep yellow) into a bowl and add a dash of milk. Beat with a whisk till the eggs start to foam (a couple of minutes).

Remove the pancetta with a slotted spatula and transfer to a plate. While the pan is still hot pour in the egg mixture and let sit 15 seconds. Now immediately turn the heat down to low and using a heat-proof spatula (or wooden spoon) stir the eggs around till set to desired level of wobbliness. Mix in the pancetta and a squeeze of chilli sauce (optional), as well as some sea salt and pepper. 

Serve with a sprinkling of chives on two slices of toasted bread.

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CORN FRITTERS >

FRENCH TOAST >