We developed this delicious breakfast during a yoga holiday to southern India a couple of years ago, and are happy to share it with you!

Serves 4

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black mustard seeds
Half tsp peeled and finely chopped ginger
4 heaped tbsp finely chopped onion
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp mild red chilli powder
Pinch of garam masala
4 heaped tbls peeled chopped tomatoes
300 grams of tofu crumbled with your hands
1 tbsp fresh coriander – washed, dried and roughly chopped

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a medium size thick bottomed frying pan.
2. Sizzle the cumin and black mustard seeds for 30 seconds and then add the onions and saute until sweet smelling, translucent and lightly brown.
3. Now add the ginger, other spices and the tomatoes.
4. Keep stirring over medium flame until creamy and fragrant – about 4 minutes.
5. Stir in the crumbled tofu and simmer a few more minutes.
6. Remove to serving dish and garnish with fresh coriander.
7. Enjoy!

If you have a sensitive gut, you may find it easier to digest if you leave your bowl of muesli to soak overnight in milk or apple juice.

200g oat flakes
200g barley flakes
200g rye flakes
4 dessertspoons wheatgerm
2 dessertspoons sunflower seeds
2 dessertspoons pumpkin seeds
3 dessertspoons raisins or sultanas
8 dried apricots, finely chopped

Mix all ingredients together in a large storage container with a lid. You can add any of your favourite dried fruit such as dates or figs, also other seeds, nuts and even coconut shreds. Good health food stores also sell a range of other grains, (some are best puffed, such as quinoa, as they are inedible raw) that you can add to the mix. Store in a cool place.

Serve yourself a bowl of muesli with fresh milk, natural yoghurt or soya milk. Garnish with a couple of strawberries.

This home-made muesli takes seconds to make, all to your own specifications.

Why oats are so good for you?

Oats are a remarkably versatile grain with wide-ranging health properties. In addition to being a good source of carbohydrates, they are high in both soluble and insoluble fibre. This means that they can contribute to a healthy gut. Studies have shown they can help lower cholesterol. They are digested slowly so do not raise blood sugar levels dramatically, which makes them a satisfying base for breakfast. They are one of the richest food sources of silicon, needed for healthy skin, bones and connective tissue.

Delightful flavour contrasts.

One pure orange colour, two different tastes, one result – a fabulous smoothie where the creamy, sweet mango contrasts well with the tangy orange.
2 mangoes
2 oranges
juice of 1 lime
8 tbsp (approx 150ml) apple juice

It’s delicious, promise!

200ml of a fresh juice of your choice – orange or apple juice work really well. Throw in a handful of washed strawberries (ideally frozen) and 4-5 basil leaves (or to taste).

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend to your desired consistency. Add ice cubes to thicken if you like.

Why are strawberries so good for you?

Packed with vitamin C, but not really a fruit at all !

In season from the end of May through to the end of August, they are a fantastic source of vitamin C – just 5 strawberries could give you your recommended daily intake. They are also rich in vitamin K, essential for healthy bones and blood clotting. Strawberries are also packed full of anti-oxidants, good for your skin and some with anti-cancer properties.

Interesting fact: did you know that the strawberry plant is actually a member of the rose family? They are not technically fruit – the true fruits of the strawberry plant are actually the small seeds which coat the outer surface of the strawberry.

Great for breakfast or, in fact, at any time of the day.

Put four large handfuls of frozen blueberries into a blender and blend with 2 tablespoons (30ml) of natural yogurt and a few dashes of apple juice.

Why are blueberries so good for you?

Blueberries are a rich source of antioxidants called proanthocyanidins. These potent chemicals are protective in their own right against the ravages of ageing caused by oxidant damage but they also help increase the potency of vitamin C, another powerful antioxidant. Proanthocyanidins are said to have an antioxidant activity about 50 times stronger than vitamin C. They also help strengthen capillaries, the tiny blood vessels that feed the skin and other extremities, making sure all parts of the body get sufficient oxygen and vital nutrients. Their antioxidant qualities have been shown also to help protect our cellular support structure, collagen, from free radical damage. Blueberries are also a good source of fibre, needed to keep the bowels clear.

Peel and dice equal amounts of pears and apples – enough to cover a pyrex dish ¾ full.

Mix with a handful of sultanas, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and 500ml of orange juice and place in the pyrex dish.

Mix 500g muesli in a bowl with some olive oil – just enough to make the mix a bit wet, then simply cover the fruit mix, cover with foil and bake at 200 degrees for 30 minutes. Then take off the foil and turn up the oven to max for 5 minutes.

A little different to our other breakfast options! On a hot, sunny summer morning, think of this recipe as a Spanish breakfast…. but it’s just as delicious for lunch or dinner.

8 Jerusalem artichokes scrubbed
Juice of ½ lemon
8 eggs
4-6 basil leaves (torn)
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
Handful of spinach leaves – roughly chopped
8 thin asparagus spears – cut into pieces
2 medium tomatoes – sliced

Boil the Jerusalem artichokes in water along with the lemon juice, until they feel tender when pierced with a skewer, approximately 15 minutes. Drain and allow to cool, then slice thickly.

Beat the eggs with the basil and seasoning. Preheat the grill.

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and add the egg mixture. Scatter the spinach, asparagus, artichokes and tomatoes evenly over the egg. Cook the tortilla for about 3 minutes (don’t stir it) and then place under a grill for a minute or two until golden brown all over.

Serve the tortilla cut into wedges with a green salad.

This recipe can be adapted to include some grated goats cheese or other seasonal vegetables.

Why is asparagus so good for you?

In one serving of asparagus, you get two-thirds of your daily need for folic acid, which is not only crucial for the proper development of a baby but also good heart health. Asparagus also contains an amino acid called asparagines. This, along with its high potassium content and low sodium, makes it a diuretic and cleanser, useful for processing proteins and flushing through the kidneys. Diuretics not only help to reduce blood pressure but also water retention in the legs and premenstrually. Asparagus is a source of the flavonoid, rutin, which has an affinity for healthy blood capillaries, helping prevent them from rupturing, such as in haemorrhoids.

It’s an unusual combination that works well and is delicious toasted.

Serves 24 pieces

2 cups white corn flour
2 cups fine yellow polenta
2 cups whole meal spelt flour
2 tbsp baking powder
1 cup deodorized sunflower oil or
organic corn oil
1 tbsp Ume Su (umboshi vinegar)
4 cups coconut milk
2 cups lightly toasted walnut pieces

Method:

Walnut pieces – rinse under cold water cold water in a strainer, place on baking sheet and bake at 150c or 300f for 10 min until golden brown. Remove to a cutting board and roughly chop.

Preheat oven to 180c or 350f. Mix wet and dry ingredients separately and then add dry to wet. Combine briefly but thoroughly. Consisency should be a thick cake batter but if it is too dry add some more coconut milk or a little rice milk, soya milk or water. Oil a large baking pan and spread the batter in so that it is no thicker than 1 inch think. Sprinkle with the chopped walnuts and lightly press them into the surface with your hands. Place in the oven andbake until golden brown, after about 30 minutes. Ensure a wooden skewer goes into the bread and comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before removing to cooling rack.

Serve warm or cold.

To make approximately 16 muffins:

16oz gluten free plain flour
4 tsp baking powder
4 oz chopped dried apricots
Handful of sunflower seeds
4 fluid oz sunflower oil
4 eggs
3 level tablespoons of plain natural yoghurt
Approx 4 tablespoons of soya milk
4 chopped bananas

Mix together all the dry ingredients apart from the apricots. Separately mix together the yoghurt, eggs, oil and soya milk. Mix both bowls together until just combined – if the consistency is too dry add more soya milk. Chop up the bananas and add to the mix. Place in separate muffin cases and top with the chopped apricots. Bake for 20 minutes at 200 degrees or until brown on top.

Banana Bread

For banana bread, use the same recipe as for healthy muffins, just more add bananas and cook it in loaf tin for about 35 mins at the same temperature.

The trick with passion fruit is to buy the wrinkly ones, or let the smooth ones go wrinkly in your fruit bowl – it’s counter intuitive, but the juice and flesh with be a lot sweeter. This recipe uses buckwheat flour, which makes it gluten free, but you could use another whole grain flour, like spelt or rye or a plain white flour. These pancakes are great for adults and kids alike.

Makes about 8 pancakes:

110g buckwheat flour (about 4oz)
1 large egg
290ml (1/2 pint) liquid (½ skimmed milk and ½ water or use 290 ml of milk substitute)
A little sunflower oil

Filling for 8 pancakes:

2 large ripe mango
6-8 passion fruit
2 large ripe banana
Small bunch of fresh mint

1. Put the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the centre.

2. Add the egg and start using a whisk in the well while slowly adding the liquid, drawing in the flour from the sides until you have a batter that is the consistency of single cream. You may not need all the liquid.

3. Leave to stand for 15 mins while your cut the fruit

4. Peel the mango and cut either side of the stone so that you have two slabs of mango. Dice the slabs and cut as much off as you can from the rest of the fruit. Place the mango in a small saucepan.

5. Place a sieve over the sauce pan.

6. Cut open the passion fruit and scoop out the flesh and seeds into the sieve. Push the juice and flesh through the sieve, leaving the seeds. The seeds can be used for decoration.

7. Dice the banana the same size as the mango and add to the saucepan.

8. Pick off a dozen mint leaves, place them on top of each other and roll them up into a cigar shape. Take a sharp knife and cut the mint into thin strips.

9. Take a frying pan (ideally non stick) and brush the base with a little oil and heat. When hot add 1/8th of the mix to the pan and move the batter to cover the pan base evenly. After a couple of minutes, when the pancake is set and light brown, flip it over and continue to cook it until it is light brown. Flip it out onto a plate and repeat the process again until the batter is all used. You can keep the pancakes warm in the over while you carry out point 10.

10. Warm the fruit mixture, but let it get to hot or to boil. When warm stir in the mint.

11. Place a pancake (or two) on a plate and fill the centre third with the fruit, draw over the two outer thirds and serve. Decorate with a few mint leaves and passion fruit seeds for a crunch.

Enjoy!

Why is passion fruit so good for you?

Passion fruit is an excellent source of Vitamins A and C and if you eat the seeds also provides an excellent source of fibre.

When choosing your passion fruits, make sure they are the larger, heavier and firmer fruits. The skin is wrinkled and dimpled and can be old-looking but this doesn’t mean that the fruit is rotten.

Did you know?

… that passion fruit has a slight sedative effect as a result of the combination of glycosides and flavonoids present? Both the juice and the flowers of the plant have been used in remedies to treat anxiety and high blood pressure. This is one reason that the fruit is favoured by Brazilian mothers when feeding their toddlers!