Breakfast

Fruit & Nut Yoghurt Bowl

Breakfast, Snack

I don’t know about you but I love waking up just to have breakfast. It really is my favourite meal if the day! 

Breakfast needn’t take forever to prepare and this is one of the quickest recipes to ensure you get plenty of your 5-a-day in terms of fruit in whilst the yoghurt, nuts and seeds provide protein and all important essential minerals.

Serves 1.

Fruit, Nut, Yoghurt, Breakfast, Delalicious

  • 1/2 large apple
  • 1 kiwi, peeled
  • 2 tbsp natural yoghurt
  • 1 tbsp mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower or as you like)
  • 2 tbsp chopped nuts (almonds, pecans, cashews or as you like)
  1. Chop the fruit into chunks and place in a bowl.
  2. Spoon over the yoghurt.
  3. Sprinkle the seeds and nuts on top.

Banana & Nut Overnight Oats

Breakfast, Snack

Recovery is an essential part of exercising, to increase muscle size or power there must be breakdown in muscle fibres to result in regeneration and development. Without adequate recovery, muscle development will be inadequate or not occur at all. Recovery combines many facets including rest, rehydration and refueling. The refueling gold standard combines a mix of protein and carbohydrate and is consumed within 30 minutes of ceasing exercise.

Overnight oats combines both carbohydrates (oats) and protein (milk) and is a great option to have ready in the fridge for a recovery meal at any time of day. I have posted a number of previous flavours but this recipe came about with the presence of a bunch of very overripe bananas.

My other favourites are: Spring Bircher Muesli, Apple & Cinnamon Bircher Muesli . Quinoa is another great option as it’s bursting with protein Stewed Apple & Poached Plum Quinoa Porridge. Or when you are really short on time, my Berry & Oat Recharger is the one for you. 

Serves 1.

  • 3 tbsp oats
  • 1 tbsp chia seeds
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp nut butter/tahini
  • 1 overripe banana
  • 100ml milk
  1. Place all the dry ingredients in a bowl or jar.
  2. Chop in the banana.
  3. Mix all the ingredients together with the nut butter and milk until well combined.
  4. Store overnight or for at least 5 hours in the fridge.
  5. Serve with some chopped banana, nuts/berries, a drizzle of nut butter and a dollop of Greek yoghurt.

Stewed Apple & Poached Plum Quinoa Porridge

Breakfast, Snack

It’s so tough getting up these winter mornings, from the darkness that your body still thinks it’s nighttime to the frosty chill the minute you put a toe outside the covers. That’s why you need something warm and filling to get your warmed up quick whilst also keeping your energy levels maintained for the day ahead. Stewed apples are pure comfort food to me, they are perfect at any time of the day as a quick dessert with a scoop of yoghurt or ice-cream. Likewise the poached plums are great topped with some granola and yoghurt as a simple dessert or breakfast option. Both can be prepared well in advance and will keep fresh in your fridge for at least one week or can be frozen. Stewing and poaching fruit is also a great way to use up fruit a little past it’s best, just remove the gone off bits and you’ll still be left be plenty of fruit to work with.

Serves 4.

  • 5 small apples, peeled, de-cored, quartered
  • 4 plums, halved, de-stoned
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 4 x portions of Quinoa Porridge
  • 4 tsp nut butter
  1. Place the apples and plums in two separate saucepans.
  2. Add the vanilla essence to the plums.
  3. Cover both the apples and plums with just enough water, you don’t want them fully submerged.
  4. Bring the saucepans to the boil and then reduce to a gentle simmer with the lid on.
  5. Continue to cook until the apples are fully broken down into a nice stew. Keep an eye on the plums as you want them cooked through but still to retain their shape.
  6. Remove from the heat and if your using immediately add to whatever dish you like otherwise allow to cool in the saucepan.
  7. Once fully cool, transfer to a resealable container and store in the fridge or freezer.
  8. Prepare the Quinoa Porridge, divide amongst four bowls, top with 2 tablespoons of stewed apple and 1 plum, drizzle over some of the plum syrup and finish with a teaspoon of nut butter.

Quinoa & Almond Breakfast Bowl

Breakfast

If you lived with me for a day, you would realise fairly quickly food waste is one of my pet peeves. I literally find a use for every scrap of food in my fridge and constantly remind my housemates not to throw out food without asking me first; as more than likely it can be used. It actually kills me to see perfectly good food in the bin…a little part of me cries inside honestly…I know it sounds a bit mad!! At home in Tipperary, we have hens so I don’t feel so bad about food scraps as the hens get to feast on them and then supply us with eggs. Leftovers is another thing people always struggle with in the kitchen and this is where this recipe for a quick breakfast delight came about. I haven’t tried it yet but would imagine any leftover grain should do the trick here, I’m thinking brown rice could be a real winner too so get experimenting!

Serves 1.img_6832

  • 100g leftover cooked quinoa
  • 2 tsp almond butter
  • 1 tbsp milled linseed
  • 1/2 banana
  • 5 tbsp milk
  1. I would not recommend using a bowl here unless you have a lid for it, as I made the rooky mistake and had a bit of cleaning to do. So for the second batch I used a plastic resealable container and it worked perfectly.
  2. Chop the banana and place all the ingredients in the bowl/container. Mix well together and place in the microwave on high for 3-4 minutes until the milk is well absorbed.
  3. Serve with some berries and seeds.

National Porridge Day & Bread Week

Breakfast

Apparently this week 10-16 October is National Bread week and Monday was National Porridge Day. So, what better way to celebrate oats and bread than making my Oat & Seed Loaf. I always have a batch in the freezer portioned out into slices ready to go with some soup for lunch or as a quick after training option topped with hummus. This recipe can be adapted to suit all intolerances by simply replacing the oats with gluten-free oats and the yoghurt with a lactose-free version.IMG_2074-0

I must confess I am not the biggest fan of regular porridge but I adore oats and especially for breakfast; so here are some of my favourite recipes:

Baked Banana Amaranth Porridge

Breakfast

I’m not the biggest fan of porridge but this amaranth porridge-esque version is in a different league to porridge, almost like a pudding style dessert for breakfast! Perfect for those cold winter mornings that are fast approaching topped with some Greek yoghurt and seasonal fruit. I often make this on a Sunday night and it keeps me going all week.

Makes 5 servings.

  • 1/2 cup amaranth
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tbsp nut butter
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 egg
  • 250ml milk
  • 3 bananas
  • 50g raisins
  • 50g walnuts
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp chia seeds
  • 3 tbsp oats
  1. Gently bring the amaranth and water to a boil. Allow to boil for 2-3 minutes and then remove from the heat with the lid on. The amaranth will continue to absorb all of the water until it forms a thick paste like texture. 
  2. Mix together the honey and peanut butter in a measuring jug. Whisk through the egg followed by the milk. 
  3. Add the raisins, chopped walnuts and 2 sliced bananas to the jug and mix well. 
  4. Pour the milk mixture into the amaranth with the cinnamon, oats and seeds until well combined. 
  5. Place this mixture into a loaf tin or ovenproof dish. Top with the remaining sliced banana and bake for 60 minutes at 160°C or until firm through.  
  6. Allow to cool fully before covering with clingfilm and storing in the fridge. Simply reheat a portion in the microwave on high for 2 minutes.

Berry & Oat Recharger

Breakfast, Juice, Snack

Recovery after tough exercise is vital for our muscles to repair and develop. A simple mix of both protein and carbohydrates within 30 minutes is backed by evidence to provide the necessary nutrients to our bodies. This smoothie is light and easy to digest whilst being super quick to prepare. If I’m traveling some distance to training, I will blend up the fruit and oats with a little water at home and simply buy some milk after training to mix through so that the milk doesn’t sour in my gear bag. I’ve used blackcurrants here but any berry combination would be perfect!

  • 3 tbsp oats
  • 2 tbsp blackcurrants
  • 1/2 medium apple
  • 300ml milk
  1. Place all the ingredients in a blender or tall jar if using a handheld blender.
  2. Blend until smooth, add some more milk or water if you find the consistency too thick.

 

Spring Bircher Muesli

Breakfast

Personally I just love Bircher muesli, it is made in minutes and is a simple answer to a delicious breakfast as the oats soak up all the goodness the night before to fill you up come morning time with minimal effort and maximum reward. The orange zest and juice give a really nice lift to these oats to remind us of the sun filled days to come!

Serves 2.

  • 110g oats
  • 2 tbsp milled linseed
  • 1 tbsp hemp or chia seeds
  • 1 tbsp flaked almonds
  • 1 tbsp raisins/dried cranberries/apricot
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • Zest of 1/2 small orange
  • 1/2 juice of a fresh small orange
  • 150ml milk (use whatever variety you like natural/nut/rice/oat/soya)
  • 50ml water
  1. Place all the dry ingredients in a bowl or Kilner jar. 
  2. Add the orange juice along with the milk & water.
  3. Stir well together & store in the fridge overnight (if you think the mix looks a little dry or you like a more gooey texture just add more milk/water). 
  4. Come morning, stir again to ensure well combined & serve with orange segments & a dollop of natural/Greek yoghurt.

Tomato, Olive & Fennel Seed Oat Loaf

Breakfast, Snack, Treats

This is a twist on my Oat & Seed Loaf that gives a Mediterranean vibe to have with soup or salad. Perfect for gluten-free (substitute gluten-free oats) or lactose-free (substitute lactose-free yoghurt) diets! Simply bump up the quantity of olives, tomatoes & fennel seeds to your liking!

  • 8 pitted black olives
  • 6 sun-dried tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp fennel seeds
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 500g natural yoghurt
  • 300g oats
  • 1 tsp bread soda
  1. Finely slice the olives and tomatoes. 
  2. Add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir well together until it’s well combined. 
  3. Place the mix into a lined loaf tin and bake at 180C for 40 minutes or until a skewer comes cleanly out.  

 

Get Your Pancakes!!

Breakfast, Snack

Pancake Tuesday is possibly my favourite food day of the year!! I do eat pancakes more than just once a year; they are my ultimate match day breakfast, lazy brunch treat or dessert option with some yoghurt & berries. I find I get the best pancakes when the batter sits in the fridge for the night. If you’re in a hurry for a last minute treat try & leave it sit for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.

There are a million different ways to make a pancake base & the variety of toppings is endless. My three favourites ways are:

  1. Banana Pancakes: this was one of my first blog posts & still one of my favourites, a nice light but filling option with no flour so friendly for all.
  2. Oat & Banana Pancakes:  These beauties are my match day breakfast option packed with slow-release carbohydrates, protein & essential magnesium & stacked high with yoghurt, fruit & nuts. Simply add an extra banana & egg along with 3 tbsp of oats to the original Banana Pancake batter!
  3. Buckwheat Pancakes: these are really versatile and work great as a sweet (stir through some berries/lemon zest) or savory option (topped with some smoked fish & avocado). The batter can also be thinned with more water or milk to make a thin crepe that works great as a taco shell or tortilla.
  • 300ml regular or almond milk
  • 125g buckwheat flour
  • 1/2 tbsp baking powder
  1. Place all the ingredients in a bowl or jug & whisk until a thick lump free batter forms. 
  2. Allow to sit overnight or for at least 1 hour in the fridge.
  3. To cook: remove the batter from the fridge & give it another whisk to ensure no lumps of flour remain.
  4. Heat 1 tsp of coconut oil on a non-stick pan over a medium heat, add 1 ladle of the mixture, swirl the pan to get an even coating and cook for about 3-5 mins. Flip over once bubbles begin to form on top. Cook through on the opposite side and remove from the heat. 
  5. Serve as you like.