Breakfast & Brunch

Apple + Cinnamon Spiced Oats

I cannot think of a better way to kick off an Autumn morning than with a bowl of apple + cinnamon spiced oats. Its like a warm hug in a bowl.  I heat this particular variation of my overnight oats up as a feel the cinnamon benefits from being warm (plus your house is then filled with the most divine smell). You can substitute the apple for pear and you will get an equally wonderful bowl of goodness.

Makes 1 small adult bowl or enough for two small children- increase as appetite(s) permit!

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base:

1/4 cup oats

1 tsp chia seeds

1 tsp flaxmeal

1 tsp maple syrup or honey

100ml milk (of your choice)

+ plus:

1/2 apple, grated

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

for topping:

1/2 apple, spiralled or cut into fine sliced

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp maple syrup

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Mix together the base ingredients along with the grated apple and cinnamon. Cover and place in the fridge overnight. Remove from the fridge 10 minutes before serving and either serve as is or heat until warm.

Whilst the oats are coming to room temperature prepare the other half of the apple by either finely slicing or using a spiraliser to cut into laces. Place in a small bowl and toss the prepared apple with the maple syrup and cinnamon. Top the oats with the apple and serve.

Cocoa & Date Oats

This is a bit of a naughty combo for the morning but it looks and sounds a lot more unhealthy than it actually is. I often make it for weekend mornings when I fancy giving us all a bit of a sweet treat. As with all my overnight oat recipes you can use whichever milk works of you and your family - for this combo I often use a nut milk if I have it in the fridge as the flavour works fantastically with the cocoa but all milks work or even coconut water. 

Makes 1 small adult bowl or enough for two small children- increase as appetite(s) permit!

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base:

1/4 cup oats

1 tsp chia seeds

1 tsp flaxmeal

1 tsp maple syrup or honey

100ml milk (of your choice)

+ plus:

2 tsp cocoa powder

1/2 tsp maple syrup [optional]

for topping:

1-2 dates, finely sliced or chopped

1 tbsp toasted pistachios, chopped

1 tsp nutella [optional]

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Mix together the base ingredients along with the cocoa and extra maple syrup (if using). Cover and place in the fridge overnight. Remove from the fridge 10 minutes before serving and either serve as is or heat until to warm. Top with dates, pistachio and some nutella if you want an extra chocolate hit. Serve.

Simply Overnight Oat

I have been meaning to add a recipe for overnight oats for absolutely ages as its such a lifesaver to have something healthy, nutritious and totally ready to go in the mornings which are chaotic at the best of times! This is my base recipe but feel free to add whatever ingredients you like into the mix or scatter on top. I have posted my favourite three combinations so check these out for ideas on what you should add- red berry + coconut, cocoa + date and apple + cinnamon.

Makes 1 small adult bowl or enough for two small children- increase as appetite(s) permit!

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1/4 cup oats

1 tsp chia seeds

1 tsp flaxmeal

1 tsp maple syrup or honey

100ml milk (of your choice)

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Mix together all the ingredients, cover and place in the fridge overnight. Remove from the fridge 10 minutes before serving and either serve as is or heat until to warm. Check out my other 'oats' recipes for ideas on what you can add to really kick start your morning.

Red Berry + Coconut Oats

A bowlful of overnight oats is just about the best way to nourish your body at the start of the day and set yourself up for the day ahead. This simple combo is so beautiful to look at and full of wonderful vitamins and nutrients. My daughters particularly like it when I mash down extra strawberries and mix them through to make the oats turn a pale pink. As with all my overnight oat recipes you can use whichever milk works for you and your family- for this recipe I use either full fat Koita or coconut milk.

Makes 1 small adult bowl or enough for two small children- increase as appetite(s) permit!

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base:

1/4 cup oats

1 tsp chia seeds

1 tsp flaxmeal

1 tsp maple syrup or honey

100ml milk (of your choice)

+ plus:

1/4 cup raspberries or strawberries or a combination, mashed to a rough puree

1/4 tsp vanilla extract [optional]

for topping:

1-2 strawberries, sliced or quartered

1 tbsp toasted coconut flakes or desiccated coconut

1 tbsp Pomegranate seeds

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Mix together the base ingredients along with the red berries and vanilla extract (if using). Cover and place in the fridge overnight. Remove from the fridge 10 minutes before serving and either serve as is or heat until to warm. Top with strawberries, coconut and pomegranate seeds and serve.

Pumpkin Pancakes

These pancakes are fantastic for using up pumpkin flesh after carving them up at Halloween but you can also use any squash or even sweet potato at any other point in the year. I've kept the recipe very straightforward but you can add cinnamon or ginger to spice them up a little.

Makes 8 scotch pancakes

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85g pumpkin puree

1 egg

100ml full fat milk

160g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1-2 tbsp maple syrup, optional 

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Place a large frying pan or pancake pan on a medium heat and allow it to warm up. Meanwhile, place all the ingredients into your blender and blitz down into a thick puree. Once the pan is hot enough pour approximately 3 tbsp of batter per pancake and wait until bubbles appear before flipping. Cook for 1-2 minutes and move onto a plate whilst you make the rest. Serve warm drizzled with maple syrup and toasted pecans!

Eggy Bread [aka French Toast]

This is such an amazing recipe to start your day with but it's also a fantastic gentle introduction to egg for your little one(s)- especially when its served with a drizzle of date syrup, a dollop of coconut yoghurt and a handful of blueberries!!! I, however, personally love the savoury option- loaded with smashed avocado and smoked salmon/ or crispy bacon. It makes me hungry even thinking about it...

BLW tip: my daughter loves it when I cut the bread into fun shapes with biscuit cutters. Stars and gingerbread men for Christmas breakfast?!

Serves 1 adult or 2 small children

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1 egg, beaten

1 tbsp milk

1 tbsp olive oil

2 slices of country bread, cut thickly

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Combine the egg and milk and pour into a shallow bowl or plate with a lip. Place the two pieces of bread on the plate and allow them to absorb the mixture. After 1 minute, turn and allow the other side of the bread to absorb the mixture- it will become very soggy.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a shallow frying pan and after 2 minutes of soaking add the bread to the hot pan. Cook for 1-2 minute or until golden brown. Carefully turn over the bread using a fish slice and continue to cook for a further 1-2 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.

Baked Eggs

This is such a fantastically quick and versatile recipe that can easily be multiplied up when cooking for more than one child/adult. I've put it in Breakfast and Brunch but in fact it makes a wonderful tea too. [Note: if making for myself I just double/triple the quantities and add a sprinkling of salt before serving.]

1 egg per ramekin

combo 1:

10-15g ham, roughly sliced or shredded

1 cherry tomato, quartered

10g cheddar cheese, grated

combo 2:

10-15g smoked salmon

5g spinach, roughly chopped

1 tsp cream cheese or creme fraiche

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Preheat the oven to its highest setting. Lightly butter the ramekin(s) and place the ham or salmon in the bottom followed by either the tomato or spinach. Crack the egg on top and add the remaining ingredient. Place in the oven for 12-15 minutes depending on how set you want your egg(s). Remove and allow to cool slightly before serving with some toast or flatbread.

Super Seed & Quinoa Granola

This is a fantastic granola for all the family- full of nutrients from the quinoa, oats, nuts and seeds as well as a big dose of natural sweetness from the fresh bananas. Its essential to leave the granola in the oven to crisp up after you have turned it off otherwise you won't get the lovely crunchy texture that makes it so addictive that you'll find yourself sneaking handfuls as a quick snack! I haven't included any dried fruit as we tend to add these separately as they burn in the oven but if you wanted to add any into the mixture before storing then I would suggest two types and about 50g each.

[Note: if you can't find puffed quinoa then just use an extra 60g porridge oats.]

140g porridge oats

40g puffed quinoa

40g desiccated coconut

40g almonds, roughly chopped

40g pistachios, roughly chopped

40g pecans, roughly chopped

40g sunflower seeds

40g pumpkin seeds

2 tbsp linseed

1 tsp ground cinnamon

3 tbsp maple syrup

3 tbsp olive oil

150g banana (about 2 bananas)

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Preheat the oven to 180oC and line a baking tray with baking parchment.

Place all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Place the maple syrup, olive oil and banana in a blender and blitz until a smooth puree. Pour the banana mixture over the dry ingredients and stir through so that everything is is evenly coated.

Spread the mixture onto the baking tray and compact down with the back of a wooden spoon or spatula. Place in the oven for 30-35 minutes, giving it a stir every 10-15 minutes. Turn off the oven but leave the tray inside for another 30 minutes to allow everything to crisp up. Remove and leave to cool completely before breaking up and storing in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks.

Banana & Maple Syrup Loaf

This banana cake is utterly perfect in our book- sweet, squidgy and heavenly when toasted and lathered with butter. I wish I had a picture of my daughter's face the first time she tried it- pure happiness! Slice up and store in the freezer or make into mini loaves.

Makes 1 large loaf

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3 ripe bananas (about 250-300g)

200ml maple syrup

3 eggs, beaten

140ml full fat milk

70ml sunflower oil

275g spelt flour

80g pecans, roasted for 10 minutes and blitzed down to a rough powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

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Preheat the oven to 170oC and line a loaf tin with baking parchment. Set aside.

Place the bananas, maple syrup and eggs in the bowl of a food mixer and beat for 3 minutes until you have a lump-free mixture. With the mixer still running, add the milk and sunflower oil and beat for a further minute until fully combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat for a further 5 minutes until smooth. Pour the mixture into your prepared loaf tin and place in the oven for 1 hour 30-45minutes or until risen and it bounces back when you touch it. Remove and place on a wire cooling rack.

[To store: wrap in foil and it will keep for 4-5 days or cut into slices and freeze for up to a month]

Chorizo & Cornbread Muffins

The creamy sweetcorn and lightly spiced chorizo in these muffins are a dream combo. Packed full of nutrients and a whole load of flavour they are fantastic for the entire family - especially as part of a delicious brunch selection. You can also make mini cornbread loaves with the mixture or they look fantastic (and ultra cute) in a bitesize format.

[Note: to keep the whole recipe gluten free just check that the chorizo you are using is GF and if you can't find any then substitute with sundried tomatoes or pancetta]

Makes 4-5 mini loaves, 6 large muffins or 12 bitesize muffins

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30g chorizo, cut into 1/2cm dice

150g sweetcorn, tinned or frozen plus a small handful for the top

30g shallots, roughly chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp baking powder

3 tbsp polenta

50g butter, softened

2 eggs, beaten

50g cheddar cheese, grated

3-4 cherry tomatoes, quartered (I like to use a variety of colours but red is fine)

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Preheat the oven to 200oC and line a muffin tin with 6 muffin cases. Set aside.

Place the chorizo in a small frying pan and fry over a medium heat until golden and crisp. Meanwhile, place the rest of the ingredients, apart from 15g cheddar and the tomato quarters, in a food processor and blitz until you have a rough puree. Pour into a mixing bowl and stir through the cooked chorizo. Divide the mixture between the muffin cases and equally sprinkle over the tomato quarters, leftover cheddar and sweetcorn. Place in the oven for 25-30minutes [Note: 20minutes for bitesize] until golden and set. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack.

Store: in an airtight container for 3 days.

Perfect Everyday Porridge

My daughters and I all adore porridge and would quite happily have it every single morning. Its not only super nutritious, its also cheap and extremely versatile. This quantity makes the perfect amount for our family but increase or decrease as needed. You can also leave out the maple syrup but we think it makes it 'juuuussssst right'. I've listed a few of our favourite toppings  but its delicious plain or with a big spoonful of strawberry chia jam.

Makes enough for 2 porridge loving adults and 2 small children.

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100g porridge oats

500ml full fat milk

2 tbsp maple syrup

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Put the porridge in a large saucepan and pour over 400ml milk and the maple syrup. Place over a medium-high heat and bring to the boil. Give the porridge a big stir and reduce to a simmer for 3 minutes, stirring often, until the mixture thickens. Remove and add the final 100ml milk and stir through to combine. Serve immediately.

Topping 1: Banana & homemade ‘Nutella’

1 banana, sliced- 1 tbsp ‘nutella’ -1 tbsp date syrup

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Add half the banana and the date syrup to the porridge whilst cooking and mash until it is part of the overall texture. Serve with the remaining banana slices and syrup and a spoonful of nutella.

Topping 2 : Blueberry, Almond& Honey

handful of blueberries - 1 tbsp toasted flaked almonds - 1 tbsp honey - pinch mixed spice

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Toast the almonds with a pinch of mixed spice and half the honey and set aside. Add half the blueberries into the cooking porridge so they they soften and leak into the oats. To serve, sprinkle over the toasted almonds, remaining blueberries and a drizzle of honey.

Topping 3: Cinnamon Apple & Maple Syrup

1 apple, roughly grated (or spirallised) - 1/4 tsp cinnamon - 1 tbsp maple syrup

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In a small bowl stir the cinnamon and syrup through the prepared apple. Add half to the cooking porridge and sprinkle the remaining on top before serving.

Topping 4: Blackberry & Pistachio

30g blackberries - 1 pear, grated - 1 tbsp toasted and roughly chopped pistachios - 1 tbsp honey

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Toast the pistachios with half of the honey and set aside. Grate the pear into the cooking porridge. To serve, sprinkle over the blackberries and pistachios.

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Mix'n'Match Morning Muffins

This recipe is a must have for any busy parent- you can use a whole host of different fruit and vegetables combinations depending on what you have leftover and they are always delicious. We love them for breakfast or as a mid afternoon snack or quite frankly- straight out of the oven! Much of the sweetness in these muffins depends  on the natural ripeness of the fruit and vegetables so play around with what combinations your family likes best. 

Makes 12 small muffins

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150g spelt flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

200g grated ‘hard’ fruit or veg [carrot, butternut, parsnip, courgette, sweet potato, apple or pear]

100g lightly mashed ‘soft’ fruit [banana, mango or berries]

30g dried fruit, chopped if large [raisins, cranberries, blueberries, sour cherries, dates, figs, prunes, apples]

3 tbsp olive oil

1 egg, beaten

100ml full fat milk- use coconut if you are looking for a dairy free alternative

3 tbsp agave or maple syrup

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Preheat the oven to 180oC and line a muffin tin.

In a large bowl add the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon. Mix well.  Add the fruit and veg along with the coconut and fold through the dry ingredients making sure everything is evenly distributed. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, eggs and agave syrup and then pour over the dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Place 1-2 heaped tablespoons of mixture into the lined muffin tins and bake for 20-25 minutes or until risen, golden and they bounce back when touched. Remove and allow to cool before serving. 

Anytime Pancakes

Pancakes make a regular appearance in our house and this recipe is a dream because the girls love getting involved- in fact they know the recipe off by heart! The fruit provides some natural sweetness but you can always add a bit of honey or maple syrup! These also make great afternoon snacks or lunchbox fillers.

Makes 15 american pancakes

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1 cup flour ( plain or spelt or a combination)

1 cup milk (whatever you usually use)

1 egg, beaten

1 banana, mashed or 1 grated apple/pear

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tbsp honey, optional

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Whiz everything up in a blender and leave for 30minutes (or overnight if you have time). Heat a large frying pan or pancake griddle and once hot pour the batter onto the pan (about 2 tbsp per pancake) and cook until bubbles appear. Flip and cook for 1 minute or until golden. Remove and keep warm before serving with your choice of toppings.

Serve immediately with a good dose of honey + a squeeze of lemon or spread with our almond and cocoa 'nutella'. I also sometimes like to add a slice of apple on one side when cooking- sprinkling over a bit of cinnamon and then flipping- it looks so pretty and is delicious when drizzled with maple syrup.

Coconut & Pear Bircher

This is a fantastic super nutritious dairy free breakfast option that you can prepare the night before. I think the combination of the pear and coconut work wonderfully together but use apple if you prefer and if you don't have any mixed dried berries just use whatever dried fruit you have available. This recipe is also great if you are baby led weaning as the mixture can be baked and set into little muffin size cakes that tiny hands can pick up and explore- see method below.

Serves 2 adults and 1-2 small children

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100g porridge oats

400ml tin full fat coconut milk

50g mixed dried berries

30g desiccated coconut

1/2 pear, finely diced or grated

1 tbsp maple syrup

1/2 tsp vanilla paste, optional

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Place all the ingredients in a large airtight container and stir to combine. Leave overnight for the oats to absorb the flavours and serve topped with extra pear and a drizzle of maple syrup. 

for baby led weaning: preheat the oven to 160oC and grease a 12-hole muffin. Divide the mixture between 9 of the moulds (it won't make 12) and bake for 20 minutes. Remove and allow to cool completely before popping out. Keep whole, slice or cut into dice before storing in an airtight container for 5 days or freeze for up to 1 month.

Mango Lassi

My husband and I fell in love with Mango Lassi whilst in India before our daughter was born and since its made a regular appearance at weekend breakfasts. Madeleine has joined this love affair- its creamy, fruity and naturally sweet- so ticks just about every box! I add a pinch of ground cardamon which we all love and gives a more authentic flavour but feel free to leave out. 

Makes 3-4 glasses

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300g frozen diced mango

150ml full fat Greek Yoghurt

300ml milk

1 tsp honey

1 tsp lime juice

2 mint leaves

pinch of ground cardamon, optional

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Place all the ingredients in a blender and blitz down until smooth and silky. [Note: you may need to stop half way and scrap down the sides with a spatula]. Remove and pour straight into serving glasses.

Ricotta & Sweetcorn Pancakes

We are totally pancake crazy in our house and these are so delicious at just about anytime of the day (or night!) The recipe takes minutes as you just chuck everything in a blender- blitz- and voila! I love them to serve them with my hidden veg guacamole and some fried cheese haloumi but pretty much anything goes!

Makes 6 large or 12 blini-sized pancakes

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100g sweetcorn, tinned or frozen

100g ricotta cheese

100ml milk

1 egg, beaten

50g plain flour

50g polenta

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp smoked paprika, optional

1/4 tsp salt, optional

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Place a large frying or pancake pan on the hob with a little butter and turn the heat to medium-high. Whilst heating up, place all your ingredients in a blender and blitz down to a smooth batter.

Once the butter has melted and the pan is hot, pour the batter directly from your blender into the pan (you can make 1-2 pancakes at a time depending on the size of your pan). Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the edges are set and bubbles begin to appear, and then flip and cook for a further minute on the other side. Remove and keep warm until ready to serve.