Need more Banting breakfast inspiration? Look no further! With the colder weather approaching, yoghurt ain’t that appealing in the mornings. I give you three delish warm brekkie ideas…
Omelette with creamed mushrooms and chives
I love a good omelette bursting with Cheddar cheese or a combination of goat’s cheese and spinach. For something different, fry up some mushrooms and combine them with cream cheese for a really mouthwatering filling. While you’re at it, why not add some chopped smoked ham or crispy bacon? A must try!
Ingredients
Creamed mushrooms [enough filling for 4 omelettes]
250 g button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 T (15 ml) butter
250 g plain cream cheese
handful of chives
Salt and pepper to taste
1 x 2 egg omelette
1 t (5 ml) butter2 extra-large eggs
2 T (30 ml) water
2 t (10 ml) finely chopped chives
Method:
Mushrooms: Heat the butter in a large pan, add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and fry until fragrant and browned. Spoon into a mixing bowl and combine with cream cheese and chives. Season to taste.
Omelette:
Beat eggs, water and chives. Season to taste. Melt butter in a 16 – 18 cm frying pan over moderate heat until foaming but not brown.
Pour egg mixture into heated pan and cook, moving the mixture with a palette knife until lightly set.
Over low heat, spoon +- 3 T (45 ml) filling over half of the omelette. Fold the uncovered half over the filling. Allow to heat through for a minute.
Place a serving plate on top of the pan. Invert to transfer the omelette to the plate. Serve immediately with fresh rocket leaves drizzled with Parmesan flavoured olive oil.
Bacon nests with egg, spinach and feta
An eye-catching Banting brunch to make over the weekend. Also great for the lunchbox or a picnic basket.
Makes: 6
Ingredients
+- 350 g streaky bacon
300 g spinach, steamed and well drained.
6 large eggs
1 ½ wheels feta cheese, crumbled
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method:
Preheat oven to 230 °C.
Grease and line a muffin tray, a 6 tart tin (not loose bottom) or 6 ramekins with tightly arranged streaky bacon to form 6 bacon nests/baskets.
Roast in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes or until the bacon is 95% cooked with crispy edges. The bacon may curl and buckle a bit when baked, don’t worry! When you add the filling the shape will be retained.
Make sure all the liquid is squeezed out of the steamed spinach and roughly chop. Sprinkle the bacon nests with feta and spinach then crack and whole egg into each one. Sprinkle with black pepper and bake for a further 6-8 minutes or until the egg is set to your liking. Some of the egg may leak through the bacon, this is perfect! Carefully use a palette knife to remove from the tray and serve immediately.
Tip: These are rather lovely served at room temperature or chilled for the lunchbox or picnic. Just make sure the egg yolk is cooked through to prevent a mess!
Grilled avo with Gypsy ham, poached egg and easy Hollandaise sauce
I like to call this a “Banting Benedict”. Warm grilled avo topped with smoky ham, a gooey poached egg and homemade velvety smooth Hollandaise sauce. Ring the changes and replace ham with smoked salmon or crispy bacon rashers.
Serves: 2
Ingredients
1 large ripe avo, halved with skin and pip removed
2-4 slices gypsy ham
2 large poached eggs *
+- 200 ml Hollandaise sauce*
*Hollandaise [Makes +- 200 ml]
200 g butter, melted
20 ml white wine vinegar
20 ml water + 10 ml water
2 egg yolks
lemon juice to taste
cayenne pepper to taste
Method
*Hollandaise:
In a small saucepan, combine vinegar and 20 ml water and reduce mixture until you have +- 10 ml left. Remove from the heat and add the 10 ml water. Place the reduction in a small blender (or use a stick blender) with the egg yolks and blend until thick and creamy.
While blender in on, slowly add the melted butter until it forms a thick creamy sauce. If it becomes too thick, thin down with a bit of hot water as you go. Season with lemon juice and cayenne pepper to taste.
Keep sauce warm over a shallow pan of warm water until ready to use. This sauce can keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, simply heat gently over a pot of warm water. Do not overheat or it will split.
*Poach eggs:
Add 45 ml (3 T) of vinegar to every litre of boiling water – this help firm the eggs up and prevents them from disintegrating in the water.
Using a wooden spoon, make a whirlpool the center of the pot. Break an egg into a small bowl and then transfer into the center of the whirlpool. Use a slotted spoon to help guide the egg along. Cook for 2 minutes for soft yolk, 3 minutes for medium and 4-5 minutes for hard yolks. Repeat process for more eggs. Do them one by one to be safe. Place in a bowl of ice cold water to stop the cooking process and when ready to serve, place in a bowl of warm water for a few seconds to heat up.
To serve:
Place avo halves cut side down onto a griddle pan until griddle marks form. Gently remove.
Top each avo half with generous folds of gypsy ham, a poached egg (cooked to your liking) and topped with hollandaise. Serve with more hollandaise on the side. Optional: Serve with *Butternut “Rosti’’.
*Butternut “Rosti”: Thinly sliced butternut (use vegetable peeler) and arrange in circular shapes on baking paper, brush generously with melted butter and bake at 200°C for +- 15 minutes or until as crispy as you desire.
TIP: Replace ham with slices of smoked salmon or crispy bacon rashers.
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