poached eggs with sweet potato and kale

Since returning home from our Italian escape (and yes I need to report back on that amazing foodie adventure) we have been thrown back into the hectic life we lead. My husband is back training and studying, while I have taken on a little more work in the sports nutrition world and have decided to run a little event we call the marathon. The thought of the marathon isn’t making me crazy just yet (or maybe I am crazy for contemplating it)?… I like to run for my daily exercise and running with my group on Tuesday and Thursday nights has become a nice habit and time to relax…

Again we need to make sure we are prepared. This has been working well, however the other Thursday night we were both home late and I didn’t have anything pre-prepared. I knew however that I could whip up something quick and healthy with some ingredients that I had in the house.

Now I believe these meals are often the best, and in this case we both thoroughly enjoyed what I came up with.

This meal can be served as a breakfast, lunch or dinner option and the quinoa could be replaced with any grain of choice (or leave that part out if you haven’t had an active day). This meal is gluten free for those requiring a gluten free diet, provides carbohydrate for refuelling and sustained energy and provides the benefits of the nutrient dense ingredients – sweet potato, kale, quinoa and olive oil (you will notice that I don’t use this sparingly).

Because I had just been running I wanted to ensure that I had enough protein for recovery. Two eggs gives you about 50% of your protein needs after training so I had a glass of milk after the meal to make up for the rest.

Here it is…

Ingredients (serves two)

 1/3 cup (60g) quinoa - or other grain of preference

 1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small-medium (300g) sweet potato, cut into 1cm x 1 cm cubes

1 handful kale roughly chopped into strips

¼ cup water or vegetable stock

1 teaspoon chilli flakes (or more if you like it hot)!

 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

 ¼  teaspoon paprika

 ½ teaspoon cumim

 ½  teaspoon ground coriander seeds

 2 tablespoons fresh coriander or parsley

4 fresh eggs (the freshest you can find for perfect poaching)

 Method

1.    Start cooking quinoa (or grain of choice) and set to the side when ready.

2.    Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan over a medium-high heat.

3.    Add sweet potato and sauté for about 3 minutes then add the chilli and garlic and sauté for a further 2 minutes  or until almost tender, stirring frequently.

4.    Add paprika, cumin and ground coriander and stir through sweet potato for a couple of minutes.

5.    Add kale and water (or stock) and continue to stir frequently on low-medium heat for ~5 minutes or until the kale starts to shrink.

6.    Once the kale is tender add the quinoa to the pan, stir through and turn off the heat.

 Poaching the eggs

1.    Fill a small saucepan with about 2-3 inches of water from the kettle and add a pinch of salt.

2.    Bring water to the boil then reduce to a gentle simmer.

3.    Crack an egg into a cup and gently pour it into the water. Do this for each egg.

4.    They should be ready in about 4 minutes for soft yolks or 5 minutes for firm yolks. When they are cooked to your liking, remove the eggs from the water and set on paper towel to soak up excess water.

To serve, divide the quinoa, sweet potato and kale mix between two bowls, top with the eggs, a little salt, cracked pepper and the fresh coriander or parsley.

Nutrition information (per serve): Kilojoules: 1978kJ (470cal) Protein: 22g Carbohydrate: 48g Fat: 20g Saturated fat: 5g Fibre:7g Sodium: 178mg

Breakfast on the RUN - Overnight Oats

Breakfast is my most favourite meal of the day.

I always look forward to breakfast and I often find myself drifting off to sleep thinking about what I am going to eat the next morning….this is true.

In winter I love stove cooked rolled oats (cooked in half water, half milk), which I vary with different toppings. Some of my favourite combinations include:

• Chia seeds, banana, cinnamon and a drizzle of honey
• Stewed apple and rhubarb
• Blueberries and honey
• Grated apple and cinnamon
• Spiced poached pears or quince

Traditional rolled oats (not the instant quick oats) have a low glycemic index (GI) and can help to lower your cholesterol due to the presence of beta-glucans. You will find that after a good bowl of rolled oats your energy levels will be nicely sustained and you will feel fuller for longer.

Those of you who have read my earlier posts will know that in my wedding vows earlier this year I officially declared, in front of the ones that I love, to continue to cook my husband delicious meals. During winter this year my husband and I had a ritual of enjoying breakfast together, a previous rarity in our household. There was nothing that I loved more than showing him my love through a warm bowl of delicious cooked oats each morning.

Now that I have dedicated many of my mornings to training for a long distance triathlon, my husband has to settle for weet-bix and I am looking for more ‘on the run’ breakfast options – not the same winter romance we once had.

Before swimming or a long ride in the morning I often enjoy an ‘up and go’ for a quick fix.

Following training I need a breakfast option that I can often enjoy at the office or one that takes no time to prepare. This option needs to provide the right amount of protein for recovery (~20g) and enough carbohydrates to refuel my tired muscles. I still use oats as a basis of this meal, however I have embraced the recent trend of ‘overnight oats.’

If you google ‘overnight oats’ you will find thousands of recipes, some that are extremely creative which almost sound like a dessert instead of a breakfast option.

‘Overnight oats’ are exactly what their title implies. Oats that you prepare the night before that are ready to be enjoyed the next day. As long as you are willing to dedicate a small amount of preparation time the night before, ‘overnight oats’ are the most quick and convenient breakfast option you will find.

My version of ‘overnight oats’ is quiet simple and not too sweet. If you like a touch more sweetness you may try adding a grated apple or a little more honey to the mix.

The combinations of ‘overnight oats’ are endless and I am going to aim to explore some new options throughout this summer, however this is my staple for now. I hope you enjoy.

Simple Overnight Oats

Ingredients

1/2 cup of rolled oats

1/2 cup of Greek yogurt

1/2 cup of milk

1 teaspoon of honey

1 tablespoon of sunflower seeds

1 tablespoon of slithered almonds

1 teaspoon of chia seeds

A pinch of ground cinnamon

Strawberries and blueberries

(you can use frozen berries as in the photograph, however I believe in this instance the fresh type taste better)

Method

1. Combine all ingredients and place on a jar

2. Put on the lid and pop in the ridge overnight

3. When ready to eat top with berries

Leftover Roasted Veggie Slice

Starting the week with some roasted veggies always sets us up for a week of nourishing eats. If you plan to cook your traditional Sunday roast or enjoy roasted veggies with a lovely lean protein source, why not cook extra for the week ahead?

Left over roasted vegetables can be very versatile.

Toss them with some fresh herbs, lemon, olive oil, legumes or grains for a lunchtime salad, add them to a toasted sandwich with a scrape of pesto and a crumble of feta, mix with eggs for an omelette or frittata, or in this case, make a lovely, tasty veggie slice.

This veggie slice is so simple and quick to prepare and  can be enjoyed as a snack or as a light meal with some salad or extra vegetables.

How to roast the veggies

My favourite vegetables to roast are pumpkin, red capsicum, eggplant, zucchini, red onion and squash. When roasting these vegetables I usually preheat the oven to 200 degrees, cut up the pumpkin, red capsicum (nice and chunky) and eggplant (cubed) and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary (depending on what I am preparing).

After about 20 minutes of these vegetables in the oven I add the zucchini, squash and red onion (drizzle some extra olive oil if required) and roast for another 20 minutes or until cooked through. If the vegetables are packed in tightly they can end up soft and a little soggy. For this veggie slice that really doesn’t matter.

 How to make the veggie slice

This recipe makes 4 light meal servings of slice, however you can cut it up in smaller pieces for a lovely nourishing snack.

Ingredients

3 cups of already roasted vegetables – for example pumpkin, zucchini, eggplant, squash and red capsicum (however use what ever your palates desire or what ever is leftover)

½ cup of pitted kalamata olives if desired (to add a salty flavour)

½ cup of wholemeal self-raising flour

4 eggs

¼ cup of fresh herbs such as parsley (if you haven’t roasted the vegetables with rosemary)

¼ cup of grated cheddar cheese

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

2. Place roasted veggies and herbs in a large bowl.

3. Toss flour through vegetables.

4. Whisk eggs in a separate bowl then add to the vegetables and flour.

5. Mix all ingredients together and season with pepper.

6. Line a shallow baking dish with baking paper.

7. Pour the ingredients evenly into the baking dish.

8. Bake in the oven for approximately 30 minutes or until set.

9. Cut into 4 light meal serve sizes or smaller snack sizes

Bon Appetit

MEXICAN BAKED EGG RAMEKINS

I currently have a total obsession with eggs. I enjoy them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They are often quick to prepare, versatile and lets not forget, nutrient dense.

Baked eggs have become quite a trend so I thought I would develop my own recipe based on my favourite flavours, which of course includes Mexican spices!

I used ramekins that hold approximately 1 cup of filling to make individual serves, however you can use a large oven proof dish to make this recipe.

In regards to serving size, 1 ramekin served with a slice of sour dough or crusty grain bread (topped with avocado and lemon of course) would make a nice light meal or have 2 ramekins for a larger meal.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 large red capsicum, diced

1 large red onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped

1 long red chilli or 1 teaspoon of chilli flakes

1 cup (or 170g) of cherry tomatoes, halved

I cob of fresh corn, kernals removed from the cob

400g can of kidney beans (or black beans)

400g can of diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon of paprika

2 teaspoons of cumin

2 teaspoons of ground coriander

An egg for each ramekin - this amount of mixture makes about 5 ramekins worth for me, therefore I use 5 eggs. If you serve this in a large oven proof dish use 5-6 eggs

Fresh coriander, chopped, to serve

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

Heat oil in a large skillet over a low-medium heat.

Add the capsicum, onion, garlic and chilli and sauté, stirring occasionally, for approximately 2-3 minutes.

Add fresh cherry tomatoes and corn kernels and stir through for approximately 1-2 minutes.

Add tinned tomatoes, kidney beans, paprika, cumin and ground coriander and stir through then remove from heat.

Fill the ramekins or small oven proof bowls with mixture.

Make a small well in the middle of the mixture and crack an egg in each ramekin.

Cook in the oven for approximately 20 minutes.

Once cooked scatter with chopped coriander.