Bubble and Squeak is the queen of leftovers, particularly if you have leftover mashed potato. As it’s full of vegetables, Bubble and Squeak makes a healthy breakfast alternative to cereal, or a great lunch.

The recipe below isn’t really a recipe, more a description of the last lot of Bubble and Squeak we made. The whole point is to use up whatever leftovers you have in the fridge. Some nice additions might be leftover roast meat or even leftover rice.

Serves: Depends on how much leftover ingredients you have.

Method

1. Combine mash, greens, egg, cheese and salt until well mixed. If the mixture is a little on the sloppy side, you can add a little flour to help bind the mixture so that it stays together as it cooks.
2. Heat a frypan to medium and add a little butter or oil to the pan. Dollop spoonfuls of mixture into your frypan and cook until golden on both sides.
3. Serve warm.

What’s your favourite way to eat Bubble and Squeak?

I’m thinking topped with some cooked bacon and a drizzle of maple syrup would be nice, but maybe that’s pregnancy cravings kicking in.

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Encouraged by the wholefood workshop that I’m taking online, we’ve been having a lot of smoothies lately. We started off gently with some fruit smoothies I used to make years ago and progressively got more daring, adding things like homemade sunflower seed milk and kale.

This particular smoothie is tasty, dairy (and gluten) free and full of nutrition. You can add a teaspoon or so of natural peanut butter (which is what we did) for protein – it will change the flavour slightly.

How much honey you add will depend on your personal tastes and the sweetness of the banana and pineapple. Start with none and add it in as you like.

I use about half coconut milk to a quarter filtered water – you can use just coconut milk for a creamier texture.

You don’t have to add the kale (or alternatives like spinach or silverbeet). Kale is however packed full of Vitamin C and K and is rich in calcium, carotenoids and iron. Adding it to smoothies is an easy and tasty way of increasing raw foods in your diet (and your kids’ diet – the little fella loves these). Add just a leaf or so to start with and increase the amount to taste.

Method

1. Blend all ingredients until smooth. Serve immediately or chill for later (it will need a good shake if you drink it later).

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The little fella was on a carb-fest when he was sick the other week. Toast was the only thing he would eat and he’s usually a walking garbage disposal. So as an alternative to more vegemite on toast, I whipped up these apple pancakes and they quickly disappeared.

We had them again a week later for Sunday breakfast with fresh strawberries dipped in dark chocolate (yes, while the rest of Australia is getting through the last of Winter, we are in the middle of strawberry season here in Queensland).

For little bursts of apple flavour, dice the apples rather than grate them. If you like your pancakes fluffy, add 1/2 teaspoon or so of baking powder. The batter is best if left for 30 minutes to rest in the fridge.

Method

1. Make a well in the flour and add the egg, vanilla, sugar if using, and a little milk and start to combine slowly with a fork, drawing in flour from the sides. Add more milk, a bit at a time, and continue stirring until all the flour is combined and you have a smooth batter.
2. Stir in the grated apple and set aside.
3. Heat a little butter in a pan and drop in a spoonful or ladleful of batter, cooking on both sides until brown. You can keep your pancake stack warm by placing in a warm oven until all pancakes are cooked.
4. Serve with your favourite toppings.

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I make this porridge for the little fella and it tastes so nice, that I’ve been having it myself except I add a few nuts and seeds to mine. For the little fella, I also blend up the oats prior to cooking to make it smoother. I either eat this just as it is, or serve it with fruit and a drizzle of honey (as pictured). I make the apple puree by cooking sliced apple in a pan with a little water until soft, then blending. I freeze the pureed apple in ice cube trays for our porridge and to flavour yoghurt. Serves 1

Method

1. Combine oats and water in a pan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 – 10 minutes or until water is absorbed and oats are soft and cooked through.
2. Stir through yoghurt, apple puree, cinnamon and milk.
3. If using stir through seeds and nuts and top with fresh fruit and a drizzle of honey. I like to use linseeds, sunflower seeds, pepitas and almonds.

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They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Well, I usually start my day with an egg. Total time to prepare, cook, eat and wash up this breakfast meal (for one, at least) is about 10 – 15 minutes tops, well worth the effort. No need for mid-morning snacks, you won’t be hungry for hours with a breakfast like this one.

Method

1. Heat olive oil in a fry pan and add mushrooms, tossing to sauté.
2. Cook egg as desired. In the picture above, I have fried the egg, adding it to the pan with the mushrooms. Alternatively, poach your egg.
3. Meanwhile, grill or toast your bread.
4. Spread toast with avocado, top with rocket, cooked mushrooms, egg and season with salt and pepper.

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Everyone has a favourite pancake / flapjack recipe, well this is my one. I have been eating pancakes a lot lately. They are so quick and easy and tasty and cheap!

When we were kids my dad used to whip up a batch of pancake batter and keep it in a jug in the fridge for afternoon snacks after school – slightly more healthy than chips or other packaged things that kids eat. I have taken dad’s basic recipe and added a healthy twist.

Method

1. Sift flours into a bowl. Add sugar and make a well in the centre of the flour.
2. Add then egg to the well and a little milk and incorporate the flour gradually, adding more milk as needed until a batter of pouring consistency is achieved. For a slightly cheaper version, use half milk and half water.
3. Fry pancakes in a little butter until golden. Serve with your favourite toppings.

This is enough batter to give 2 generous servings.

The buckwheat and the wholemeal flours give the pancakes a lovely flavour. I find regular pancakes bland now in comparison. If you don’t have buckwheat flour, leave it out, but it is worth giving it a try. The wholemeal flour also makes these pancakes quite filling.

My favourite pancake topping is a dollop of Greek yoghurt, some sliced banana and sliced strawberries (and a few blueberries if I’m feeling particularly decadent), a scattering of linseeds and a drizzle of honey. Yum. A little pure maple syrup goes down a treat too!

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Make a big batch of this on a Sunday night for an easy and healthy breakfast all week. 

Admittedly, this may end up a bit more expensive than some mueslis on the supermarket shelf depending on what ingredients you like to add, but you control the ingredients and their quality and you can make it to exactly suit your own tastes.

Many mueslis in the shops include sugar and hydrogenated vegetable oil (trans fats!). A home made version is much healthier. Many recipes include butter or oil in the muesli, but I don’t find this necessary.

Using a combination of whole grains, nuts and seeds ensures that you are getting a complete protein from your breakfast cereal, giving you energy for longer. This is a basic recipe – add and adjust as you like.

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170C (325F)
2. Combine grains, seeds and nuts and drizzle with enough honey to lightly coat evenly.
3. Spread mixture evenly over a baking tray and bake for about 20 minutes or until lightly brown, stirring every five minutes or so and being careful not to burn the mixture.
4. Allow to cool and stir in dried fruit. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.

You can use whatever ingredients that you like with this recipe, try substituting for different types of grains, nuts, fruit and seeds. Add shredded coconut, but be carful it doesn’t burn when cooking.

I like to add linseeds and puffed millet after the cereal has cooked. Dates, figs and pecan nuts make a nice combination.

Serve with milk or try a dollop of yoghurt and some fresh fruit.

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This is my twist on an old classic. It’s a bit lazy because traditionally bircher muesli has grated apple in it, but that can be a bit hard in a hurry and the apple can go brown over the course of a week. I usually make this on a Sunday night, and make enough for the week. The amounts below serves 2-4.

1. In a container with a lid, mix together oats, juice, yoghurt and sultanas and place in the fridge overnight. (This makes the sultanas swell and become juicy. Add them later if you prefer them dry.)
2. Add remaining ingredients before serving. Except for fresh fruit, I usually just add everything else the next morning. Seeds and dried fruit will go a bit soggy by the end of the week, so if you prefer, add them separately every day.
3. The variety is limited to your taste, imagination and the season. Try a combination of nuts, seeds, dried fruit and fresh seasonal fruit. The yoghurt that you choose will also change the taste of the muesli. Try a drizzle of honey for sweetness, grated coconut or tinned fruit.

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