The Giant Easter Omelette!

Napoleon was clearly as sharp at the dinner table as he was on the battlefield! Legend has it that when he stopped at an inn in the south western French town of Bessières one Easter he was so taken with the omelette he was served that he asked for a giant version of same to be made by the villagers to feed his entire army! And, so the giant easter omelette tradition was born...

Easter is upon us so it's got to be eggs, eggs and more eggs and whilst the chocolate ones may not be regarded as a super-healthy addition to your diet (other than the very deepest, darkest variety which offer a number of health-protective plant chemicals), a bit of a chocolate-fest for a day or two surely can't do too much damage!

Fresh eggs from happy pasture-fed hens, on the other hand, rightly deserve their super food status. Not only are they an excellent source of protein but they also offer good levels of heart, brain, nerve and hormone-friendly Omega 3 fatty acids - and - the list of essential vitamins and minerals they provide is impressive. Plus... they are fabulously-inexpensive and very low in calories!

Whether you like them boiled, scrambled, poached, fried or (if you have the required skills - omeletted), there are endless ways you can feast on them this Easter and reap all the benefits.

Here are a few of my suggestions that don't have to involve a giant omelette pan! Just click on the images for recipes

ham'n'eggs

poached egg special

mexican-style baked omelette

salmon kedgeree

tofu towers

egg and prawn crisp breads

omega 3 salad

Street Parties, Gallons of Guinness and A Good Chance of a Hangover!

Whether you are celebrating today or over the weekend, St Patrick’s Day events tend to involve perhaps a little too much alcohol! Here are a few of my protein and fat-rich recipes that do a grand job of slowing down the absorption of alcohol into the blood stream plus a few helpful tips which, with a bit of Irish luck will minimise the suffering!

• Feast before you head out

• Aim to match every drink with a large glass of water.

• Make a point of having a snack (and more water) before bed.

Poached Egg Special

Mediterranean Rice Bake

Crisp Bread with Salmon, Cottage Cheese and Courgette

A Savoury Twist on Pancake Day!

The English dictionary tells us that a pancake is a thin, flat, round cake made from a mixture of flour, milk and egg, fried on both sides but I’m happy to note that cooks around the world, both professional and amateur have been enthusiastically playing around with this loose definition and creating all manner of ways to take pancakes to greater heights of deliciousness!

I’m going savoury this year and have already tried and tested some great recipes posted by some of my all-time favourite food bloggers and cooks whose passion for pancakes is in no way impeded by their resolve to take a healthier approach whilst still delivering dishes that look and taste seriously-good!

 

Angela Coleby from Divalicious Recipes offers up Spinach and Chia Pancakes using coconut flour which are gluten free, low carb, vegetarian (and very, very moreish!)

 

Tieghan Gerard at Half Baked Harvest gives us Rava Dosa (Indian Crepes) with Squash and Tomato Chickpea Masala which involve quite a number of ingredients but the whole prepping and cooking procedure doesn’t take long and trust me, if you are entertaining on Pancake Day/Night, there will be plenty of happy faces around the table!

 

Kimberley Hasselbrink at The Year in Food has come up with some fabulously-delicate Chickpea Pancakes with Smoky Roasted Carrots which (and I am more than happy to quote her here) “are addictively good, deeply savoury and nutty”.

Jamie Oliver rarely disappoints and if you haven’t tried his Healthy Cheese and Corn Pancakes with Smoky Bacon and Caramelised Bananas, don’t waste any more time deliberating - breakfast time, lunchtime or any time - these are pukka pancakes!

Add Some Soup to Your Chinese New Year

To maintain overall good health, the Chinese regularly sup soups and broths - either on their own or before a meal. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) focuses on keeping balance within the body and herbs and spices plus the broth created from hours of cooking meat bones are just one of the many principles it champions.

In the West, we take rather many liberties with traditional Chinese cooking but nevertheless, we are enthusiastic fans and have, over the decades, learned a lot from their food culture and increasingly relish the health benefits of a nutritious and delicious broth. So, with the greatest respect to their age-old doctrines and in a bid to share (albeit from a Western perspective) in the Chinese New Year celebrations this year, why not try my light, quick, easy and warming Duck Broth with Egg Noodles and Bok Choy.