Tag Archives: Breakfast

My Journey Back

Posted on by

Week 2

 Increased my distance this week by one kilometre, increased my runs and reduced my walking time, did 5km for three days. Weight reduced by 0.4g, happy with the results, slow progress is better than no progress.

Things I had to change this week, changed my yogurt to a low fat yogurt, eat foods high in carbs such as wraps, and increase my protein intake. I didn’t know wraps were high in carbs than bread and used to avoid them. Made sure my food had both protein and carbs, for example, a chicken wrap. 

This week two of my days were fun, enjoyed my run but on my last day had a bad run day. I didn’t sleep well, which led to my body being tired, which affected my run. On top of this, I had to run up and down a hill, which was tiring after not running up and down a hill for a year. The secret to running up a hill is to go fast and running down is going slow. They were moments I wanted to stop when I run up the hill but kept pushing. Running down is much easier. Walled back home after my hill running.

Saw a lady who walks with her little dog. A few years ago, her dog approached me and I walked away from the dog and the lady said.

“My dog just wanted to say hi.”

Today I saw the lady with her dog again and stopped and said hi to her dog and found out where she leaves. Don’t worry, I wasn’t stalking her. She stays a few blocks from my house.

It was verge collection this week. All the neighbours throw their rubbish, so my run was interesting because I got to see what everyone was throwing away. Many people seem to throw their old sofas away, mattresses and appliances. Some people’s verge had blocked the walk path and had to run on the road. 

Since I hadn’t run for a while, I was happy to see the usual suspects on my road. The usual suspects are people who you see on regular bases going for their walks or run. The Old Asian couple who walk every morning, the lady who goes and buys her newspaper, the lady with the small white dog, the guy with a big white dog, the old Indian guy who walks fast up and down the road. Haven’t seen the old man with the brown dog and the Asian guy who runs with a backpack, (I don’t know why he runs with a backpack, maybe he has water inside his backpack) and the man who walks barefoot on the middle of the road.

Saw an interesting article on Women Running about running and treadmills. Hate running on treadmills because time passes slowly, and it feels boring because you are running on the same spot. Guess running outdoors makes time move fast because to notice different things.

Why Does Treadmill Running Feel Harder Than Outside?

Shakshuka

Posted on by

Whenever I go out for breakfast I order Shakshuka and on Sunday I decided to make my own at home. It’s a simply dish to try and delicious with flavours. Shakshuka is a Mediterranean egg dish cooked with tomatoes, capsicum and spices such as cumin, paprika and chilli flakes. Garnished with feta chesses, coriander, basil and green chilli.

Ingredients

I tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon paprika

pinch of chilli flakes or to your liking

3/4 Capsicum chopped (I added more)

1/2 onion chopped

1 garlic clove crushed

250g tin crushed tomatoes

4 eegs

To Garnish

25g chopped feta cheese

Chopped corriander

Chopped Basil

1/2 green chilli (optional)

Method

Heat oil in a frying pan. Cook onions and capcicum for 5 minutes or until soft.

Add garlic and cook for a few seconds, add spices and cook until fragrant.

Add tomatoes and season, and bring to a simmer.

Slowly add eggs to mixture, reduce heat and cover with a foil paper and cook for 4-8 or to your liking.

Once ready, garnish with feta, basil, coriander and chilli.

Note

You can bake the eggs instead of leaving it on the stove. Bake eggs for 7-8 minutes.

This dish serves 4

Egg and Black Bean Sauce

Posted on by

_DSC3854

A couple weeks ago I had gone out for breakfast and ordered Spanish egg for breakfast and it was delicious but filled with loads of calories.  They had eggs, French fries, spinach and three slices of bread and the  tomato salsa had beans.

So I decided to make a healthier version.   I removed the French fries, added mushrooms and made my own sauce and it was filling.

 

Ingredients

1 egg

100g button mushrooms

200g canned tomatoes

1 medium carrot grated in small pieces

½ onion chopped

1 clove garlic

75g canned black beans drained and rinsed

½ teaspoon paprika

½ a teaspoon black pepper

pinch of cayenne pepper

salt to season

One slice of toast

 

Method 

Preheat oven to 180ºC

Line baking tray with non stick baking paper.  Add the mushroom drizzle oil and pepper.  Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown

In a sauce pan. place the egg, fill pan with water and place on the stove.  On medium high heat.  When it is boiling put the heat off, cover pan and wait for 7 minutes.  Remove egg let it rest than crack.

To make the sauce, add oil in a sauce pan.  Add onions, cook for 5 minutes, add garlic, paprika and cayenne pepper and cook for 1 minute.  Add the tomatoes and grated carrots,  Bring to the boil.  Add black beans and simmer for 20 minutes or until sauce is thick   Season with salt.

Note

This dish serves 1

They are may ways to boil an egg, use your preferred method.

 

Try these dishes

Moroccan Eggs

Apple Pikelets and Poached Apples

Banana Pikelets

 

 

Apple Pikelets and Poached Apples

Posted on by

_DSC3482

I usually have  Banana Pikelets on Sundays so this Sunday I decided to swap the bananas for apples and made apple pikelets.  At first I was worried but it turned out well and tasted delicious.  I  used the  Apple breakfast crumble  recipe to make the poached apple.  I omitted the chia seeds in this ingredients.

 

Ingredients

To Make the poached apple

4 red apples chopped

2½ cups water

½ tsp ground cinnamon

(Be careful with serving size, read note)

 

To Make the Apple Pikelets

1 cup self raising flour

½ tsp baking powder

1 red apple grated

1 tbsp. Honey

3/4 cup milk

1 egg

Honey or  maple syrup to drizzle.

 

Method

To make the poached apple

Add the water, cinnamon and chopped apples in a sauce pan over medium heat. Cover with a lid and bring to boil. Once it boils reduce and simmer for 2 minutes.

After two minutes put the heat off. (Don’t spill the water, the apple will continue browning if it’s still pale or white.)

Set aside.

 

To make the apple pikelets

Place the flour and baking powder in one bowl.

In another bowl, whisk the grated apple, eggs, milk and honey.

Add the wet ingredients to the flour and continue to whisk until combines.

Put the mixture aside to set for 5-10 minutes.

Lightly grease a non tick pan on a medium low heat and use 1/4 cup to pour batter. Cook batter for two minute on each side or until bubbles form.

Once all pikelets are made, add the yogurt, poached apples and maple syrup or honey.

 

Note

Apple Pikelets serves 2

Poached apple serves 6. You cab reduce the ingredients by half or you can store the apples in a container and use it for breakfast the next day.

 

Try these dishes for breakfast

Apple Couscous

Poached Pear with Black Tea

Blueberry Breakfast Crumble

 

 

Spicy Sweet Potato and Chicken Wings

Posted on by

_DSC3501

Yesterday I decided to experiment and made spicy sweet potato.  Loved this dish because it has both the sweet and spicy taste and delicious.  The spicy taste comes from the cumin, coriander, chilli and the sweet taste comes from the natural sweetness of the sweet potato.  I combined the dish with salt and pepper chicken wings.  Yes, it is plain but you don’t want the food to have too much spicy or it will overtake the flavour. of the spicy sweet potato.

To Make the Spicy Sweet Potato

2 medium sweet potato or  1 large sweet potato

¼ cup olive oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp turmeric

¼ tsp chili flakes (add more for a Spicer kick)

1 lemon

Salt for seasoning

To make chicken wings

10 chicken wings

2 tbsp. oil (feel free to add more oil)

Salt and pepper for seasoning

Method

To Make chicken wings

Preheat 0ven to 180ºC

Mix chicken wings  with oil, salt and pepper.

Line baking tray with non stick baking paper.  Add chicken on the tray and place in the oven.

Bake chicken wings for 30 minutes or until crispy.

To make the spicy sweet potato

Preheat oven to 180ºC

Chop sweet potatoes into wedges.

In a bowl add all the spices and lemon.  Add the sweet potato and combine with the mixture.

Place sweet potatoes in a baking tray and bake for thirty minutes or until cooked.

Notes

This dish serves 2

You can have spinach or a salad on the side

If you don’t have mustard seeds add 1 tsp. of mustard powder.

Try these spicy dishes or sweet potato dishes

Lamb Cutlets with Spicy Potatoes

Paprika Chicken and Sweet Potato Chips

Mexican Bowl

Spicy Chicken Salad

Panna Cotta with Mixed Berries

Posted on by

_DSC2407

I had gone for a run a couple months ago at Cottesloe Beach, after my run I decided to have breakfast at Il Lido Italian canteen and they had panna cotta with berries on the breakfast menu.  I decided to make my own version.  This recipe does not use whip cream or sugar and it is as delicious and wobbly as the original panna cotta.

Ingredients

For the Panna Cotta

270g milk of your choice

½ tsp.  cardamom

1 tbsp. maple syrup

1 tsp. gelatine powder

 

For Mixed Berry Compote

120g frozen  mixed berry

1 tbsp maple syrup

 

For Fruit Base

1 cup chopped berries

Handful of nuts

 

Method

For the Panna Cotta

Add the milk in a saucepan with the cardamom, bring to boil.  Once it is boiled let it cool.

Once the milk has cooled, (it should be cold.) add the gelatine and maple syrup and put it back on the heat.  Sir for 3-4 minutes or until the gelatine has dissolved.  Do not boil it, otherwise the gelatine won’t work.

Add the milk in a glass bowl or ramekin, let it cool and put it in the fridge to set overnight.

For the compote

Add the maple syrup and frozen berries in a pan on a medium heat and bring to boil.

The Final Presentation 

Add the compote, Panna Cotta, nuts and chopped  berries and enjoy.

 

Note 

This dish serves 2

 

Try these breakfast ideas

Kaffir Lime Panna Cotta with Tropical Fruits

Fruity Panna Cotta

Poached Pear with Black Tea