Hello. Welcome to my new column in the Brida Journal. My name is Vicky, and you might have heard of me through my catering company, Vicky’s Van of Victuals, down in the harbour. Or seen me as I race through the streets of Brida, giving all you wonderful people something delicious from my kitchen. Over the years, people have asked me all sorts of questions and so I thought it would be a splendid idea to share my experience, food, and cooking insights with you. Hope you enjoy my column. Oh, and don’t hesitate to email me for advice or suggestions. All part of the service.
Ok, so I am a late riser and yes, having my own company gives me that extra bit of freedom in the mornings. That said, let’s talk about breakfast.
Personally, I think it is important to take your time in the morning and eat your breakfast in peace, if at all possible. Challenging, I know, when you have kids to feed as well. To help save time, why not prepare breakfast in the evening? Doing a really good mis-en-place will give you more time to eat in a relaxed atmosphere. A hectic breakfast that sort of happens on the side usually results in too many calories being consumed because the feeling of fullness doesn’t come until much later.
And do add variety to your breakfast! Sometimes savoury, sometimes something sweet – there are so many great breakfast dishes that provide a healthy start to the day. Seasonal fruit and vegetables also add variety.
But watch out for those sugar traps in breakfast: muesli mixes, cereals, muesli bars, yoghurt, breakfast drinks and pastries can contain plenty of sugar. I recommend you use unsweetened products that you can sweeten yourself with a little honey or dried fruit.
Did you know, eating too much fat in breakfast will make you sluggish? So, keep an eye on this too and enjoy croissants, high-fat cheese, sausages, and butter in moderation. And go for low-fat alternatives such as wholemeal bread rolls, cottage cheese, low-fat quark, and mustard.
Which doesn’t mean, you can’t have anything special for breakfast! Why not take advantage of the days when you have more time in the morning and treat yourself and your loved ones with homemade rolls, a homemade muesli mix and a freshly squeezed juice.
What type of breakfast eater are you? Do you have to eat something immediately in the morning to get you going or is a little something enough and then perhaps opt for a second breakfast a little later? Make it a family thing and take time to observe all your habits. Then, figure out a way to design a healthy and delicious breakfast according to your preferences. This way you can all start the day on a positive note.
This week’s recipe is one of my favourites and is also one that many of you have ordered quite a bit. Enjoy and Bon appétit.
What you need.
- 200 g Thai asparagus (green, alternatively slender green asparagus)
- 1 spring onion
- 1 pepper (red, small)
- 4 slices of brown bread
- 8 slices of bacon
- 4 eggs, large
- 2 tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 2 stalks coriander greens
What to do.
Clean the asparagus and remove the woody ends. Clean the spring onion and cut the white and light green parts diagonally into thin slices. Remove the seeds from the pepper and cut into thin rings. Cut 2 slices of bread crosswise into 2 cm thick sticks. Cut the rest of the bread into 1 cm cubes.
Fry the bacon in a pan without fat until crisp and drain on kitchen paper. Cook the eggs in boiling water for 6 minutes until soft. Meanwhile, fry the asparagus in the frying fat for 3 minutes on all sides. Pour in the soy sauce and mirin and bring to the boil briefly.
Remove the eggs from the pot, rinse and peel. Put the bread cubes into the glasses. Arrange the asparagus, bacon, breadsticks and 1 egg on top of each. Drizzle the remaining asparagus sauce over the top. Pluck the coriander leaves from the stems. Garnish with spring onions, pepper and coriander. Serve immediately.
This relatively easy recipe should take you about 30 minutes to prepare. A serving has 304 kcal, 23 g carbohydrates, 16g protein and 15g fat.