Egg Spinach Muffins

Poaching your eggs is one of the healthiest ways to serve your eggs, however the method of making perfect poached eggs is not the easiest.  But mastering how to poach your eggs pays off, as it is significantly low in calories and high in protein. Serve them with some cooked spinach and hot toasted muffins for a healthy protein filled breakfast.

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

·       Muffin

·       2 eggs

·       Vinegar

·       Spinach

·       Parsley

Cooking

1. In a pan of simmering water add a spoon of vinegar and swirl the water.
2. As soon as the water is swirled crack one egg into the pan (try to crack the egg close to the water as possible)
3. Watch the time and cook your eggs for no longer than 3 minutes! 
4. Remove the egg with a ladle and set aside.
5. In a pan with a little boiling water add your spinach and steam for 1-2 minutes.
6. Split and toast your muffin
7. Serve with some parsley and wild rocket.  

Salmon Fish cakes

If you love salmon you should try making these delicious fishcakes, you will have to test your patty making skills however I found it quite fun spending time prepping these fish cakes. I also love this meal for dinner as it means I can indulge in some tasty tartar sauce with my fishcakes. You also gain the much needed omega 3 from salmon which is vital for your body's growth and development. 

Cooking time 30-40 minutes

Ingredients:

·         Smoked Salmon fillet

·         Breadcrumbs

·         Plain flour

·         Baby potatoes

·         Butter

·         1 egg

·         Spring onion

·         Red chilli

·         Black pepper

·         Olive oil

·         Spinach

·         Wild rocket 

·         Cherry tomatoes

Cooking:

Fishcakes:

1. Start by washing and peeling your baby potatoes, you will then need to boil these for 20 minutes until they are soft.
2. Once your potatoes are soft mash them in to a bowl and set aside. (Use butter to help soften your potatoes)
3. In a pan with a little bit of olive oil fry your salmon fillet on a medium heat for about 10 minutes until you see your salmon fillet starting to brown.
4. Once browned brake your salmon fillet into small pieces and set aside.
5. Dice your spring onion and red chilli and add to a bowl with black pepper and 1 cup of flour.
6. Once your potato and salmon has cooled add this to your bowl and stir.
7. Create a patty shape with your mixture then dip it into a bowl with one well whisked egg.
8. You will then need to dip your fishcake patty into bread crumbs. Place these onto a pan with some olive oil and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden.

Spinach bed salad:

1. In a pot with a tiny amount of water add your spinach to the pot and cook for less than a minute.
2. Once you see the spinach is starting to shrink in size; drain and remove it from the pot then serve with some wild rocket and chopped cherry tomatoes.
3. To finish your meal top with some parsley and some tartar sauce.

Green smoothie

Green smoothies are always recommended when detoxing, I personally love them because they help me incorporate some of the green vegetables that I avoid throughout the day. There is quite a bit of prep for this smoothie so make extra and freeze it for another day.

What you get from this smoothie:

·         Apples contain high amounts of fiber which helps lower your cholesterol.

·         Apples help your liver detox the toxins that you consume from food and drink.

·         Pears contain high levels of potassium which is great for your heart and muscles.         

·         Pears have high amounts of vitamin C and on average amounts to 10% of your daily nutritional needs.

·         Celery is extremely low in calories it also helps aid digestion.

·         Celery is known to boost a males arousal levels.

·         Spinach has high levels of protein.

·         Spinach contains high level of vitamin A which helps to keep your skin and hair in good condition.

·         Kale is high in iron.

·         Kale is high in antioxidants and is a great anti inflammatory food.

Ingredients:

·         1 apple peeled and seeded

·         1 pear peeled and seeded

·         1 celery stalk

·         Handful of spinach

·         Handful of kale

·         1 small cucumber portion peeled and seeded

·         Low fat Greek yoghurt (optional)

Making:

Place all ingredients into your blender.

Add some Greek yoghurt for more thickness if desired. 

Scrambled Egg Bagel

One food I struggle to give up whilst dieting are bagels, the toppings are endless and they work well whether it’s for breakfast, lunch or just a great snack. Eggs are a great source of protein so scramble two eggs and top it with some cherry tomatoes for flavour.

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

·         Bagel

·         2 eggs

·         Low fat Milk (optional)

·         Cherry tomatoes

·         Parsley

Cooking

1. Whisk 2 eggs, and milk (optional) in a bowl. Once whisked add this to your frying pan and use a fork to separate, stir to create scrambled eggs.
2. Wash and slice your cherry tomatoes add this to your pan.
3. Allow your eggs and cherry tomatoes to fry for 5 minutes
4. Slice your bagel and top your bagels with your finished scrambled eggs, sprinkle some parsley to finish.
5. Optional: Toast your bagel, and top with some olive spread

Fiery Prawn Tagliatelle

Now for all those who love spicy food this is a dish you should try. In less than 20 minutes this dish full of flavour is perfect for a mid-week meal. Since this dish is so spicy I thought I would share some tips on what to do after experiencing a hot pepper meal. 

• I’m not a fan myself of milk but they say it works and is better than drinking water. Milk contains Casein that takes away the heat in your mouth making your mouth feel cooler.
• Since I have a constant sweet tooth I was not at all hesitant to try this remedy; take a teaspoon of sugar to neutralise the heat from the spicy peppers used.
• Chew on a slice of bread; the bread can soak up the oil capsaicin that makes your mouth hot.
• Finally try to eat milk chocolate. Even if that doesn't work the chocolate will be worth it!

Cooking time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients:

·         Prawns

·         1 scotch bonnet pepper or 1 red hot chilli

·         Bajan pepper sauce (optional)

·         3 garlic gloves

·         1 spring onion

·         Black pepper

·         Parsley

·         Olive oil

·         Tagliatelle

·         Salt

·         Plum tomatoes

Cooking:

1. Start by boiling a pot of water with some salt. Once boiled add your Tagliatelle pasta and cook (for the cooking time follow the instructions on the back of the packet)
2. Once cooked drain and set aside
3. Heat your pan on a medium heat and add some olive oil.
4. Add to your pan your crushed garlic, chopped spring onion and scotch bonnet pepper. Allow this to cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add your prawns to your pan and sprinkle with black pepper. Cook for a further 10 minutes, till your prawns start to brown.
6. Optional: add one spoonful of Bajan hot pepper sauce to your pan and stir well.
7. Add some plum tomatoes chopped in half and cook for another 5-10 minutes.
8. Once this is done add your tagliatelle to your pan and stir in all your ingredients. Allow this to cook for less than 5 minutes.
9. Sprinkle with some parsley to finish, or add a lemon wedge to the side of your dish. 

Mango and Banana Smoothie

Days where the weather is warm I love blending fresh fruits together for a healthy refreshing drink with some lunch. The mango in this drink makes me reminisce of the Caribbean, sadly I couldn’t get a mango sweet enough over here but a ripe large mango from the supermarket is good enough. Let it ripen for more than a week before using it.

What you get from this smoothie:

·         Mango helps lower cholesterol

·         Mango contains high level of fiber

·         The Vitamin E in mangoes helps to regulate sex hormones and boost your sex drive

·         Mango is great for your skin it helps clear your skin

·         Mango High in vitamin A which is a great way to improve your eyesight

·         Banana is packed with potassium which is great for your heart

·         Known to help lower moods and depression

·         Helps to give you more energy throughout the day

·         Great for digestion

Ingredients:

·         1 banana

·         3-4 tbsps. 0% fat Greek yoghurt  

·         1 large mango

·         1 tsp of honey

Making:

Peel your fruits and add to your blender

Add your Greek yoghurt and honey (optional) and blend.     

Strawberry, Cucumber and Banana Smoothie

The summer is approaching and it’s the right time to get yourself a blender and start making your own home smoothies. Whether you want to detox, lose weight, eat right, or just want a refreshing drink; making your own home smoothies will save you money and are much healthier than the stocked supermarket smoothies.

What you get from this smoothie:

Cucumber:

·         96% percent water so it’s good for hydration.

·         Cucumber helps heartburn relief.

·         Helps flushes out the toxins in your body.

·         Contains skin friendly minerals.

·         Fiber in cucumber is good for digestion.

Strawberries:

·         Low in calories.

·         Filled with biotin which makes the hair and nails stronger.

·         Contain antioxidant Ellagic acid which helps our skin form sagging.

·         Contain potassium, vitamin k and magnesium which are great for our bone health.

Banana:

·         Packed with potassium which is great for your heart, it contains low amount of sodium which helps lower your blood pressure.

·         Known to help lower moods and depression.

·         Helps to give you more energy throughout the day and are high in fiber.

·         Great for digestion.

Ingredients:

·         ½ of Cucumber

·         4-5 Strawberries

·         1 banana

·         Tsp of honey

·         4 tbsp. of Low fat Greek yoghurt.

Making:

Wash and chop all your ingredients.

Place all your ingredients in the blender and top with a fresh strawberry. 

French toast

French toast is extremely easy to make and although it’s not ideal to eat it every morning it’s great to make on the weekend when you want to indulge. To make this recipe more healthy change your bread to wholemeal and only use egg whites, also go easy on the sugar and maple syrup no matter how sweet it may taste!

Cooking time: 15 -20 minutes

Ingredients:

·         Wholemeal bread

·         Eggs

·         Milk

·         Sugar

·         Cinnamon

·         Butter

·         Blueberries (or any fruit)

·         Maple syrup or Honey

Cooking

1. Whisk 2 eggs, ½ cup milk, 2 Tbsps. of sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
2. Heat your pan on a low heat once heated, add some butter to the pan.
3. Slice and dip your bread into your egg mix then add the bread to your pan.
4. Fry on each side for 2-3 minutes till golden brown.
5. Optional: once French toast is made you can grill these in the oven for a couple minutes.
6. Top your French toast with some fresh blueberries and drizzle in maple syrup or honey.

Sunday Scrambled Goodness

Sundays are a great day to spend some time in the kitchen and have a good breakfast. This breakfast is quick, filling and packed with nutrition. Like eggs, spinach contains high level of iron and protein which are great ingredients to include whilst on the path to a healthy lifestyle. Don’t be deceived this dish is very filling and full of protein giving you the right energy to start your day.

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

·         Eggs

·         Black pepper

·         Bacon

·         Avocado

·         Cherry tomatoes

·         Spinach

Cooking

1. Whisk some eggs in a bowl and set aside.
2. Start by heating your pan on a medium heat, once heated add some sliced bacon rashes to your pan and fry for 7-8 minutes till it starts browning.
3. Once your bacon is browning add your whisked eggs to your pan and stir.
4. Allow your scrambled eggs to cook for a further 3 minutes stirring frequently. Once cooked add to your plate. (Optional: Top with some black pepper)
5. Add some washed spinach in a pan and toss for less than 20 seconds, (Just so the spinach is slightly heated) once this is done add this to your plate.
6. Finish your meal with some sliced avocado and sliced cherry tomatoes. Optional: sprinkle with parsley for finishing touches.

Tips:

• Make small healthier choices by avoiding oils or salt whilst cooking.
• This meal can be made as a lunch too!