GLORIOUS

food to start the day.

TEACUP PANCAKES

with quick pear jam.

Firstly, let’s just clarify that these are the fluffy American-style pancakes (which my grandmother adamantly referred to as crumpets), and not the thin French-style crêpes. And why teacup pancakes you ask? Well, because all the measuring is done with one nifty teacup. I like to use my pretty little blue china ones, but you can use any teacup or mug of your choice and everything will scale itself out just so. This is a gloriously simple way of knocking up perfect pancakes every time. And the pear jam? Just a little something special to restore pleasantness to one’s morning disposition. (Anyone who knows me knows that I need all the extra pleasantness I can muster in the mornings!)

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Quick pear jam

WHAT TO DO

  1. Add the pear jam ingredients to a small saucepan and leave to simmer for 15 minutes or until the pears have softened and can be easily mashed. Add a little water if the mixture becomes too dry.
  2. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, whisk the self-raising flour (to remove lumps and to prevent having to get the sieve out to do so).
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, sugar and beaten egg, and then pour into the flour and gently mix until combined.
  4. Melt 1⁄2 Tbsp butter in a frying pan on the stove over medium heat, and then dollop in the mixture, 1⁄4 cup at a time. You should fit 3–4 pancakes in the pan at a time. Cook for 2–3 minutes or until bubbles start to appear on the surface of the pancakes and the bottoms are golden. Flip and cook for a further 2–3 minutes.
  5. Remove the pancakes and set aside on a plate lined with paper towel. Wipe the pan clean with another sheet of paper towel and then repeat the cooking process.
  6. Serve the pancakes as soon as they are cooked, with the pear jam or bacon marmalade (!) (see page 171), stewed fruit, Greek yoghurt, poached figs, cream … the options are literally endless.

MAKES about 14 pancakes | PREPARATION TIME 5 minutes | COOKING TIME 15–20 minutes

baked breakfast

FRITTATA.

This is the kind of one-pot-brunch wonder that I think weekends were invented for. It just suits lazy-day sensibilities somehow. And the added punch from the chilli and chorizo is exactly what you need to really kick-start the day.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

WHAT TO DO

  1. Preheat the oven to 220 °C.
  2. Heat a heavy-based ovenproof frying pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Fry the chorizo for 2–3 minutes, then drain off any excess oil and add the onion, tomatoes, rosemary, spices and chilli. Leave to cook for a further 2–3 minutes.
  3. Turn down the heat to medium, add the spinach and red pepper, and stir until the spinach just starts to wilt. Pour over the lightly beaten eggs and cook without stirring for a further 2–3 minutes.
  4. Roughly crumble over the cheese and place the pan in the oven for 4–5 minutes or until the eggs are just cooked and light golden. At this stage, toast your ciabatta slices.
  5. Remove the frittata from the oven, sprinkle over the fresh basil, slice into quarters and serve immediately on warmed plates with your crusty ciabatta.

SERVES 4 | PREPARATION TIME 10 minutes | COOKING TIME 15 minutes

NOTE: The world really is your oyster (or frying pan?) with this one. Swop the spinach for mushrooms or just add them along with it. No chorizo? No problem, just use bacon. Or go all-out veggie and add extra greens, like fresh asparagus.

BREAKFAST BEANS

on toast.

I almost think of this as ‘breakfast with a cardigan on’. These healthier and wiser creamy cardi-coloured beans topped with sunny poached eggs somehow just set the scene for the quiet perusing of newspapers and all manner of grown-upness.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

  • 125 g bacon rashers
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped, or 1⁄2 tsp dried
  • 1⁄2 clove garlic, chopped
  • 1 × 400 g can cannellini or butter beans, drained
  • 1⁄4 cup milk or cream
  • 2 eggs
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 tsp vinegar
  • toasted sourdough slices, for serving
  • shaved Parmesan or pecorino cheese, for serving

WHAT TO DO

  1. Fry the bacon rashers in a frying pan over medium-high heat until light golden. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside to drain on paper towel.
  2. Add the butter to the same pan and as it starts to foam, add the thyme and garlic, and cook for about 1 minute or until the garlic is light golden. Add the beans and milk or cream, bring to a simmer and then remove the pan from the heat.
  3. Meanwhile, poach the eggs as follows: crack each egg into a mug. Half-fill a medium-sized saucepan with boiling water and add a generous pinch of salt and the vinegar. Swirl the water in a clockwise direction with a wooden spoon and gently pour each egg into the water. They should poach perfectly within 3–4 minutes. Remove them from the water with a slotted spoon. Toast the bread while the eggs are poaching.
  4. Serve the beans on the toasted sourdough topped with the bacon, a poached egg and shavings of cheese. Eat immediately.

SERVES 2 | PREPARATION TIME 5 minutes | COOKING TIME 10 minutes

CARAMELISED FIGS

with honeyed yoghurt.

I don’t quite know what it is, but figs seem to exude a certain exoticness. All the more reason to start your day with a happy serving of gorgeously gooey caramelised figs smothered in the sweet silkiness of honeyed yoghurt.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

  • 4 ripe figs, halved
  • 4 tsp muscovado or brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1⁄2 cup Greek yoghurt
  • 1 Tbsp runny honey

WHAT TO DO

  1. Preheat the oven’s grill to its highest setting.
  2. In an ovenproof dish, arrange the figs cut-side up. Sprinkle over the sugar and vanilla extract. Grill the figs for about 5 minutes or until golden and the sugar has caramelised.
  3. While the figs are cooking, mix the yoghurt and honey.
  4. Serve immediately with a dollop of honeyed yoghurt on each fig and drizzle over any leftover juices from the baking dish.

SERVES 4 | PREPARATION TIME 5 minutes | COOKING TIME 5 minutes

NOTES: The added crunch of almost any nut sprinkled over this dish just before serving is sublime. This would work just as well with bananas, nectarines and peaches.

SOPHIE’S CROQUE MADEMOISELLE

on avocado toasts.

This is a twist on the French classic, Croque Madame, which is a grilled cheese sandwich with an egg on top, which is in turn a twist on the infamous original Croque Monsieur, which, despite its reputation, is really just a simple ham and cheese sandwich. The word ‘croque’ refers to the ‘crunch’ of the toast. My version of les Croques is one of Sophie’s favourite lunchtime treats. Although, to be fair, she has hers kind of deconstructed, with all the parts served separately. But boiled eggs and avocado (‘with salt, Mum!’) are a breakfast staple in our house. I have added in the smoked trout for a little ooh-la-la, because, well, after all, we are emulating a version of one of France’s most well-loved meals. I’ve used rye toast as that’s also a staple in our house, being far healthier for you and lower in GL.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

  • 3 eggs
  • 4 slices rye bread (2 for Rob, 1 for me, 1 for Sophie Grace)
  • 1 ripe avocado, roughly mashed with a fork
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • slivered Gruyère cheese (optional)
  • 1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill or chives
  • 75–100 g smoked salmon trout

WHAT TO DO

  1. Half-fill a good-quality saucepan with tap water and set over medium-high heat. Gently lower in the eggs and allow to cook until the water starts to boil. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the eggs to stand for 2 minutes before removing and running under cold water.
  2. As you start cooking the eggs, pop the bread into the toaster.
  3. To serve, spread some mashed avocado onto each slice of toast and season with salt and pepper. Slice the top off each of the boiled eggs and gently spoon them out using a teaspoon onto the avocado toasts. Add a sliver or two of Gruyère, sprinkle over the fresh herbs and serve immediately with the smoked salmon trout on the side.

SERVES 3 | PREPARATION TIME 5 minutes | COOKING TIME 5 minutes

breakfast

TOAST POTS.

These really call in the day with gusto. Of all the things I’ve ever cooked or dreamed up, these are what my dad says he would go back to a restaurant for a hundred times over. He really said a hundred, and he’s even had them for dinner. Done in a flash, they just add that something special to the breakfast table. They are inspired by one of our favourite brunch spots in Joburg, NICE Eatery in Parkhurst. There they do a smoked salmon version too, which you could easily do at home using chopped smoked salmon and a homemade hollandaise instead of the bacon and tomatoes. Really, go wild, the world is your toast basket.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

  • 250 g bacon, roughly chopped
  • 75 g chorizo sausage, chopped (optional but delicious)
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (or the equivalent amount of any tomatoes)
  • 1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
  • pinch each of salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 slices fresh bread
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 4–8 eggs (depending on whether each person would like 1 or 2)
  • small handful fresh basil leaves

WHAT TO DO

  1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Fry the bacon and chorizo in a heavy-based frying pan on medium-high heat for 2–3 minutes and then add the tomatoes, chopped basil, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for a further 2 minutes and then remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
  2. In the meantime, remove the crusts from the bread and gently roll out the slices with a rolling pin until about half their original thickness. Lightly brush one side of each slice with olive oil. Place each slice, olive oil side down, into an individual ramekin and push down gently so that it ‘lines’ the dish.
  3. Divide the bacon mixture between the ramekins, crack 1 or 2 raw eggs into each and then place all the ramekins in the oven, covered with a sheet of tinfoil. Bake for 7–10 minutes or until the eggs are cooked to your liking. Immediately serve the toast pots in the ramekins, topped with some fresh basil.

SERVES 4 | PREPARATION TIME 5 minutes | COOKING TIME 15 minutes

POSHROOMS.

This is always love at first bite and honest to goodnessly delicious. These charming little mushrooms on their bed of herbed ricotta, perched atop crispy, golden ciabatta make a very handsome anytime meal. And can just as easily be fed to friends as a before-dinner snack.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 1–2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 250 g mushrooms, chopped
  • generous pinch each of salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  • 1–2 tsp lemon juice
  • Gruyère or Parmesan cheese, for serving

Herbed ricotta ciabatta

  • 4 slices ciabatta, or 2 rolls, halved
  • 1⁄2 cup crumbled ricotta cheese (you could also use buffalo mozzarella)
  • 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

WHAT TO DO

  1. Heat the butter and olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. When the butter is foaming, add the mushrooms, salt and pepper. Cook for 3–4 minutes, and then add the garlic and balsamic vinegar. Cook for a further 2–3 minutes or until the mushrooms are cooked through, and then remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice and check for seasoning.
  2. In the meantime, preheat the oven’s grill. Place the ciabatta slices in an ovenproof dish and grill for 3–5 minutes until golden.
  3. Combine the ricotta with the remaining herbed ricotta ingredients in a small bowl.
  4. To serve, spoon some of the ricotta mixture onto each toasted ciabatta slice, and top with the mushrooms and a couple of slivers of Gruyère or Parmesan.

SERVES 2 | PREPARATION TIME 5 minutes | COOKING TIME 10 minutes

NOTE: To make your own ricotta, see page 172.