Nutty Bircher muesli This is my take on a Bircher muesli. Packed with selenium and with a low GI, this is an ideal breakfast.

SERVES 1

4 heaped tbsp porridge oats

1 tbsp mixed seeds (pumpkin, flax, sunflower)

1 tbsp walnut pieces

1 tbsp broken brazil nuts

1 apple, chopped

3 tbsp natural yogurt

Mix all the ingredients together well in a breakfast bowl.

Eat! Feel free to change the types of nuts and seeds to suit your palate, or substitute the apple with a pear, if you like.

Greek omelette This is like a flavour explosion and is packed with all of my favourite things.

 

SERVES 1

4 handfuls of baby spinach

2–3 tsp olive oil

2 large eggs

a few small sprigs of dill

1 tbsp pitted kalamata olives, chopped

60g feta cheese

Mackerel and garden pea frittata This sounds a little odd, I admit, but the sweetness of the peas really seems to match the strong flavour of the mackerel.

SERVES 1

2 tbsp garden peas

2–3 tsp olive oil

2 large eggs

1 cooked mackerel fillet, flaked

Preheat the grill. In a small ovenproof omelette pan, sauté the peas in the olive oil for one or two minutes. Whisk the eggs and add to the peas. Cook for three or four minutes, or until the egg is cooking around the edges, but the middle is still liquid.

Add the flaked mackerel, then place the pan under the hot grill until all the egg is cooked.

Smoked salmon, avocado mash and poached eggs on rye bread This is another great way of getting in omega 3 fatty acids and those all-important B vitamins.

SERVES 1

½ very ripe avocado

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

juice of ¼ lime

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

splash of white wine vinegar

2 eggs

1 slice of pumpernickel bread

2 slices of smoked salmon

drizzle of olive oil

Begin by mashing the avocado flesh in a bowl. Add the garlic and lime juice with salt and pepper to taste.

Bring a pan of water to the boil. Add a splash of vinegar to the water, crack in the eggs and poach for around four minutes. Toast the pumpernickel bread.

Place the smoked salmon on the toasted bread and top with the avocado mash and then with the poached eggs. Drizzle with a little olive oil and add a little salt and pepper.

Eggs two ways My favourite breakfast is eggs royale, with eggs florentine in a very close second place. So I often make eggs two ways, to satisfy both cravings. I make no apology that I have published versions of these before; we all have our favourites and it just so happens that this wonderful combination contains many of the important nutrients for the health of the nervous system.

SERVES 1

2 handfuls of baby spinach

2 tsp olive oil

splash of white wine vinegar

3 large eggs

juice of ¼ lemon

75g butter

1 wholemeal English muffin

2 slices of smoked salmon