“Brunch puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” Guy Beringer, 1895.
Before chancing on this quote, apparently taken from an article entitled “Brunch: A Plea,” written by a British man in Hunter’s Weekly, I had wrongly assumed brunch to be an American invention, so strong is the pancake-and-coffee culture there now.
Mr. Beringer was clearly onto something, but, though I include suitably distinguished brunch-worthy recipes in this chapter in the form of spiced waffles and parsnip pancakes, homemade labneh and sprightly sweet potato cakes, very few of us can afford the luxury of leisurely brunches or breakfasts on a daily—or even weekly—basis.
I don’t think there’s much to be done, in a cookbook at least, about the pace of most of our mornings, but if you have an interest in good food and eating well, I suspect you’ll be eager to start the day off on a positive note with some proper fuel. This is tricky at breakfast time. Certainly in the UK, where I’m based, there is still a widespread reliance on packaged breakfast cereals, many of them sugary and refined, in spite of the manufacturers’ hard sell to the contrary. Children and adults so often start the day by opening a package for a life-giving jolt of sugar.
There’s no easy solution to this in terms of time pressure, but the fact is that homemade hot cereals will contain only the sweetness you add and afford you some control over their cost. My vegan Winter Baked Chia and Berry Oatmeal is easily adapted to suit any seasonal berry mix, nut or seed. It will gently satiate a sweet tooth without causing blood sugar spikes and subsequent crashes. The energy in the oats is released slowly, tempered by the good fats and vital protein in the nuts and seeds. More to the point, baked oatmeal, and, in the warmer months, Bircher Muesli, can be swiftly prepared the night before they are needed. A batch of Bircher Muesli will last for a few days in the fridge, ready for portions to be topped with fresh juice and/or your favorite milk and fruits. Overnight Smoky Baked Beans can also be made well ahead and even frozen in portions, if sweet breakfasts are not to your taste.
Waffle batters can be made well ahead and are especially popular with small people, who invariably love to help make them. The Spiced Buckwheat Waffles with Mango don’t have to be sweet. Drop the fruit and swap in snipped chives for the sweet spices, if you prefer. Make the crisp-edged waffles following the same method (they will also work as little drop scones if you don’t have a waffle iron), but serve them with fresh ricotta cheese, a few drops of balsamic vinegar and roasted peppers; or a poached egg, sliced scallion, avocado and cherry tomatoes; or seared tempeh slices, toasted pumpkin seeds, arugula and squash cubes you have roasted the day before.
Likewise, eggy bread works well in a savory incarnation. Use your favorite bread—a stale sourdough or seeded loaf is ideal—dipped into a bowl of beaten egg, a touch of milk and a spoon of chopped herbs, until just shy of sodden. You can add a whisper of crushed garlic, finely grated vegetarian Parmesan or spices such as paprika, too. Fry the doused bread in oil or butter until lacy and golden on both sides, then top with roasted tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms or wilted spinach and goat cheese.
Using whole-grain and unrefined ingredients wherever possible has become second nature in my home cooking. If you can choose ingredients with a lower glycemic index and more fiber (which, invariably, whole-grain and unrefined versions possess), your body will take longer to break them down, ensuring blood sugars remain steady. This means selecting whole-grain flour instead of refined white, or reaching for old-fashioned rolled oats instead of instant. You will also be adding natural flavor and character to your food in the process.
If eating, or even sitting down, first thing simply isn’t an option, nut- or seed-packed protein snacks, such as my Cashew and Coconut Bites, offer more sustenance than a midmorning Pop-Tart. Health food shops and even supermarkets sell variations on this theme, but they are expensive; besides, they’re very easy to make at home. You will be able to adapt the flavors and, if they suit your lifestyle, mix up bulk batches to freeze, saving money on ingredients. They make an excellent snack to have on hand when traveling, as they keep very well, boost flagging energy levels and are easy to eat.
Use quiet moments to stock up for the week ahead. Blend soaked nuts and seeds into dairy-free milks, or make your own indulgent nut butters, ready for toast and smoothies (see Nut and Seed Milk and Nut Butters). Almost-instant jams can be whipped up from seasonal fruit, chia seeds and not much more (see Chia Jams). It takes some effort and forethought, but prioritizing good, nutritious food doesn’t just set you up for the day, it lays down the tone for your daily eating and can help to form better habits in everything you cook.
I’m sure you don’t need a recipe for basic hot cereal. But this is a rugged incarnation and warrants a recipe of sorts for the longer simmer and the sheer amount of liquid involved. To cook the grains—use whatever varieties you have or prefer—in relatively little time, steep them in water before you go to bed. You can make the porridge a day or two before and reheat servings with extra water or whole milk. You could serve this porridge with any fruit compote, honey or syrup, but sweet, buttery winter squash, softened with apple and warming spices, makes a welcome change.
To make this vegan, swap almond milk for the dairy milk and use coconut butter in place of the butter (but forget about browning it first).
Serves 4
• 1¼ cups (250 g) mixed whole grains (in groat form, if applicable) such as amaranth, barley, buckwheat, freekeh, kasha, millet, oats, quinoa, rye, spelt and/or teff . . .
• Pinch of sea salt, or more, to taste
• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• 2 cups (250 g) peeled, deseeded and finely chopped dense and firm winter squash
• 1 firm eating apple, such as a Cox, Gala, Pink Lady or Jonagold, cored and finely chopped
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 1¼ cups (300 ml) whole milk
A hands-off and nourishing oatmeal for cold, busy mornings. I have kept this version vegan, but you can use any milk—dairy or otherwise—and add other grains such as quinoa, barley or rye flakes for up to half the weight of the oats. To my taste, this doesn’t need any added sweetener, but a dash of maple or date syrup—or just a handful of dried fruit—will tailor the recipe to the sweeter toothed.
Serves 4 to 6
• 3 cups (700 ml) almond or coconut milk, or other milk of your choice, plus more to serve, optional
• 2½ cups (200 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
• ⅔ cup (100 g) pumpkin seeds
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• ⅔ cup (100 g) frozen or fresh raspberries
Bowls, pots, cups . . . serve this summery breakfast however you wish. The chia seeds swell to thicken the coconut milk and crushed strawberries into a delicate dessert, something akin to chilled tapioca pudding in texture. If you want to lighten this up, swap in any coconut drink with no added nasties for all or half of the richer canned coconut milk.
Serves 4 to 6
• One 13.5-ounce (400 ml) can coconut milk or coconut drink (see recipe introduction)
• ½ cup (90 g) chia seeds
• Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon, plus a small squeeze of juice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, or the seeds from 1 vanilla pod, split, seeds scraped out
• 1½ pounds (700 g) very ripe and sweet strawberries, hulled
• 2 to 3 teaspoons sweetener of your choice, such as honey, maple syrup or any sugar
• ¼ cup (15 g) toasted coconut flakes
Bircher muesli, that versatile bowlful of oats and nuts, softened in milk or juice for a few hours while you sleep, then combined with seasonal fruit and perhaps some yogurt in the morning, has entered common breakfast parlance. Many winter porridge eaters switch to a sprightly Bircher muesli (or “overnight oats”) in the warmer months.
Vary the milks, using dairy or plant milks, and don’t feel you have to stick to oats: Rye, quinoa, spelt, barley or buckwheat flakes can replace some or all of them. If you choose to add chia seeds, as we did for the photo, compensate for their thickening nature with extra fruit juice or milk. Hopefully, the following ideas will inspire as the seasons change.
Each serves 2
• 2 apples, cored and coarsely grated, plus more sliced apple to serve
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• ¾ cup (70 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
• ½ cup (50 g) quinoa flakes
• ⅓ cup (30 g) chopped pecans
• ½ cup (100 ml) apple juice
• ½ cup (120 ml) milk (any sort)
• ¼ cup (60 g) Greek or coconut yogurt
• 1 apple, coarsely grated
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• 1 cup (80 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
• ⅔ cup (50 g) rye flakes
• ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon (130 ml) apple juice
• ½ cup (120 ml) almond milk
• 3 ripe plums
• 2 ripe figs
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds
• 1½ cups (120 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened desiccated coconut
• ½ cup (100 ml) coconut milk (the drink, not the canned milk)
• ½ cup (100 ml) fresh peach juice
• 3 ripe nectarines
• ¼ cup (60 g) Greek or coconut yogurt
For anyone nervous about baking without eggs, forgiving banana breads are an excellent place to start. Mashed banana is a natural egg replacement as well as a sweetener, meaning the batter doesn’t need much in the way of sugar (maple syrup and coconut sugar in this case). Teff is a natural whole grain; find it at health food shops or online. Combined with whole-grain spelt flour, the flavor is nutty and sweet.
Serves 8 to 10
• ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon (75 g) coconut butter, plus more for the pan
• 1 cup (125 g) whole-grain spelt flour
• ⅔ cup (100 g) teff flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ cup (175 ml) almond milk
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• ¼ cup (50 g) coconut sugar or dark brown sugar
• ⅓ cup (75 ml) maple syrup (dark color, robust taste, if possible)
• ¼ teaspoon fine salt
• 3 large, blackened bananas, peeled and mashed, plus 1 large banana, peeled and sliced lengthwise to decorate
• ½ cup (50 g) finely chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
The caffeine addicts among us occasionally need a little encouragement to put the coffee pot down in the morning. Teas and tisanes—the very word stemming from early barley water concoctions—can have powerful, invigorating or comforting effects, depending on their character.
Simmering pot barley (aka Scotch barley) in water and adding lemon—plus a little honey if you wish—makes an incredibly delicious and nostalgic drink, rich in B vitamins, iron and magnesium, among other trace minerals. Double the recipe to make a large pitcherful in the summer, to keep in the fridge and drink over ice, or warm it through gently in the winter as an alternative to tea.
The Matcha Coconut Cup will energize as much as an espresso. Fine, green matcha powder doesn’t come cheap, but a little goes a long way and, because it is made from the entire green tea leaf, contains about ten times the nutrients of standard, steeped green tea.
Cleansing teas can be a real weapon, especially in the colder months; there is nothing like turmeric, ginger and lemon for fighting off a cold, while the peppercorns in the hibiscus infusion are warming.
Serves 1
• 1 teaspoon matcha (green tea powder)
• ⅓ cup (75 ml) coconut milk (the drink, not the canned milk)
To make a frothy, short morning drink to put a skip in your step, put the matcha powder in a cup. Warm the coconut milk in a saucepan with ⅓ cup (75 ml) of water over medium heat until hot, but not boiling. Have a small whisk ready and, as you pour the liquid onto the matcha, whisk briskly and keep whisking for about 30 seconds until you have a frothy and comforting, pale green cupful.
Serves 1 generously
• 5 black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon dried hibiscus flowers or petals
• 2 to 3 teaspoons honey, or to taste
Lightly crush the black peppercorns with the base of a jar or with a mortar and pestle. Put them in a heatproof pitcher with the dried hibiscus flowers or petals. Pour over 1 cup (250 ml) of boiling water, or enough to cover, stir well, then set aside to steep and cool for 10 minutes. Strain into a large mug and sweeten with honey to taste. This makes a slightly peppery and warming drink with a tart, black currant flavor from the hibiscus.
Serves 4 to 5
• ⅓ cup (50 g) pot or Scotch barley or pearl barley
• 1 unwaxed lemon
• 1 tablespoon honey, or to taste
Serves 1 generously
• ½-inch (1.5 cm) piece fresh ginger root, sliced
• ¼-inch (6 mm) piece turmeric, sliced
• 1 unwaxed lemon slice
• 2 green cardamom pods
Grated parsnip adds a wholesome sweetness and structure to these gluten-free millet pancakes. I like them made with coconut milk for the flavor, but almond milk or a combination of both works, too, or you could just as well use dairy milk if you prefer. Begin this recipe at least a couple of hours (or the night) before it’s needed, to give the millet time to swell and form a batter.
Serves 3 to 4
• 2⅓ cups (275 g) millet flakes
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar or brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 parsnip (4 ounces/120 g), scrubbed and grated
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2½ cups (600 ml) unsweetened coconut or almond milk, plus ¾ cup (200 ml) to loosen the batter
• 10.5 ounces (about 1 dry pint/300 g) blackberries, fresh or frozen
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup, plus more to serve
• 1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil, plus more if needed
Nutty and mild buckwheat flour is the perfect choice for a relatively wholesome waffle batter. If you don’t have buttermilk, sour 1½ cups (350 ml) milk (any type, even plant-based) with 2 teaspoons lemon juice.
How many waffles this makes depends on the size of your waffle iron; plan on 6 to 8 as a guide. This batter can be used to make Scotch-style drop scones in a frying pan, if you don’t own a waffle iron.
Makes 6 to 8 (depending on the size of your waffle iron)
• 2 large, ripe mangos
• 3 green cardamom pods
• 1½ cups (360 ml) buttermilk (or see recipe introduction)
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon peeled and finely grated fresh ginger root
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon fine salt
• ¾ cup (100 g) buckwheat flour
• ½ cup (75 g) whole-grain or white spelt flour
• ¼ cup (25 g) almond meal
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds, optional
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter or coconut butter, melted
• Greek yogurt or coconut yogurt, to serve, optional
• Maple syrup or honey, to serve, optional
These little snacks, a homemade and far cheaper version of those sold in health food shops, hardly constitute a good breakfast, but they are very handy to have about as an energy booster when rushing or traveling. The recipe is easily doubled.
Makes about 12
• 1 cup (80 g) unsweetened desiccated coconut
• 1¼ cups (100 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
• Large pinch of sea salt
• ¾ cup (130 g) pitted Medjool dates
• ⅓ cup (150 g) unsweetened cashew butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
These fresh jams are thickened with fiber-rich chia seeds instead of pectin and are kept in the fridge for up to two weeks, so you aren’t bound to the high sugar levels required for traditional preserves. As a guide, when varying quantities, simmer 14 ounces (about 1 dry pint/400 g) of berries until they begin to break down, then stir in 2 tablespoons chia and any dry flavorings (such as vanilla seeds, spices or grated ginger) and simmer for a minute, adding up to 3 tablespoons of sweetener, such as honey or maple syrup, as demanded by the berry and your sweet tooth (or lack of it). Set aside to thicken.
It’s true that the recipes here use different quantities, but stick to the base formula above and you can make a simple jam from any berry.
All make 1 large jar
• 14 ounces (400 g) rhubarb (Champagne, aka early or forced, if possible), trimmed and cut into roughly 1-inch (2 to 3 cm) pieces
• 1 tablespoon peeled and finely grated fresh ginger root
• ¼ cup (50 g) coconut sugar, plus 1 tablespoon if necessary
• 3 tablespoons chia seeds
• 14 ounces (400 g; about 10) very ripe and sweet apricots, pitted and roughly chopped
• 1 vanilla pod, split, seeds scraped out
• 2 to 3 tablespoons acacia honey or other light-flavored honey, optional
• 3 tablespoons chia seeds
• ⅓ cup (15 g) dried hibiscus flowers
• 14 ounces (about 1¼ dry pints/400 g) ripe raspberries or mulberries
• 3 tablespoons chia seeds
• 3 to 5 tablespoons acacia honey or other light-flavored honey (or light-colored maple or agave syrup for a vegan jam)
Delicate and nutritious, these homemade milks rely wholly on the quality of the ingredients; the fresher the nuts, the better the milk. Buy them from shops with a high turnover, such as bustling health food and Asian shops. I keep mine in the freezer, which is probably why the drawers don’t open. You’ll need two 12-inch (30 cm) squares of muslin or cheesecloth (or buy nut milk bags online).
Makes about 2 cups (450 ml)
• ⅔ cup (100 g) nuts or seeds, or a mixture, as fresh as possible
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds, optional (though they help the milk to emulsify)
• Tiny pinch of sea salt
• Maple syrup, honey or coconut sugar, optional
Makes about 2 cups (450 ml)
Soak 2½ cups (200 g) whole or old-fashioned rolled oats in 2 cups (450 ml) cool water for at least 8 hours or overnight. Add a tiny pinch of sea salt, blend until very smooth and strain the milk through a fine sieve or, for a really fine result, a sieve lined with a double layer of muslin or cheesecloth. As with nut milks, 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseeds can be added before blending to help the mixture emulsify. Dilute as you wish and use as is, or sweeten to taste, as for the Nut and Seed Milk. Keep chilled for up to 5 days.
Makes about 2½ cups (600 ml)
Soak ¾ cup (150 g) white or brown rice in 2½ cups (600 ml) water and leave in a cool place for 12 to 24 hours. Add a tiny pinch of sea salt and blend thoroughly for at least 2 minutes, until very smooth. As with nut milks, 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseeds can be added before blending to help the mixture emulsify. Leave to settle for 10 minutes, then blend thoroughly again (rice is tricky and needs a thorough blending to pummel all the grains into submission). Strain through a fine sieve or, for a finer result, a sieve lined with a double layer of muslin or cheesecloth. Sweeten to taste with maple syrup, coconut sugar or mild honey, as for the Nut and Seed Milk. Adding vanilla extract or seeds enhances the flavor of rice milk, while blending it with a little almond milk or coconut milk gives it more body. Keep chilled for up to 5 days.
These days, nut and seed butters can be bought in every guise and variety, from sugar-laden and smooth to wholesome and textured, running the whole gamut of nuts and seeds. I urge you to make your own because it is worth it, if only occasionally, for reasons of taste and cost. Ideally, you need a powerful blender with a tamper to move around the ingredients and get them pushed into the turning blades. However, making nut butter in the small bowl of a powerful food processor does work, though it takes a lot longer and gives coarser results. I have also found that a good hand blender and a bit of elbow grease give impressive, smooth nut butters in very little time.
Makes 1 medium jar
• 2¼ cups (300 g) unsalted, shelled nuts or seeds
• 1 tablespoon coconut butter or flavorless nut oil
• Good pinch of sea salt
• 3 Medjool dates, pitted, or maple syrup or honey to taste, optional
I have given you three options in the following recipe:
Obviously, the first option yields the easiest and quickest nut butter.
The second option is by far the most time-consuming, but is also the most nutritious, while the difference in flavor and texture is astounding. As well as turning pure, sweet and strong in taste, the soaked nuts retain their plumpness, even after drying. Though a dehydrator is probably ideal, it is perfectly possible to dry nuts out in an extremely low oven or in a warming drawer.
The soaking and gentle drying process also makes the nuts far more digestible, while preserving their enzyme levels and beneficial oils.
If nut enzymes aren’t your bag, choose option three: Roast the nuts or seeds, ramping up their flavor and darkening their color in the process. The roasting process denatures enzymes and breaks down some of the oils in the nuts or seeds, meaning some of their nutritional benefits are lost.
Pouring a little coconut butter or oil into the mix while blending helps the nuts or seeds to emulsify and blend freely. Add dates, or another natural sweetener such as maple syrup or honey, to sweeten if you wish. Use any combination of nuts and seeds; you can even add spices in the form of vanilla, cinnamon, ground ginger, or cocoa.
If soaking and drying your nuts or seeds:
If roasting your nuts or seeds:
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Spread the nuts or seeds out on a large baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring after 3 minutes to check their progress, until golden and fragrant. Let cool.
Now to the nut or seed butter itself:
Labneh is strained yogurt that can be eaten sweet or savory, as a dip or spread with bread and crackers, or added to dishes in place of sour cream or soft cheese. In the Middle East, it is often served for breakfast with a drizzle of olive oil. The slightly acidic, highly nutritious whey (the thin draining liquid), has endless uses: Add it to bread doughs instead of water; simmer vegetables in it; or blend it into soups.
Each serves 4
• 1¾ cups (400 g) Greek yogurt
To make a light breakfast or brunch, divide a batch of plain labneh between 4 smallish serving plates and top with your choice of the extras below.
To make toasted sesame oats, melt 1 tablespoon salted butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add ⅔ cup (50 g) rolled oats and 2 tablespoons sesame seeds and cook, stirring, until golden. Add 1 tablespoon honey and cook for a minute until the mixture caramelizes. Set aside to cool slightly, then spoon a little over each portion of labneh, with sliced peaches and spoonfuls of honeycomb (honey from the comb, rather than the confectionery sort!).
Spoon the insides of 3 large and wrinkled passion fruits and 1 tablespoon toasted coconut flakes over each portion of labneh. Add coconut sugar or honey to taste, if you like.
Slice off the hard ends of a pomegranate, then score the skin from top to base and pull the fruit apart to release the seeds, pulling the pith away and discarding it. If you open a pomegranate in this way, not many of the seeds break open. Divide most of the seeds between 4 portions of labneh with 1 tablespoon chia seeds per portion. Crush the remaining seeds with your (clean) hand to finish each bowl with a little fresh pomegranate juice.
Juicing is an enormous subject, covered exclusively and exhaustively in many books and websites, so what I offer here is general, commonsense advice for those simply wishing to boost their intake of fruits and vegetables. This shouldn’t be torture. If you still dislike green or pure vegetable juices after experimenting, but a fruit-based blend (perhaps with vegetables thrown in undercover) tastes good to you and gives you needed energy, then drink the latter. (It is useful to know that passing blended vegetable smoothies through a fine sieve, muslin or cheesecloth can render them more pleasurable to drink than unstrained vegetable smoothies.) However, I would argue that eating with health in mind is as much about boosting mood and enjoyment as it is about kale intake. This is a cookbook, after all, and the ideas on its pages are intended to make you, the reader, happier! (Along those lines, don’t forget that fresh juices make superb cocktail bases. . . .)
Juicers and high-speed blenders are different beasts: The former extract, leaving fibrous pulp behind; the latter often need extra liquid to get things moving as they blend ingredients together finely, making them a versatile tool in the kitchen. Both enable the drinker to absorb significant quantities of fruits and vegetables in one glass.
Juices are more nutrient-dense, but lacking in fiber, meaning they are quickly and easily assimilated by the body; fresh smoothies are less concentrated, but contain all the fiber in the ingredients used, so they will keep you fuller for longer. They can easily be boosted or flavored with added ingredients, such as nut milks and butters (see Nut and Seed Milk and Nut Butters), or sprouted seeds. In the simplest terms, think of a smoothie as a potential meal replacement and of a juice as a highly concentrated supplement.
When it comes to equipment, centrifugal juicers, with their high-speed spinning discs, are the most common and often the cheapest option. They are best used for juicing watery vegetables and fruits, but usually fall down on getting the most out of leafy and stalky greens. Masticating juicers literally mash and grind at low speeds, making them more suitable for green vegetable juices (they can also be used to make nut butters and fruit sorbet bases). Triturating juicers are the investing evangelist’s double-gear version of masticators, with even slower speeds and even more power. Whichever kind you go for, I’m afraid I have yet to find any juicer that doesn’t take a bit of time to rinse out and clean after using.
High-speed blenders—I’m talking Vitamix and NutriBullet here, to name a couple—can be used to blend far more than fruits and vegetables, so they are arguably the more useful purchase if versatility is key for you. Sustaining breakfast smoothies, based on energy-rich ingredients such as bananas, yogurt, cereals and berries, can be whipped up in seconds. I use my NutriBullet (the pro one for extra oomph) to blend everything from dips and smooth salsas, to nut butters and milks, to ice cream bases, to milkshakes, to cold soups. . . .
But I have also invested in a decent juicer and use both regularly and exclusively because they are so different.
If using a juicer, you’ll get through a far greater volume of ingredients per serving. If using a high-speed blender, you’ll use less by weight—guided by the lines inside the blender container—and will need a bit of water to get the blades moving, but you can throw in nutritious additions from the Boosters list here to sustain and add bulk. Some of the Boosters, such as cold-pressed oils and spices, can be stirred into juicer-made juices to good effect, but juices are often most delicious when left pure.
Either way, rinse and roughly chop your ingredients beforehand, leaving thin skins on and including cores. I pare the zest and pith from citrus fruits and throw the flesh in whole, whether using a juicer or blender. (You can do this prep the night before and keep everything chilled overnight for a speedy morning juice.) Focus on seasonal, ripe produce and buy local as much as you can. Organic fruits and vegetables will contain fewer pesticides than nonorganic if buying everything from a supermarket, but I would always choose home-grown or local farm produce over supermarket organic.
When it comes to getting flavors right, trust your taste and your instincts, rather than throwing a load of ingredients together and hoping for the best. The chart here of suitable produce is intended to inspire, rather than dictate, and is by no means an exhaustive list. To make a vegetable or a vegetable and fruit blend, choose from the bases, either Mildly Sweet or Light—or simply pure Sweet Fruit—and add concentrated Accents and/or Zing ingredients to tweak the flavor. Fresh herbs are a game-changer. Experiment, but go cautiously so as not to create waste if you don’t like the results; you can always add more next time.
For example, if I want a vegetable juice gently sweetened with fruit, I might choose one or two Mildly Sweet bases, let’s say beet and pear, their sweetness tempered with cleansing notes of fennel from the Light group and the iron-rich hit of kale as an Accent. Lemon juice and mint from the Zing group would brighten. If I wanted it sweeter and without green additions, the beet and pear base could be increased in volume and lifted with the Zing of ginger and Sweet Fruit of blackberry.
For those on a less-sweet bent, choose only one Mildly Sweet base—say, honeydew melon (or forgo it all together) and add two Light bases—let’s opt for celery and cucumber—to make a gentle and refreshing glass. Add a Zing of fresh herbs and/or turmeric to the juicer at the end or, if blending these in a high-speed blender, change the texture to silky with a Booster of avocado (which isn’t terribly suitable for a juicer due to its low water content; the same goes for mango, coconut flesh and banana—if you do add these, always balance their richness with a squeeze of citrus juice).
Another way to combine ingredients confidently is to group them by color. Oranges and yellows tend to go together, as do reds and purples, or pale greens and whites. Apart from kale, I have generally stayed away from brassicas in the lists, as they can be overpowering and hard to digest, but if they work for you, throw in broccoli, cabbage or spring greens.
Try to drink any juice or smoothie immediately to get the most out of it. If that isn’t feasible, pour into a sealed container with as little air as possible, keep chilled and consume within 24 hours.
All make 1 large glass or 2 smaller glasses
• All ingredients are roughly chopped, unless indicated
Calm and Soothing
JUICE: 3 pears + 2 fennel bulbs + 2 kiwis + 1 lemon
SMOOTHIE: 1 small pear + ½ fennel bulb + 1 kiwi + 1 lemon + water up to the fill line
Classic Green
JUICE: 2 green apples + 3 celery stalks + 4 or 5 kale leaves + large handful of mint + 1 large lime
SMOOTHIE: 1 green apple + 1 celery stalk + 1 or 2 kale leaves + 3 sprigs of mint + 1 lime + water up to the fill line
Deep Purple
JUICE: 2 beets + 1 pomegranate, seeds only + large handful of blackberries + 1-inch (2.5 cm) piece peeled fresh ginger root
SMOOTHIE: 1 grated beet + ¼ pomegranate, seeds only + small handful of blackberries + ½-inch (1.5 cm) piece peeled fresh ginger root + water up to the fill line
Sweet Tropical
JUICE: 2 carrots + ¼ large pineapple + ½ papaya + 2 oranges + 1-inch (2.5 cm) piece peeled turmeric
SMOOTHIE: 1 grated carrot + 1 slice pineapple + ¼ papaya + 1 small orange + ¼-inch (6 mm) piece peeled turmeric + water up to the fill line
Apple
Beet
Carrot
Gooseberry
Kiwi
Melon
Parsnip
Pear
Pineapple (add last to centrifugal juicers due to the fibers clogging the blades)
Sweet pepper
Sweet potato
Light
Celery
Cucumber
Fennel
Lettuce
Tomato
Sweet Fruit
Apricot
Blackberry
Blueberry
Cherry
Fig
Grape
Orange
Papaya
Peach and nectarine
Pomegranate
Raspberry
Strawberry
Accents
Arugula
Asparagus
Black currant
Kale
Mustard greens
Nettle
Pak or bok choy
Spinach or chard
Watercress
Zing
Ginger (root)
Grapefruit
Herbs and vegetable leaves (such as fennel tops and celery leaves)
Lemon
Lime
Turmeric (the fresh root, not the ground spice)
Boosters
(to stir in or blend)
Avocado
Banana
Bee pollen
Booster powders such as spirulina, wheatgrass or protein
Chia seeds
Chili powder or cayenne pepper
Cider vinegar (raw)
Cinnamon
Coconut (fresh)
Cold-pressed oils
Mango
Nut and/or seed butters
Oats or oat bran
Soaked nuts or seeds (such as hemp and flaxseed)
Sprouted seeds
Wheat germ
Brunch food is often just as good at lunch or supper, and these natty, sizzling fritters are no exception. Spice them with nigella and cumin and eat with mango chutney instead of the salsa, or top the version below with poached or fried eggs. Replace the paneer with halloumi or cheddar if you like your cheese to have more clout and, when sweet corn isn’t in season, use ¾ cup (100 g) frozen kernels, defrosted.
Serves 4
For the charred chile salsa
• 3 large red peppers
• 1 red chile, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• Small handful of parsley, finely chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the corn cakes
• 2 ears sweet corn
• ½ cup (75 g) fine cornmeal or polenta
• 3 tablespoons (20 g) cornstarch or unbleached all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon salted butter, melted
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• ¾ cup (120 g) coarsely grated paneer
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• Peanut oil, to fry
A handsome loaf to have on hand at breakfast time, either fresh from the oven or toasted over the course of the week. Making bread over a day or two is about as easy as real bread is ever going to get, without using mechanical help. The dough here is left to rise very slowly, developing the gluten in the flour—and, importantly, improving the flavor—without kneading.
Makes 1 medium loaf
• 1⅓ cups (200 g) whole wheat bread flour, plus more to dust
• 1⅓ cups (200 g) white bread flour
• ½ cup (60 g) rye flour
• ⅔ cup (100 g) mixed seeds (flax, pumpkin, sesame, sunflower seeds . . . )
• ¼ teaspoon instant yeast
• 1½ teaspoons fine salt
• A little flavorless oil
A beautiful little recipe, as suited for a sprightly lunch as for a leisurely weekend breakfast. Make it in a 9-inch (23 cm) frying pan if you don’t have the mini versions, and divide into quarters to serve. You can fold three lightly beaten eggs into the sweet potato mixture, though those cakes will be frittata-esque in style, or balance a poached egg on top (with the avocado, of course, and some hot sauce).
Serves 4
• 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated (about 4 cups/600 g)
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1-inch (2.5 cm) piece fresh ginger root, peeled and finely grated
• 2 tablespoons brown rice flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 red chiles, 1 finely chopped and 1 finely sliced
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Large handful of cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (90 ml) olive oil or coconut butter, melted
• 2 ripe avocados, halved and pitted
• 2 limes, 1 juiced and 1 quartered
Cooking beans overnight in a gentle oven negates the need for prior soaking and simmering and locks in every ounce of flavor. It really is as simple as mixing the ingredients the night before and leaving them to cook. Adding just-boiled water helps the beans keep their shape, and I have found that adding salt at the beginning of cooking doesn’t make the skins tough (as was taught to us for years).
As with most cooked beans, this dish improves over the course of a few days and is just as suited to lunch or supper in place of a standard vegetarian chili. With time, the gentle heat from the chipotle peppers will increase and round out. Add as many peppers or as much chipotle paste as you like, but it might be best to err on the side of caution if small or timid people will be sharing your breakfast.
Serves 6 to 8
• 1½ teaspoons cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
• 2½ cups (500 g) dried black beans
• 1½ tablespoons molasses
• 1 or 2 chipotle chiles in adobo, crushed, or 1 to 2 tablespoons chipotle chile paste
• 1 tablespoon oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 lime
• 1½ pounds (750 g) flavorful tomatoes, roughly chopped
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Greek or coconut yogurt or crumbled Wensleydale or feta, sliced avocado, cilantro sprigs and toasted bread or flatbreads, optional, to serve
This really couldn’t be simpler, but a little care and attention makes a good thing great. Cooking eggs low and slow with a touch of cream, and stirring only occasionally as they begin to set, yields a rich and fluffy scramble of large, irregular curds. Eat these just as they are or, as here, with basil-rich roasted tomatoes, avocado and a spike of Charred Chile Salsa.
Serves 2
• 8 ounces (250 g) baby plum tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Large handful of basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus more for the bread (optional)
• 6 eggs
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 ripe avocado, halved
• 2 slices of rye bread
• 2 heaping tablespoons Charred Chile Salsa
This is in no way authentic; the name is merely a nod to the ingredients (dill, feta, yogurt) used. If you want, replace the yogurt with light or heavy cream or crème fraîche, but please don’t attempt any low-fat dairy swaps, as they will misbehave in the oven. Low-fat frequently also means artificially thickened and acidic; neither trait will be welcome here.
Serves 2 to 4
• A little butter or olive oil, for the cups and foil
• 4 very fresh eggs
• ½ cup (120 g) full-fat Greek yogurt
• Small bunch of dill, chopped
• 3 scallions, trimmed and finely sliced
• ⅔ cup (100 g) crumbled feta
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Bread and butter, to serve
To take this rather beautiful pan of simmering eggs from breakfast to brunch is a green tahini sauce, singing with fresh herbs and lemon. If the idea of tahini in the morning is too much, just skip it, though I promise the effect is subtle and resonant rather than bitter. Pockets of salty feta melting into the simmering panful are not authentic, but highly recommended unless you need this to be dairy-free.
Serves 4 generously
For the herb-tahini sauce
• Handful of ice cubes
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 12 mint leaves
• Large bunch of flat-leaf parsley
• ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon (75 g) light tahini, stirred
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the shakshuka
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, halved and finely sliced
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and finely sliced
• 1 smallish eggplant, finely chopped
• 3 plump garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Two 14.5-ounce (400 g) cans plum tomatoes in juice
• 1 cup (150 g) crumbled feta, optional
• 6 very fresh eggs
• Crusty bread, to serve
Jian Bing—or Beijing-style crepes to you and me—are simple and delicate pancakes, topped here with eggs, scrambled onto each crepe as it cooks. I’ve mixed rye and semolina flours with spelt to make a flavorful base. Crepes and pancakes make a fairly quick breakfast, if you make the batter the night before and keep it in the fridge overnight. Whisk in a splash of water if it has become too thick.
Makes 4 large crepes
• ½ cup (80 g) spelt, white, or whole wheat flour
• 3 tablespoons (30 g) rye flour
• 1 tablespoon semolina flour
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• A little flavorless oil, for the pan
• 4 eggs
• 4 scallions, trimmed and finely sliced
• Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
• Sriracha sauce, to taste
