Avocado, Smoked Salmon and Scrambled Eggs
I like to add a dash of Tabasco when I’m scrambling the eggs to give the dish a bit of a kick, and I’ll top it with fresh herbs to add colour and freshness – parsley or coriander work well.
1 Melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat.
2 Add the onion and jalapeño and allow to soften for 2–3 minutes.
3 Crack the eggs into the pan and scramble with the other ingredients, using a whisk or spatula, until the preferred consistency is reached.
4 Remove from the pan and top with the diced avocado and tomato, season to taste and serve.
I add ice cubes before whizzing – I use three, but you could add more or less. Look out for nut butters without any added oils or sugar – these are ‘clean’ nut butters.
1 Place all the ingredients in a blender and whizz to your preferred consistency.
2 Pour into a large glass and serve.
When I’m particularly hungry, this is what I’ll have for breakfast!
1 Allow the steak to sit and come up to room temperature before cooking.
2 Place a frying pan over a high heat and leave it to become smoking hot.
3 Place the steak in the pan, season and fry for 1 minute. Turn and fry on the other side for a further minute, or until cooked to your preference.
4 Remove the steak from the pan and place on a plate to rest.
5 Return the pan to the heat and crack in the eggs. Scramble with a whisk, or fry them, depending on your preference.
6 Remove the eggs on to the plate with the steak, season to taste and serve.
My favourite nuts to use are almonds because they go so well with the chocolate.
1 Combine the yoghurt and nuts together in a bowl and mix well.
2 Sprinkle over the dark chocolate and serve.
Try seasoning the scrambled eggs with plenty of black pepper and a pinch of sea salt and then sprinkling rocket over the finished dish before eating.
1 Melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat.
2 Crack in the eggs and scramble, using a whisk or spatula.
3 Once the eggs are almost at your preferred consistency, carefully tip onto a plate.
4 Top with the salmon and sliced avocado, season to taste and serve.
Garnish with fresh chilli and a squeeze of lime, or season with salt and pepper and a sprinkling of fresh dill or chopped chives.
1 Preheat the oven to 220°C.
2 Place the avocado halves in an oven dish cut side upwards and crack an egg into the circular space left by the stone in each avocado half.
3 Season with salt and pepper and then bake in the oven for 15–20 minutes.
4 Remove from the oven and serve.
Make sure the batter is thick and BE PATIENT! Protein pancakes can take a few minutes before they are ready to be flipped.
1 Combine the protein powder, egg and almond milk in a jug and mix together well with a fork.
2 Melt the coconut oil in a frying pan over a medium heat.
3 Pour some batter into the centre of the pan and cook for 1–2 minutes. Turn the pancake over and cook for a further minute, or until both sides are golden brown.
4 Remove from the pan onto a plate and keep warm while you continue to cook the remaining pancakes.
5 Drizzle the pancakes with the nut butter and serve.
You don’t need to miss out on your weekend fry up if you tweak a few ingredients here and there.
1 Preheat the grill to medium-high.
2 Pierce the chicken sausages with a fork and grill for 15 minutes, turning occasionally.
3 Meanwhile, place the peeled plum tomatoes in a pan over a medium heat and leave to simmer for 5–10 minutes. Season to taste.
4 While the tomatoes are bubbling, add the Portobello mushroom and turkey rashers to the grill tray and cook for 3–4 minutes on each side.
5 Finally, cook the eggs in your preferred way, season to taste and serve with the sausages, tomatoes, mushroom and turkey rashers.
This is my favourite mid-week breakfast, and once you try it you’ll never look back. Just as delicious as eggs Benedict with a fraction of the calories.
1 Preheat the grill to medium-high.
2 Place the Portobello mushrooms and turkey rashers under the grill and cook for 3–4 minutes on each side.
3 Meanwhile, melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat.
4 Crack in the eggs and fry until they are cooked to your preference.
5 Place the mushrooms side by side on a plate and then stack the remaining ingredients on top of each mushroom in the following order: first the avocado slices, then an egg and finally top each one with a turkey rasher.
6 Season to taste and serve.
If you would prefer to have this warm on a cold morning, you can pop it in the microwave for 1–2 minutes, or warm through in a pan over a medium heat – just make sure you heat it before adding the nuts, cinnamon and agave syrup.
1 Mix the seeds and almond milk in a bowl and leave in the fridge overnight.
2 When ready to serve, stir in the nuts, sprinkle with the cinnamon and drizzle with the agave syrup.
English Breakfast with American Spuds
If you don’t like bananas, you could grate 1 small apple over the oats instead.
1 Mix the oats and protein powder together in a bowl. Add small dashes of boiling water from the kettle until the desired consistency has been reached.
2 Top with the banana and serve.
Instead of cinnamon, you could flavour the Krispies with ground ginger.
1 Crush the rice cakes into a bowl with your hands.
2 Combine the protein powder with the water in a jug and mix well.
3 Pour the protein water over the crushed rice cakes, sprinkle with the cinnamon and serve.
You can add ice cubes before whizzing in the blender if you want a different texture and temperature.
1 Place all the ingredients in a blender and whizz.
2 Pour into a large glass and serve.
Like with other recipes, you can always replace the banana with an apple, which would go especially well with the cinnamon.
1 Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.
2 Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge overnight (or for a minimum of 4 hours).
3 Remove from the fridge and serve.
Try tossing the potato cubes in salt, pepper and a pinch of mustard powder before roasting, and chop fresh parsley to garnish the finished dish.
1 Preheat the oven to 220°C.
2 Place the potato on a baking tray and season well.
3 Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
4 Meanwhile, preheat the grill to medium-high.
5 Pierce the chicken sausages with a fork and cook under the grill for 15 minutes, turning occasionally.
6 Place the tomatoes in a small pan over a medium heat, season to taste and allow to simmer for 5–10 minutes.
7 Add the Portobello mushroom and turkey rashers to the tray under the grill and allow both to cook for 3–4 minutes on each side.
8 Finally, cook the egg whites in your preferred way and season to taste.
9 Serve the egg whites with the potatoes, sausages, tomatoes, mushroom and turkey rashers.
If you don’t have any blueberries, try another berry. I like using strawberries, as they are so sweet!
1 Spoon the yoghurt into a serving bowl.
2 Using your hands, crush the rice cakes over the yoghurt.
3 Bruise the blueberries gently so that they release a bit of their juice as you add them to the bowl.
4 Mix together well, drizzle with the agave syrup and serve.
These pancakes are my favourite high carb and low fat breakfast.
1 Cut the banana in two and slice one half into bitesize pieces. Mash the other half with a fork.
2 Place the mashed banana, protein powder, oats and almond milk in a large jug and whisk everything together well.
3 Place a non-stick pan over a high heat and leave it to become smoking hot.
4 Pour some batter into the centre of the pan and cook until both sides are golden brown.
5 Remove the pancake to a plate and keep warm while you cook the remaining batter.
6 When all the pancakes have been cooked, serve topped with the sliced banana and drizzled lightly with agave syrup.
I like to add Tabasco to the finished dish and scatter fresh herbs over the cakes, too.
1 Place a non-stick frying pan over a high heat and leave it to get smoking hot.
2 Add the diced onion and jalapeño and allow to cook for 2–3 minutes.
3 Add the egg whites to the pan and scramble the ingredients together using a whisk or spatula.
4 Meanwhile, place the rice cakes on a serving plate.
5 Once the eggs are your preferred consistency, remove from the pan and place carefully on top of the rice cakes.
6 Garnish each cake with some diced tomato, season to taste and serve.
Sprinkle the potatoes with paprika before roasting in the oven and season the steak with salt and pepper. I garnish the eggs with freshly chopped parsley, too.
1 Preheat the oven to 220°C.
2 Allow the steak to sit and come up to room temperature before cooking.
3 Place the potato on a baking tray and season well.
4 Cook the potato in the oven for 20 minutes.
5 Place a frying pan over a high heat and leave it to become smoking hot.
6 Add the steak to the pan, season and sear on each side for 1 minute, or until cooked to your preference.
7 Remove from the pan and place on a plate to rest.
8 Meanwhile, add the egg whites to the pan, turn the heat down to medium and scramble with a whisk or spatula until they are your preferred consistency.
9 Season the eggs to taste and serve alongside the steak and potatoes.
This is a great flavour combination.
1 Preheat the grill to medium-high.
2 Place the Portobello mushrooms and turkey rashers under the grill and cook for 3–4 minutes on each side.
3 Meanwhile, fry the egg whites in a non-stick pan over a high heat to your preferred consistency.
4 Place the rice cakes on a plate and top each one with a mushroom, then some egg white, and finally a turkey rasher.
5 Season to taste and serve.
Chilli Con Carne and Cauliflower Rice
Chicken Sausage and Broccoli Mash
Peanut Butter Chicken Stir-Fry
I sometimes add dried herbs after I’ve browned the mince – oregano is a particular favourite and a pinch is usually enough – or I’ll sprinkle a few dried chilli flakes over the bolognaise before serving, if I fancy a bit of spice. If I have salad in the fridge, I’ll garnish the courgetti with a few leaves of rocket to give it a lovely peppery flavour.
1 Grate the courgette into long strands (vertically down the largest slicing option on a cheese grater will do the trick – or you could use a spiraliser).
2 Put the oil into a pan over a medium heat.
3 Add the onion and garlic and allow to soften for 2–3 minutes.
4 Add the mince and cook for 2–3 minutes, or until brown.
5 Pour in the chopped tomatoes and stir well. Season to taste and leave to simmer for 5–10 minutes.
6 Stir in the grated courgette and allow to simmer for a further 5–10 minutes.
7 Remove from the heat, check the seasoning and serve.
Add chilli powder, as well as the fresh chillies, if you like it spicy. Cauliflower rice is a great substitute for rice on a low carb day.
1 Break the cauliflower into florets and place in a food processor and whizz, or grate with a cheese grater until riced. Season to taste.
2 Place the oil in a pan over a medium heat.
3 Add the onion and garlic and leave to soften for 2–3 minutes.
4 Add the mince to the pan and cook for 2–3 minutes until brown.
5 Add the chillies and tomatoes to the pan and stir well. Season to taste and leave to simmer for 5–10 minutes.
6 Meanwhile, warm the cauliflower in a microwave for 1–2 minutes.
7 Place the cauliflower on a large plate and pour over the chilli. Check the seasoning and serve.
It may seem strange to cook the broccoli this long but you need it to be really soft in order to mash it.
1 Preheat the grill to medium-high.
2 Pierce the chicken sausages with a fork and place under the grill for 15 minutes, turning occasionally.
3 Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the broccoli and cook for 20 minutes (you need to cook it to within an inch of its life – the broccoli has to be very soft).
4 Drain the broccoli, tip back into the pan and add the butter. Mash well and season to taste.
5 Scoop the mash into a serving bowl, top with the sausages and serve.
Garnish this stir-fry with sprigs of fresh coriander and some sliced chilli and spring onion.
1 Place the chicken in a bowl and mix with the soy sauce.
2 Place a non-stick pan over a medium heat and add the chicken and soy. Stir-fry for 4–5 minutes, or until lightly browned.
3 Add the veg and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes.
4 Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the peanut butter.
5 Tip into a serving bowl and sprinkle with the peanuts.
6 Season to taste and serve.
Use fresh basil if you can and add it at the end, instead of with the garlic.
1 Grate the courgette into long strands (vertically down the largest slicing option on a cheese grater will do the trick – or you could use a spiraliser).
2 Place a non-stick pan over a medium heat, add the chicken and cook for 4–5 minutes, or until brown.
3 Meanwhile, measure the olive oil into a separate pan over a medium heat.
4 Add the garlic and basil and stir to coat in the oil.
5 Stir in the chopped tinned tomatoes and season to taste. Leave to simmer for 5 minutes.
6 Add the chicken and courgetti to the tomato sauce and leave to simmer for a further 5 minutes.
7 Pour into a bowl, check the seasoning and serve.
Sprinkle with plenty of freshly ground pepper before serving.
1 Allow the steak to sit and come up to room temperature before cooking.
2 Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the broccoli and cook for 20 minutes (you need to cook it to within an inch of its life – the broccoli has to be very soft).
3 Drain the broccoli and tip back into the pan. Season to taste, add the butter and mash well.
4 Meanwhile, place a frying pan over a high heat and leave it to become smoking hot.
5 Season the steak then sear in the pan on each side for 1 minute, or until cooked to your preference.
6 Remove the steak and place on a plate to rest.
7 Check the seasoning of the broccoli and then serve alongside the steak.
I like to add Tabasco, fresh chilli and a pinch of ground paprika to the chicken when I marinate it.
1 Season the chicken and leave in a bowl to marinate with half the lime juice.
2 Break the cauliflower into florets and place in a food processor and whizz, or grate with a cheese grater until riced. Season to taste.
3 Place the onion, tomato and jalapeño in a bowl and squeeze over the remaining lime. Mix together well.
4 Preheat the grill to medium-high.
5 Place the chicken under the grill and cook for 15–20 minutes, turning after half the time.
6 Meanwhile, warm the cauliflower in a microwave for 1–2 minutes.
7 Remove from the microwave and stir in the diced vegetables and their lime juice.
8 Tip the vegetables onto a serving plate, slice the grilled chicken and place it on top. Scatter with the diced avocado, season to taste and serve.
Sprinkle the veg with five-spice powder before stir-frying, for an Asian twist.
1 Place the sesame oil in a frying pan over a medium heat.
2 Add the veg to the pan and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes.
3 Depending on your preference, you can either crack the eggs into the pan and stir-fry everything together for 1–2 minutes, or whisk the eggs in a bowl and cook them in separate pan to make an omelette. In this case, slice and stir through the cooked veg before serving.
4 Add the soy sauce to the pan and stir to coat.
5 Tip onto a plate, top with the salmon, season to taste and serve.
Salads can be even more filling than a steak, if you do them right! I sprinkle paprika on my chicken breast before grilling, for a little kick.
1 Preheat the grill to medium-high.
2 Season the chicken breast and place under the grill. Cook for 15–20 minutes, turning after half the time.
3 Meanwhile, bring a small pan of water to the boil, add the egg and cook for 5–6 minutes. Remove from the pan, leave to cool and then peel and slice.
4 Combine the lettuce, tomato and avocado in a serving bowl. Slice the chicken and place on top with the sliced egg.
5 Drizzle with the olive oil, season to taste and serve.
The nuttiness of the pine nuts goes so well with the broccoli in this soup. Adding some freshly ground black pepper and picked basil leaves would take it to another level.
1 Preheat the grill to medium-high.
2 Season the chicken breast and cook under the grill for 15–20 minutes, turning after half the time.
3 Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the broccoli and cook for 20 minutes (you need to cook it to within an inch of its life – the broccoli has to be very soft).
4 Drain two thirds of the water from the broccoli pan, leaving the rest in the pan.
5 Add the butter and half the pine nuts to the pan and either pour the contents into a blender or use a hand blender to whizz the soup to the desired consistency.
6 Pour back into the pan to reheat, if necessary, then check the seasoning.
7 Remove the chicken breast from the grill and shred, using two forks.
8 Stir half the chicken into the soup and pour into a serving bowl.
9 Top the soup with the remaining shredded chicken and pine nuts, season to taste and serve.
Add a clove of garlic to the sweet potato as you boil it to give your mash some added flavour.
1 Allow the steak to sit and come up to room temperature before cooking.
2 Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the sweet potato and cook for 20–30 minutes.
3 Drain the potato, return to the pan and add the almond milk. Season well and mash. Keep warm until ready to serve.
4 Place a frying pan over a high heat and leave it to become smoking hot.
5 Season the steak, then sear in the pan on each side for 1 minute, or until cooked to your preference.
6 Remove the steak from the pan, check the seasoning and serve alongside the sweet potato mash.
I like to sprinkle paprika over the wedges before roasting them in the oven.
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a roasting tin with baking parchment.
2 Season the potato wedges then place in the prepared tin and cook in the oven for 20–30 minutes.
3 Meanwhile, preheat the grill to medium-high.
4 Pierce the chicken sausages with a fork and cook under the grill for 15 minutes, turning occasionally.
5 Check the wedges for seasoning and then serve them with the sausages.
Add Chinese five-spice powder or ground coriander to the veg or chicken before you stir-fry, or liven things up by garnishing the finished dish with fresh herbs – try fresh coriander or parsley.
1 Place the chicken in a bowl and mix with the soy sauce.
2 Place a non-stick pan over a medium heat, add the chicken and soy and stir-fry for 4–5 minutes, or until lightly browned.
3 Add the veg to the pan and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes to soften.
4 Add the rice and stir-fry for a further 2–3 minutes.
5 Tip into a bowl, check the seasoning and serve.
I like to add a dash of Tabasco and a pinch of chilli powder or paprika to the chicken before cooking.
1 Place the chicken in a bowl with half the lime juice.
2 Preheat the grill to medium-high.
3 Place the chicken under the grill and cook for 15–20 minutes, turning after half the time.
4 Heat the rice in the microwave according to the packet instructions (typically 2 minutes).
5 Tip the rice into a bowl and add the red onion, tomato and jalapeño.
6 Pour over the remaining lime juice and mix again.
7 Place the grilled chicken on top of the rice and veg, check the seasoning and serve.
This takes a bit longer to make than some of the other recipes in this book but it’s a great one to double up the quantities on so you have a meal already prepared for another day.
1 Place a large non-stick pan over a medium heat and add the onion, garlic, mushrooms, celery and both peppers. Fry for 4–5 minutes, or until soft. Season to taste.
2 Add the chicken to the pan, stir and fry for 4–5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Check the seasoning.
3 Dissolve the stock cube in 300ml boiling water and pour this into the pan with the chicken and vegetables. Leave to simmer for 30–40 minutes.
4 Heat the rice in the microwave according to the packet instructions (typically 2 minutes) and tip into a serving bowl.
5 Pour the chicken stew over the rice, check the seasoning and serve.
Fresh herbs like parsley and basil will add another dimension to this salad.
1 Preheat the grill to medium-high.
2 Drizzle half the balsamic vinegar over the chicken breast and cook under the grill for 15–20 minutes, turning after half the time.
3 Meanwhile, bring a pan of salted water to the boil, add the new potatoes and cook for 10–15 minutes. Drain and cut into halves or quarters.
4 Place the lettuce, tomato, cucumber and red onion in a bowl and mix together well.
5 Top with the potato and sprinkle with the sweetcorn.
6 Remove the chicken from the grill and slice before placing on top of the salad.
7 Drizzle with the remaining balsamic vinegar, season to taste and serve.
Splash vinegar on your chips, if that’s how you like them, and sprinkle the fish with snipped chives and lemon zest.
1 Preheat the oven to 220°C.
2 Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, add the potatoes and cook for 10–15 minutes.
3 Drain the potatoes and lay them out on a large baking tray.
4 Season the fish with salt, pepper and the lemon juice and place on the tray beside the potatoes. Season and cook in the oven for 10–15 minutes.
5 Meanwhile, bring a small pan of water to the boil and cook the peas for 3–4 minutes. Drain and return to the pan with the almond milk. Season to taste and mash with a fork.
6 Remove the fish and chips from the oven and serve alongside the mushy peas.
A delicious alternative to a traditional fish pie.
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2 Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, add the potato and cook for 15–20 minutes. Drain and return to the pan, add the almond milk, season to taste and mash.
3 Place the leek in the bottom of a small baking dish (roughly 20cm) and season.
4 Spread a third of the Greek yoghurt over the leeks and top with a third of the peas.
5 Lay the fish on top of the peas and season with salt, pepper and half the lemon juice.
6 Spread half the remaining Greek yoghurt over the fish and top with half the remaining peas.
7 Lay the prawns on top of the peas and season with salt, pepper and the remaining lemon juice.
8 Smear the remaining Greek yoghurt over the prawns and top with the remaining peas.
9 Cover with the mash and bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes, or until bubbling at the sides and browning on top.
The gravy completes the dish perfectly!
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2 Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, add the potato and cook for 15–20 minutes.
3 Drain the potato and place on a baking tray. Leave to cool slightly before smushing with the heel of your hand and seasoning. Add the sausage to the tray and cook both in the oven for 10 minutes.
4 Remove the tray from the oven and add the chicken breast, alongside the sausage and potato. Season it well and return the tray to the oven for a further 10–15 minutes, or until cooked through.
5 Meanwhile, bring a pan of salted water to the boil, add the peas and broccoli and cook for 4–5 minutes. Drain and return to the pan and keep warm until ready to serve.
6 Mix the gravy granules with 200ml boiling water from the kettle in a small jug.
7 Remove the potatoes, chicken sausage and chicken breast from the oven and serve alongside the peas, broccoli and gravy.
You can add paprika and ground cumin to the marinade, if you like it spicy.
1 Place the steak in a bowl and cover with half the soy sauce, half the hot sauce, half the garlic and half the chilli.
2 Place a non-stick pan over a high heat and leave it to become smoking hot.
3 Add the beef and its marinade and cook for 1–2 minutes.
4 Add the veg and the remaining soy sauce, hot sauce, garlic and chilli, and cook for a further 3–4 minutes.
5 Meanwhile, heat the rice in the microwave according to the packet instructions, then tip into a bowl.
6 Check the seasoning then serve the chilli beef with the rice.
