SERVES 2
400 CALORIES PER SERVING
Porridge is my go-to fitness food and on cold mornings there’s nothing I like better than this comforting breakfast classic. Loaded with fibre and packed with vitamins and minerals, porridge is great plain or with one of my topping ideas.
80g porridge oats
500ml whole milk
TOPPING
1 tbsp flaked almonds
1 small apple, cored and grated
squeeze of orange juice
1 Put the flaked almonds in a frying pan and toast them gently over a medium heat for 2–3 minutes, tossing them every now and then, until they are lightly browned. Mix the toasted almonds with the rest of the topping ingredients and set aside.
2 Put the oats and milk in a saucepan and place the pan over a medium heat. Slowly bring the milk to the boil, then keep stirring until the oats are cooked and the mixture is thick and creamy.
3 Serve the porridge with the apple and almond mixture – or with one of the toppings here.
VARIATIONS
FIG AND PECAN TOPPING
460 CALORIES PER SERVING
Chop 2 dried figs and 10 pecan nuts. Scatter them over the porridge, then sprinkle a little cinnamon on top.
MANGO AND COCONUT TOPPING
385 CALORIES PER SERVING
Chop half a fresh mango into cubes and add them to the porridge, then scatter over 2 teaspoons of toasted unsweetened desiccated coconut.
TOM’S TIP
Try a spoonful of my peanut and cashew butter on your porridge for an extra treat.
MAKES ABOUT 12 SERVINGS
266 CALORIES PER SERVING (WITHOUT MILK OR YOGHURT)
Ready-made granola is a handy store-cupboard breakfast, but I’ve realised that the packaged versions often contain lots of sugar. This is a quick, easy and tempting alternative – and you don’t even need to turn on the oven!
3 tbsp coconut oil
1½ tsp ground mixed spice
3 tbsp thick honey
220g oats
50g brazil nuts, roughly chopped
50g whole almonds, roughly chopped
35g cashew nuts
20g pumpkin seeds
15g sunflower seeds
50g apricots, chopped
50g sultanas
TO SERVE
milk, plain yoghurt, fruit
1 Heat the oil in a large wok over a medium heat and add the spice and honey. Cook for 1 minute, stirring all the ingredients together until they’re hot and bubbling.
2 Add the remaining ingredients and cook for 8–10 minutes until everything is toasted and bits are starting to stick together. Toss the mixture every now and then to check that the underneath isn’t burning.
3 Take the pan off the heat and transfer the mixture to a container. Leave it to cool. You’ll find that once the mixture has cooled it will stick together in little clumps like traditional granola. When the granola is completely cool put a lid on the container. Eat within a couple of weeks.
4 To serve, put 50g of granola in a bowl, add milk and top with some plain yoghurt and fruit.
ON TOAST
SERVES 2
182 CALORIES PER SERVING
Something on toast is always a treat and this tasty breakfast takes just moments to make. It’s extra good with chestnut or wild mushrooms, but the button kind work fine too. The ricotta is delicious, but you could also use cream cheese or cottage cheese.
10g butter
1 shallot, finely sliced
300g mixed mushrooms (chestnut and wild), sliced if large
1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
2 slices of sourdough or grainy bread
2 tbsp ricotta
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Melt the butter in a small frying pan and cook the shallot over a medium heat for 3–4 minutes until it’s starting to soften.
2 Stir in the mushrooms and add a tablespoon of water to the pan. Season the mushrooms well, then stir-fry them for 1 minute. Cover the pan with a lid and cook the mushrooms for 3–4 minutes more until they are done all the way through. Stir in the chopped parsley.
3 Toast the bread and spread a tablespoon of ricotta over each slice. Put the toast on plates, spoon the mushrooms on top and season again, then eat at once.
TOM’S TIP
I love chilli and I sometimes sprinkle a few chilli flakes over the mushrooms to give them a bit of a kick.