It is Father’s Day on Sunday, so why not let him sleep in and then surprise him with a hearty brunch? Here are some healthy and delicious options from the new cookbook, Heavenly and Healthy Foods, from Brookdale Health Resort in the KZN Midlands.
Rye toast with roasted balsamic tomatoes, spinach and mushrooms
Serves 4
4 small tomatoes cut into quarters
30ml balsamic vinegar
300g button mushrooms, sliced
200g baby spinach leaves
30ml fresh basil, chopped
50g Danish feta, crumbled
4 slices rye toast
Preheat the oven to 200C.
Combine tomatoes and half the vinegar in a small roasting tray.
Roast uncovered for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook mushrooms and spinach with remaining vinegar in saucepan until mushrooms are tender and spinach has wilted.
Stir in basil.
Make the toast.
Spoon spinach and mushrooms on to the toast.
Top with tomato quarters and crumbled feta.
Chive infused omelette with sliced avo and mushrooms
Serves 2
4 eggs
French chives, chopped
Olive oil
6 mushrooms, sliced and sautéed in olive oil, seasoned with herb salt and ground black pepper
Quarter avo a person, sliced
Separate the eggs.
Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form.
Lightly fold the egg yolks and whites together with the chives.
Heat a 25cm non-stick frying pan over medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil.
Pour in the egg mixture, folding the edges of the egg into the centre as it cooks.
When the egg is nearly cooked, fill with sautéed mushrooms and sliced avo on one side.
Flip over the other side of the omelette.
Remove the pan from the heat.
Gently slide the cooked omelette on to a plate.
Serve with a slice of health toast.
Potato and pea cake with rocket and poached eggs
Serves 4
2 large potatoes
125ml peas, cooked
15ml cake flour
20ml oat bran
1 egg
Herb salt and freshly ground black pepper
On the side:
Poached eggs
Handful of fresh rocket leaves.
Peel and cook the potatoes in salted water until tender.
Drain and mash them.
Mix together all the ingredients and shape into eight small cakes.
You may need to flour your hands to shape the cakes.
Cook using a non-stick frying pan – you may use a little olive oil if necessary to get a little colour on the cakes.
Transfer to a baking tray.
Finish cooking at 180C for 10 minutes.
Serve with the poached eggs and sprinkle over the rocket.
Sweet potato muffins with cinnamon pecan topping
(Serves 18)
100g cake flour
40g oat bran
5ml salt
7.5ml baking powder
5ml cinnamon
5ml nutmeg
185ml canola oil
100g castor sugar
3 eggs
350g sweet potato, peeled and grated
100g pecan nuts, chopped
Sift together dry ingredients.
Whisk the oil and castor sugar.
Add eggs, one at a time.
Fold in dry ingredients.
Fold in sweet potato and pecan nuts.
Spoon into greased muffin paper cases and sprinkle with optional topping.
Bake at 170C for 20 minutes.
Optional topping:
100ml dark brown sugar
60g butter
90ml cake flour
125ml pecan nuts, chopped
10ml cinnamon
Mix these ingredients together and crumble over the muffins, before baking. - The Mercury