A Healthy Start – to the Day and the New Year!

Once again I’m distracted away from cook book reviews………..well I was trying to be a radio star!!!

This week I was thrilled to be invited onto the Today with Will Faulkner radio program to discuss my favourite topic – food. I thought I was going in to promote my cookery classes in Hugh Lynch’s Pub but instead was given a  brief  to talk about Healthy eating for New Year .

Thinking about this I decided that the best thing would be to make small but effective lifestyle changes – starting with the most important meal of the day – breakfast!

I had to admit, when Will asked me about porridge and how to encourage children to eat it, that I CAN’T abide the stuff – I can’t even stand to look at it, never mind cook it or worse still eat it!  However I do appreciate the healthiness of porridge oats and I have no problem eating them in other forms – bread, granola or even my Mum’s famous oatmeal biscuits!

So as  ‘props’ to my interview I brought along my favourite breakfast  (and porridge alternative!) –  Granola &  Glenisk Greek-style yoghurt and oaty brown bread – all I was missing was the coffee!

Here are the recipes for same – except the yoghurt of course!

If you can get your hands on them – Kilbeggan Organic Porridge Oats are the best in these recipes!

Breakfast Granola

This is based on a Jill Dupleix recipe – I tend to add whatever seeds and dried fruit I have to hand. My Christmas batch had a lot of dried cranberries in it! Just watch the sugar content when you’re choosing dried fruit.

 What you need:

• 400g Kilbeggan  Oatmeal Flakes
• 3 tbsp sunflower seeds
• 3 tbsp sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp linseed
• 100g flaked almonds
• 100g hazelnuts or walnuts
• 50g dessicated coconut
• Pinch sea salt
• 4 tbsp honey
• 3 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg (freshly grated)
• 100g dried fruit – cranberries, cherries, apricots….
• 100g sultanas

What to do:

• Mix oats, seeds, nuts and salt in a large bowl.
• Heat  honey, olive oil and spices in small pan until just melted.
• Pour liquid over dry ingredients and mix well.
• Spread evenly over two lined baking trays.
• Bake for 20-30 mins, ‘shaking’ once or twice, until nicely toasted.
• Remove from the oven and add in the dried fruits.
• Allow to cool and then store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Margaret’s Oaty Brown Bread

This recipe comes from my friend Margaret – I love it so much I’ve asked her permission to share it.  I have substituted molasses for the egg that was in her original recipe . It only takes 5 minutes to put together – quicker than going to the shop!

What you need:

• 4oz /125g wholemeal spelt flour
• 4oz/125g  oatbran
• 4oz/125g  pinhead oatmeal
• 4 oz/125g Kilbeggan oatflakes
• 1 tsp bread soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 dessertsp molasses/treacle
• 15fl oz/ 425ml  buttermilk

 What to do:

• Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. (Make sure to sieve in bread soda)
• Make a hollow in the centre and pour in buttermilk & treacle. Mix quickly & well. Pour into lined 2lb bread tin.
• Bake in hot oven for 20mins then reduce heat to 170C/Gas 3  and bake for another 15-20 mins.
• Turn out of tin and check for ‘hollow’ sound.
• Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Of course it’s not just for breakfast….

I hope you enjoy the recipes and thanks again to Midlands 103 for inviting me in – hopefully there will be more chances for me to rabbit on about all things food!

Happy Cooking!

PS there are still two classes left on the ‘Easy Entertaining’ course in Hugh Lynch’s …..