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Recipe: Mexican baked beans with eggs
These Mexican baked beans with eggs are an easy and affordable breakfast, brunch or anytime vegetarian meal. Using canned tomatoes and beans make this recipe quick, convenient and affordable. If you don’t have pinto beans you can substitute black or red kidney beans. Speaking of convenience, I use a ready-made spice mix (Mexican spice mix from Spice and Co) but you can use another brand, just look for Mexican or taco seasoning. If you can’t find any or prefer to make your own, the ingredients in the spice mix I use are: paprika, chipotle chilli, chillies, cumin, coriander, oregano, onion, garlic, cinnamon, sea salt and pepper. This recipe has a…
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Recipe: Lazy eggs benny
Lazy eggs benny is one of my go-to favourite brunches. It’s the no-fuss quick and easy version of proper eggs Benedict, hence the name “lazy”. Below are my guidelines to make eggs benny lazy: use soft-boiled eggs instead of poached ones use smoked salmon or ham, which don’t need to be cooked, instead of bacon use mayonnaise instead of hollandaise (it’s easier to make and keeps longer in the fridge) use whatever bread you have in hand, no need to go out of your way to buy English muffins while spinach is the most common vegetable used in eggs Benedict, you can use whatever greens or other vegetables you have…
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Recipe: Warm roasted Brussel sprouts and baby beetroot salad
Warm roasted Brussel sprouts and baby beetroot salad is a great way to have vegetables in your first meal of the day. It is great for brunch but you can also eat if for lunch or dinner. This recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free. I use great quality pastured bacon from Feather and Bone but you can omit it if you don’t eat pork. Other sources of extra protein that would work well are leftover chicken, canned or cooked lentils or chickpeas. I like a sprinkle of dukkah (a Middle Eastern mix of nuts/seeds, herbs and spices) but feel free to substitute your favourite flavour/crunch toppings or omit completely. Salt and…
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Recipe: Sweet potato frittata with kale and feta
This sweet potato frittata with kale and feta is perfect for make-ahead breakfasts or as a light meal any time of the day. It keeps well for 4-5 days in the fridge and can be frozen for later consumption, too. I used goat’s feta, which pairs great with the sweetness of sweet potato. Traditional feta made from sheep and goat’s milk would work great, too, as would regular cow’s milk feta. This recipe is gluten-free and vegetarian. It has a decent amount of protein (22.9g per serve) and the 28.4g of carbs from the sweet potato are lower GI and come packed with micronutrients (see potatoes vs sweet potatoes for…
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Latest recommendations on red meat, eggs and dairy
This year we had a couple of big news in the nutrition world. First, the Heart Association‘s relaxed its position on full-fat dairy products and eggs. Second, the Annals of Internal Medicine published a set of guidelines that told meat eaters: “keep doing what you’re doing”. This is a summary on the latest recommendations on red meat, eggs and dairy, to be taken with a grain of salt. Red meat Annals of Internal Medicine recommendations These recommendations are based on the review of several scientific papers by a panel consisting of 14 people from Canada, England, Germany, New Zealand, Poland, Spain and the US. The panel included experts in nutrition…
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Recipe: Shakshuka with feta
As I’m still having food withdrawals from my trip to Israel earlier this year, I have been trying to replicate some dishes in my kitchen. Shakshuka is perhaps the most popular breakfast dish in Israeli cuisine. It’s basically eggs poached in a rich tomato-based sauce, served with bread, optional toppings and a few sides. Shakshuka with feta is one of my favourite variations. This dish is gluten-free if served with gluten-free bread. I used Nonie’s Food gluten-free pita, which like all their breads is outstanding. This is a vegetarian breakfast but you can omit the cheese for a dairy-free/vegan version.
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Recipe: Morcilla and eggs with broccolini and braised fennel
Morcilla is a type of blood sausage that is popular in Spain and its former colonies. In Perú, it is mostly enjoyed in a bread roll, but I like to pair it more interesting accompaniments. Hence, I created this brunch recipe: morcilla and eggs with broccolini and braised fennel. A couple of good morcilla brands in Australia are Rodriguez Bros and La Boqueria. The recipe calls for a few different steps just because I wanted to choose the best cooking method for each element to achieve the desired end result: tender fennel, bright crunchy broccolini, brown morcilla slices and gooey eggs. However, there is no reason for you not to…
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Are eggs going to kill you?
If you have been paying attention to the media, you might have heard that eggs increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. News outlets have been reporting on the recently published paper Associations of Dietary Cholesterol or Egg Consumption With Incident Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality (1). But is it true? Are eggs going to kill you? Source of data Researchers looked at data from 6 US cohorts: Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study, 1989 Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study, 1988 Framingham Heart Study (FHS) Study, 2013 Framingham Offspring Study (FOS) Study, 1975 Jackson Heart Study (JHS), 2005 Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), 2002 As you can expect,…
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Recipe: Gluten-free tonkotsu ramen
I had a lot of thick, gelatinous pork broth left over from the patita con maní I prepared a few weeks ago. What to do with it? Ramen of course! I must admit I sometimes feel I’m missing out on something given the number of apparently great ramen restaurants in Sydney, but I just don’t want to put my health at risk with the noodles. I found a couple of solid recipes for the pork and the eggs and made my version of the most decadent and comforting soup I’ve had in years. Please note that you’ll need to prepare the different elements of the soup in advance.
