Bacon & Sweet Potato Hash Browns

Jess again!

Just a quick one today, as this is a pretty simple recipe. In my attempt to figure out how a paleo diet would work out for me, my one biggest issue was breakfast. Oats are my staple; porridge is my favourite thing ever. Am I really going to stop eating it for good? Of course not. But I wanted to at least have some paleo-friendly breakfast options, and I haven't got my head around eating eggs yet (I will try but right now, I really don't like them in any form) so I came up with this beautiful recipe. Bacon, sweet potato hash browns. Now this is an American hash brown, not an English one. When I ordered hash browns in Waffle House in America, I was pretty weirded out by the plate of fried potato they gave me, but I appreciate it is really the same thing as a potato-patty. This took me about 20 minutes to make, so I wouldn't make it every morning, but it's definitely one to try if you have a little time or at the weekends.

Ingredients (serves 1)
Bacon (I used 1/4 smoked gammon steak because that's what i had, but a couple of slices of back bacon would work too, or whatever you prefer)
1 small sweet potato (or half a large), grated
1 apple, half grated half chopped
Optional - spinach, paprika, salt & pepper to season, 1 tsp flaxseed

Heat a frying pan. Cut the bacon into thin strips and fry. I dry fried; use coconut oil if you want to, olive oil if you're not that fussed about it being paleo, whatever. Mix the grated sweet potato and apple together, and throw in the pan, spreading out so it covers the pan and ensuring the bacon is mixed in.

 <3 bacon

Fry on one side for about 3-4 minutes, then (as much as possible) flip it over in one piece and fry on the other side. Obviously adjust the cooking time depending on how crunchy/cooked you want it. Add the chopped apple and fry for another minute or so. At the end, I added a little paprika and spinach, and then some salt and pepper on top. I also added a tsp of flaxseed for a little nutritional boost but that's entirely optional.

It was amazing. I usually deny myself bacon but this was so worth it. The apple compliments the taste of the bacon and the texture of the sweet potato so well. And based on my ingredients, my portion was only 230 calories. Which is less than my porridge usually is after I've added all my fruit and nuts and seeds to it. I think this recipe could be varied based on what you feel like - an Asian inspired one with some spring onions, ginger and soy/tamari sauce would be great if you added some salmon. This recipe would also work fine without the bacon if you are vegetarian/vegan (or if you don't like bacon, but let's be honest here, you do). Let us know how it goes!

Gluten Free Porridge

Jess' turn!

This is essentially the antithesis to Tom's muesli post. Me and Tom will have to eternally agree to disagree on the way to eat oats. Personally, the idea of eating oats soaked in cold water is not appealing. Oats should be eaten hot! Porridge is the way forward.

Firstly, I implore you to not buy 'instant porridge'. It is overpriced and really not great. Yes, there are lots of wonderful flavours out there but in my experience, they never taste as good as you expect them to and it would be a LOT cheaper to make the flavours you fancy yourself. There are so many ways to make porridge more exciting than just hot milky oats, I will never understand people who say porridge is boring. It's great, filling comfort food and only needs to take a few minutes to make!

So anyway. Please buy plain oats. I would recommend Scottish oats (I don't know why they're nicest, they just are). I don't buy gluten free oats because they are exceptionally expensive compared to normal ones and I've never had a problem with oats, probably because I'm wheat intolerant not coeliac. But if you are coeliac and need gluten free oats, don't buy the instant packs, just buy the oats in a bag. Trust.

This post isn't going to result in an exciting recipe to try - it really is as simple as this:

Put 40-50g oats in a bowl. Add 200-250ml milk or water or a mix of both (depending on how creamy you want it to be). Microwave on full power for 2 minutes, stir, microwave further if needed. There you go. Porridge.

That's what I do when I have work or uni to attend in the morning. Add some fruit on top and you're sorted. There is no need for sugar. However, there are variations that make it more exciting. Making porridge with 1 part oats to 1 part oat bran makes a slightly creamier texture and since oat bran is great in lowering cholesterol and is generally recommended in weight loss plans (eg. Dukan diet), I like to think it's healthier even if the calories are the same. I use no-fat skimmed cows milk for my porridge, usually half milk and half water, but using hazelnut or almond milk makes a nice change sometimes.

One thing i always always always add to porridge is cinnamon. If you don't like it, sorry. But cinnamon makes everything amazing. I tend to add it once the porridge is already cooked, and just stir it in on top with fruit. Cinnamon porridge with raisins and hazelnut milk - please tell me if anything has ever sounded more appetising! Chop or grate an apple into cinnamon porridge and you have a bowl of apple cinnamon goodness for breakfast. Adding a bit of maple syrup to porridge is lovely too. As is honey. And jam - morello cherry flavour is a favourite at the moment. Blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, strawberries, chopped banana, all wonderful additions. A tablespoon of milled flaxseed on top adds omega fats and protein. A handful of nuts and seeds also works. Literally anything goes.

Except instant porridge and sugar. Enjoy!

Soaked Museli

Tom today,

Vegan breakfasts can seem daunting, as everything requires either eggs, milk, bacon or all three (bacon panackes - I'll have to get on to making a vegan version of these soon!). However, I have this museli with a portion of fruit (1/2 cup) each morning and find it keeps me full until lunch just fine. It can be made the night before if (like me) you are not a morning person. I really mean it. Getting up is just not my thing.

This is a recipe from my mum who is really into raw foods cooking (if it can be called cooking). She has very kindly bought me a years supply of each of these ingredients, which of course I have nearly finished three months later, however I realise these aren't necessarily ingredients which people have around the house. However, any good health food store should supply you with these, and buying them in bulk is always the cheaper way to do it! I make this every morning for breakfast and love it, combined with some fresh fruit makes a filling, healthy breakfast that I never get tired of. It's also extremely low fat and relatively low in calories (in comparison to other breakfasts) because it uses soaked oats instead of milk.

As a vegan I often use oat milk (along with hazelnut and almond), which is simply soaked oats which have then been sieved by someone in a big factory off somewhere (they may also heat it, I don't know the exact process) so by soaking these oats briefly, you create the creamy sensation of milky cereal without the need for extra calories. Linseeds are also very good for you, as are all seeds, but the energy and nutrients contained within are thought to be more easily accessible once they have been soaked (again, my mum could show you studies that suggest this to be the case, if anyone would like to hear them email and I'll ask her, I have seen enough to think it is worth trying but don't pretend to know everything about this). Raisins are also, in my opinion, infinitely better when soaked, and pumpkin and sunflower seeds are also better for you when soaked, though the difference is less so than with linseeds (when you do it you'll see, they get almost a coating around them).

Anyway on with the recipe!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of Oats
1/2 tbsp Linseeds
1 tbsp Sunflower Seeds
1 tsp Pumpkin Seeds
Handful of raisins (probably about 7-9, I really dislike too many)

Method:

There are two ways you can make this, a quick way (using hot water and cold water) and a long way (using cold water).
Oats, pumpkin and sunflower seeds require about half an hour's soaking in cold water - I wouldn't use hot water to soak these - mainly because if you add boiling water to oats you basically make porridge (which I can't stand - seriously, why would you give me lumpy grey tasteless mush first thing in the morning and expect a gracious smile. Not going to happen).
First the long way; what I normally do is make about 2 weeks worth mixed up in a jar. This then needs at least an hours soaking in cold water (I often make it in a tub overnight so I can grab it and eat it on the bus when I inevitably oversleep my alarm and run off to lectures). Overnight is better, an hour is fine.
The quick way simply involves not mixing it beforehand. This way you can soak the oats and sunflower/pumpkin seeds for just half an hour. Then you can soak the linseeds and raisins; pour boiling water over them (I usually do this in a mug) and leave to cool. For ease I usually just leave it for the same amount of time as the oats and then mix it all together. This works just as well, but I like to have it all ready in a jar that I can pour easily (I'm not organised enough to do this separately each morning like my mum). Plus the jars look nice lined up on my worktop!

Hope you enjoy this museli as much as I do, nutritional information to follow. As always, feel free to alter this recipe, add your own dried fruits or different seeds, and let us know your ideas at twocooksoneblog@gmail.com.

Serving suggestions: sometimes I add toasted candied nuts (agan something I often make in bulk - recipe to follow) for a nice flavour. Also dried blueberries and a teaspoon cinnamon sugar (add 1 tsp of cinnamon to half a cup of golden granulated sugar and store in a jar) make a nice addition.

and everyone loves a kilner jar on the worktop. Makes me feel like a real adult.

Nutritional Information:

                      Calories   Carbs     Fat     Protein     Sodium     Sugar
          Total:      312         42        11         10            3             9

1/2 a cup of fruit adds around 23 calories.

Vegan Banana and Peanut Butter Pancakes

A very tired but glad-to-be-home Tom here,

This is a recipe my mum taught me that I make for a special treat breakfast once in a blue moon when I don't wake up, grab the museli I made the night before and run out of the door at top speed half dressed and definitely not awake. However, this morning being.....well almost 70-80% awake, I had a phenomenal brainwave whilst eating peanut butter from a jar with my fing.....I mean spreading peanut butter on toast like a normal, respectable human being. (I love peanut butter, you get the picture)

So here it is.

Makes three small or one large pancake (a rough single person portion)

Ingredients:

1/2 a cup of Milk (I use almond but as ever, any will work)
1/3 of a Banana
3-4 tbsp Flour (I use self raising, works well with any flour including gf - my mum recommends millet but since I don't know what a millet is or how to get flour from it I stick to what's in my cupboard)
1 very small teaspoon of Peanut Butter
A pinch of Baking Powder (provided you're not using self raising flour, I mean like 1/8 of a tsp, really don't need much)
A sprinkling of Sunflower Seeds

The basic recipe here is the milk, flour and banana to bind it. This is my variation but these pancakes are excellent just with the basic recipe, or with cinnamon (as always), blueberries, maple syrup, date syrup, almond butter, chocolate chips.....you get the picture. Add what you want. Enjoy.

I make the whole lot in one mug and just pour into into a hot, lightly greased non-stick pan and cook on either side until golden (go for medium heat on the hob, I know the high one looks fun and sizzles and sounds good but trust me, they burn quick), minimal effort, minimal washing up.

Method:

Combine all ingredients except the sunflower seeds (you really need the tiniest amount of peanut butter, you'll still taste it, panic not) in a mug and blend until smooth.
I'd add three tbsp of flour, see what it looks like, and if it looks a bit thin add the extra one. If you like crepe-like pancakes keep it thin (3 tbsp) or if you're like me and like thick pancakes keep the mixture thick (4 tbsp).
Stir in the sunflower seeds and then fry in a pan, flip after say 30-40 seconds when they look golden (leave them for at least 30 seconds as if you try and flip them early they just smush)
Serve with chopped up fresh fruit (I go for strawberries, blueberries and grapes) and a sprinkling of cinnamon on top. Sweeten to taste!

Nutritional Info (using self raising flour and including oil for frying):


                          Calories      Carbs       Fat      Protein       Sodium        Sugar
per Serving             333            46         14          19              22              14

NB// Including fruit and cinammon adds about 23 calories more (if you add half a cup of fruit)


As always, try your own variations and let us know what you come up with at twocooksoneblog@gmail.com or leave a comment. We love to get pictures!