This month I was asked to do another recipe for Love East Magazine, which I was thrilled about. Coming up with an idea for monther’s day was fun, I hope you enjoy it.

Of course, the perfect way to start such a special day had to be a breakfast in bed. Fresh sourdough bread with avocado, chili and sautéed spinach is a quick and delicious option. A soft- boiled egg, a drizzle of nutty extra virgin olive oil and some fresh garden cress give the finishing touches.

This breakfast in bed has some nutritional highlights as well. It is packed with good fats, vitamins and minerals from the avocado, olive oil and egg, and the spinach and garden cress bring some green antioxidant action too.

Spinach in particular is rich in vitamin K , A and E. Vitamin K plays a role in bone health and is needed for blood clotting and vitamin A and E are brilliant antioxidant vitamins that support cell and skin health.  For better absorption these fat soluble vitamins get some help from the fats in the avocado and olive oil. The tender little green leaves also deliver some magnesium, folate, manganese and iron,  and are a source of vitamin C, B2, B6, calcium .

Unfortunately spinach is one of the dirty dozen foods, meaning that the non-organic variety can be quite heavily contaminated with pesticides, so please make sure you try and get some organic spinach .

To all my vegetarian and vegan readers, please remember that vitamin C enhances iron absorption. The lemon juice will lend a helping hand with that, so you might want to add a little extra to your crushed avocado. Fresh garden cress provides another source of vitamin C, so be generous.

And here is what you need:

Ideally organic ingredients : Serves 2
2 free range eggs
2 slices of fresh sourdough bread from a local artisan bakery
1 large ripe avocado
10ml (2 tsp) of fresh lemon juice,
60g spinach
1 small shallot – finely chopped
1 inch of fresh leek – finely chopped
1 small tray of fresh garden cress
1/2 tsp of chili flakes + 2 tsp to garnish
60ml (4 tbsp) of cold pressed olive oil
Sea salt & black pepper to taste

Method:

Wash the spinach well and leave to dry on a clean kitchen towel. Finely chop leek and shallot and set aside until use. Next peel the avocado. This is easiest done by cutting it in half, removing the pit and using a spoon to scoop out the avocado pulp. Add the avocado pulp to a bowl, lightly season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with the lemon juice and half a teaspoon of chilli flakes, before mixing everything together using a fork. You want to get a creamy consistency, using a small blender will make this step a little easier. Once mixed well, sprinkle with another squeeze of lemon juice to prevent the mix from going brown, cover and set aside.

Next boil the eggs. On my hop they always turn out perfect- soft yolk, firm egg white- when I put the eggs into boiling water and boil them for 6 minutes. Once the 6 minutes are up, I drain the eggs, rinse them with cold water and leave them to rest until use.

Whilst the eggs are boiling away, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan at medium heat, and sauté the finely chopped shallots and leek for 1-2 minutes. In the meantime, roughly chop the spinach, add to the pan and sauté for another 3-4 minutes. You want to just about wilt the spinach. Towards the end season with some pepper.

To serve: simply toast the two slices of sourdough bread, peel the eggs and cut in half. Then place a slice of toasted sourdough on each a plate; generously spread with the avocado cream; add a layer of sautéed spinach, top with an egg each, add some garden cress, sprinkle each slice with a tablespoon of olive oil and finish of with a pinch of chili flakes, and some freshly ground black pepper.

If you prefer to serve a sweet breakfast, have a look at Irma’s creamy turmeric porridge or my all time favourite overnight Bircher muesli.

Oh, and don’t forget, a lovely bunch of mum’s favourite flowers and a handwritten card will make a very pretty accessory for the breakfast tray.

Enjoy!

You can have a look at the magazine online here – https://www.yumpu.com/document/view/57081062/march-2017