Читать книгу Eat Clean: 20 Recipe Bite-Sized Edition - Ching-He Huang - Страница 5

Breakfast

It’s an old, well-known saying that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but it’s actually true. During sleep your metabolism slows down due to the lack of food and movement, meaning reduced fat burning. Upon waking, you need to speed up your metabolism once again. With this in mind, I have created a range of breakfast dishes that will fire up your metabolism, energise you and help you start burning fat.

Yang-yang chilli eggs

This is a favourite recipe of mine that makes a simple and lean breakfast; it has a spicy kick and an array of health benefits to help you start your day. I call it ‘Yang-yang’ chilli eggs because, according to traditional Chinese food therapy, eggs are ‘hot’ in energy, as are chillies, so this is the perfect dish to warm up your body.

The egg whites are packed with protein, which will kick-start your metabolism (and maintain your lean muscle mass). The healthy monosaturated fats from the avocado contain anti-inflammatory properties and allow the absorption of vital fat-soluble nutrients.

1 teaspoon coconut oil

1 tablespoon diced white onion

¼ red pepper, deseeded and diced

2 (for women) or 3 (for men) free-range medium eggs

1 pinch of sea salt

1 pinch of ground black pepper

½ avocado, peeled and stoned

1 dash of Tabasco (shop bought or home made – see page 200)

Heat a wok (or pan) over a medium heat and add the coconut oil. As the oil starts to melt, add the onion and stir-fry for 1 minute, then stir in the red pepper pieces and cook for another minute until the pepper starts to soften. Beat the eggs with the sea salt and black pepper, then add to the wok and stir-fry for 1 minute until scrambled.

Remove from the wok and serve with the avocado sprinkled with a splash of Tabasco.

Protein-burst smoked salmon, spinach and chive egg-white omelette

A great all-round, nutrient-rich breakfast. The egg whites and salmon provide lean protein to help recovery and start up your metabolism for the day. Salmon is also high in omega-3 fats, which help maintain brain function and may protect you from depression and memory loss. Spinach is a superfood containing a multitude of nutrients, including vitamins such as folate, A and C, minerals such as iron, potassium and manganese, and fibre.

½ teaspoon coconut oil

3 free-range medium egg whites, lightly beaten (save the yolks for another recipe)

40g/1½oz smoked salmon slices

1 small handful of baby spinach leaves, washed and drained

1 small bunch of chopped chives

1 pinch of ground black pepper

1 sprinkle of paprika or gochugaru (Korean dried chilli flakes)

½ avocado, peeled, stoned and sliced

Heat a wok (or pan) over a high heat and add the coconut oil. As the oil starts to melt, swirl it around in the wok. Add the egg whites and cook, stirring to scramble, for 30 seconds, then let the egg set in a pancake shape.

Gently place the smoked salmon slices on the egg, then sprinkle over the spinach and chives. Season with black pepper, then gently fold over the omelette. Sprinkle with some paprika or dried chilli flakes and serve with the avocado. Eat immediately.

Sunshine energising oatmeal with pineapple, mango, crushed pistachios and mint

This is one of my favourite summertime breakfasts. With its tropical twist on traditional porridge, this is full of good nutrition to wake up your metabolism.

Pineapple is rich in antioxidants, including vitamin C, which helps the body fight damaging free radicals. Pineapple was an ancient South American Indian cure for swelling and indigestion, possibly because it contains bromelain. The multitude of carotenoids that give the mango its tropical glow, in combination with the vitamin C it also provides, will help keep the immune system working well. The crunchy pistachio topping is not only delicious, but is also packed with nutrients and is a great source of protein.

60g/2½oz rolled oats

400ml/14fl oz cold water

1 serving vanilla protein powder (optional)

50g/2oz fresh pineapple, chopped into 1cm/

½ inch cubes

50g/2oz fresh mango, chopped into 1cm/

½ inch cubes

1 tablespoon raw pistachios, crushed

a few mint leaves, torn

6g/¼oz palm sugar, grated, or 1 tablespoon manuka honey

Combine the oats and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down to low and cook gently until all the water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat, then add the protein powder (if using) and use a whisk to combine well.

Pour the oatmeal into a bowl and top with the pineapple, mango and crushed pistachios, then add the mint leaves and grated palm sugar or honey. Eat immediately.

Energy-boost cereal with banana, prunes, hazelnuts and almond milk

A delicious energy-filled breakfast or the perfect pre/post-workout snack. Bananas are high in vitamin B6 and also contribute useful amounts of vitamin C, magnesium and manganese, vital for maintaining healthy immune function. Hazelnuts are not only delicious but also rich in manganese, while prunes are high in fibre and cocoa powder is rich in antioxidants. Overall, an energising breakfast for an active day ahead.

You could also turn this into a shake by increasing the milk to 225ml/8fl oz and adding 1 serving of vanilla protein powder.

½ banana, peeled and sliced into rounds

2 dried pitted prunes, roughly chopped

10g/⅓oz crushed hazelnuts

30g/1¼oz Honey cinnamon granola (see page 68)

150ml/5fl oz cold almond or coconut milk

¼ teaspoon cocoa powder

Place the banana slices in a bowl, then sprinkle the prunes, hazelnuts and granola over them. Pour in the coconut or almond milk and add a dusting of cocoa powder. Eat immediately.