Monday July 5th

I'm back from a week's holiday in Spain and France and am feeling great. Taking some time out makes such a difference - I'm not sure if its due to being away from the daily stresses of life, eating so much fresh fruits and vegetables or eating so much fish that does it - maybe its a combination of all three!!

I'll be including recipes over the next few weeks that reflect the types of food I was eating - loads of fresh salads and fish.

One thing I did miss about French breakfasts was the lack of protein! Having coffee and croissants for breakfast might taste great but tends to leaving craving sugary foods later in the day. When we crossed the border to Spain, I noticed they were more inclined to have eggs for breakfast - which is a great source of protein to start the day. I've included below a recipe for Huevos Rancheros - a recipe that came up a few times in the Tapas bars in Spain. This is a great weekend breakfast!

Huevos Rancheros

1 red onion
1 tin of chopped tomatoes or 6 vine ripened tomatoes (we are coming into tomato season soon)
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 teaspoon of paprika (used loads in Spain)
4 eggs
2 tablespoons of chopped coriander
1 tin of black beans (optional)
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper

Make the sauce first by softening the onions in a little water in a frying pan on medium heat. Once translucent, add the tomatoes and the juice the tomatoes are packed in. Break up the tomatoes with your fingers as you put them in the pan. If you are using fresh tomatoes, chop them first, then add. Note that fresh tomatoes will take longer to cook as canned tomatoes are already cooked to begin with - cook for 5-10 mins.
Add the paprika and garlic (add the beans at this stage if you are using them).
Cook for another 5 mins. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste if needed.
Add the coriander and stir through gently (saving a little bit to sprinkle on top at the end)
Make 4 little holes in the mixture in the pan and crack the 4 eggs into the mixture. Poach for about 5 mins or until all of the white has hardened.

Once cooked place on a large mat on the kitchen table a dig in straight from the pan. Traditionally this is served on corn tortillas or you can use whole meal pittas or brown bread.

Wheat free, gluten free, sugar free