On a crisp Winter morning with a sprinkling of thin frost over the garden, like someone has sifted icing sugar over nature, I decided to skip early breakfast and take to the covers for an extra hour...
By the time, I surfaced, showered, shaved and dressed intermingled with watching snippets of TV, and checking my phone for incoming (thankfully unimportant) messages it was 11.30 a.m.
It's very unlike me to wallow under the covers for too long, especially as the sun rises early and on my side of the house. So, today was a New Year treat, after all I did work on New Year's Eve and last night, Saturday 2nd Jan, and the extra hour replenished my personal batteries. And, so it was that with breakfast time behind me, it had to be a Brunch.
With Turkey leftovers and the gargantuan mountains of festive food well and truly behind me it was important to get back on track and so a light and healthy brunch was the order of the day.
Warm Ciabatta Toast, with a sprinkling of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, crushed garden peas (minted), flaked smoked mackerel dressed in horseradish. Cracked black pepper seasoning. What could be more simple? Packed with protein, heart-healthy and brain-boosting omega-3 fatty acids, as well as minerals and vitamins, smoked mackerel is a terrific fish to include in your diet. Omega-3 is a good fat found in oily fish and plays an essential role in keeping the heart healthy while aiding brain function and development.
Green peas are a great source of bone-building vitamin K and manganese. They will boost your levels of folate – a micronutrient that is crucial for heart health and foetal development – and their significant store of vitamin C supports your immune system.
Extra virgin olive oil is fairly nutritious. Apart from its beneficial fatty acids, it contains modest amounts of vitamins E and K. But olive oil is also loaded with powerful antioxidants. These antioxidants are biologically active and may reduce your risk of chronic diseases.
Horseradish is low in calories and fat. However, it contains good amounts of dietary fibre, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Eat well, but eat healthily.
