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New Year's breakfasts for saints and sinners, from green smoothies to the full English

From stodgy comfort to invigorating pick-me-ups, we’ve got the morning after every night before covered
From stodgy comfort to invigorating pick-me-ups, we’ve got the morning after every night before covered

Will your New Year’s Eve be debauched or decorous? For the morning after, we have fresh, veg-heavy recipes to suit virtuous types set on a fresh start to 2019, and more indulgent ideas for those in need of hangover relief in the form of deliciously comforting stodge.

Or why not mix and match the two: start off with a green power smoothie (helpful for countering feelings of self-loathing, plus a burst of vitamins in easily digestible form), followed by a generous one-pan English breakfast. Dig in!

Comfort food

Banana and blueberry toad in the hole

banana and blueberry - Credit: Helen Cathcart
Credit: Helen Cathcart

Bananas are a wonderfully sweet fruit, but when cooked they become caramelised and have a gentle toffee flavour. That said, this isn’t a cloyingly sweet brunch dish; it’s just about right and the blueberries add a subtle sourness anyway. The batter is essentially a roasted pancake, so it couldn’t be simpler.

SERVES

Six to eight

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 large ripe bananas

  • 50g self-raising flour

  • 1 small egg

  • 150ml full-fat milk

  • 100g blueberries (fresh or frozen; there’s no need to defrost)

  • 50g unsalted butter

METHOD

  1. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/Gas 7.

  2. Slice the bananas along the length so you have six long halves. Place them into a medium-sized roasting dish (mine is 30cm x 20cm). Cube the butter and scatter it over the bananas, cover them with foil and then roast in the oven for 10 minutes.

  3. Meanwhile, make the batter. Put the flour into a mixing bowl and add the egg and 25ml of the milk.

  4. Whisk to a thick, smooth paste, then slowly pour in the remaining milk, whisking constantly.

  5. Once the bananas have had their 10 minutes there will be a little moisture in the dish from the bananas, that’s normal.

  6. Pour the batter over the bananas, then quickly scatter over the blueberries – I do this while the dish is still in the oven to ensure it stays hot, but don’t risk burning yourself. Bake, uncovered, for 25 to 35 minutes or until the batter has puffed.

Recipe from Perfect Plates in 5 Ingredients by John Whaite (£18.99, Kyle Books)

Potato, chorizo and mushroom hash with chilli mayo

mushrooms - Credit: Faith Mason
Credit: Faith Mason

Hearty, spicy and warming, this is a restorative breakfast of the highest order. If you feel inclined, throw in some finely sliced greens like chard or spinach when you return the chorizo to the tray for the final five minutes.

SERVES

Two generously

INGREDIENTS

  • 240g chorizo sausage (not cooking chorizo)

  • Splash of olive oil

  • 600g potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 2cm cubes

  • 140g chestnut mushrooms, finely sliced

For the chilli mayo

  • 90g good-quality mayonnaise

  • 1 tbsp chipotle paste or other chilli paste, or more to taste

  • Squeeze of lime juice

  • Splash of olive oil, to loosen

METHOD

  1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas 6.

  2. Cut the chorizo into 1cm coins, then cut each coin in half. Place in a 30 x 20 x 5cm roasting tray, drizzle over a little olive oil and roast for 10 minutes until it starts to crisp at the edges and release its spicy oil.

  3. Scoop the chorizo out of the tray with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl, leaving the spicy oil in the tray. Add the potatoes to the tray, season with salt and pepper and toss well to coat. Roast for 20 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally.

  4. Add the mushrooms to the roasting tray, toss in the oil and roast for a further 10 minutes. Return the chorizo to the tray and roast for a final five minutes.

  5. Meanwhile, stir all the ingredients for the chilli mayonnaise together in a bowl to combine.

  6. Serve the hash hot, with the chilli mayonnaise spooned over.

Recipe from Roasting Tray Magic by Sue Quinn (Quadrille, £14.99)

One-pan English breakfast

one pan - Credit: Martin Poole
Credit: Martin Poole

Everything is cooked in one pan, so you won’t spend the rest of your morning washing up. Even better, it makes a star of what I firmly believe to be the most underrated part of the English breakfast: the beans.

SERVES

Two, generously

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil

  • 2 good-quality sausages

  • ½ onion, chopped

  • 4 rashers smoked streaky bacon, diced

  • 1 garlic clove, grated

  • 400g can white haricot beans, drained

  • 400g can chopped tomatoes

  • 1 tbsp black treacle

  • 2 tbsp tomato purée

  • ½ tsp English mustard powder

  • 3 tbsp red wine vinegar

  • 2 tbsp soft dark brown sugar

  • 2 eggs

METHOD

  1. Heat the oil in a medium frying pan and add the sausages. Fry, turning often, for about 10 minutes, until cooked through.

  2. Remove and leave to one side. Add the onion and bacon to the pan. Cook for about five minutes, until the onion is soft and the bacon starts to crisp. Add the garlic clove and cook for a further minute, then add the beans, chopped tomatoes, treacle, tomato purée, mustard powder, vinegar and sugar.

  3. Season, give everything a good stir, then bring to the boil and cook for seven to 10 minutes, until slightly thickened. Turn the heat down to medium and return the sausages to one side of the pan.

  4. Make two wells in the tomato-bean mix and crack in the eggs. Grind over plenty of fresh black pepper, cover the pan with a lid and simmer for five to 10 minutes, or until the egg whites are just set but the yolks still runny. Serve with buttered toast for dipping.

Recipe from Made in London by Leah Hyslop (Absolute Press, £26)

American pancakes with honey-roasted pear, walnut and vanilla ice cream

pancakes - Credit: Andes Shonnemann
Credit: Andes Shonnemann

SERVES

Two

INGREDIENTS

For the pancakes

  • 125g self-raising flour

  • A pinch of sea salt flakes

  • 2 eggs, separated

  • 120ml milk

  • 10g butter

For the pear

  • 1 pear

  • 50g walnuts

  • 20g butter

  • A pinch of ground cinnamon

  • 50ml runny honey

  • Vanilla ice cream, to serve

METHOD

  1. This pancake batter will keep for one or two days in the fridge. Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl and make a well in the middle. Add the egg yolks and milk in the centre then, using a whisk, whisk the flour into them until you have a smooth batter.

  2. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Fold them into the egg and flour mixture and you’re good to go.

  3. Cut the pear into quarters and remove the core. Cut each quarter lengthways into slices about 5mm thick. Set aside.

  4. Heat a small frying pan and add the walnuts. Toast gently over a low heat, taking care not to let them colour too much.

  5. Transfer to a plate and leave to cool. When cool enough to handle, break each walnut into two to three pieces and set aside.

  6. Melt the butter in the same pan over a medium heat, then add the cinnamon. When the butter starts to foam, add the pears and allow to sizzle for a minute.

  7. Add the honey and turn up the heat to high so the pears start to caramelise until they soften but still retain their shape – this should take no more than four to five minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the pears in the pan.

  8. To cook the pancakes, heat a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add half the butter and, when it’s foaming, add two 50ml ladlefuls of pancake batter (leaving a gap between them) and cook for two minutes, or until they are light brown on the bottom and starting to set on the top.

  9. Flip over the pancakes and cook for a further minute or so, until brown on the undersides.

  10. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining butter and batter to cook two more pancakes.

  11. Quickly reheat the pear caramel if necessary and spoon over the pancakes. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and sprinkle over the toasted walnuts.

Recipe from Toast Hash Roast Mash by Dan Doherty (£20, Mitchell Beazley)

Reviving breakfasts

Baked porridge

porridge - Credit: The Gaztronome
Credit: The Gaztronome

This takes almost an hour to cook from start to finish, but it’s worth it. Here I’ve made a healthier-than-normal version that omits the sugar. I make this looser than most baked porridges as I hate stodgy porridge.

SERVES

Six

INGREDIENTS

  • Coconut oil, for greasing

  • 200g porridge oats

  • 3 tbsp oat bran

  • 2 tbsp coconut sugar or maple syrup

  • ½ tsp salt

  • 2 bananas, mashed

  • 1 litre milk or almond milk

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • Pinch of salt

  • 100g blueberries

  • 100g raspberries

  • Toasted flaked almonds, to garnish

METHOD

  1. Preheat your oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas 6 and liberally grease a baking dish with coconut oil.

  2. Pop the oats and the oat bran into a large mixing bowl.

  3. In a separate bowl or large jug, add the mashed bananas, milk, vanilla extract, sugar or syrup and salt and stir. Pour this mixture over the oats and oat bran and leave to stand for five minutes, or until the oats start to absorb the liquid.

  4. Arrange the blueberries and raspberries in the prepared baking dish, pour the porridge mixture over the top and bake for 25 minutes.

  5. Sprinkle the flaked almonds over the top of the porridge, then return to the oven and continue to bake for another 25 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

  6. Allow your porridge to cool for five minutes, then serve with more almond milk if required.

Recipe from Gizzi’s Healthy Appetite by Gizzi Erskine (£25, Mitchell Beazley)

Green power smoothie

smoothies - Credit: Alistair Richardson
Credit: Alistair Richardson

MAKES

About 1 litre

INGREDIENTS

  • ½ a fresh red chilli

  • ½ a fresh pineapple (about 300g)

  • A handful of kale leaves

  • 1 head of broccoli

  • 1 grapefruit

  • A thumb-size piece of fresh ginger

  • A thumb-size piece of fresh turmeric, or 1 tsp ground turmeric

  • ½ a ripe avocado

  • 500ml coconut water

  • Cacao nibs and chilli flakes (optional toppings)

METHOD

  1. Chop the end off of the chilli, core the pineapple and remove the outer skin, and remove the main centre rib from the kale leaves.

  2. Chop the stalk from the head of the broccoli, leaving the florets aside for your dinner (just use the stalk for this recipe).

  3. Halve the grapefruit and squeeze the juice into a glass, removing any pips.

  4. Peel the ginger and turmeric. Remove the stone from the avocado and scoop the flesh from the skin.

  5. Put all of the prepared ingredients into a blender with the coconut water and blend until very smooth. Top with cacao nibs and/or chilli flakes, if you are feeling fiery!

Recipe from The Happy Pear: Recipes for Happiness by David and Stephen Flynn (Penguin Random House, £18.99)

Flatbreads topped with spinach and egg

pancakes - Credit: Issy Croker
Credit: Issy Croker

This is my take on a Florentine pizza. The bright green topping is made from spinach and butter beans, with a baked egg to finish.

SERVES

Four

INGREDIENTS

  • A handful of caraway seeds

  • 250g chickpea flour

  • 125–175ml cold water

  • 400g jarred butter beans, drained and rinsed

  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil, plus extra for frying

  • 200g spinach

  • 4 eggs

  • Toasted pumpkin seeds to sprinkle

  • Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper

METHOD

  1. Toast the caraway seeds in a small dry frying pan until fragrant. Tip into a bowl and add the flour and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Gradually mix in enough water to create a thick batter. Chill for two hours.

  2. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas 6.

  3. To make the spinach mixture, place the butter beans, oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a food processor and blitz until smooth. Add the spinach and blitz again. Set aside.

  4. Heat a little oil in a 20cm frying pan. Spoon in about a quarter of the batter, spreading it out with the back of the spoon to create a large pancake. Once golden on the base, flip over and cook the other side.

  5. As the flatbreads are cooked, transfer them to a baking tray.

  6. When all the flatbreads are on the tray, smear the spinach mixture over them. Crack an egg on top of each. Bake for two to three minutes until the eggs are cooked. Season with salt and pepper.

  7. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and serve.

Recipe from Detox Kitchen Vegetables by Lily Simpson (Bloomsbury, £26)

Kale pancakes with avocado cream and roasted tomatoes

pancakes - Credit: Helen Cathcart
Credit: Helen Cathcart

MAKES

Eight to 10 pancakes

INGREDIENTS

For the slow-roasted tomatoes

  • 2 large tomatoes, sliced into rounds, or 8 cherry tomatoes, halved

  • Olive oil, for greasing and drizzling

  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked

For the kale pancakes

  • 100g organic plain white flour

  • ½ tsp baking powder

  • Grated zest of 1 lime

  • 1 tsp garlic granules

  • 1 tsp ground cumin

  • 1 tsp sea salt

  • 2 large kale leaves, washed and stems removed

  • 35g coriander leaves and stalks

  • 100ml milk

  • 1 egg, beaten

  • 1 tsp olive oil

  • Rapeseed oil, for frying  

For the avocado cream

  • 1 very ripe avocado

  • ½ shallot

  • 1 tbsp lime juice, or to taste

  • Pinch of red chilli flakes

  • 1 tbsp tahini

METHOD

  1. Start by making the slow-roasted tomatoes. Preheat the oven to 160C/140C fan/Gas 3. Place the tomato slices or halves on a greased baking tray or enamel plate, then drizzle with olive oil, season with some salt and pepper, and scatter over the thyme leaves. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until they have softened and slightly shrivelled.

  2. While the tomatoes are roasting, make the pancake batter. Put the flour, baking powder, lime zest, spices, and salt and some pepper into a mixing bowl. Blitz the kale leaves and coriander in a food processor until very finely chopped.

  3. Combine the milk, egg, olive oil, chopped kale and coriander in another bowl or jug. Pour the liquid ingredients into the flour mixture and whisk with a fork or balloon whisk, adding a tablespoon of cold water to the batter to loosen it, if necessary – you want it about the consistency of double cream.

  4. Leave to rest while you make the avocado cream, and remove the tomatoes from the oven.

  5. To make the avocado cream, blitz the avocado flesh, shallot, lime juice, chilli flakes and tahini in a food processor and blend until you have a smooth cream. Scrape out of the food processor, and into a bowl, and season to taste.

  6. To make the pancakes, use your best medium-sized non-stick frying pan and a silicone brush or spatula. Pour about one tablespoon of rapeseed oil on to a small plate and brush your pan with the oil. Heat the pan over a high heat until stinking hot, then spoon about half a ladleful of the pancake mixture into the pan.

  7. Swirl the pan in a circular motion to evenly distribute the mixture – you’re aiming for small, thick, American-style pancakes. Cook for two to three minutes and then shake the pan. When the pancake comes away from the bottom easily, flip it over and cook on the other side for two minutes, until golden.

  8. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat the process with the rest of the pancake mixture.

  9. Divide the pancakes between two plates and serve topped with the slow-roasted tomatoes and avocado cream.

Recipe from A Lot on Her Plate by Rosie Birkett (Hardie Grant, £25)