Roasted celery · Crispy fried egg · Coriander coconut kefir cream
The healthy indulgence cooked breakfast
In our time-poor age, the cooked breakfast has become a rare indulgence. Sadly, often a guilty one, given their unhealthy reputation. But there’s nothing inherently unhealthy about a cooked start to the day.
Bursting with bright colour, punchy flavours and different textures to excite your senses, this delicious combination has much to commend it. A blood-sugar balancing, slow-burn mix of fibres, fats, and protein, healthy fats from the olive oil, two of your ≥5-A-Day, a third of your recommended daily fibre intake, a fifth of your weekly plant diversity target, and a double dose of probiotics.
Frying the egg in butter is undeniably decadent. While there may not be many associated health benefits, the flavour is exceptional. Rich and full. And that’s the point: we’re adding butter to the pan for its taste, not its health benefits. If you’re watching your saturated fat intake/cholesterol levels, you could swap it out for olive or avocado oil. But in the context of a generally healthy diet abundant in fruit and veg, wholegrains, pseudograins, legumes, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices, the occasional egg fried in butter won’t harm. And will likely bring a great deal of pleasure.😋
So, why not treat yourself to the leisurely luxury and buttery excess of this otherwise incredibly healthy cooked breakfast. Perfect for the holidays, lazy weekends, or slow remote working weekdays.
It works equally well as a light lunch or supper. Just add a few tablespoons of wholegrains, pseudograins, pulses, or a slice of dense, chewy, 100% wholemeal sourdough to bulk it out a little. Everfresh sprouted wholegrain breads are another fab option – made with nothing but 100% sprouted whole grains.
Essentially a coriander pesto with coconut kefir instead of EVOO, the coriander coconut kefir cream can be used in lots of different ways. Check out the serving suggestions at the end for ideas.
Thinking of optimising your health with your diet?
What’s great about it
Contains a balanced mix of fibres, fats, and protein.
Two of your ≥5-A-Day.
A third of your recommended daily fibre intake (10g of 30g).
A fifth of your weekly plant diversity target (6 of 30+), the number of different plants in your diet being the single greatest determinant of gut health. [1]
And a double dose of probiotics (kefir and fermented garlic paste).
In peak season
UK-grown celery is in season from late July to late February.
How many of your ≥5-A-Day: 2-2.4 per serving
Plant points: 5.75
Time
Prep: 5-10 minutes
Cooking: 15-20 minutes
Ingredients (serves 2)
Roasted celery:
300-350g organic celery, approx. 6-7 good-sized stalks, each chopped into 3 lengths
20g/4 teaspoons organic extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
A few flakes of Blackthorn Salt / Maldon sea salt flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
The tiniest pinch of dried red chilli flakes
Coriander coconut kefir cream:
15g organic almonds
30g/1 standard supermarket-sized pack fresh coriander, leaves and stems
50g COCOS Organic Natural Coconut Milk Kefir
5g/½ teaspoon Fermented Moroccan Garlic Paste or ½-1 small clove fresh garlic*
A pinch of finely ground pink Himalayan or sea salt (omit if using fermented garlic paste as it’s already salted)
Freshly ground black pepper
Eggs:
25g/2 walnut-sized knobs of grass-fed cultured butter, e.g. Bungay or Isigny Ste-Mère (sub with olive or avocado oil if you’re strictly dairy-free)
2 organic free-range eggs
Garnish:
Coriander micro herbs, e.g. Westlands, or a few extra coriander leaves
*Fermentation breaks down the allicin in garlic, softening and deepening its flavour. I find raw garlic lingers on my palate longer than I’d like, so I often use this addictive fermented garlic paste in its place. The recipe is by Kristen and Christopher Shockey, from their wonderful book, Fermented Vegetables.
Method
Place the almonds in a bowl, add a pinch of salt, cover with filtered water, and soak for 8-12 hours/overnight in a cool place. Room temp is fine in cooler months, pop in the fridge during summer so they won’t begin to ferment.
NB: If you want to make this recipe at short notice, go ahead with unsoaked almonds. The texture will be courser, less fine and creamy, but the flavour will be the same.Once you’re ready to make the dish, preheat the oven to 220C (200C fan).
Place the celery in an oven-proof glass/ceramic dish; one that’s large enough to take the stalks in a single layer without any pieces touching. Breathing space is essential for non-soggy roasted veg!
Drizzle the stalks with the EVOO, sprinkle lightly with sea salt flakes (for the occasional, highly satisfying crunch), add plenty freshly ground black pepper and the tiniest pinch of chilli flakes. Toss to evenly coat the stalks.
Place in the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes until the celery is softened and just beginning to brown and crisp up at the edges.
Meantime, prepare the coriander coconut kefir cream. Rinse and drain the soaked almonds, then pop them out of their skins – a firm squeeze between your thumb and first two fingers is usually enough to separate the two. Place in a small blender, add the coriander, coconut kefir, fermented garlic paste/fresh garlic/wild garlic leaves (see the Variations), salt (only if using fresh or wild garlic), a couple of twists of freshly ground black pepper, and blitz to a smooth cream. Check the seasoning and adjust to your taste.
Once the celery is ready, turn off the oven, but leave the veg inside to hold its heat. Add two plates to the bottom shelf to warm them slightly.
Heat the butter/olive or avocado oil in a medium-large frying pan on a medium-high heat. Crack in the eggs, season with salt and pepper and fry until they’re cooked to your liking. Rather than turn eggs over – high risk of breaking the yolk – I like to baste the butter over the top to help things along.
When the eggs are almost done just the way you like them, remove the plates from the oven, arrange half of the roasted celery on each, place an egg on top, dot the coriander pesto here and there and sprinkle with some coriander micro herbs.
Serve immediately.
Recommended products & stockists
Everfresh sprouted wholegrain breads are available locally from Natural Balance on Great Western Road and Everfresh direct.
COCOS Organic Natural Coconut Milk Kefir is also available locally from Natural Balance.
Bungay Butter – the best butter in the land and the UK’s only raw milk cultured butter. Made by Fen Farm Dairy in Suffolk, from their own herd of grass-fed, ancient-breed cows. Available locally from Mellis (£5.50/200g) and online from the dairy’s shop.
Isigny Ste-Mère Unpastuerised Salted Butter – the champagne of French butters. A raw milk cultured butter from grass-fed cows in the Isigny Ste-Mère PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) region of Normandy. Available from Waitrose and Sainsbury’s, £3.70/250g.
Ramstane Farm eggs – If you’re local to Glasgow, you won’t get better. From a small, sustainable farm in Ayrshire using holistic management practices, which makes for happy hens, and happy hens lay great eggs! 100% pastured, GM-free and soy-free. Available locally from Roots, Fruits & Wholefoods, Locavore, and more.
Westlands Micro Coriander is available locally from the Great Western Road branch of Roots & Fruits, in the fridge of the veg shop.
Variations
Effortlessly up plant diversity in your diet, the single greatest determinant of gut health, by switching out the almonds for cashew nuts, macadamias, or sunflower seeds. All lend the mild taste and fine, creamy texture we’re looking for here. Soaking times are as follows: macadamias 2 hours, cashews 3-4 hours, sunflower seeds 8 hours.
In spring, toss in a handful of wild garlic leaves instead of the fermented garlic paste/fresh garlic.
The crispy fried egg provides, well, crispiness. But if you fancy something lighter, by all means swap it out for a poached or boiled egg(s).
Serving suggestions
Essentially a coriander pesto with coconut kefir instead of EVOO, the coriander coconut cream can be used in many other ways:
Tossed through veg, pastas, wholegrains or pseudograins
As a condiment for fish or meat
Dolloped into a bowl of soup
Spread on sandwiches, crackers or toast before loading up with lots of other goodies. For example, I love it on avo toast with smoked salmon, pink flakes of hot-smoked rainbow trout, or a jammy boiled egg (yolk cooked to creamy, just-set perfection), then heaped high with salad.
References
McDonald D, Hyde E, Debelius JW, et al 2018. American Gut: An Open Platform for Citizen Science Microbiome Research. American Society for Microbiology: mSystems. 2018;3(3):e00031-18. Available from: DOI: 10.1128/mSystems.00031-18.