New Year’s restorative breakfast – starting 2017 right

Happy New Year!!!!!!!! As you know I have been really looking forward to seeing the back end of last year, so I am bloody beside myself that it is finally 2017. Bring it on is all I have to say. I have a huge year planned with the publication of my first book here in New Zealand, possibly Australia and (with every fibre of my being I hope) in the United States. Last year I had a good few months of eating cheese and crackers and drinking whisky for dinner (the end of a marriage is tough), but was happily just getting my act together by the end of the year. Then Christmas happened and things went rapidly down-hill – champagne at breakfast, cocktails at 4pm, endless glasses of wine – falalalala! Then that kind of rolled on into the holidays, and with the relief of getting to the end of the year and making it through the festive season it was pretty much a free-for-all.
But day 1 of 2017 and this year I am determined to get back to looking after myself, it’s going to be super-important with all the stuff I want to achieve. I absolutely love yoga (ohmmm) and going for long walks, but while I love exercise and wholesome eating, I am not into mega-extremes – it is my belief that deprivation isn’t necessary to live a healthy life, moderation is. Any waaay, enough words, here you have my healthier take on the traditional fry-up – just as satisfying and nourishing as the old fashioned fried sausages and eggs, but with fresh, spicy flavours: wholemeal grainy toast topped with soft, herby home-made labneh (yoghurt cheese), tender asparagus, creamy avocado, a poached egg and a good sprinkling of fragrant dukkah. So much good stuff! Wholegrain bread for fibre, vitamin rich asparagus and avocado, salmon for it’s lovely omega 3s, egg and labneh for protein and (the labneh) for calcium. Wishing you an absolutely stellar start to the new year – wherever you are I hope you are surrounded by friends and loved ones, but if not – you get this brekky all to yourself 🙂

(PS – as this recipe has a loverly sponsor I also have a $150 prize to give away – head on down to the bottom of the recipe for details!)

Herby labneh:
1/2 cup picked basil leaves
1/2 cup packed coriander leaves
1 large garlic clove, crushed
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes

450grams natural yoghurt

Put all of the ingredients in a small food processor and whiz to combine. (You could also use a stick blender for this). Wet a 50cm square of muslin, fold it in half and pop it in a sieve over a bowl. Pour in the yoghurt, then draw up the sides and twirl the top so that the liquid is gently squeezed out. Leave like this in the fridge – 4-6 hours for a soft spreadable labneh, and over night for a firmer consistency.

2-4 eggs
 10 small asparagus spears
2-4 slices wholemeal toast
2/3 cup labneh (see above)
1 small avocado, sliced

2 tablespoons dukkah

This bit goes without saying really! While the eggs are poaching, blanch the asparagus by dropping it into simmering water for 1 minute. Drain the asparagus and refresh under cold running water. Spread the toast with labneh and top with asparagus, salmon and avocado then top with a poached egg and a sprinkling of dukkah. Serves 2
PS – if you’ve made it this far you deserve a reward, I have a $150 Prezzy card to give away. All you need to do to enter is leave a comment below telling me what recipe you would like to see in my new recipe book! The winner will be announced on Facebook, and with a reply comment on the blog, on 16th January. If it’s you – you must contact me with your details by Monday 30th January so I can organise the prize 🙂 (Competition only available in New Zealand) Good luck!

46 comments

  1. Happy New Year! This looks absolutely delicious 🙂 I'd love to see your fish tacos recipe (or similar) in your new book, I always love fresh and different ways to eat fish and your tacos recipe is sooo yummy and the self-serving style is a winner!

  2. Boarding für 2017

    Euer Gepäck sollte nur die besten Erinnerungen aus 2016 enthalten! Die schlechten und traurigen Ereignisse werden aus Sicherheitsgründen automatisch entsorgt.

    Die Flugdauer beträgt 12 Monate.
    Bitte klappt den Tisch hoch, schnall dich an und genieße den Flug – die nächsten Stopps sind LIEBE, HARMONIE, GLÃœCK ,
    GESUNDHEIT und FREUDE
    Unser Chef de Cusine empfiehlt dir folgendes Menü, dass dir während des Fluges jederzeit gereicht werden kann:

    Einen Cocktail der Freundschaft ,
    ein Parfait aus Inspiration, ein Gratin aus Zufriedenheit , einen Gang voller Glückseligkeit und als Nachspeise nur gute Nachrichten
    Ich wünsche euch einen erholsamen Trip an Bord der Glücksmaschine auf dem Weg ins neue Jahr.

    Ich wünsche euch:
    einen wundervollen JANUAR

    … liebevollen FEBRUAR

    … bemerkenswerten MÄRZ

    … wundervollen APRIL

    … genussvollen MAI

    … erfolgreichen JUNI

    … wundervollen JULI

    … ​ erholsamen AUGUST

    … starken SEPTEMBER

    … geschmacksvollen OKTOBER

    … fantastischen NOVEMBER

    … glücklichen DEZEMBER

    Habt ein wundervolles Jahr

    Ich wünsche Euch einen guten Rutsch in ein erfolgreiches neues Jahr 2017

    Ganz viele liebe Grüße, sendet euch Jesse Gabriel aus Berlin

    1. Thank you so much Jesse – and wishing you a wonderful 2017 too, best of luck in achieving all you wish to do, and much happiness 🙂

  3. I love your recipes and am a constant visitor tonyour blog in search of inspiration! So sorry to hear last year was a bugger for you. Onward and upward! I would love to see a kedgeree recipe in your cookbook. All the best for this year.

  4. Happy New Year! I adore your no-churn whiskey and ginger ice cream recipe and would love to see it in your new book with flavour variations. I have swapped the ginger and whiskey several times for maple syrup and walnuts, delicious!!

  5. I hope 2017 will be a better year for us both. I'm getting a kidney transplant so it almost certainly will! I'd love your salad dressing recipes all in one place with matches to alternative options for salads they could accompany. We work really hard to eat lots of fresh produce but I end up using the same dressing all the time and I'd love some more ideas to stop salad being boring.

    1. I'm really sorry to hear that you have been unwell, but so good to have the transplant – and great idea re the dressing recipes 🙂

  6. this sounds amazing! i would love to see a yummy recipe with fresh fish, trying to eat more fish in 2017 and would love a few more ways to eat it! x

  7. Yumm asparagus! I made your chocolate whiskey fudge to give away for Christmas and everyone loved it, def something that would be great in a recipe book. Super easy and a great treat. I'm also glad 2016 is behind us, hope this year is great for you!

  8. I would love to see a recipe for Smoked Salmon Pizza in your recipe book because it is one of my favourite meals, and so nutritious too! 😀 I have been following your website, Facebook and Instagram for a while now and I love all the delicious recipes <3

  9. Breaks my heart to hear what you went through last year, I hope 2017 is the chance for an incredible fresh new start. It feels a bit sad to suggest this recipe but I just can't imagine asking for any other: it is starred on my laptop, made the most frequently of all my collected recipes, and nourished me wonderfully throughout my pregnancy last year: Welcome Home Soup please xx

    1. Oh I'm so glad you enjoyed it Rose, it is such a treat to hear when a recipe brings pleasure like that – yay, and thank you 🙂

    2. Hi Rose – I really hope you see this today – but I wanted to let you know that you are the WINNER of the $150 Prezzy Card. Please contact me via email at fr************@ic****.com so I can organise for the prize to be sent to you :)I hope you are enjoying happy summer days with your baby 🙂

  10. Your Mothers Day lime and lemon cakes with lime curd! The prettiest little cakes I have ever seen..

  11. Seafood is very summery and I always feel like eating plenty of it in summer- plenty of protein
    Mussels scallops cockles – would love to see recipes on different ways to serve it
    Yummy!

  12. Happy New Year! Here's to a fresh start for all of us. I was going to compile all your recipes on my computer as they are all so good and user friendly. I would like to see all your recipes in the book as I can't just pick one as favorite. All the best and looking forward to your book!

  13. Happy New Year. I would love to see your SLOW ROASTED LAMB SHOULDER ON FLATBREADS WITH MINTY YOGHURT in your cookbook.
    I love all you recipes so a cookbook would be amazing.

  14. Haha – that's so funny – I often think of the blog as FTK too, and yum, good idea with the clay pot chicken 🙂

  15. Oh but your walnut shortbread is EVERYTHING. The caramel mousse and walnut praline were delicious, but that shortbread – and I don't even like walnuts!!! Congrats on your book, can't wait to get my hands on it! x

  16. You absolutely MUST include your lemon tart recipe. The most tasty amazingness I've ever eaten! Helen (in Aust)

  17. Hi Sarah, wishing you a very happy, happy new year and beyond…! Gotta be the one and only Brown Rice Salad with Roast Pumpkin and Eggplant Hummus for your book please, I've made it many times now using different combos of veges as you suggested, but just whatever is at hand, roast beetroot, red onion, even yams, yum. Works out a treat every time. All the very best with your book, how on earth do you decide on what recipes to include?! I haven't found one that has let me down yet. All the best with it all!

  18. This looks amazing! I've only just found your page but will definitely hut that follow button. Would love to see dishes for fresh fish, am going to try incorporate more fish into my diet.

  19. Hi Sarah, on Boxing Day mum asked me if I could do something with a whole fillet of salmon she purchased. I immediately went to your Roast Salmon with Garlic, Dil and Lemon with Quick Cucumber Relish. It was a hit with the entire family and just looks so pretty on the plate. Totally think you should include this in your book!

  20. Ôœhat’s up, this weekend is fastidious designed for me, sincï½… thiÑ• moment i
    am reading this wonderful educational аrticle here at my һome.

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