Happy breakfast in Bangkok!

Even when I’m on holiday, I still like to keep up with a healthy regime. My new book on the Paleo diet is just being released and I’m pleased to say that a lot of Thai dishes fit in with this plan. You can even have coconut milk, so it’s a dream creating dishes for. 

The diet plan is all about shunning processed foods and carbohydrates. This is “the caveman diet”, comprising the food we evolved on as a species. 

I was very privileged o n this visit to visit the American ambassador at her residence in Bangkok to film a segment of the morning show “Women to Women” for Channel 3, with lovely host Chanuya Boontosang. I made some of my favourite healthy breakfast dishes to show people how to start the day right.

We need to have a good start every day. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. We want to have lots of protein because it fills us up for longer periods. Eggs are the perfect answer. Not only are they full of protein, but they are inexpensive and everyone around the world can get them. Egg white holds all the protein and the yolk has the fat. 

I like to make omelettes or scrambled eggs with mainly egg whites, with a few yolks mixed in for texture. It could be three whites plus two whole eggs. Add a little onion and smoked salmon and you have the perfect dish. 

Salmon has great fats we need in our diet, such as omega 3, which is good for hair, skin and nails. Add some wonderful fresh fruit and you’re set for the day.

This trip I could not stop eating dragon fruit and passion fruit. Passion fruit is high in Vitamin C and antioxidants. Vitamin C, also found in citrus, is the perfect way to fight off those colds because it fortifies the immune system. It’s far better to get it through food than through pills. 

So remember, enjoy your food and fuel your body. You will feel great when you energise yourself with the right foods.

I love to use sun-dried tomatoes. They have such richness and add so much flavour to food. Since the Paleo plan avoids salt, this is a great way to get that same tang in your cooking. Look for sun-dried tomato paste in tubes. You can then add this to all your pasta sauces to thicken it and enrich the food.

 

OMELETTE WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATOES

 

Serves 4

 

INGREDIENTS

12 eggs

2 tablespoon chopped sun-dried tomatoes

12 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

Red onion, finely chopped

Handful fresh basil leaves

 

METHOD

Cook the omelettes separately in a non-stick pan with a drizzle of olive oil.

First, whisk the eggs in a bowl.

Fry a quarter of the chopped onion for a minute, then a quarter of the tomatoes and a little olive oil.

Add the egg mix on medium heat.

Add a quarter of the tomatoes and a few basil leaves.

Roll up the omelette and serve with more basil and extra tomatoes if desired. 

 

EGG SOUFFLE OMELETTE

People are timid about making soufflés but they shouldn’t be. They’re easy to make! Just don’t panic when you take them out the oven – they do deflate a little.

 

Serves 1

 

INGREDIENTS

2 egg whites

2 eggs

6 cherry tomatoes, halved

3 slices ham

1 tablespoon chives, chopped

Salt and pepper

1 teaspoon olive oil

 

METHOD

Separate the egg whites and whisk them in a bowl until frothy.

Mix in the yolks.

Set the oven to broil. 

Heat a non-stick pan with the oil and add the eggs.

After two minutes add the tomatoes and ham and season to taste.

Place the pan under the broiler for a few minutes until the eggs rise.

Remove and serve with chopped chives.

 

_ British celebrity chef Daniel Green loves to create healthy recipes that are easy to follow. His column “Make It Today” will share his passion of good food that is low in fat but modern and full of flavour and will run every last Sunday of the month.