Two Breakfasts

I'm sure the prospect of catering for 'special' diets induces a combination of fear, dread and irritation in a lot of cooks and chefs, but I find them quite an inviting challenge. I'm used to them. Solutions have to be found, alternatives sought, sacrifices made and often what ends up on the plate is more interesting and innovative than what would have otherwise been served up had I been allowed to stick to what I know or what a recipe dictates. It used to be wheat-free, but my wife is currently following a diet that is low-fat, vegan (sort-of), but encourages the consumption of fish, allows egg whites, though no yolks, and prohibits the use of any refined oils, so everything has to be cooked with extra virgin olive.

As much as I enjoy the challenge and while I'm pleased with how I manage to rise to it, occasionally it's tricky. When there's been a less than full larder, or when I've had little time and hungry kids to feed who've had to rush off to their numerous extra-curricular activities it's been a case of baked beans on toast (allowed, as long as the bread is homemade and thus unadulterated by the forbidden ingredients, and there's no butter on the bread). We like beans on toast though, so it's fine.

Influenced by a friend at school, and in an attempt to shed a few pounds, one of my children has decided to embark on a diet free of carbohydrate, or as close to free from as possible. It's not surprising how often carbohydrate appears in family meals as pasta, bread, potatoes and such like make such plentiful and cheap ballast to fill growing stomachs. The problem with my daughter is that it's a case of replacement rather than just removal.
'What am I having instead of the bread?' she asked the other evening when I'd made her siblings bean and paprika casserole on toast with fried chorizo sprinkled on top.
'I've grilled you some aubergine' I said, only to be told that the aubergine was replacing the chorizo, not the chorizo and the bread.

When it comes to breakfast, while fruit or porridge can be suggested without protests in the week there's something about a Sunday that demands a little more luxury. She made this herself, with suggestions from me, improvised around what we had (no bacon but a stick of French salami). It looked great, and she assured me it was just as good to eat.

Breakfast Salad with Boiled Egg and Crispy Salami

a handful of mixed salad leaves (bitter ones in there if possible)
1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced
1/2 ripe hass avocado, sliced
some cress
1/4 green pepper, sliced
1 x egg (soft boiled)
a dozen or so slices of a thin french salami
E. V. Rapeseed oil
a squeeze of lemon

It was a just an assembly really. The leaves, pepper, avocado, cress, and onion combined and piled onto the plate after being dressed with a little of the oil and lemon. The egg was soft boiled and balanced on top before being split, the yolk making a lovely rich 'sauce'. The salami was fried until crisp, drained of excess oil and then scattered over the top before a final dressing of rapeseed oil.

Pancakes with Date Syrup and Sesame Seeds

The 'fancy' breakfast above was made all the more necessary since my other daughter (younger sister), after a sleepover with a friend, was having pancakes. Just normal wheat flour, egg and milk batter pancakes topped with all their usual favourites (nutella, lemon and sugar etc.). I allowed myself just the one, and influenced by my purchase of the new Ottolenghi book 'Jerusalem' my wife suggested I try date syrup instead of maple. I did so with a little butter and toasted sesame seeds. It was excellent. The syrup was rich and sweet while earthy and wholesome, and the sesame seeds contributed a dusty nutty taste which gave the whole assembly a feeling of maturity with a hint of the exotic. If the pancakes had been a touch thinner and a tiny bit crisper on the edges it would have been faultless. I'll do this again.