The humble spud may have originated in the Andes 7000 years ago, but it features heavily in today’s Swedish diet, and is a mainstay in many of the recipes in my recent book Fit In 3. When Love Potatoes reached out to ask me to craft a delicious, healthy breakfast recipe using potatoes, I was delighted to oblige, and dipped into my deep bench of spud dishes! The potato isn’t just an incredibly versatile ‘hero ingredient’ (think roasted, baked, mashed, steamed, crisped, wedged/chipped etc), but it packs significant health benefits. Each one is loaded with flavonoids and carotenoids (whose antioxidant activities to help reduce the risk of chronic diseases), vitamin B6 (to enable enzymatic reactions and promote cellular renewal, as well as the production of serotonin in the brain and healthy heart function) and a unique type of ‘resistant starch’ that may help regulate blood sugar and improve the digestive health. They’re satisfying (their latin name solanum tuberosum literally means comforting tubers!) so you stay fuller for longer, and actually contain more potassium than a banana (which helps to regulate blood pressure and protect against the likes of stroke) or indeed any other fruit or vegetable. They’re also affordable, and always on hand as they’re grown throughout the year – the leading vegetable crop in the world. This recipe is for a delicious Breakfast Potato Frittata with Mushroom, Spinach and Italian Herbs – it’s quick and easy, requiring limited kitchen skills, packs a serious nutritional punch and will keep you full until lunch time! Click MORE for the full recipe and video ‘how to’… (more…)
I’ve been making this quiche dish for years and have come to depend on it as a reliable hit with friends and family, right when I need something to deliver! It’s similar to my approach to soups in that you can get creative and throw in pretty much any veggies to the mix, free-style; perfect if you have a few veggies in the fridge which are on their last legs (we Swedes hate wastage!). Also this dish is delicious both hot and cold, so it’s perfect to bring to work for lunch the next day, or as a cheeky picnic now that the British weather is finally looking up! As always on this blog, creating the dish is quick and easy, and relies on fresh ingredients you can find in your local supermarket. Click MORE to see the ‘How To‘!
It’s February already, which in England means that statistically, it’s raining 60% of the month and the average temperature is a mere 5 degrees. So it’s cold, it’s wet, and the lack of sunshine adds insult to injury! Amidst this gloom, what could be better than a piping hot, hearty home-made soup to defrost your cold body?! This fool-proof recipe is one of my absolute go-to dishes which is both homely and comforting, and delivers all the nutrients your body will need to fight the effects of winter. The lentils are a supreme source of vegetable protein, not to mention that it works out to be a mere 25p per serving, and even if you ‘luxe’ your soup, you’ll struggle to spend more than £1.00 per serving. Click more to discover how quick and easy this classic winters recipe is, and up your soup game today! (more…)
It’s 2016 & we all lead time-pressed lives! To cater for the time-poor yet health-rich reader of FitnessOnToast, here’s a relatively quick and easy, nutritious and full-flavored little dish. These fish cakes feel like real, indulgent ‘comfort’ food, but are more like a Jedi mind trick. I served mine with a kale and quinoa salad, but they can also be served in a bun if you fancy a fish burger! It’s a great dose of protein and omega fatty acids along with an infusion of a flavoursome hit, right when you need it! Click MORE for the full recipe… (more…)
If, like me, you have a bit [i.e. a lot] of a soft spot for chocolate, this one’s for you! But it’s a little different to normal; this chocolate brownie employs the delicious and textural wizardry of sweet potato, the low-GI, complex carbohydrate foodstuff which seems to pop up all over Instagram as chips and/or crisps. If you’re thinking ‘Hmm, Faya that sounds kinda bizarre and most probably not very tasty‘, I promise that you’d never guess it used sweet po as its main ingredient! In a shocking twist of fate, the potato lends itself prodigiously to this recipe; it’s naturally flavoured with a gentle sweetness and once churned up with the other natural and wholesome ingredients, the slightly softened texture is literally perfect for the application! Click MORE to get the ‘how to’ so that you can whip up a batch asap! (more…)
This month, I’ve teamed up with Hovis to celebrate today’s launch of their innovative new Hovis® Seed Sensations® Chia Bread, which is itself a partnership with The Chia Co, the world’s largest producer of sustainably farmed Chia seed. To mark the occasion, I thought I’d create a piece of Scandinavian food art! The Swedish sandwich cake, or ‘Smörgåstårta’ as we unpronounceably call it, is one of the most traditional national dishes I can think of, which captures my heritage and at the same time honours the great British love of sandwiches! With culinary roots dating back hundreds of years, it’s a real statement piece, something to exhibit (and then eat) when guests come round – you can really let your creativity go wild! Traditionally it’s made up of an array of wonderful fresh fish (which I love) and is smothered in mayonnaise (not my preference!). My alternative recipe here uses yoghurt and just a smidgeon of Organic Mayonnaise, which may sound bland but actually tastes superb! It also incorporates layers of the Chia Loaf as building blocks for the towering sandwich cake, as I am a bread fiend and actively embrace carbohydrates as part of my balanced macro approach to wellbeing! Click MORE to see the full recipe, along with a little video! (more…)
When I started Fitness On Toast, I chose the name as a reaction to the sheer number of improvised meals served ‘on toast’ in the UK; my Personal Training clients would fill their food diaries with the likes of beans on toast, cheese on toast, eggs on toast, jam on toast… I wanted to highlight some Fitness on toast instead! However I believe it’s possible to create healthy equivalents to fuel you pre & post workout, yet still preserve the essence of that great national gastronomic heritage! I’ve been working with the UK’s number one oatcake brand, Nairns to achieve precisely that, and this post is all about my healthy canapés, which are delicious, super easy to make, and are served on their exquisite Super Seeded Organic Oatcakes. Click MORE to see my 5 healthy recipes…
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One of my closest friends is Persian, and I’ve been spoilt many times by her delicious, flavoursome cooking! The salad I’ve just made is traditionally called Shirazi; it’s super-nutritious and absolutely bursting with flavour and incredibly easy to make! Persian salads don’t rely on heavy, creamy or sugary dressings, but instead use swathes of herbs and spices to flavour a dish naturally. Click MORE to see the full ‘recipe’, and get the ‘benefits of’ the ingredients. (more…)
I recently spent some wonderfully peaceful days at the beautiful Chateau de la Chèvre D’Or (full ‘active escape’ review forthcoming) in Eze, France, where I enjoyed some exquisite and healthy mediterranean cuisine, and have returned freshly inspired! Apart from seafood, the locally-grown organic vegetables are a recurrent feature in the region’s cuisine, often prepared via steaming. Whilst I may not be able to replicate the beauty of the piece we photographed above (I’m not Michelin-starred!), I believe it IS possible to simulate that same mix of flavours and textures at home! Click more to see this mediterranean-inspired vegetable recipe, focussing on the benefits of steaming, and which is a fantastic pre-workout dish to help fuel your session! (MORE) (more…)