Avocado & Poached Egg on Toast Masterclass

Yo!  Good morning!  I'm feeling awesome.  Why - because I've just found a taste sensation that's taken my Avo and Eggs to the next level.

There's no denying it.  Avocado and Poached Eggs are a poster child for the wellness industry at the moment.  It's such a great combo of protein, healthy fats and nutrients that it's genuinely a massive winner and tastes amazing to boot.  It leaves me feeling satisfied till lunch - it's one of my go to breakfasts.

However, not all Avo and Eggs are the same.  I've been searching and trying various different combos recently and feel moved to write to you all and tell you about this morning's masterpiece as it was a flavour bomb that needs to be tried by everyone!

So enough with the build up.  There's only a few extras in here that make the difference between something that's good and AMAZING and it literally only takes an extra 2-3 minutes to make than your regular / relatively boring looking habit!  Here's the recipe....

Ingredients: (serves 2)

1 Ripe Hall Avocado
1 Ripe Plumb Tomato
1 Red Chilli (of your favourite heat variety)
Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley
Pomegranite Vinegar
Malden Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Small Ciabatta cut in half and toasted
2 or 4 Free Range Super Fresh Eggs (Hen or Duck)

Method:

Cut your Ciabatta in half and pop in the toaster.

Cut the Avocado in half and spoon out the flesh into a bowl.  Make sure you scrape ALL of the really dark green stuff out as well - that's where the magic is.  Then chop up your Plum Tomato into small cubes and add to the avo.  Chop the chilli (as much as you like to get your heat right) into tiny dice and add.  Add 2 teaspoons of Pomegranate Vinegar, a pinch of Malden Salt and a good grind of black pepper then mix.  I personally like a chunky smash to maintain some of the texture of the Avo.  Have a taste, check seasoning etc and set to one side; the vinegar will prevent your avocado going brown.

Next poach your eggs to the desired consistency.  I like a runny yolk, so mine get just over 3 minutes in boiling water.

The build is super simple.  Start with your piece of Ciabatta toast.  Spoon some of the Avo mix onto the toast and press a little well into the middle to take the egg.  Add your egg and then finish with some Flat Leaf Parsley, some extra slices of chilli (if the mood takes you), a drizzle of your favourite oil (I used local rapeseed oil) and a grind of Hawaiian Black Sea Salt.

BOOM!  The parsley, chilli and pomegranate vinegar make this an absolute winner.  Try it out and let us know how you get on.

Thai "Temple" Green Curry

OK folks - this is becoming my signature dish.  Everyone loves it.  You can modify it very slightly to make it Vegan (just leave out fish sauce and chicken), but my personal favourite is with chicken.

It’s also the most awesome way to get your greens.  A lot of people associate eating greens as a healthy chore that isn’t particularly pleasurable.  I’m here to tell you that I don’t care what your relatioship with greens is like, in blind taste tests EVERYONE likes this recipe - even my young children!  If you only make one of our recipes it has to be this one.  It’s incredible!

It might not be super authentic (whatever that is), but it’s my version of a Thai Green Curry.  I will back up my conviction with the fact that I have been to Thailand and lived with a Thai family in Bangkok for a short period of time.  I sampled all sorts of amazing dishes and this is my adaption of the green curry.

Enough already out the waxing lyrical on it, and let’s get to it!

Ingredients & Method:

Enough for 4 (with a portion or two to save for later - it’s great as a quick snack from the freezer).  Preparation time 10 minutes. Cooking time 1.5 hours.  Actual time in the kitchen approximately 20 minutes.

For frying:
Coconut oil (extra virgin)

For the green Curry Paste:
3 large bunches fresh corriander
2 large bunches fresh basil
5 birds eye green chilli (or enough for your desired heat)
two thumb sized pieces of ginger (skin on)
4 sticks of lemon grass
8 cloves of garlic
4 Kafir Lime Leaves
12 fat spring onions (wash them and use the lot - especially green bits)
thumb sized piece of Galangal
3 teaspoons of Coconut Blossom / Palm Sugar

To add to make sauce:
2 tins coconut milk

To finish:
1 Roast Free Range Chicken
Seasoning (salt, pepper, fish sauce)
Bag of spinach
French green beans
(Basically your favourite greens - any will do.  Other ideas are Kale, Rocket, Watercress)

Method:
Put your chicken into the oven to roast.  I usually do mine for about 1.5 hours at 190 degrees. Meanwhile….

Here’s where your blender comes into action again.  Place all of the ingredients for the curry paste into your blender and blend to a paste.  Don’t blend to a super smooth smoothie consistency, but do blend well.  It should look like the greenest paste you’ve ever seen 😃

Heat some coconut oil in your favourite frying pan and add the paste.  It will probably make your eyes water a little (especially if you like hot and spicy and have added extra chilli) so be careful and turn on the extractor fan if you have  one.  Cook the paste for about 5 - 10 minutes.  It will lose some of its moisture and go a dark green colour.  When you get to this stage you know it’s ready for the neXt stage.

At this point add the coconut milk.  Stir the whole thing together and you have your green curry sauce.  Add some fish sauce (about 2 table spoons) and some pepper.  This just needs to be simmered gently for about 10 minutes to allow all the flavours to get to know each other.  Have a taste to check seasoning and add some extra salt to taste if needed.

When your chicken is cooked, remove from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes.  Then pull the chicken from the bones and reserve the bones to make stock (not required for this recipe, but we never waste our chicken bones.  See why here.)

Add the chicken to the curry sauce along with your greens.  Cook the whole thing through until the greens are tender (probably about 5 minutes) and then check seasoning before serving with sticky rice, or just on its own.

Let us know how it makes you feel and what you think!

#respectyourtemple

Rich Davis

Salad Vibes

One of the habits that we've all got into at The Strength Temple is around making extra food.

If we’re making a yummy roasted vegetable dish, a pasta bombshell or some Eastern inspired rice, we make an extra 2 portions for the fridge.  That way if we’re short on time, but need something big on flavour, it’s quick to prepare something awesome without reaching for the danger zone snacks.  You know the ones; pastry, chocolate, crisps YUK!

All you need to do is start with some fresh salad ingredients and then throw in your choice or leftovers for an amazing energy hit that's full of great nutrition.

We’re not sure what to throw into this salad, but it’s guaranteed to make you feel fabulous!

Try this little bad boy combo….

• rocket leaves • spinach • mint • spring onion • sun-dried tomato • avocado • cherry tomato • chilli • blue cheese (not for the diary-free crew) • sunflower seeds • S E A S O N E D with olive oil & balsamic glaze to taste. 🍃YUM!
 

Immune Boosting Eastern Soup

This soup has just gone down an absolute STORM on our social media platforms.  I guess it’s that time of year (in the UK) where we need this stuff to fight the bugs and fortify our bodies against the cold.

Having said that, this would be awesome in the summer served chilled from the fridge with some crushed ice mixed through as a type of gazpacho.  We’ll definitely be doing that in 6 months!  In the mean time, here’s a note from Richie Norton on this awesome concoction.  ENJOY!……..

 🤒🌿 After my little stint in the Middle East, the adjustment to the UK winter weather and germs being sneezed all over the place, I've somehow picked up a cough that won't shift (yes I'm human after all)! 🤒

If you've been feeling a bit under the weather or hoping to fight off the winter lurgy, I'd recommend you try some homemade veggie super soups like this green beast 🌿It’s full of antioxidants, vitamin C, E and fibre necessary for a healthy body.  It’s really simple to make. Go on - get your apron on and don’t hold back.

Ingredients:
 
• Rainbow chard (dietary fibre/fat free) • broccoli • spinach • carrots • ginger • bunch of coriander, basil • spring onion • clove of garlic • S&P (chilli if you fancy some heat and coconut cream to garnish.)

Method:

Heat through you vegetables in homemade stock.  It’s important that you don’t boil them to death and destroy many of the nutrients.  Just a gentle warm through is sufficient.  When it’s just right,  pop it all in a blender and take it to your desired consistency.  With some blending practice you can go from super smooth to slightly textured.  We sometimes split the soup into two batches, and blend some to super smooth and mix the rest in to leave some variety - it’s up to you and we’d encourage you to experiment.
 
This one got drizzed in coconut cream (naughty) as our final garnish!

Enjoy, let us know how you get on and don’t forget to…..

#respectyourtemple ;-)