The Perfect Breakfast - Feat. Clonakilty*

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and one of my favourites. I am never 100% sure on what to have, but I like to start the day with a decent sized breakfast. I was recently contacted and introduced to a brand called Clonakilty who specialise in Ireland's favourite black pudding.

Clonakilty are traditionally known for their black pudding however have recently launched their new Ispini sausages in the UK, perfect for breakfast, dinners and in the warmer months, BBQs. Made using 100% Irish pork, I imagined these would have the same flavours that you get from the butchers and I couldn’t wait to try them.

I rustled up an Irish feast with some of the products I was kindly sent including Irish eggs and bread. I couldn’t miss the chance to have some potatoes on my plate too!

The Clonakilty black pudding is made using a recipe that originated in the town of Clonakilty in the 1880’s. The popularity of the black pudding has spread around the world. With such a great reputation, I couldn’t wait to try the sausages. The brand also have white pudding in their collection of fine foods.

The sausages can be grilled or fried in a shallow pan, I find it easier to fry them as I can constantly move them around. They browned off really well and served with the rest of the breakfast they were an absolute treat. Having never heard about this brand before, I am definitely converted.

What are your breakfast essentials?

*I received these items free of charge. I was not asked to write a review as such, but I genuinely enjoyed the product and wanted to share them. Please see my disclaimer for more information

Overnight Oats Recipe With Alpro Go On Plain*

I've been having overnight oats every week for the past year or so now, and I am always asked for the recipe. They are super easy to make and a great grab-and-go breakfast if you prepare these the night before. These are so versatile. You can change up the fruit, add some flavouring to the yoghurt, add nuts, seeds, chia seeds or even chocolate. The possibilities are endless. Make it your own! 

I recently received some Alpro Go On Plain and thought this would be a great addition to my daily overnight oats. The Go On Plain is the new plant based alternative to strained yoghurt. It has a smooth texture and a mild taste so is perfect for both sweet and savoury recipes. I have used it in my oats for a sweet breakfast but it can also be used to create dips or stirred into curries to give them a creamy texture. The product is very versatile and I will be using it in my cooking as an alternative to fatty dairy products. It also has the added benefit of being gluten free.

To make my overnight oats, I use the following:

40g Plain Dry Porridge Oats

½ a Tub of Alpro Go On Plain

Any Fruit you like – Raspberries and Blueberries for me!

I use a jar to put these in so I can grab it in the morning, take it to work and eat it right away but you can use a bowl or a lunchbox as well, whatever is convenient.

I started off by layering the Alpro Go On Plain with the oats then the fruit. Keep doing this until you have ran out of ingredients. I try and make sure the oats are fully covered so that they can soak up the yoghurt overnight. Sometimes I add a dash of milk to make sure the oats are all covered, I think the Alpro Oat Original would be the perfect addition!

When I have reached the top, I seal the lid and refrigerate overnight. You can literally put anything in these oats and they will taste great. I have tried them with chocolate chips, banana, peanut butter or pineapple.  The combinations are endless. Let me know if you have tried overnight oats, and what your favourite combination of flavours is!

The Alpro Go On Plain gave the overnight oats a really creamy texture the next day and tasted absolutely gorgeous in the morning! Will you be trying out the Alpro Go On Plain?

*I received some items free of charge in exchange for this blog post. All opinions are my own and I was not influenced in any way.

The Perfect Winter Breakfast With Alpro's Oat Original*

I am a big lover of Alpro drinks especially the unsweetened almond milk which is delicious in my coffee. When I was offered the chance to try the Alpro Oat Original Drink I couldn’t wait to see what it was like.

Alpro Oat Original is high in fibre (The UK’s highest in fact!) and low in fat and great for a plant based diet. This delicious oaty drink is a great source of calcium, vitamins B2, B12 and D and contains no added sugar. The drink is easy to digest and contains only 44 calories per 100ml!

I received a beautiful Anthropologie porridge bowl to showcase my delicious porridge in. I cooked this on the hob on a medium heat until it was just how I liked it. I used ½ a cup of oats and 1 cup of the Alpro Oat Original Drink. I topped the porridge with some dried cranberries and it was absolutely delicious. The fact that the oats and the Alpro Oat Original are both high in protein meant that I was full right through until lunch time. The porridge was creamy and delicious and tasted completely natural.

This drink would also go really well in a smoothie. Will you be giving the Alpro Oat Original Drink a try?

*I received this item free of charge in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not influenced in any way.

Potato cakes with smoked salmon - Jamie Oliver Recipe

I recently featured a breakfast I had made, the Jamie Oliver Potato cakes with Smoked Salmon. I altered the recipe a little bit, but the original can be found here.

 This was such a nice breakfast, and with most of the preparation done the night before it was really simple to put together in the morning (and really delicious!). 

First I boiled the potatoes in salted water until they were nearly cooked. I then took them out and let them cool down before grating them into small pieces. 

  In a mixing bowl I combined the potatoes with some spring onions, a tablespoon of flour, pepper and a little bit of butter and mixed well to combine little balls. These were then put in the fridge overnight ready for me to continue in the morning.

The next day I heated my frying pan with frylight and gently fried the potato cakes for a couple of minutes on each side until they were warm throughout and a golden colour. Meanwhile I prepared my eggs. I would have loved to have used poached eggs but I can't for the life of me seem to make them (tips please!). Instead, I used scrambled.

  
I then topped the potato cakes with the eggs and then the smoked salmon. I think the original recipe had this the other way around but I like to break the rules! I think my potatoes were slightly overcooked so these were more like fish cakes without the fish but they were still delicious! And so easy, even for me!