My awesome tip to Poaching Eggs...

Eggs are a great source of nutrients including protein, essential vitamins A, D, E, and B group as well as minerals iron, phosphorus and zinc.

They’re relatively low in saturated fat, making them a healthy fast food for all the family. They are very low in calories with only around 80 cals per medium egg – so they are great if you’re health conscious, especially combined with vegetables and salads as part of healthy balanced meals!

If you want to perfectly poach eggs, but have little time to play around with choosing a method that works... try this solution...

1. Take a tea cup and insert clingfilm to line the cup

2.. Crack a medium sized egg into the clingfilm

3. Season with pepper, chilli or another spice or herb of your choice... garlic salt tastes wonderful!

4. Twist the top of the clingfilm to seal the egg in

5. Cook the egg in a pan of boiling water for around 2 minutes

6. Take the egg out and slightly cool...

.... Here you will find the perfect poached egg!

Toasted Breakfast Wraps

Are you fed up of boring breakfast?

Then have no fear as Duckey is here to guide you to breakfast heaven! Not just yummy but low in fat and high in all the good stuff!

Recipe: Delicious, extremely healthy, and quick brakfast wraps for an alternative to boring breakfast!

You will need:

2 large bananas
2 nectarines, halved and stoned
2 tsp thin honey
4 low fat tortillas

To make:

1. Chop the bananas and nectarines and toss with the honey

2. Spoon the fruit down the centre of the tortillas and roll up, folding in the ends to enclose and form wraps

3. Heat a non-stick griddle pan over a medium heat

4. Place the tortilla wraps, seam-side down, in the pan and cook for 2 minutes each side. Serve warm.

These are amazing and perfect for a special breakfast or if you've had guests stay over. They also make a refreshing dessert!

Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese filled mini toasted bagels

This version is great for breakfast, it is well known that smoked salmon makes a posh breakfast so how about trying my posh smoked salmon bagels with a light spreading of cream cheese!

You will need:

10 mini-bagels, halved horizontally and toasted lightly
6 ounces soft low fat cheese spread
1 packed of warmed smoke salmon

1 tsp Dill

To make...

Spread each half of the bagel with the cream cheese

Top each half with warm smoke salmon, and sprinkle the toppings lightly with dill and pepper.

What a special treat for your breakfast or they make great finger food at parties or picnics... you could also try a full size bagel but if your worried about the calories then stick to the mini's!

Duckeys Summer Fruit Skewers

In the summer we tend to sway more to eating lighter foods such as salads and up our fruit in take, fruit contains a lot of water so doesn't

often leave you with that bloated feeling!

A quick easy dessert I have come up with is fruit skewers... you can make this with any type of fruit but here is my summer selections...

RECIPE: Cinnamon coated juicy fruit skewers bathed in lime and softened until warm served with a scoop of cool creme fresh.

You will need:

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup fresh mint

2 apples, cored and cut into 1" pieces
2 bananas, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
2 peaches, pitted and cut into 1" pieces
4 kiwifruit, peeled and sliced into 1" thick sections
4 - one" slices fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into 1" pieces (or 1 can pineapple chunks)
16 strawberries

Scoop of creme fresh

1. Prepare grill

2. In a small bowl, combine oil, sugar, lime juice, cinnamon and mint.
Mix until sugar is dissolved.

3. If using wooden skewers, soak in water for about 10 minutes to prevent from scorching. Alternate fruit pieces and thread onto skewers.

4. Brush kebabs with the sugar mixture then place on grill.

5. Grill kebabs for about 8 minutes, turning now and again until fruit starts to brown and is heated through.

A delicate and delicious summer dessert!

How to make the perfect loaf...

I love to eat healthy bread... I cant say I am particularly fond of white bread as it tends to lay more heavy once eaten.

So I wanted to have a little play taking the basics of bread making and creating something scummy! So I did... and not only did it go great with the homemade soup I made but also made a fantastic dessert.

I was first inspired about making bread from my dad... now there is the perception that men can't cook, however with all the famous chefs such as Jamie Oliver and Ramsey showing us girls how its done I dont believe this to be true!.. Anyway after tasting my dads homemade bread I was hooked (mind you its a shame he only ever made it once!)

I always find you make bread in two stages, there is the preparation and the cooking...


RECIPE:

A deliciously light, wholemeal loaf, speckled with pumpkin seeds, thinly flaked almonds and healthy sunflower seeds... melts in your mouth warm and a real crunch cool.

You will need:

• 1oz 4 of wholemeal flour
• 2 tspns salt
• 1 tsp of light brown sugar
• 1 packet of Yeast
• 25g of pumpkin seeds
• 25g almond flakes
• 25g of sunflower seeds
• 400ml warm water
  
  STAGE ONE
  

1. First of all mix the flour salt and sugar in a bowl and add the Yeast powder to the dry ingredients.

2. Then add the seeds and nuts

3. Make a well in the middle and stir together with a wooden spoon




















4. When a slight dough is formed finish off with your hands and kneed the dough until smooth

5.Take the dough and stretch it on a flat surface and fold in the corners

6. Put in a pre-greased loaf tin and make a rounded top pushing down the corners at the side of the tin

7. Then apply a damp tea cloth on top of the tin and leave in a warm place for the bread to rise, this usually take 30 - 40 minutes

STAGE TWO

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees and once the bread has risen bake in the oven for a further 30-40 minutes

2. Once cooked turn the tin upside down (the bread should make a hollow sound) and let rest for ten minutes

I served my bread with some homemade soup and after a few hours had a couple of slices with some Nutella and a coffee. The seeds complimented the flavors a treat!

You can also freeze this recipe and double the quantity if you are making two loafs!

Live life... Drink green Tea...

Green Tea has so many positive health benefits… it is my favourite type of tea and comes in so many varieties now a days. Becoming more popular it is now linked to burning fat, raising the metabolism, lowering cholesterol as well as preventing dieses and cancer.

They say that drinking 5 cups of green tea a day helps the body burn an extra 70-80 calories per day and comes as either de-cafe or contains about a quarter of the caffeine content in coffee at worst.

It contains the antioxidant EGCG, this not only inhibits the growth of cancer cells, and it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue, evening containing more antioxidants than fruit and vegetables.

Green tea can be served with lemon for more flavour or as the Koreans do – add honey while drinking it.

You can buy it loose or in tea bags. I always carry green tea bags around with me in my handbag just in case you go out and hit a café that doesn’t sell green tea. I recommend Clipper as you can get an assortment of your choice to reflect your tea drinking mood.

The best breakfast...

It is said that the most natural food you can eat for breakfast that is substantial and keeps your energy high for up to 4 hours is porridge. Now I must admit I am a keen porridge fan and have been perfecting my technique now for a few months. Here is how I have mine…

RECIPE:

Scotch porridge oats, heated and cooked with warm skimmed milk, sprinkled with currents topped with thick oats and a drizzling of organic honey.

You will need:

6 dessert spoonfuls of porridge oats
200ml of skimmed milk
2 tsp of currents
½ tsp honey
15g of thick oats



















In a microwavable bowl add 6 spoonfuls of Quaker Scotch Porridge oats and fill just below the top of the oats with skimmed milk.

Then add 2 tsps of currents and cook in the microwave for 1 minute 20 seconds.

By this time the consistency should be fluffy yet thick but soft and warmed, the top with some dry thick oats and a squirt of organic honey, you could also add some banana or use raisins instead of currents.

I usually find after having this for my breakfast I don’t get hungry now until around 1pm which sets me straight up for lunch!

Healthy yogurt treat dessert...

So you’re looking for an alternative version to a tasty dessert which will leave you guilt free…

Well why not try my tasty yogurt dessert…




 You will need:

3 tbsp of fat free Greek yogurt
Half tsp honey
25g Blueberries
25g Raspberries
25g Porridge oats

Take either a martini glass or a dessert bowl

In a pan boil down some blueberries with a drop of water creating a compote

Pour this mixture into the bottom of the glass

Then add a small layer (tbsp yogurt) then a layer of raspberries another layer of yogurt, blueberry compote then yogurt and finally another section of raspberries

Take a pinch of porridge oats you can toast these in the oven before hand to bring out the flavours if you wish

Lace this with a shot of honey

If you want an extra treat serve this with a biscotti!

And finally serve!

Top notch smoothie...

If you are looking for a fat free alternative dessert then here is a simple answer... try having a smoothie, they are quick and easy to make and leave you with a healthy buzz of satisfaction.
RECIPE:


A smooth emulsion of ripe strawberries and soft banana, pureed with light Greek yogurt crunched together with cubes of ice, garnished with a refreshing red strawberry.


You will need:

• 8-10 Strawberries (save 2 for the presentation)
• 2 Bananas
• 2/3 tablespoons of fat free Greek yogurt
• 6-8 ice cubes

1. In a blender first add the ice
2. Add the chopped fruit
3. Add 3 dessert spoons of yogurt... if you wanted to add a bit more flavour you could add some desiccated coconut or honey.

4. Once blended into a smooth liquid pour the smoothie into 2 glasses.

You can spice up the presentation by putting a slot down a half of a strawberry and slotting this onto the glass.

You can even go beyond this and place a cocktail stick containing other fruit onto the cocktail stick.

This is the perfect health kick to start your day or finish it... knowing you are gaining nothing but goodness from this concoction! Better still you can drink this anytime of the day!