Brunch is definitely my favourite meal of the day! It literally gets me so excited! I’m always looking forward to weekend brunches with family or friends. While I do love a good brunch outside, there’s nothing more satisfying than cooking up one for yourself and loved ones. It’s enjoying that quality time that we so rarely get during the week.

I also got to try out the new M&S chef range of pans, utensils and plates, so I thought it would be the perfect excuse to put them to the test and cook up a super brunch feast. Good cooking utensils always make cooking more of a treat, and make the whole process so much more enjoyable. For the Sunday brunch I chose a few ‘old’ favourite recipes, but changed them up slightly, by making them all that extra healthier.

Here are a few recipes that I hope you will try out and enjoy…

Vegan Banana French Toast

The classic French toast but with a twist. Introducing the vegan banana French toast. Super moist, tender and slightly crispy.

Ingredients (Serves: 2)

1 Ripe banana

300ml Almond milk

1/2 tbsp flaxseed

1/4 tsp cinnamon

4 slices thick crusty artisan bread

Optional: 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tbsp maple syrup/fruit of your choice, homemade jam.

Mash banana in a bowl. Add almond milk, flaxseed, cinnamon and stir. If the batter appears too thick then add more almond milk. It has to be easy to pour but not too runny. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes while you preheat your pan to medium heat. Once your surface is hot, coat generously with vegan butter or coconut oil. Dip your slices of bread into the batter and let it rest for 5-10 seconds on each side. Transfer the slices to a frying pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until evenly golden brown. I love to also add a few extra slices of banana to cook along with the french toast. Flip carefully using a sturdy spatula as the banana mixture can be a bit sticky if you’re not gentle. Careful not to burn your french toast, so make sure to keep it at a low heat. Serve immediately with desired toppings. I love to add slices of banana, a few raspberries and some homemade jam (recipe below).

Avo on Toast

I’m a sucker for a good avocado on toast. I know it’s not exactly ground breaking but then why reinvent the wheel when you’re on to a good thing, right?! So here is my tasty avo on toast with a chilli twist.

Ingredients

2 Slices of bread (try thick, crusty artisan breads. My favourites are  sourdough, rye, wheat, multigrain.

1 Ripe Avocado, peeled, seeded and mashed

1/2 Lime

Chilli flakes

Sunflower Seeds

Rocket leaves

A few Cherry tomatoes

Pepper – Optional

Sea salt – Optional

Toast the slices of bread. Mash the Avocado and squeeze the lime (again this is optional – and add as much as you prefer) Spread onto toast and top with sunflowers seeds, chilli flakes, pepper and sea salt to taste. Also add a few cherry tomatoes, rocket leaves and parsley.

Strawberry Chia Jam

Ingredients

2 Punnets of mashed strawberries (remove the tops before mashing)

2 tablespoons of chia seeds

3/4 cup of water

Xylitol to sweeten ( how much you use depends on how sweet you like it. I personally do not put any sweetener)

Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and boil for one minute. Place in hot sterilised glass jars. It is very important to sterilise jars to prevent bacteria and mould from forming and it also prolongs shelf life. Another important point to note is that you must never place hot food into cold jars as they can crack, so make sure you time it so the jam and jars are ready at the same time.

How to Sterilise Jars

Start by washing the mason jars and lids you wish to use with hot soapy water and leave them to dry upside down on a tea towel. Once dry place the jars upright onto a metal tray making sure the jars do not touch each other. Place them in a preheated oven 180C for 10 minutes. Place the lids in a saucepan of water and boil them for 10 minutes. Once the jars and lids are ready take them out and place the hot jam inside. Enjoy your delicious jam!

Mushroom & Feta Omelette

All hail mushrooms as the superfood, so they are the perfect topping for your omelette (that’s if you like mushrooms btw). They are rich in vitamin D, B, they have anti-ageing properties (we like the sound of that) and they help with tiredness and bloating. I say bring them on!

Ingredients

2 Eggs

1 Punnet of white mushrooms thinly sliced

1 Clove of garlic

Handful of chopped parsley

Olive oil

Feta cheese

Sauté the mushrooms in a olive oil with garlic and parsley. Cook until all the water from the mushroom has been absorbed and set aside. Heat a non stick pan (here I used the tri ply pan) greased with olive oil then beat the eggs adding salt and pepper. Pour into the pan. Cook on low to medium heat for about 3 minutes. When you see the omelette firming add the sautéd mushroom in the centre and sprinkle some feta cheese on top and more parsley. Once the omelette is cooked flip one side over covering the mushroom or you can leave it as an open omelette.

After our mini feast, I can safely say that the M&S chef collection is not only pretty to look but also a delight to cook with. Their tri ply frying pan was perfect for my omelette and french toast, not sticking to the pan in the slightest and made cleaning it a dream! I particularly loved their gorgeous plates, adore a touch of grey and gold… Overall I was immensely satisfied with all aspects of this brunch. What about you, what’s your favourite brunch recipe? Are you an avid ‘avo on toast’ eater like me? Would love to know some of your favourite recipes.

This post is in collaboration with M&S.