My friends probably hear me saying this too often, but it’s true: while I enjoy meat sometimes, I’m not a big fan of cooking it. I’ve noticed that whenever I look for new ideas, my go-to recipes are the veggie ones; this also goes with cooking from scratch, I end up using almost everything in the fridge, but I’ll steer clear of the meat. For me, I feel like there’s something gratifying in cooking with vegetables, their earthy tones or lively colour, their fresh smell that develops even more when they are being cooked. Well, whatever it is, there’s something about those vegetables that just makes me wanna cook them.

With spring almost here and to celebrate the first sunny weekend day we’ve seen yet, we decided to have an impromptu brunch, which for people with kids typically means getting up bright and early and having a frugal breakfast, so that you don’t starve until your childless friends wake up after a fun night out, go to the market and then get back home in time to cook everything up. I decided for a delicious and hearty frittata, with asparagus, mushrooms and brie and I have to say it was just what everyone needed; a good balance of nutrients and vitamins for everyone, with a protein kick for hangover relief. My husband baked a small batch of organic bacon, that I have to say everyone welcomed.

Since this specific frittata is quite hearty, I decided to go for a somewhat lighter dessert – my favourite gluten-free banana bread muffin recipe. It’s literally one of the easiest desserts ever; the great thing about it is that it doesn’t fill you up, it’s the most airy muffin ever and since it gets most of its sweetness from the bananas, as it’s a healthier version of the regular banana bread. I added a little lemon glaze on top for a bit of zing and they were so good that they finished off really quick; it’s a good thing that I got to snap them fresh out of the oven, or I might have ended up with no photos of them at all.

We spent the remainder of the afternoon lounging around, talking and enjoying endless cups of tea, ’cause on a Sunday, what’s the rush?

Asparagus, Mushroom and Brie Frittata

Serves 8

25gr/2Tblsp unsalted butter

75ml/1/4cup olive oil

400gr/15oz asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2,5cm/1in pieces

400gr/15oz mushrooms, washed and sliced

10 large free-range eggs

25ml/2Tblsp heavy cream

100gr/3,5oz Brie, sliced into rounds

25gr/2Tblsp grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 165C/325F.  

Melt the butter in a large oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Stir in olive oil and asparagus, and cook until the asparagus is nice and tender, for about 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and heavy cream. Pour into the skillet, and reduce heat to low. Cover with a lid and cook for another 5 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until eggs are no longer runny. Remove from the oven and top with the slices of Brie. Turn on the broiler and broil until the cheese has melted and the frittata is lightly browned on the surface. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the grated Parmesan. Serve either hot or at room temperature.

Gluten Free Banana Bread Muffins

100ml/1/2 cup sunflower oil

200gr/1 cup coconut sugar (you can use any type of sugar you like)

2 free-range eggs

200gr/1 cup rice flour

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

1 tsp pure vanilla extract or 1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped

3 brown bananas, mashed

For the glaze:

100ml/1/2 cup honey

1 Tbsp freshly squeezed  lemon juice

Preheat oven to 180C/375F. Grease or line a muffin tray. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or using a hand-held mixer, combine the oil and the sugar and mix until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the rice flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon and mix well to combine. Next, add the mashed bananas and the vanilla extract and mix just until everything is combined. Pour batter evenly in the muffin tray and bake in the oven for around 20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

To make the glaze, just mix together the honey and the lemon juice in a bowl and dip the tops of the cooled muffin in it.