There is just something about a lazy morning spent breakfasting
in bed, when you pile your plate as high as a tray unconvincingly balanced on a
duvet will manage and lick ketchup off your fingers before staining your crisp
white bedsheets, which just screams luxury. Don’t save it for your Mother or
your Valentine on their respective days of pampering, whatever the time of
year, whether the scorching July sun is streaming through your curtained
windows, or the early winter drizzle is making ‘tucked up in bed’ the most
appropriate place to be (at all times); it simply cannot be beaten.
And, with
the days getting longer, sunshine yellow daffs standing proudly in gardens all
over the county, just asking to be plucked and added to a breakfast tray, there
is no greater time, in my opinion, to indulge in a little bit of sleepy noshing
than Spring.
In my mind, which may or
may not be conveniently deluded to allow me to indulge in this tastiest
of treats all the way until summer; there is nothing to make me feel guilty
about crumbs on the bedsheets at this time of year. Not the threat of missing
the hottest day of the year or the queues to the beach, not Christmas shopping
induced panic, no bulbs to be planted, no winter chutney to be made.
Whatever
the excuse, and regardless of whether there is (almost always) something more
useful you could be doing than eating your body weight in bacon in bed, the
fact that it is still too cold to indulge in breako al fresco without a woolly
hat, and the revelation that Dusty Springfield herself sang a song about it,
are both good enough reasons to rename Spring the season of bedside brunch for
me.
Now, let’s be honest, breakfast in bed is never a virtuous
affair. The clue’s in the name to be frank. Yes, this is a treat that demands
bacon. Toasted muffins dripping in butter. Eggs with yolks that run like liquid
gold. Sticky, roasted vine tomatoes. Smashed avocados. And maybe a large glass
of Bucks Fizz. My favourite breakfast involves all of these things. Topped off
with a smattering of salty feta cheese and a sprinkling of artfully torn
coriander leaves and fiery red chillies, it is a truly sunny take on the
classic full English, and guaranteed to put a spring in your step after you
finally emerge from your duvet lined cave.
Even better, leave this super easy recipe stuck on the
fridge or open on the coffee table, and cross your fingers that someone else
will make it for you. Breakfast in bed is always better when you haven’t
actually had to leave it…
Mexican Breakfast
en Cama, serves 2
2 English muffins, toasted and smeared with butter just
before serving
4 rashers of smoked bacon
2 vines of cherry tomatoes
2 eggs, poached or fried
2 avocadoes
½ red chilli
½ lemon
Olive oil
Small bunch of coriander
50g feta cheese
Preheat to oven to 185oc
In a small roasting tray, drizzle the cherry tomatoes with
oil, before seasoning well with salt and pepper. Roast in the preheated oven,
for around 20 minutes, or until sticky
In a small bowl, mash the avocadoes (leaving some quite
chunky) with the lemon juice, a drizzle of oil and chopped chilli to taste,
before seasoning well.
In a frying pan, fry the bacon in a little oil until crispy
Now to assemble! Transfer the toasted muffins to a plate and
perch the poached eggs on top. Add a large spoonful of the avocado mixture, the
bacon and roasted tomatoes on the vine. Sprinkle with feta, the coriander
leaves and a few slices of the chilli if desired.
And it is as easy as that! Now get back in to bed…
