THE LAST BITE Four indulgent bank holiday brunches

Make time for a mid-morning treat on bank holiday weekends – the ideal start to a lazy day

French toast

Eggy bread, pain perdu, French toast – this classic breakfast dish has plenty of names and just as many options for toppings. Try this version with fresh berries and syrup.

SERVES 4 PREP 5 mins COOK 15 mins EASY V

2 large eggs 80ml whole milk 40ml double cream 1 tsp vanilla extract ½ tsp cinnamon 4 thick slices brioche 2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp butter icing sugar, maple syrup and fresh berries, to serve (optional)

1 Whisk the eggs with the milk, cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Lay the brioche slices in a single layer in a shallow dish, then pour over the egg mixture. Soak for 2-3 mins, then carefully flip the brioche and soak for 2 mins more.

2 Heat 1 tbsp each of the oil and butter in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat until foaming. Carefully transfer two of the soaked brioche slices to the pan. Fry for 3 mins each side until golden and crisp, then put on a wire rack over a baking tray in a warm oven while you cook the other slices in the rest of the oil and butter.

3 Serve dusted in icing sugar with maple syrup and fresh berries, if you like.

PER SERVING 461 kcals • fat 31g • saturates 13g • carbs 33g • sugars 9g • fibre 1g • protein 10g • salt 0.9g

Croque Florentine SERVES 1 PREP 10 mins COOK 10 mins EASY V

Put 2 large handfuls baby spinach in a colander and pour over boiling water. Rinse with cold water until cool, then squeeze out all the water and chop. Mix in 1 tsp Dijon mustard and 1 tbsp double cream, and season. Make a sandwich with the spinach, 50g grated cheddar and 2 chunky slices of bread. Butter the outside of the sandwich, then fry over a medium heat. Drizzle some olive oil into the pan, and crack in an egg. Flip the sandwich and cook the other side until golden and oozing. Serve topped with the egg. GOOD TO KNOW calcium • folate • 1 of 5-a-day PER SERVING 782 kcals • fat 54g • saturates 29g • carbs 40g • sugars 4g • fibre 3g • protein 32g • salt 2.9g

Bloody Mary beans & bangers SERVES 2-3 PREP 2 mins COOK 30 mins EASY G

Cook 6 sausages in a drizzle of oil in a pan or casserole dish, then transfer to a plate. Add 1 chopped onion, 1 chopped celery stick and some more oil to the pan and cook until soft, about 8 mins. Add 400ml passata, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp red wine vinegar and a good shake of tabasco, simmer for 10 mins until the sauce is thick and spluttering, then add a drained 400g can haricot beans. Return the sausages to the pan, cook for 5 mins, then scatter with chopped parsley or basil. Serve with buttered toast. GOOD TO KNOW fibre • vit c • 2 of 5-a-day

PER SERVING 382 kcals • fat 21g • saturates 7g • carbs 25g • sugars 12g • fibre 10g • protein 19g • salt 1.4g

Harissa & kale baked eggs SERVES 2 PREP 2 mins COOK 10 mins EASY V

Tear a thick slice of bread into chunks, then fry in a drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan until crisp. Set aside. Add 1 sliced red onion to the pan with more oil, and fry until starting to caramelise. Add 1 crushed garlic clove and 1 chopped red chilli, stir for a minute, then add 2 handfuls chopped kale, cook until wilted and season. Add the bread back in, along with 2-3 tsp harissa. Make two spaces in the pan, then crack in 2 eggs and cook until the whites are set. Season then and serve from the pan. GOOD TO KNOW healthy • low cal • folate • vit c • 1 of 5-a-day

PER SERVING 213 kcals • fat 10g • saturates 2g • carbs 17g • sugars 6g • fibre 4g • protein 12g • salt 0.6g