OAT AND KALE BREAKFAST SCONES

Always on the lookout for interesting meals to start the day, I regularly make this for my family and friends. Nutritious, filling and different yet familiar, it ticks all the boxes for a special breakfast dish. Being glutenfree, it is a very crumbly scone, but no less delicious for it. Instead of the kale and nutmeg, you could add lots of finely chopped chives and cayenne pepper, or goat’s cheese and chopped thyme leaves. Black olives and rosemary make a good addition, too.

Ingredients (makes 9)

A little olive oil 1 small onion, diced 100g kale, stalks removed, chopped 200g oat flakes 1tsp baking powder ½tsp bicarbonate of soda ½tsp grated nutmeg 1tbsp chia seeds, mixed with 2tbsp water and stirred until a thick gel forms 60g cold butter (or firm coconut oil, hardened in the fridge), cut into small cubes 60ml apple purée or apple sauce 1 egg, lightly whisked

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4 and line a medium baking tray with baking paper. Heat the olive oil in a pan, add the onion and sweat over a gentle heat until soft. Add the kale and sauté until tender, then process in a food processor, or chop finely by hand, press out any moisture and set aside.

2 Spoon half the oats into the food processor (no need to rinse) and blitz until very fine. Add the rest of the flakes and pulse until the larger ones are broken down. Add the baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, nutmeg and some salt, and pulse to mix. 3Add

the butter or oil and pulse until it resembles wet sand. Add the cooled kale and onion, chia seed gel, apple purée and egg, and process until it comes together. It should be on the sticky side. Using a spatula, scrape the dough out onto the lined baking tray. Form into a square 2cm thick, then score into nine squares, leaving them joined together. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden, rotating the sheet halfway. 4Slide

a spatula underneath to loosen, then separate the pieces using a knife, move them apart a little and return to the oven for a further 10-12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Serve with butter, hollandaise and poached eggs for breakfast.