Healthy breakfast tips from the Lincolnshire Chef 28 Jan

Steven Bennett, known as the Lincolnshire Chef, is head chef at the Comfy Duck and recently cooked up a storm in the Lincolnshire Kitchen at our annual Lincolnshire Food & Gift Fair.

"There's nothing better than a wholesome breakfast to kick-start your day. Don't be fooled into any fad January diets that are going to starve you that vital boost of energy you need in the morning. Instead, plan your meals for the week ahead, meaning your fridge is stocked up of all of the healthy snacks you need.

"My midweek on-the-go breakfast is a green smoothie that takes less than 5 minutes to make. It's simple to make and tastes delicious. The best thing about a smoothie is you can throw pretty much anything into it. This spinach and green smoothie has the ultimate zing to it, perfect for that morning boost. If you want something a bit more filling, try blending a frozen banana, almond milk, strawberries and some protein powder or unrefined peanut butter."

Spinach and green smoothie

What to do

In a blender, place 1 large handful of spinach, 1/2 cup of cold water or crushed ice. Blend at a high speed until all of the spinach has combined with the water. Meanwhile, coarsely chop 1/3 fresh pineapple and 1 apple and peel and grate 1cm fresh ginger. Add all of these to the spinach and water and continue to blend, before adding the juice of 1/2 lime and 1cm fresh ginger, peeled and grated. Pour over ice to serve.

Scotch pancakes with greek yoghurt & poached peaches

"This is a delicious healthy alternative to a traditional full English and perfect for a cold, lazy January Sunday morning."

Scotch pancakes/drop scones

You'll need

• 150ml whole milk
• 110g strong flour
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate
• 1 large egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon golden syrup
• 1 teaspoon condensed milk
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

What to do

Beat the egg, extra yolk, syrup and condensed milk together in a bowl. Sieve the flour and bicarb into the egg mixture and fold together. Add the milk and whisk until all of the ingredients form a smooth paste-like batter. Heat a griddle or frying pan and add a little of the toil. Drop ladlefuls of batter onto the hot pan and turn once air bubbles start to form, cooking on each side for around 1 minute until golden.

Poached peaches

You'll need

• 4 ripe peaches - quartered and stoned
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 star anise
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 50g sugar
• 25g butter
• 1 orange - juiced

What to do

In a heavy based saucepan, melt the butter and sugar together until dissolved. Add the honey, star anise and cinnamon before simmering for 1 minute. Carefully place the peach skin side down and simmer for a further minute. Add the orange juice, remove from the heat and leave the peaches to poach in the hot syrupy liquid and cool down, before serving generously over the scotch pancakes and topping with heaps of Greek yoghurt.

Want to try these out for yourself at home? We'd love to see! Share your pictures with us on Twitter @LincsShowground, Instagram @showglincs and Facebook, www.facebook.com/LincolnshireShowground. Enjoy!

If you like these recipes and want to see more from the Lincolnshire Chef, you can visit his website.