Try this hearty, recipe and boost your vitamin D levels.
Recipe - A warming weekend brunch or quick evening dinner idea during the winter months.
Garlic mushrooms and poached egg on Sourdough
Serves 2
Ingredients -
1/2 pack mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Butter or olive oil (plus extra olive oil for serving, optional)
2 eggs
2 large slices of Sourdough bread (or bread of choice), toasted
1 tsp vinegar
Chives (fresh or dried), optional
Salt and pepper to taste, optional
Method
Start by filling a pan with 2 inches of water and a splash of vinegar, and bring to the boil.
While the water is heating up, in a separate pan, saute the mushrooms and minced garlic in 1 tsp of olive oil/butter until the mushrooms have softened, turn the heat down and leave to stew while you poach the eggs.
Crack the eggs into a bowl. Once the water has started to bubble, reduce the heat to a simmer and stir the water to create a whirlpool, carefully pour the eggs in, cook for 3-4 minutes until the whites have set.
Pop the bread in the toaster while the eggs are cooking.
Remove the eggs, draining any excess water off, and set aside.
Butter the toast, or drizzle over a little olive oil (optional). Divide the garlic mushrooms between the two slices of toast and carefully place an egg on top. Season with salt, pepper, chives and a drizzle of olive to taste.
Optional
Add in a slice of smoked salmon for that extra vitamin D boost!
Substitute olive oil for butter to give an extra vitamin D boost!
Laura's top nutrition tips to boost your vitamin D levels.
Consume more oily fish and seafood. Sources of vitamin D include salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, sardines, anchovies - tinned or fresh! Add a couple of portions of oily fish into your diet each week, whether in the form of baked salmon for dinner or tuna sandwiches for lunch on the go!
Mushrooms, when exposed to UV light, produce vitamin D - increase your intake of mushrooms, keeping an eye out for those labelled ‘source of vitamin D’ in the supermarkets.
Consume free-range eggs. Chickens allowed to roam in daylight produce more vitamin D than those kept inside, resulting in those egg (yolks!) containing more vitamin D.
Fortified foods! Various foods are fortified with vitamin D, including some dairy products, dairy-free ‘milks’ and cereals - keep an eye out for the labels that say fortified with vitamin D'.
Supplement! Those living in the UK are often able to create and store enough vitamin D from exposure to sunlight between March and September each year to last through the winter. However, we all know how unpredictable the UK weather is and this often isn’t possible, making vitamin D deficiency increasingly common. Taking a daily vitamin D supplement of 10 micrograms is usually enough for the average person. Always consult your GP or Nutritionist before adding in supplements to your diet.