My usual morning routine includes a rather sad looking (but tasty nevertheless) bowl of porridge, so it’s rare that my breakfast makes it to Instagram. However, when Ketel One Vodka challenged me to get involved with their World Class Brunch campaign (which involved making one of their fab – and unique – Bloody Mary cocktails), I thought I’d go all out. Welcome to the brunch of champions…
Although the focal point of any good brunch is of course the food, the accompanying drinks shouldn’t be overlooked. Usually consumed while nursing a rather sorry hangover, the cure you’ll need is a Bloody Mary. I’m not usually a fan of the ‘hair of the dog’ method, but it works. Far better than any greasy McDonald’s concoctions.
However, if you, like me – don’t particularly fancy tomato juice for breakfast, why not switch it up to include orange juice instead? The Ketel One recipe I chose included fresh ginger, cucumber, orange juice and of course, a nice slog of their Vodka. It’s very refreshing, awakening and within the hour – you’ll feel right as rain.
I usually find Vodka a little too overpowering to add to drinks – preferring rum – so I was intrigued to see what I thought of Ketel One. Smooth, crisp and with no overbearing smell/taste of nail varnish, I was pleasantly surprised. Added into my orange juice and ginger mixture, it gave it a slight kick and more distinct flavour without it taking over the drink entirely.
You’ll also need some food in your system – and preferably some that doesn’t take an absolute age to whip up (because no hungover person has the time or energy for that). Since I’m dairy free, I’ve opted for some dishes that I personally love and can eat without trouble, however – you can of course tailor it to your preferences. I know a poached egg wouldn’t look out of place on top of that salmon…
Fresh fruit is definitely what you’ll need – topping up all those vitamins lost while drinking and giving you a sugar boost to help kick that horrible nauseous ‘I can’t think, see or do anything’ feeling. Raspberries are high in antioxidants, iron and potassium and just one cup provides 54% of your daily Vitamin C needs. So, in aid of this – I’ve added an entire bowl full.
For an easier time, I’d buy pre-made scotch pancakes however if you (like me) are intolerant to every ingredient which makes normal cakes and bakes delicious (well, slight exaggeration – just eggs and dairy), than you’ll have to start from scratch.
Use one cup of rice milk, 1 cup of buckwheat flour, 2 tablespoons of honey, oats (to bind it together) and banana (again, to replace the egg and bind it together). Fry a dollop of mixture in dairy-free butter for 2-3 minutes on each side. Top with whatever fruits you fancy… oh and lashings of maple syrup.
Although I deterred quite significantly from the dishes on Ketel One’s World Class Brunch infographic, I enjoyed every last scrap of my dairy-free-friendly brunch, consuming the lot myself (and I’m not embarrassed to admit that either). If you are looking to host your own brunch, either with friends or your partner (great for catching up on all the TV with) then I’d definitely recommend heading over to the interactive infographic here. They can each be teamed with a different Bloody Mary flavour – such as Australia’s poached eggs and avocado on sourdough bread with the ‘Australian Mary’ or South Africa’s Biltong and Feta muffins with Ketel One’s ‘Brai My Mary’.
The world… or brunch.. is your oyster!
What would you include in your brunch of champions? Do you fancy trying some of Ketel One Vodka’s Bloody Mary with-a-twist recipes?
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This post was created in collaboration with Ketel One, but as always, my opinions, photographs (and in this case – brunch creations) are my own.
