ITV This Morning’s health expert, Dr Amir Khan has shared a versatile and nutritious ‘cake’ recipe – perfect for any meal of the day. Enthusiastically dubbed a “great all rounder” by Dr Khan, this culinary creation is “super easy to make” and promises to “fill you up for hours”.
While it may not be your conventional sweet treat due to its savoury nature, the dish takes the form of a cake and is served up in slices. This is why Dr Amir Khan calls it his “cake frittata”.
The ingredients are rich in vitamins and include the likes of spinach, red onions, eggs and turmeric. The ‘cake’ is an innovative spin on the traditional omelette that could easily find its way onto your breakfast table or feature as a robust lunch or dinnertime meal.
The dish provides many health benefits. Spinach, for instance, delivers antioxidants such as phytoecdysteroids, lutein, and zeaxanthin that aid in stabilising blood sugar and shielding eyes from UV harm and age-related conditions. Red onions contain anthocyanins, which offer protection from illnesses like cancer and heart disease.
Eggs, the core component, are celebrated for their complete protein containing all nine essential amino acids, helping keep hunger and cravings at bay. Particularly, egg whites are prized for leucine, which has been linked to weight loss benefits, reports Surrey Live.
The fibre and protein-rich elements of the ‘cake’ make this meal perfect for people watching their weight or trying to shed a few pounds. Fibre can help you lose weight by making you feel full, slowing digestion, and regulating blood sugar. It also helps to nourish beneficial gut bacteria. This prevents overeating, supports calorie control and can help reduce cravings for sugary and high-calorie snacks.
Turmeric rounds off the dish, famed for its comprehensive health boosters including anti-inflammatory and anticancer qualities among its repertoire of benefits.
Explaining the benefits of the ‘cake’ further in his newly uploaded Instagram video about the recipe, Dr Amir Khan told his 589k fans: “Now, this is what I call an all-rounder. You can have it for breakfast, you can have it for lunch, you can have it for dinner. It hits the spot every single time. It has got potatoes in it, it’s got eggs in it, it’s got loads of veg and cheese as well, honestly.”
He also highlighted the dish’s suitability for those observing Ramadan, saying: “Also, if you’re fasting because it’s Ramadan, this is a really good thing to have at sehri in the morning”.
Dr Khan emphasised the nutritional benefits, adding: “It will fill you up because it’s got protein, healthy fats, carbohydrates in there, and all the antioxidants and vitamins and minerals from those vegetables. It’ll keep you full for so long that you won’t even realise you’re fasting.”
He concluded: “Anyway, if you’re not fasting, it’s just good to have because it’s healthy as well. It’s so delicious. It’s like a frittata cake. Look at it. I couldn’t actually get it out of the tin.”
After a small struggle with the tin, he beamed about the final product: “It took me ages, but I managed to.” He continued: “And look how beautiful it is. It’s so delicious. And slicing it up is like having a dessert because it’s like a cake. Anyway, yum.”
Eager to share the how-to, the ITV star penned in his Instagram video’s caption instructions for aspiring home cooks: “Heat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a 30cm cake tin with baking paper.”
He continued: “Now boil around 8-9 good sized potatoes until soft. Place them in your cake tin and mash them down and up the edges using a glass and then a spoon as shown here.”
The culinary enthusiast went on to detail the addition of vegetables to the mix, stating: “Now add your veg. I used fresh spinach, onions, peppers, vegan Parmesan (feta would be nice too) chillis. Mix 6-7 eggs with tsp turmeric, half tsp cumin seeds, half tsp coriander seeds and a pinch of salt. Whisk.”
Wrapping up the instructions, he suggested: “Add to your cake tin. Place in oven for 40 mins and enjoy! I’m going to try the base with sweet potatoes next time, this was good!”