Yummy breakfast - chessy egg cups!

So I got the idea for this from Annie's Eats, which I saw on a friends post on Facebook. I couldn't wait to make them, they looked so good and is my favorite combination - cheese and eggs! I particularly like that it makes cute little portions.

I made a slight change to make it vegetarian - instead of bacon I used sundried tomato.  I used the dried type, rather than the one in oil, as the oil would probably have made it too wet.

Cheesy egg cups

Serves 2

4 eggs

Shredded cheese

1 sundried tomato, finely chopped

2 slices of oval bread

1. Preheat the oven to 200

2. Grease a 4 hole muffin tin with butter.  

3. Cut each slice of the bread and place each half into each muffin hole of the tin.

4. Sprinkle a bit shredded cheese and sundried tomato in the center of each slice of bread.

5. Break one egg per muffin hole and carefully place on top of the bread and cheese. This is surprisingly tricky so be careful!

6. Bake until the eggs are cooked through - approx 10 mins.

7. Lift the egg cups out and serve - 2 per person

Quiche - bake sale special!

So at work, we were asked to bake some items for a bake sale.  I have to say I was a bit nervous, especially after all my talk about loving cooking and food.  I'm also not a huge sweet fan, so when my colleague said she was making something savory, I just had to follow suit.  Decision decisions, cheese twists, cheese scones, tarts and quiche - my choice was made!  Quiche it will be.

To ensure that my quiche would be eaten by at least one person, I asked another colleague what type of quiche he would like.  Cheese, onion and spinach were the suggestions.  A sprinkle of sundried tomatoes and we are there!  And yes, I used pre-made pastry - sorry, I just did not have time to make my own...

Sundried tomato, cheese and spinach quiche

1 packet of rolled pastry

4 sundried tomatoes, finely chopped

2 eggs

250g low fat creme fresh
Cheese of your choice, grated
Spinach, chopped and wilted
Half an onion thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to season
Pinch of parsley

1.  Get the pastry out of the fridge and leave for approx half an hour to ensure that it is soft.
2.  Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Roll the pastry out so that it is an inch bigger on every side that your pan.
3.  Grease your pan with oil and then carefully put the pastry in the pan, ensuring the pastry reaches the edge of the whole pan.  Cut off any excess.  Layer with grease proof paper or foil and fill with baking beans.  Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes then leave to cool.
4.  In a bowl, mix the sundried tomatoes, eggs, creme fresh, grated cheese and onion.  Add the pinch of parsley and salt and pepper to taste.
5.  Pour the mixture into the pastry.  Cook in the oven for another 20-25 mins (or until set and golden brown on top)
6.  Serve hot or cold and with a side salad for a full meal!

Breakfast at Plan 9, Maida Vale

If I'm completely honest, I prefer spending weekend mornings at home cooking up exactly what I want, in my pj's, lounging around watching Saturday Kitchen. But sometimes, especially if it's nice outside and there's nothing in the fridge, a visit to the local brunch place is a treat. 

I've been to Plan 9 once before, a year or two ago.  I remember enjoying it then.  There was no real good reason that I'd not gone back, except laziness I guess.  So when picking a place to go last weekend, this was the obvious choice - especially as the other two diners had not been before.  The interior is quite quirky - I think the full name is supposed to be Plan 9 Space and Time Cafe and they have tried to add an element of sci fi to the space.  There are not that many seats - a couch, two armchairs, maybe 4 tables with a couple of chairs around each and 3 or 4 more tables outside (complete with blankets for chillier days).  There are also a couple of computers which I assume is for customers wanting to surf the web.  It's very relaxed and possibly a little worn.

The menu consists of breakfast fare (served all day) - fry ups, eggs in various forms, sausage and bacon butties - as well as a selection of sandwiches and cakes.  Drinks included coffees and teas as well as 5 or 6 different options of fruit smoothies.  We went for a couple of smoothies, a coffee, a couple of fry ups (one veggie, one regular) and a bagel with cream cheese and salmon, scrambled eggs and a side of sliced avocado.  The smoothies were tasty - I think they were made from frozen fruit though.  Overall the fry ups were made from good quality produce, not greasy and enough to fully fill you up.  The pork sausages were possibly a tad over perfumed, but that was the only criticism.  The bagel (which I got to choose from  4 different varieties) was lightly toasted and stuff with lots of delicious smoked salmon and just enough cream cheese.

Strangely there does not seem to be a toilet in the place - I didn't ask but I'm not really sure where it would fit?  Also ventilation is slightly lacking, so we smelt a bit like sausages when we left - not so much of a problem in summer though as you can just sit outside.  They also sell a number of various American treats, such as Pop Tarts, Oreo Cookies and the absolute best, Kraft Mac and Cheese (the Cheesiest!).  It does seem to be quite a popular place on the weekend, so make sure you show up before noon to ensure you get seated quickly.  They also have a Tex Mex evening on Thursdays which I have yet to try - it's only a matter of time as you know I love burritos!

Breakfast - the most important meal of the day

One of the best things about weekends are the breakfasts. I lie in bed for ages concocting the most important meal of my day.  Eggs, smoked salmon, breakfast burritos, French toast, sausage baps - the list goes on and on.

So this morning, with a house full of ingredients, I went all out!  Asparagus with a poached egg covered in rich creamy Hollandaise.  As if that wasn't enough, I served it with a side of baguette with avocado (lightly mashed with finely chopped onion , salt and pepper).  One thing to mention with this recipe is timings - it is very difficult to get everything done at once.  So if you don't have any helpers, turn on the oven to keep everything warm.

Asparagus with poached egg and Hollandaise

Serves 4

- About 500g asparagus spears

- 2 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 100g butter (unsalted, if possible)
- 1 tablespoon water
- 4 eggs
- salt & pepper to taste

1. Steam the asparagus until tender - 3-4 minutes.  Set aside somewhere warm
2. Melt the butter and allow to cool
3. Fill a pan with an inch of water and bring to the boil. Simmer gently. Put a small mixing bowl on top of the pan. The bowl should be big enough to reach the edges but without the base touching the boiling water.
4. Place the egg yolks, water and half the lemon juice into the bowl. Whisk until the egg yolks start to thicken
5. Add the butter, a little at a time, whisking continuously
6. Add salt, pepper and the rest of lemon juice to taste
7. In the meantime, bring a small pan with at least 3 inches of water to the boil.  Stir the water to create a swirl. Crack the egg into the pan and allow to poach for 2-2½ minutes. Remove using a slotted spoon and drain
8. Assemble the asparagus on the plate, put the poached egg on top and pour the Hollandase over the top. 

Beautiful bobotie

Recently I went to Shaka Zulu for a tasting evening.  I can't say I've ever had typical South African food, so was not really sure what to expect.

To be honest, I thought the starters were unimpressive.  Smoked salmon with a garnish, pickled fish and biltong - South African jerky which was tasty, but more of a bar snack than an actual dish.  The main courses were much more interesting.  We were initially presented with a selection of meats, including lamb, ostrich and springbok. Served with this was a curried cabbage side dish which was delicious.  The real winner for me though was the bobotie.  A traditional meat pie, it is a wonderful marriage of eggs and spiced mince beef cooked in a small casserole dish.  Often served in bread or with rice, this is warm comfort food at it's best!

So I've scoured the internet to find a recipe for this lovely dish.  As with many typical dishes, there are 100's of variants - some with raisins, some with chutney, some with tomato paste and some without any of these.  I wanted to replicate the dish as closely as possible, so I combined the ideas and came up with the recipe below.

Bobotie - South African spiced mince meat pie

Serves 4

Ingredients:

- 2 slices of old bread,

- vegetable oil

- 1 onion, chopped

- ½ teaspoon mixed spice

- 2 cloves garlic

- 2 teaspoons curry powder

- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder

- 500 g minced lean beef or Quorn veggie mince

- 2 eggs

- salt and black pepper

- 2 tablespoons water

- juice from one lime

- pinch of sugar

Topping:

- 1 egg

- 150 ml milk

- salt for seasoning

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
2. Put bread in a bowl, cover with warm water and leave to soak.
3. In a frying pan, heat the oil over a medium heat and fry the onion for approx 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and fry for another minute
4. Add the mixed spice, curry, turmeric and mince.  Fry until lightly browned.  Take off the heat.
5. Drain the bread of excess water, crumble and mix evenly into the mince.  Add the water, lime juice, sugar and salt and pepper to taste.
6. Beat the eggs and add to the mince.
7. Pour into an ovenproof dish and bake in the oven for 25 minutes, until the top is light brown.
8. For the topping, beat the egg and add the milk and salt. Pour over the mince and put back into the oven.  Turn the oven up to 200C.
9. Bake in the oven until the top has browned, approximately 15 mins.
10. Serve hot with rice or bread and vegetables.