Category: Eggs

St George’s day, 450 years of Shakespeare and the start of the British Asparagus Season

April 24, 2014





I was on my own yesterday for St George’s Day (Well me and Drake the Cat should I say),  So I wasn’t sure wether I was going to do something Patriotic or not? I should though! ( I thought to myself), being English! 

   Last year I made a Hearty Beef Pie dish but I couldn’t possibly attempt to eat that all to oneself and I believe most of my friends were busy doing something or other.
  It was wonderful to see also the fact that we were celebrating 450 Years of William Shakespeare! I actually felt rather guilty that I had hardly read any of his work and shock Horror…never seen a play. I did feel quite disappointed in myself and began to scour through “Kindle” to see what I could buy and to my astonishment, some of his most famous work was free! Brilliant! I would have preferred a “real book”  of course! but this was convenient for me. 

   Earlier that morning I had already made some homemade Wild Garlic and Fennel seed bread along with some Pesto, just to start using up the vast amount I already had of Wild Garlic in the fridge. So I had a rather nice looking loaf which would be ready to slice by lunchtime.  Whilst pottering about at this time I was listening to BBC Radio Leicester, Rupal Rajani was on and asking people what makes us predominately “English”? or rather, what springs to mind when you think of the English? It then came to me, what my dish would be for St George’s day.  A Ploughman’s Lunch, with a couple of Modern ingredients added for my taste.  I then imagined Shakespeare ripping some bread and Cheese apart with a big Glug of Ale. I’m not sure wether he would have liked the ingredients of Bread, Chutney and cheese (The basics of a Ploughman’s).  But I do know that since the first mention of this dish in “Pierce the Ploughman’s Creed” (c.1394) of Bread, Cheese and Ale it is still a great Lunch for any Worker now. Something so simple yet hearty and stable.  Shame our Patriot St George couldn’t have experienced it back then after Slaying the Dragon! 
  Here’s my version of this great Pub Lunch that I had in My Kitchen diner instead.




My Ploughman’s Lunch with Homemade Wild Garlic and Fennel Seed Bread:

Bread Ingredients:

–  500g of Crusty Wholemeal bread mix consisted of Wholemeal flour, Chickpea Flour and the Dry yeast. (I used this because it needed using up and I wanted Wholemeal flour for this, not White Flour) 
–  A big Handful of Wild Garlic leaves finely chopped.
–  340 ml of lukewarm water.
–  Salt and Pepper.
–  Sprinkle of Fennel Seeds for on top of loaf.


This is the first time I have used a Packet Bread mix and I was pleasantly surprised.  I still had to knead the dough and do all I would have anyway so that still made it fun.  Here is the process to the packet instructions.


Here as you can see I have Kneaded the dough and placed in a greased Loaf tin, covered with a wet Tea Towel and placed in my airing cupboard for 15 mins.

 After 15 Mins I took out the dough, folded and kneaded it again with the Wild Garlic in and let it rise for another 30 mins in the airing cupboard.

 Placed the Fennel Seeds on top and into a preheated oven at 220c for approx 30-40 minutes.

                                                               

As you can see regarding the rest of my Lunch, it consisted of Boiling an English Egg, blanching some English Asparagus, placing some lovely English Ham onto the plate. Popping my Local Tomato Chutney into a Ramekin.  Chopping My English Spring Onion, Slicing my English Cheese, picking my Home grown Salad leaves and Pouring My English Ale! … I think you get the Gist now! 





Saturday Night Food…Dinner Party anyone?

March 26, 2014

Following on from a great day I had with Ben Jackson for Food Friday, Saturday came and I was still so full of cooking energy and immediately wanted to come up with something new again! 
  Now, not always does this happen straight off when recipe developing and with a couple of glasses of Sauvignon Blanc being in my system (evening by this time),  I didn’t think I was going to be as pleased as I was with this recipe.  
   This may not be everyones “Cup of tea” I realise that, but I felt it was the nicest risotto I had made in a long time. I am yet to cook this for my fiancé as he was away at the time and I am intrigued to see what he thinks also, he’s always honest! 

  So, from the recipe that I had done the day before, I had bits and bobs left over in the fridge including some of the lovely Pearl Barley I had pre cooked. There were bacon opened as I fancied a BLT for breakfast, anyway you get the gist!
   This is what I came up with in the end.  It took me a long time to figure out a title name for the recipe as theres a lot going on in it, but it came to me that the title for this is right really. Its leftover ingredients but not with Potato in this instance. Even though it doesn’t have specific Springtime ingredients in this, It did make me think of Spring when I dived into it.


My 2 Grain Bubble and Squeak Risotto with Bacon,  Poached Egg and vegetable crisps.

 Ingredients:

(Serves 2 as a large portion or may stretch to 4 for starters)

–  1 Tbsp Olive or Rapeseed oil
–  2 Knobs of Butter
–  1-2 Garlic cloves chopped
–  1 small Onion diced
–  2 rashers of Bacon
–  2-3 leaves of Savoy Cabbage sliced thinly
–  3-4 Chestnut mushrooms chopped small
–  1/4 of a leek sliced thinly
–  100g of cooked Pearl Barley
– 150g of Arborio Rice
–  175ml of Dry White Wine ( 1 Glass for yourself also! )
–  500ml of Chicken stock keeping hot.
–  Sprig of fresh Thyme
–  Eggs for Poaching
– 1 Parsnip and a small amount of Butternut Squash for the Vegetable Crisps
– Vegetable Oil for the frying of the Crisps
–  Sprinkle of caster Sugar for the Crisps
–  Salt and Cracked Black Pepper for seasoning 
–  Grated Parmesan Cheese to finish




Fry off the Onion and Leek in some olive oil, then when starting to sweat down a little, add the butter.

 Add the Bacon, Mushrooms, 1/4 of the Cabbage first, Garlic and Thyme.


 Once cooked down a bit add in the risotto rice, stir gently and add your wine. Once the wine has almost evaporated you can add your Hot Chicken Stock a bit at a time.

 Whilst the Risotto is cooking away, Peel your Parsnip and Butternut Squash very thinly like so and fry off in oil. I have used a Wok but if you have a Deep Fat Fryer, great! 

 They only take about a minute. Once starting to brown, bring them out onto Kitchen Paper. Sprinkle with a tiny amount of Caster sugar.

 Add the rest of your Cabbage and Pearl Barley to the Risotto, Poach your egg and finish with another knob of Butter, parmesan Cheese and any seasoning required.

Top with your Poached Egg and add Your Vegetable Crisps for Sweetness and Crunch.

A Meat Free and Fuss Free Leftover Gem…

February 10, 2014

I almost forgot to tell you lovely readers out there about this little gem of a dish, of which I never imagined tasting as nice as it did.  I have come up with different versions of this before but not so much with these ingredients, more spicy, such as Mexican style.

  It was in the middle of my “Roast Pork challenge” and by lunch time of the 3rd and final day, I was crying out for something Vegetarian.  I do like my Meat, but I also like variety in a week.  So I took a look into my Fridge and I literally save everything that I can safely put back into another meal the following day.  Here in my fridge were various tubs of cooked vegetables, including the potatoes.  I assembled all ingredients with lids off the tubs and took a glare.  Ok Im going to whack everything together, add Eggs and spices, a bit like Bubble and Squeak and Hope for the best! 

  It was lovely. Warming,comforting and a really nice Lunch that again was very cheap and quick to allow me to carry on writing.  So if you have any of your Veg from yesterdays Roast, why not give this a Go?…




*Not the Greatest looking dish, I know!* but tastes lush.

 Scrambled Veg with Eggs :


Ingredients:


( Baring in mind, you can be as versatile with this recipe as you like. It is your leftovers, these were just mine) … Amounts do not matter in this.


–  Tbsp of Rapeseed oil or the oil you normally fry in?
–  1 Clove of fresh Garlic chopped finely
–  1 Spring onion chopped.
–  A 2 inch piece of fresh Leek sliced finely
–  A Tsp of mild Curry powder
–  1/2 Tsp of smoked paprika
–  Salt and Pepper to season.

–  4 leftover Cooked roast potatoes

–  Some leftover cooked Savoy cabbage
–  A few leftover cooked carrots about 6 pieces, if being precise.
–  Some leftover cooked sugar snap peas 
–  Some sliced, Cooked white onion.
–  2-3 eggs depending on size
–  Salt and Pepper to season.
If you want more spice, Add fresh chilli to heat it up! 


In a bowl, Mash the Cooked roast potatoes roughly.  Add all of the cooked ingredients and mash up with your hands (Fun Part!). 

Whisk the eggs in another Bowl as you would for an Omelette and season a little.

Pop the chosen oil into your frying pan and start to fry off the leeks, garlic, spring onion, curry powder and paprika.

Then add the Cooked leftover Potato and Vegetable mix. Followed by the Eggs and now the world is your Oyster as you can scramble the whole lot as I did or try and flatten like Bubble and Squeak!  Whatever you have chosen to put in this or however you cook it? It is as Versatile as you want it to be.

A lovely Meat Free, Fuss free, thrifty Lunch or Dinner. You choose…