Wot's This Then ?

Is it a quiche ? Is it a sorta Spanish omelette ? A frittata  ?

Call it what ye will. I needed to use up eggs !
We're obviously not keeping up with our chickens. They are laying more eggs than we are prepared to eat on a daily basis. While I try to come up with a recipe that uses a hundred eggs in one go, they keep on accumulating in the pantry.
Sunday was the day I hard boiled fifteen eggs to use in an egg mayonnaise - salad type of thing.
But I also wanted to make something that would do as  dinner. Not too much fuss as I was still in the grips of a flu. With the feeling of a boa constrictor squeezing the bejeesus out of my chest, the only thing I wanted to do was lay down and play dead.
Unfortunately my appetite never dies so I set to work. Cooked everything in the oven.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan assisted)
Line a roasting tin with baking paper (my tin is 21 x 36 cm)

First step
Ingredients

• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced into 0.5 cm disks
• 3 medium sized sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 0.5 cm disks
• olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp Provençale or Italian dried herbs
• 1 tsp smoked paprika

Preparation

• Put the potatoes, oil, herbs and spices onto a baking tray toss around that you have an even coating of oil and spices.
• Put the tray in the preheated oven and roast for 15 to 20 minutes.

• Transfer the potatoes to a bowl and set aside.

Second step

Ingredients

• 2 large onions, peeled and sliced in rings
• 1 red and 1 yellow pepper, sliced (in rings or  lengthways)
• olive oil
• 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp Provençale or Italian herb mix, 1 tsp smoked paprika

Preparation

• Spread the veg out onto your tray with olive oil and spices

•  In the oven with it ! For 15 minutes

• Set aside

Third step

Ingredients plus of course yer roasted veg

• olive oil
• 200 grs goats cheese, sliced
• 12 eggs
• splash of milk
• salt to taste
• a small bunch of coriander leaves

Preparation

• Take your roasting tin with the baking paper and drizzle with olive oil
• Layer with potatoes, other veg and goats cheese

• Beat the eggs with the salt and milk. Add the chopped coriander leaves and pour over the veg.

• Place it in the hot oven for 30 minutes or until the eggs have set.

• Leave to rest for 10 minutes before lifting the 'whatever-you-gonna-call-it' out with the lining paper.
• Slice and serve however you like.

I obviously made enough to have leftovers the next day.

A great meat free meal it was too. And while the written down recipe seems long, it was ready in no time (except for the hour in the oven)

If you don't like goats cheese, use another cheese.

If you don't like cheese, don't use any.

If you don't like coriander, use parsley or nothing of the sort.

If you don't like eggs, tough luck !

If any of my friends in the area want some free eggs, come and get some. I'm not going to start a delivery service. Capiche ?

Patricia xxx...x

The Not-so-Italian Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Why not so Italian ? Because I wanted it extra creamy and added cream. Ouch!



For 4 people

Ingredients

• 500 grs spaghetti
• 150 grs pancetta or lardons - I obviously used the smoked variety from our own pigs
• 2 cloves of garlic, unpeeled and crushed 
• 3 free range eggs
• 100 ml cream - maybe a bit more, because I really wanted it extra creamy
• 100 grs grana padano, grated at home - that is what I used, but it should actually be half and half Parmesan/Pecorino 
• Black pepper, freshly pestled-and-mortered

Method

• Bring a large pan of water to the boil. When it boils add salt  (you know as salty as the Mediterranean). Cook the spaghetti al dente. Stir sometimes to prevent it sticking, especially at the beginning.
• While the water was heating up, you should have been busy already softly, softly frying off the lardons in some oil, butter or lard in a frying pan. You added the 2 crushed garlic cloves too. They come back out at a later stage. The lardons should be golden and crispy, but I prefer when they are a bit softer. 
• Now take out the garlic. and add black pepper to lardons.
• Whisk the eggs somewhat together with the cream.
• When the pasta is cooked, lift it out with a slotted spoon and add to the frying pan that contains the bacon. It doesn't matter that the 'hanging' cooking water is added, it brings a little extra liquid to the 'sauce'.
• Heat through.
• Add the grated cheese to the egg mixture.
• Take the pasta off the heat and stir in the eggs, cheese and cream.
• Lifting the pasta and stirring till  the strands are covered and the sauce has thickened.
• You can still add some salt to this, but I believe with the lardons, cheese and Mediterranean sea water it should suffice.
• Serve immediately, sprinkled with more black pepper and grated cheese.

I'm sure there is no need for me to add to the many, many recipes for carbonara that are available on the internet. But maybe, when you're browsing through my blog and come across this one, it might remind you what a simple to make and deliciously tasty meal this is.

Patricia xxx...x

Low Carb Pizza

I read about this pizza crust on a forum. I was intrigued and would definitely give it a go sometime down the line.
Well, that time had come and I trawled the internet to get a more specific idea of what was required.
Cauliflower !
Yes, cauliflower ! And cheese, and egg.
Come to think of it, it is basically a cauliflower and cheese omelet/frittata cooked in the oven.  Now, if you don't need to watch your carbs (which in all honesty we all should) it might not be for you, but if you are on a low carb or glutenfree diet this is a grand alternative. 
The texture is quite pleasant and the cauliflower .... I could not taste it in the finished product.  I love cauliflower, but I admit to being a little wary of cauliflower flavoured pizza. But as it turned out, there was no reason to be anxious.  So, try it out !

Cauliflower Pizza Base 
23 cm round pizza tin (with a slightly raised edge), lined with baking parchment - per person - 360 calories. 
Preheat oven to 230° C

 

Ingredients

• 120 grs grated/riced cauliflower - 24 cal
• 60 grs grated cheese  - mine was gouda and gave me 246 cal - You can use a lower fat cheese, but you need some fat for 'melt factor'
• 1 large egg - 90 cal
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil (yes, dried works best for this)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• pinch cayenne pepper
• freshly crushed black pepper and sea salt to taste

You can obviously vary the quantities of your herbs to your own taste.

Preparation

• Grate/rice the raw cauliflower in a food processor, it is fast and efficient.
• Blanch the cauliflower for 2 minutes in salted boiling water.
• Drain in a colander.  Shake well to get more water out.
• Return to the pan on a low heat to evaporate any excess moisture. Alternatively, you could press the water out with a clean tea towel.
• Leave to cool.
• Beat loose the egg.
• Mix all the ingredients together and pour into your lined pizza tray.
• Smooth it out evenly.
• Cook in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Leave to set slightly or cool completely to be topped at a later time. I made more than was required so I could store some in the freezer.
• Choose your favourite pizza toppings and put under the grill/broiler for 5 minutes. Keep an eye on it as it may burn quickly.
• Leave to rest for 5 minutes till everything has set before slicing and serving.
• Yummy !

 

 

Have a lovely week !
And just so you know, I hate the new blogspot interface. Urgh!

Patricia xxx...x

Tomato Flan

Simple and fresh.

Ingredients  quantities depending on the size of the flan and on how many of them you'll be making. I'd say for 3 eggs, use one tbsp cream cheese and 150ml double cream.  It really doesn't have to be very accurate.

• shortcrust pastry
• eggs
• cream cheese
• cream
• seasoning
• dried basil
• cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• fresh basil leaves to serve

Preparation

• Preheat the oven 200° C - fan oven
• Line a pie dish with baking paper.
• Roll out the shortcrust pastry and line the pie dish, prick with a fork and put in fridge until ready to fill and bake
• Beat the cream cheese and cream smooth and add the beaten eggs.
• Season with salt and pepper, dried basil.
• Pour into the pie dish - don't over fill.
• Arrange the halved tomatoes on top with cut side up.
• Bake in the oven for 10 minutes then turn down the oven to 170° C, bake further for about 15 to 20 minutes, till the egg mixture is firm and the pastry cooked.

Thank You Chooks - Egg Salad

I  love prawns very much. Trouble is that Bert does not do prawns. Oh well, a piece of cod for him then. The star here however is the egg salad (or egg mayonnaise)

Seeing our lovely chooks are very productive and egg salad is just the thing to bulk out any plate of food....and the tummy.

Ingredients

• eggs (obviously) 8 or so - quantity depending on how many times you want to eat egg salad in the next couple of days (morning, noon and night)
• mayonnaise - also depending on the quantity of eggs - for 8, about 2 tbsp mayo
• 1tsp Dijon mustard
• 1tbsp tomato ketchup
• cayenne powder - to taste
• 1tbsp capers (I use the ones in brine)
• 1 chunky or 2 tiny spring onions, sliced.
• black pepper, freshly ground

Preparation

• Put the eggs in a cooking pot, so that they sit snuggly next to each other. Cover with water and add a splash of white vinegar.
• Bring to the boil. From that point cook the eggs for another 8 minutes. Drain and run cold water over them.
• Leave to cool and peel.
• In a bowl, bring together the mayo, mustard, ketchup, cayenne and capers.
• Chop up the eggs in a rustic style (ie. not small)
• Fold into the mayo mix with the sliced spring onions, keeping some of the green to garnish.
• Sprinkle wit black pepper.

I bet you weren't looking for an egg salad or egg mayo recipe, but here you have it anyway.

Patricia xxx...x