Sunday, April 15, 2012

Egg Salad Sandwiches


I made these egg sandwiches for my family picnic last week and they were a massive hit. I made loads of them & they were devoured by the hungry people almost instantly. I made mine plain, but I usually add lettuce, alfalfa sprouts or some thinly sliced (and well seasoned) cucumber.

Please excuse my very blue picture - I took a quick picture whilst we were sitting under a tree because I didnt have time to take one before I left my house!

Ingredients:
6 eggs
2 tablespoons good quality mayo
2 tablespoons butter
4 drops lemon juice
1 heaped teaspoon chopped chives (adjust to your tastes)
Salt & Pepper
Fresh bread – I use white, but use whatever you prefer

Method:

1. Hard boil eggs. I like to put my eggs into cold water & put on high heat for about 7 minutes – this makes the whites hard & the centres still a little soft.

2.
Remove eggs from pot and place into ice water for a minute or two until cool enough to handle.

3.
Remove the shells and place eggs into a large bowl. Add butter.

4.
Using a fork, mash the eggs until you have your desired consistency. I like mine smooth but with some texture to it. Add mayo, chives, lemon juice and some salt & pepper. Mix well and taste. Adjust seasonings and chives if needed.

5.
Serve as a sandwich filling on fresh bread with lettuce, alfalfa sprouts or cucumber (or all of the above!).

Make these for your next picnic, luncheon or for a snack! Sunny xx

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Broccoli, Bacon & Quinoa Fritters


I saw this recipe in the April/May 2012 Donna Hay. I had only recently discovered quinoa so I thought it was time to give it a chance! I love the bacon & broccoli combo so I was interested to see how the flavours would work with the nuttiness of the quinoa.

I was quite pleased with how these turned out. They were quick to prepare & pretty yummy – plus REALLY filling! This is my adapted version of the recipe and serves 3 as a large entrĂ©e & 4-5 as a starter.

Ingredients:

2 rashers bacon, rind removed & chopped
1 x 400g can white cannellini beans, drained, rinsed & mashed
150g steamed broccoli, finely chopped
1 ½ cups cooked quinoa (See here for how to cook quinoa)
Handful grated mozzarella
1 large egg
1 heaped tablespoon pesto or basil paste
Olive oil for frying
Salt & Pepper
Tomato chutney, to serve

Method:

1. Cook the bacon in a large non-stick pan until golden.

2. Place mashed cannellini beans, broccoli, quinoa, mozzarella, egg, bacon, pesto & salt & pepper in a bowl & mix well to combine. Shape either 2 tablespoonful’s of mix (for a large rissole shape) or 1 tablespoonful of mix (for a small fritter shape) into fritters. Refrigerate for ½ hour.

3. Heat oil in a large fry pan over medium heat. Cook fritters in batches for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden. Serve with good tomato chutney (I prefer the great flavour of Baxters!) and a green salad.


This is my prefered brand of tomato chutney! Give it a try! Quinoa will surprise you :)

Sunny xx

How to Cook Quinoa


Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah, which to me just seems silly, why not just pronounce it phonetically?!) is a seed that looks like a grain. It comes from South America & is one of those ‘super foods’ everyone is harping on about. It is packet with protein and has a chewy, fluffy texture like a large, rough cous cous and a kind of nutty flavour. I used the white quinoa which is milder than the red & black varieties.

I was quite intrigued by the texture & flavour of the quinoa – whilst I won’t be using it to replace couscous, I will probably continue to use it as a substitute for pasta when making bolognaise etc.

Here is a quick run-down of how to prepare it:

1. Thoroughly rinse quinoa. I rinse mine in a sieve as the grains are quite small.

2. Soak 1 cup (200g approximately) quinoa in a saucepan with 1 ½ cups water (375ml) for 15 minutes.

3. Place the pan on high heat & bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low & cover. Cook for 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.

My broccoli, bacon & quinoa fritters are a great way to use your new favourite super food!

Sunny xx

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Pan Fried Risotto Cakes

Link
This recipe evolved from a normal risotto that was too moist to create risotto balls. I had a whole bunch of leftover risotto & wanted to make some kind of yummy finger food/snack. This recipe is the result of that experiment. I was really chuffed with how it turned out - Dale & I pretty much scoffed these down!

Ingredients:

1 batch mushroom & bacon risotto (you could use plain parmesan risotto or any other kind you fancy!)
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons plain flour
2 tablespoons stuffing mix
2 handfuls cheese, cut into ½ cm cubes – you can use grated mozzarella if you prefer.
Oil for frying

Method:

1. Mix the flour, stuffing mix, cheese and eggs into the risotto. If the mixture is too dry, add a dash of water.

2.
Heat 1cm of oil in a pan. Oil is ready when you throw a cube of bread in and it sizzles & lightly browns in 2 seconds or so. Using either a tablespoon or teaspoon (depending on the size you want your risotto cakes) dollop risotto into the oil. Turn when golden brown on the bottom.

3.
When browned on both sides, remove from pan and place on paper towel to drain slightly. Serve immediately with dipping sauces of your liking. These are also great as a side dish to steak/chicken with a salad.

Bon appetite! Sunny xx

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Nigella's Breakfast Berry Cheesecakelets


This was a Nigella recipe that I saw on the food network. I LOVE cheesecake so we were really keen to try these out. Dale scoffed these down. They are a pancake that tastes like a piece of cheesecake. The texture is a little unusual, with the cottage cheese being slightly stringy, but it’s definitely yummy.

Cheesecakelets:

1 cup cottage cheese
1/3 cup plain flour
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (or 2 tablespoons vanilla essence)
3 eggs
2 tablespoons caster sugar

1. Separate 3 eggs. Add caster sugar, vanilla and cottage cheese and mix well. Add the flour & mix until combined.
2. Whisk the egg whites until foamy and no longer completely transparent. Fold both batters together.
3. Heat a non-stick pan to medium-high heat. Cook cheesecakelets as you would a pancake. When flipping, use a trusted spatula & flip with confidence! Serve immediately with strawberries and (my favourite) maple syrup.

Serve with one of these yummy condiments:

Balsamic Strawberries (this is my favourite):

1 punnet fresh strawberries (approximately 7 regular sized strawberries)
1 tablespoon balsamic
1 teaspoon caster sugar

Remove green leafy section of strawberries & cut in half. Place in a bowl with balsamic & sugar. Mix well and leave to macerate for at least 10 minutes.

Maple Blueberry Syrup (this is Dale’s favourite):

1 cup blueberries (I used frozen but you could use fresh if you have any!)
½ cup Maple Syrup

Place blueberries and maple syrup in a saucepan. Bring to the boil for 2-3 minutes & then pour into a jug & serve.

Sunny xx

 
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