Mushroom Pate wrapped up in Egg Cakes.

Alan's Challenge but he is too busy to write.

Mushroom Pate:

500 g mushrooms (we used shiitake, chestnut and oyster)
1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic
knob butter
pinch of fresh sage
small handful chopped parsley
veg stock
Salt and Pepper

1.fry onions, mushrooms, onion, garlic and little bit of sage in butter and then add tablespoon of stock

2. Allow the mixture to cool and then add 1 tub of cream cheese and handful chopped parsley.  Combine the mixture.

3. Allow to sat for about five hours

Egg Cakes

3x beaten eggs
1/4 pint milk
salt and pepper

1. Add milk to beaten eggs
2. Heat oil in a pattern, pour egg mixture in to make thin pancake

3. Cook on each side until golden

4. Spread mushroom pate onto the egg cake and then wrap.

Marking Category	Hannah	Alan
Presentation	4	4.5
Innovation	4.5	4
Quality of egg	1	2
Taste	3.5	3
Total	13	13.5

Comments

Hannah- The egg cakes were burnt as they were put in the oven to keep warm.  We have pictured the only non burnt one.  The recipe felt quite retro, a bit 70's.  The taste was rich but maybe three egg pancakes was too many, I maybe should have stuck to one.  Chopped up in smaller pieces this would be good as party food.  The mushroom pate was divine, such a rich creamy flavour, but, i'm sad to say, more suited to being spread on toast.

Alan- Bit rich!

Shakshuka

Shakshuka is an Israeli egg dish.  I decided to make this because according to our statistics someone from Israel has viewed our blog (yes, dear readers we have gone global).  I meant to make this recipe last week to mark Chanukah the Jewish festival of lights. Also, I used to eat this recipe all the time when I was in India (there are many Israeli people backpacking in India) and I loved it and have not eaten it since.

There has been much work related stresses this week and we have therefore taken a long time to welcome the world this morning.  I have practically had to drag Alan out of bed at two thirty in the afternoon. We are, therefore, eating a very late breakfast. Shakshuka is a strong, bold, spicy recipe to kick start one into the day when feeling a little melancholy.

Ingredients

1x tin cherry tomatoes
6 cloves of garlic
1x onion
1/2 tea spoon cumin
1/2 tea spoon paprika
pinch sugar
handful chopped parsley
pinch of fresh sage
4x eggs
salt and pepper

N.B I decided to use cherry tomatoes because whilst watching Nigella Lawson on I Player this week she described them as the strappy high heels of tinned tomatoes and I was curious to try, and yes Nigella I agree they are indeed the strappy high heels of tinned tomatoes.

1. soften onions before adding garlic and then after a few minutes add the spices and cook for another few minutes before adding the tomatoes.

2.  Add half cup of water and some tomato puree and simmer for 1/2 hour

3. After half hour take from heat and add the parsley before transferring the mixture into for small ramekins and crack an egg onto each ramekin.

4. Pour boiling water into an oven dish enough to cover the bottom and transfer the ramekins into the oven tray and bake for about twenty minutes on a medium heat.

Marking Category	Hannah	Alan
Presentation	4	4
Innovation	3.5	2.5
Quality of egg	1	1
Taste	3.5	3
Total	12	10.5

Comment's

Hannah-I loved this recipe. Unfortunately, due to getting distracted I left the eggs in the oven for too long, thus, compromising the quality of eggs.  The yolks were tough like bullets! This, however, did not ruin the dish for me because it brought back such fond memories, of a time when deciding where to have breakfast each morning constituted a pretty big decision, a time where one could spend two hours over breakfast.  In India I used to eat a little pot of humus with this dish.  The use of tinned cherry tomatoes provided a lovely sweet flavour against the earthy spiciness of the other flavours.  There are many different versions of this reciepe.  You can even scramble the egg against the tomatoes.  I made this reciepe just using ingredients that I had at home (apart from the cherry tomatoes which I purchased especially).

Alan- Super Idea, but, unfortunately the eggs were a bit too hard.

Lastly I would like to say a big thank you to Jeeves and Bertie Woorster who have helped make a stressful week more bearable.  What supportive chaps.

Tally Ho Chums

A day at the beach

Snow brought disruption to Brighton. But with disruption arrives opportunity, the opportunity to start the weekend early.   Dear readers, I am enjoying a four day weekend due to snow disruption.  After an afternoon at the beach I decided to use up lots of ingredients from my fridge that need eating and make a Moroccan inspired one pot dish with boiled eggs.

Hannah's Challenge 

Ingredients:
1x onion
8 cloves of garlic
tablespoon grated ginger
1x red chilli
2x tomatoes
tomato puree
2x teaspoons cumin
1x teaspoon harissa paste
1x tablespoon of apple and walnut chutney (this chutney is horrible, far to sweet to eat alone)
cinnamon stick
4x cardamom pods
handful olives
2x carrots
broccoli
cabbage
tin borlotti beans
2x eggs hard boiled
handful coriander 

1.Soften the onions in oil, add salt so that they don't fry but soften.  Then add garlic, grated ginger and chilli. Cook for two minutes before adding cumin, fry for 1 min more and then add harissa paste and chutney.

2. Peel the tomatoes (place them in boiling water to do this)  Add the tomatoes and tomato puree to the mixture and 1/4 pint of veg stock. (I left this to simmer for about 1 hour) Add olives, cinnamon stick and cardamom.

3. Add the carrots and cook for 15 minutes and then add other vegetables and more stock if needed.

4. Boil eggs for about six minutes, peel and cut in half

5. Add beans and eggs to the vegetables cook for further 20 minutes.

6. Sprinkle with coriander and serve

I served this with couscous flavoured with saffron and argon oil (both from Morocco) and we drank a lovely glass of mulled cider. Happy times.

Marking Category	Hannah	Alan
Presentation	1.5	2
Innovation	3.5	3
Quality of egg	2	4
Taste	3.5	3.75
Total	10.5	12.75

Comments:

Hannah- I did not get the eggs right.  They were supposed to be hard boiled but they were still a little soft. I felt that the eggs seemed like a bit of an add on rather than being in harmony with the rest of the dish.  If I was to make this again I would crack the eggs into the pan and poach them on top of the stew or place it all into the oven to bake like a traditional tajine.  I feel that this would make the eggs feel like more of a cohesive part of the recipe.  This was a lovely warming recipe perfect food for a snow day.

Alan- I was not disappointed with the quality of the egg.  I thought it was a lovely soft boiled egg.  I thought that the flavour of the egg complimented the sweet, spicy, aromatic flavours of the tajine

No more cheese please

Hannah's Challenge

Today, as an antidote to cheese and egg I have decided to make an egg recipe that contains, thankfully, no cheese, but also, controversially, no egg.  'No egg' I hear you good readers cry; 'what sort of egg blog is this?'  Last weekend I went to Canterbury to visit my friend Jenai.  Jenai is a part time Vegan, that is a vegan on week days and she recommended that I try Scrambled Tofu.  Scrambled Tofu is the vegan substitute for scrambled egg.  Actually, perhaps i'm underplaying this fine dish, perhaps, it's not a substitute for any other dish but a proper stand alone dish.

After eating too many rich egg and cheese dishes of late, this weekend seemed the perfect time to try scrambled Tofu.  I dedicate today's entry to my friend Jenai who gave me the idea.

I was supposed to use nutritional yeast but could you believe it I could not find it in Taj.  Taj, by the way, (for those of you who live or have ever lived in Brighton) has lost it's Kemp Town branch.   Life is not all bad, however, because Sainsburys is due to open a new store on North Street, making it the third Sainsburys I pass on my walk home from town!

Enough of my rambling and back to the recipe. I adapted this recipe from: The post punk kitchen  I think the post punk kitchen website has some really interesting recipes on it and I intend to frequent this site more often.

I did not add the stated nutritional yeast and added half a small leek and some walnuts and pumpkin seeds.  I served this with home made salsa and guacamole in wraps.

Marking Category	Hannah	Alan
Presentation	1.75	2
Innovation	4	3.5
Quality of egg	2	0
Taste	4	4
Total	11.75	9.5

Comments

Hannah- I was a little apprehensive about this dish at first but I loved it. I thought this was so fresh tasting.  The wraps had a real zing to them.  I'm not sure about the colour initially the dish was a lovely yellow colour but it appeared to turn an unappealing green colour.  I would make these again but feel I will always remain loyal to the egg.


Alan- Zingy!!! Tasty.  My poor marks mostly reflect the lack of eggs.  Nice healthy breakfast or snack

Maude's Welsh Rarebit V's Seven Sisters (Buck) Rarebit.

After listening to Maude and Mildred's conversation at Seven Sisters Country Park I did some research about rarebit. I found out that rarebit without an egg in the cheese mixture but with a poached egg on top is called Buck Rarebit.  Today we have decided to make both buck and welsh rarebit.

This recipe is best enjoyed whilst watching Harold and Maude; a beautiful love story.

Maude is a real bright spark!

Welsh Rarebit. Serves 4

Ingredients:
100-150 g Cheddar cheese
 2eggs
2 tbsp (1 oz) 25 g butter or margarine
1 tbsp plain flour (All purpose)
 100ml milk
1 tsp French mustard
a few drops Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper
4 slices bread
butter for spreading

1. Grate the cheese
2. Melt the butter in a pan, and stir in the flour.
3. Cook together for 2-3 minutes, stirring all the time; do not let the flour colour.
4. Stir in the milk and blend to a smooth, thick mixture; then stir in the ale or beer, if used, the mustard and Worcestershire sauce.
5. Add the cheese little by little, stir in, and season to taste.
6.  Add egg and then remove from the heat as soon as well blended.
7. Toast the bread lightly on both sides.
8. Butter one side well and spread the cheese mixture on the buttered sides.
9. Grill briefly, if liked, using high heat, to brown the surface of the cheese mixture.

Marking Category	Hannah	Alan
Presentation	2.75	2.5
Innovation	2	3
Quality of egg	3	3
Taste	1	2.5
Total	8.75	11

Buck Rarebit serves 4

The same ingredients plus an extra two eggs.

Follow the same method for Welsh Rarebit but do not add the egg to the cheese mixture.  Poach the eggs and place them on top of the cheese mixture.  We ate this with a carrot, beetroot and mixed leaf salad

Marking Category	Hannah	Alan
Presentation	2.75	2.5
Innovation	2	3
Quality of egg	3	3
Taste	1.5	3
Total	9.25	11.5

Comments

Hannah- Despite it being a classic dish I have never had Welsh rarebit before. I did not grow up in a household that ate very much cheese  I did not like either of these two recipes. They were both too rich and the mustard was very overpowering.  I would not make this recipe again. I felt that the buck rarebit was slightly better as the poached egg seemed to cut through the richness of the cheese.  I think maybe I would try buck rarebit again but use wholegrain mustard. I want to lay off the cheese for a few days.

Alan-  I preferred the Buck, the welsh was a bit to rich.  I was a fan of the zing of the mustard and Worcester sauce.

Recette de Soufflé au fromage de chèvre et salade de betteraves, noyers et pommes rouges

21/11/10 Alan's challenge.

Bonjour!

Today I have decided to make: goats cheese soufflés and a beetroot, apple and walnut salad in dedication to our French viewers. We discovered this week that we have a number of international viewers and that the vast majority of these are francophones.

ou

On a decide a cuisiner soufflé en dedication a tout nos viewers francais. Excuse la mauvais grammer s'il vous plait!



The soufflé has a fearsome reputation and I approached it with some trepidation. The task was made all the harder due to the fact that our oven has all the numbers rubbed off  the dial making baking like russian roulette. Well perhaps not as dangerous as that. Happily I have had a bit of beginners luck and my souffles rose to dizzy heights. Comme on dit en france: super!

excuse le quality des photos mon apperiel c'est toute a fait  merdique!

La Recette

Soufflé:

100g unsalted butter
100g Plain flour (sieved)
600ml milk
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp grated parmesan
2 tbsp thyme leaves
100g roughly chopped goats cheese log with rind
Salt and pepper
4 eggs

Salad:

1 'Jazz' apple
1 Beetroot
50g walnuts
salad leaves

Dressing:

Olive oil
balsamic vinegar
2 tsp honey
2 tsp french wholegrain mustard

Step 1
Melt the butter a saucepan. add flour  mixing in with a wooden spoon until you have a thick paste. over a low heat slowly add the milk mixing until you have a smooth paste (if you have any lumps give it a whisk).
Take the mixture off the heat and  let it cool a bit. add the parmesan, thyme, mustard and goats cheese

Step 2
Separate the yolks from whites eggs into 2 bowls. Blend the yolks in with the cheese mixture. Whisk the whites thoroughly until they stiffen and hold peaks. Fold the egg whites into the mix and season with salt and pepper.

Step 3
Spoon the mixture into individual ramekins.
(6 should do the trick but we only have 4 so I made 4 and one large one)
Put the dishes into a large oven dish and fill with boiling water so that the dishes are submerged to about half way. Whack them in the oven on about 200 (or guess in my case) for 25-30 mins.

Step 4
While the souffles are in the oven get the salad together: rinse the leaves, peel and grate the beetroot, roughly chop the apple, mix in the walnuts and lightly splash with the dressing (we usually keep a jar full in the fridge for convenience).

Et voila: Bon appetit tout la monde.

c'est tres bleu et j'en suis pas sur pour quoi.

Results/Résultât

Marking Category	Hannah	Alan
Presentation	3	4
Innovation	3	4
Quality of egg	4	4
Taste	4	4
Total	14	16

Comments

Alan: A lot of effort but worth it. The sweet sharp salad perfectly complemented the creamy cheesiness of the soufflé. The tops were a bit over done but otherwise I feel I rose to the occasion.


Hannah: A very brave effort by Alan as soufflés are very difficult.  Great taste, it was a bit burnt  on top but our oven is not great.  This has inspired me to make a chocolate one.  Well Done Alan!

Chicken or Alan?

Spicy Tomato Eggs

Hannah's Challenge 

This weekend I have eaten a lot of spicy food.  On Friday we had Thai food at the Pond and on Saturday I had dinner at planet India.  I woke up this morning and decided I wanted to keep with the spicy theme of the weekend and decided to make Spicy Tomato Eggs

Ingredients
2x red onions
small handful coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1x clove garlic chopped
1x large green chilli
1 x teaspoon cayenne pepper
1x tin chopped tomates
4x eggs
sugar, salt and pepper

1. Chop onions, garlic, chilli and coriander stalks (only) Fry onions until soft in a medium size frying pan and then add other chopped ingredients.  Fry or one minute before adding the spices fry for 1 min more and then add tin toms

2. Add salt, pepper and pinch of sugar on a low heat cook for twenty mins.

3. After twenty mins make four small hollows and crack in an egg in each hollow.

4.on a low heat cook for another twenty mins or until the eggs look cooked to how you desire.  You may want to put a lid over half way through.

5. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves over eggs and serve.

Marking Category	Hannah	Alan
Presentation	2.5	2.75
Innovation	3	3
Quality of egg	2.5	3.5
Taste	4.5	4
Total

Hannah- I have tried variants of this recipe before and I never seem to be able to get the eggs quite right.  The egg yolk was soft on top but hard on the bottom.  I want a soft egg.  I knew Alan would mark me down for innovation because I have tried it a couple of times in the pre blog era.

Alan- A bit too spicy for me 


In other news this weekend I took my parents for a walk at seven sisters country park. (Please see potty dance for a review of the toilets here.)  I found a heart made of stone.

 After the walk we stopped for tea and cake at the little cafe where I overheard two women engaging the waitress in a conversation regards the use of egg in Welsh Rarebit.  Woman number one I shall name Maud, Woman number two I shall name Mildred

Maude -I would like to order the Welsh Rarebit......Is it made using egg?
Waitress- No....I could put a poached egg on top if you would like?
Maude- Oh yes could you please?
Waitress- Of Course
Mildred- I would like the Tuna Baguette please.

Ten minutes later the food is brought to the table Maud receives a plate of Welsh Rarebit with a neat little poached egg placed on the top.

Mildred-I say what have you got there that does not look like Welsh Rarebit.
Maude- I know I don't think she really understood what was meant by Welsh Rarebit.  I mean who would think you should place a poached egg on top it should be mixed in with the cheese mixture.  Otherwise what you have got is cheese on toast with an egg on top!

This conversation has inspired me to make Welsh Rarebit one weekend so my thanks to Maude and Mildred.

Chicken or Cock?

Birthday eggstraviganza

Postdated entry

Week 6: Friday 5th November 2010



I asked myself what could I give to the girl who has everything and came to the obvious conclusion: a scotch egg. A classic breakfast of soft boiled eggs with marmite soldier was followed by a picnic lunch of scotched eggs taken during a sodden walk over dark and dismally foggy downland. The evening was spent in the town of Lewes which was overrun by drunk students, adolescents, Gurkas and maniacs in stripped jumpers who threw threw fire crackers into; blazing wheel barrow braziers.


Vegetaian 'Scotched' eggs

We got the recipe from the BBC Food website:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/veggiescotcheggs_89967

Comments- I thought the bread crumbs were too moist.  I made the eggs the night before and kept them in the fridge over night, meaning the bread crumbs lost their crisp.  We should have also bought some tomato ketchup with us on the Journey.

Marking Category	Hannah	Alan
Presentation	3	3
Innovation	4	4
Quality of egg	4	4
Taste	4	3
Total	15	14

Hannah- I would have liked the presentation to have been more birthday themed
 Also  Alan has wrote a somewhat whimsical account of the fireworks really we were both terrified and walking over the Downes in the dark passing the people hare coursing was also a little terrifying.

Yours full of Scotch Eggs

Alan

Jan Pehchan Ho - Md. Rafi, Gumnaam Song

Happy Diwali.  I thought I would post you the above little treat as it's one of my bollywood favourites. 

Halloween Pumpkin Quiche-white night, pumpkin carving and an extra hour in bed

Hannah's Challange

Halloween is upon us and to celebrate 'The year in Eggs' incorporated this theme into it's egg making challenge.  Friday evening was spent at a pumpkin carving party.  My pumpkin was somewhat put to shame by the excellent artwork of the other guests but I do feel that my pumpkin has a certain juvenile charm about it. On Saturday we went shopping at Emaus second hand emporium, where we stumbled across a perfect musical accompaniment to Halloween Eggs. 

This week we also had a guest to participate in the eating of eggs.  Alan's Dad had joined us this has boosted my score as guests are generous in their rating of eggs.  Alan and his Dad have gone to London to watch and American football match (I must admit I forgot to ask who was playing).

I got the idea for the pumpkin quiche from thelittleteochew.blogspot.com.

Ingredients
 4x eggs

2/3rds of a small pupmkin
150ml creme fresh
50 ml milk
1 red onion
50g spinach (blanched)
1 clove garlic (chopped very finely)
1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
small handful chopped fresh corriander
about 75g of Gorgonzola (I just used what was left in the packet)
Packet of short crust pastry (the purists amongst you may wish to make your own)

1. Pre heat oven to 190 degree celsius  Cut pumpkin into slices and roast for 1 hr.  Peel the skin off after and chop into bite size pieces

2. Whisk together the eggs, cream, milk, herbs and mustard. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

3.  Grease the quiche tray and place the pastry in the tray.

4. (Bake the pastry blind for 5 to 10 minutes this is something I did not do and subsequently the pastry on the bottom was slightly under cooked) place the vegetables and cheese on the pastry and then pour over the egg and cream mixture.

5. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes

We sampled this quiche with salad, potato wedges and a glass of Aspall cider.  After this feast we went out and enjoyed the streets of Brighton, as it was White night.

Marking Category	Hannah	Alan	Murray
Presentation	3.5	3.5	4
Innovation	3.75	3.75	4
Quality of egg	4	4	3.5
Taste	3.5	4
Total	14.75	15.25	15.5

Alan- Innovative combo of blue cheese and pumpkin

Hannah- Presentation of the quiche was a bit slapdash, the use of the pumpkin boosted the marks for presentation but without this the presentation was a bit sloppy.

I hope you have a good rest of the Halloween weekend, oh, and Goodbye October

Hannah