Archive for Eggs and cheese

Spinach, sun-dried tomato and goat’s cheese roulade

August 4, 2007 at 7:44 am · Filed under Eggs and cheese, Entertaining

This sounds really complicated, but actually it’s a doddle, and looks incredibly impressive. I served it cold when I made it last night, but there’s no reason why it couldn’t be hot. If you can’t get hold of fresh goat’s curd, which is basically just a low fat soft goat’s cheese, any soft (i.e. rindless) goat’s cheese would do.

Serves 2-3

3 large eggs

oil for greasing

300g spinach

8 sun-dried tomato halves (in oil)

100g fresh goat’s curd

salt

1. Grease a small, flat baking tray (or swiss roll tin) and line with a sheet of greaseproof paper, which must be around 4cm bigger in width and length than the actual tray, thus forming a rim round all four sides (this is so the eggy mixture doesn’t just flop off).  Grease the greaseproof paper – a pastry brush is good for this.
2. Place the eggs in a large bowl with a pinch of salt,  and whisk until frothy. You’ll know they’re done when you can pull the whisk out and draw a figure of eight with the trail that the egg makes.

3. Pour the egg mixture onto the prepared tray, and spread out evenly.

4. Bake in the oven, gas mark 4, for around 15-20 minutes, or until just beginning to go golden brown on top.

5. While this is cooking, lightly steam the spinach with a pinch of salt.  Don’t overcook.

6. When the egg mixture is cooked, remove from the oven, and invert the tray onto a large chopping board or work surface. Carefully peel off the greaseproof paper. Don’t worry if quite a lot of it seems to have stuck – as long as it hasn’t got holes in it, you’re ok.

7. Spread the goat’s curd over the egg mixture, covering it completely.

8. Spread the spinach over the goat’s curd, then chop the sun-dried tomatoes, and make a line of them in the middle of the rectangle.

9. Roll up as you would a swiss roll, then chill until you want to serve.

Leave a Comment

Vegetable moussaka

July 5, 2006 at 9:09 am · Filed under Eggs and cheese

I doubt if any Greek would recognise this, but it’s nonetheless tasty.  I refrained from using pulses or any other meat substitute, instead going for a purely vegetable base.  It’s much lighter, and you’ve got eggs on top for protein.  I used peppers and mushrooms just because I happened to have them in the house, but other vegetables such a spinach or courgettes would be equally good.

Serves 2-3

8oz new potatoes

1 large aubergine

olive oil for frying

1 onion

1 clove garlic

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

6oz mushrooms

1 can chopped tomatoes

1 tsp oregano

salt & pepper to taste

8 fluid oz low-fat natural yoghurt

2 eggs

10z parmesan cheese

pinch of nutmeg

1. Cook the potatoes in lightly salted water until tender.  Set aside to cool (or even better, use left-over potatoes).

2. Slice the aubergine and fry in about 2 tbsp olive oil until nearly cooked.  Aubergine tends to soak up a lot of oil.  To minimize the amount of oil used, make sure it’s very hot before you put the aubergine in, and fry on a very low heat.  The oil will soak up very quickly but the aubergine should continue cooking in its own juice without burning, as long as you keep an eye on it.

3. Set the aubergine to one side, and heat another tbsp oil in the pan.

4. Finely chop the onion and garlic, and fry over a gentle heat for 2 minutes.

5. Slice the mushrooms and roughly chop the peppers and add to the pan.  Continue cooking until tender.

6. Add the tomatoes, oregano and seasoning, and continue cooking until most of the tomato juice has been reduced. 

7. Place the vegetables in a large oven-proof dish.

8. Slice the potatoes and place a layer over the vegetables.

9. Layer the aubergine slices over the potatoes.

10. Whisk together the yoghurt, eggs and a small amount of seasoning with a fork, and pour over the top of the vegetables.

11. Bake at gas mark 5 for around 40 minutes.  Half way through the cooking time sprinkle the freshly grated parmesan and nutmeg on top.

Leave a Comment

Mozarella, tomato and basil salad

July 3, 2006 at 11:46 am · Filed under Eggs and cheese, Salads

I can hardly claim to have invented this recipe, as it’s so classic Italian, but here’s the version I made last night.  I used low-fat mozarella, not out of choice but because the shop had sold out of the full-fat version, and it was perfectly acceptable.

Serves 2

125g mozarella cheese

8 ripe tomatoes

1 small bunch basil

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

salt & pepper to taste

1. Slice the mozarella and tomatoes and mix together with the roughly torn basil leaves, oil, vinegar and seasoning.

Leave a Comment

Broad beans and tomatoes with a cheesy oatmeal crust

June 28, 2006 at 9:56 am · Filed under Eggs and cheese, Pulses

If you’ve never tried using a crust with oatmeal and cheese, give it a go.  It’s delicious!

Serves 2-3

1lb fresh broad beans, shelled

1 medium onion

1 clove garlic

1oz butter

6 tomatoes

2 tbsp plain flour

1/2 pint skimmed milk

salt & pepper to taste

2oz grated cheddar cheese

2oz porridge oats

1. Boil the broad beans in salted water until tender – about 8-10 minutes.

2. Finely chop the onion and garlic, and soften gently in the butter in a large pan.

3. Add the tomatoes and continue cooking for 1 minute.

4. Add the flour, ensuring that you stir it into the vegetables, and then gradually add the milk.

5. Gently cook the sauce until it thickens.

6. Add the seasoning and half the grated cheese.

7. Place the sauce and vegetables in a large ovenproof dish, and sprinkle the top with enough oats to cover.  Top with the remaining grated cheese.

8. Bake at gas mark 6 for 40 minutes, or until golden brown.

Leave a Comment

Courgette and feta filo pie

June 21, 2006 at 9:13 am · Filed under Eggs and cheese, Entertaining

This is a relatively easy dish, but one that's great for entertaining.  I used rice in it, simply because I had some left over from the previous night, but it would probably work ok without it.  The amount of pastry you need entirely depends on the size of the sheets, but reckon on having 3 layers on the bottom and 3 layers on the top.

Serves 3-4

1 large onion

2 cloves garlic

2 tbsp olive oil

3 medium courgettes

2 tbsp fresh dill

2 tbsp flat leaf parsely

75g Greek feta cheese

2 eggs

2 tbsp cooked white rice

salt and pepper to taste

6 sheets filo pastry

50g melted butter

1. Finely chop the onion and garlic, and gently soften in the olive oil in a large frying pan.

2. Slice the courgettes, add them to the pan and continue cooking over a gentle heat until tender.  You might need to put a lid on the pan to prevent burning.

3. When the vegetables are fully cooked at the chopped dill and parsely, and continue cooking for 1 minute.

4. Turn off the heat and leave to cool for 15 minutes.

5. Finely chop the feta and add it to the vegetables along with the eggs, rice and seasoning.

6. Brush the base and sides of a rectangular baking dish with the melted butter, then place one layer of filo pastry on top.  Brush the pastry with more butter, and put another layer on top.  Continue until you have three layers of buttered pastry.

7. Spoon the vegetables into the dish on top of the pastry.

8. Tuck in the edges of the pastry, then place three more layers of buttered pastry on top, taking care to neaten the edges.  Make sure the final layer is well buttered.

9. Cook in the oven at gas mark 5 until the filling is set and the top is nicely browned.

Leave a Comment

Courgette omelette with dill

June 16, 2006 at 8:06 am · Filed under Eggs and cheese

This is simple summer food, delicious with bread and salad.  I made it last night with only two eggs, simply because I didn't have any more, but it should really have four eggs in.

Serves 2-3

1 large onion

2 cloves garlic

3 medium courgettes

1 yellow pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp chopped fresh dill

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsely

4 eggs

salt and pepper to taste

1.  Finely chop the onions and garlic, and slice the courgettes.

2. Soften in the olive oil in a large frying pan, stirring frequently.

3. When the onions and courgettes are nearly cooked, add the chopped yellow pepper.

4. When all the vegetables are cooked, add the dill and parsely and continue to stir for 2 minutes.

5. Beat the eggs together with the salt and pepper.

6. Turn up the heat and add the eggs to the pan, making sure that they are spread evenly across the base of the pan.

7.  Cook on a high heat until the bottom appears to be cooked.

8. Place the pan under a pre-heated grill, and cook the top of the omelette on high heat until golden brown.

Leave a Comment

Layered carrot and courgette bake

June 12, 2006 at 1:31 pm · Filed under Eggs and cheese

I hate the title 'bake' for recipes – not only is it lazily catch-all, but it summons up images of dreadul vegetarian options in pubs, which generally involve cheese, potatoes, possibly a bit of tinned tomato slodge, and more cheese. Nonetheless I can't think up any other name for this creation that doesn't sound pretentious, so 'bake' it is. It's really a kind of quiche, but without the pastry, so it's probably quite good for you.

Serves 3-4
4 medium carrots
3-4 medium courgettes
a knob of butter
a pinch of nutmeg
2 tbsp olive oil
3 eggs
1/2 pint of milk
2 tsp dried tarragon
Grated parmesan
salt & pepper

1. Wash and scrub (or peel) the carrots, slice them, and steam or boil them in lightly salted water until tender.
2. While the carrots are cooking, slice the courgettes and fry them gently in the olive oil until soft. If you put a lid on the frying pan you'll reduce the cooking time and reduce the amount of oil needed. Sprinkle with a little salt.
3. When the carrots are cooked, drain and puree (a hand-held blender is best for this) with the butter and nutmeg.
4. Grease a large baking dish with butter.
5. Spoon the carrot puree into the bottom of the dish, and level the surface.
6. Make a layer of courgette over the carrot puree.
7. Beat together the milk and eggs, together with a bit of salt and pepper.
8. Sprinkle the dried tarragon over the vegetables, then pour in the milk and egg mixture.
9. Sprinkle over some freshly grated parmesan (don't use the ready-grated variety – it's foul).
10. Bake in the oven at Gas mark 4 until set.

Leave a Comment