Try this for a tasty weekend brunch dish. Serve with toasted sourdough for mopping.
Baked green eggs – serves 2
100g baby spinach, roughly chopped
4 tbsp fresh pesto
100ml double cream
1 tbsp finely grated gruyère
2 eggs
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
Mix together the spinach, pesto, cream and some seasoning, and tip into 2 shallow ovenproof dishes.
Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top.
Create a hollow in each dish with a spoon, then gently break in the eggs. Bake the dishes in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny.
We tend to be a bit suspicious of salads that claim to be a main course but we promise you won’t be hungry after this one.
Wine Suggestion: Naturally when eating asparagus we gravitate to Grüner Veltliner, but for this dish we felt drawn to Souther France and opened the Ch Vignelaure, La Source Blanc from Provence. Made mostly from Vermentino with a touch of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Fresh and summery with citrus fruits and a gently herbal twist; full of energy and vitality.
Spring Salad – serves 4 as a main
300g baby new potatoes, half any biggish ones
1 spring of mint
2 eggs
200g asparagus, woody ends snapped off and saved
50g frozen peas
4 tbsp mayonnaise
1 green apple, cored and finely chopped (we used a Granny Smith)
3 scallions, finely sliced
1 tsp capers, drained
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 Little Gem lettuce, leaves washed and dried, heart split in two
a few handfuls of soft herbs e.g. tarragon, parsley, mint, chives
FOR THE GARLIC CROUTONS:
2 slices of sourdough or white baguette
a drizzle of olive oil
3 cloves of garlic
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
Drizzle the bread with some oil and season, then roast in the oven for 12-15 minutes, turning halfway through. They should be crispy and golden.
Once baked, rub the bread with the raw garlic and cut into croutons.
Bring a pan of water to the boil. Add the potatoes, mint sprig and 1 tsp salt, then simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender, no firmness should remain. Drain and discard the mint.
Meanwhile, bring another pan of water to the boil and add the eggs. Cook for 6 minutes and 30 seconds for firm whites and runny yolks, then drain under cold running water to cool and peel.
Bring another pan of salty water to the boil. Chop the asparagus spears into three and boil for 3-4 minutes or until just tender. Remove with a slotted spoon, then bring the water back to the boil and ad a pinch of sugar. Add the peas and cook for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Drain.
Toss the potatoes with 2 tbsp of the mayonnaise, apple, scallions and capers. Whisk the olive oil and white wine vinegar together, season, then dress the lettuce and soft herbs, the asparagus and peas. Spread the rest of the mayonnaise across a serving plat, top with the postates and dressed salad, halve the eggs and add more mayonnaise if you like. Garnish with the croutons and extra herbs.
These make a nice brunch or lunch dish with some brown bread or toast.
Smoked haddock & spinach egg pots – serves 4
a little soft butter for greasing
4 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs
200g skinless smoked haddock fillets, diced
200g baby spinach
6 large eggs
200ml crème fraîche
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
50g Cheddar, grated
a pinch of sweet smoked paprika
a small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Brown bread or buttered toast, to serve
Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6.
Grease the inside of four 250ml ramekins or oven-proof dishes with butter, then dust with the breadcrumbs.
Divide the fish between the dishes and put onto a baking tray.
Wilt the spinach in a large saucepan with a tiny amount of water. Stir over a high heat for a few minutes, until wilted. Remove from the heat and drain in a colander. Leave to cool slightly, then squeeze as much liquid as you can out of the spinach. Roughly chop and divide between the dishes.
Whisk the eggs and crème fraîche together in a bowl and season with a little grated nutmeg and some salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture into the dishes and sprinkle with the cheese and a little smoked paprika.
Put the tray on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Turn the oven to the grill setting and cook for a further 5 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Sprinkle with the parsley and serve with the toast or bread.
(Original recipe from Fresh Start by Tom Kerridge, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2018.)
This makes a delicious veggie breakfast with toast or with bread and a salad for lunch. It is so simple but you need to use top quality tinned tomatoes as they are the star of the show.
Baked eggs with tomatoes – serves 4
500g tinned tomatoes, drained, seeded and chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
8 fresh eggs
Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.
Put the tomatoes into a saucepan with 2 tbsp of water and a couple of pinches of salt. Cover and simmer slowly for 30 minutes, give it a stir occasionally.
Pour the olive oil into an ovenproof dish, then pour the tomatoes on top.
Break the eggs into the dish on top of the sauce and season with black pepper. Bake for 5 minutes or until the whites are just set and the yolks still runny.
(Original recipe from Southern Italian Cooking by Valentina Harris, Pavilion Books Limited, 1993.)
Try this delicious Indian brunch dish by Cyrus Todiwala – chilli cheese on toast with a fried egg on top and ketchup on the side. We poached our eggs this time.
Wine Suggestion: What do they serve in those brunch places? Bottomless prosecco – something like that.
Eggs kejriwal – serves 2
1 tsp butter, plus more for spreading on the toast
1 small onion, finely chopped
2-4 thick slices bread
100g mature cheddar, grated
2 tsp English mustard
a small handful of coriander leaves, finely chopped
1-2 green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
3 large eggs
1 tbsp oil
tomato ketchup, to serve (optional)
Melt the tsp of butter in a small frying pan and fry the onion for about 5 minutes or until soft. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Lightly toast the bread, then spread with butter and put onto a baking tray.
Heat the grill to medium.
Mix the onion, cheese, mustard, coriander, chilli and 1 egg together in a bowl and season.
Spread the cheese mix over the toast and grill for about 5 minutes or until set and bubbling.
Meanwhile, fry or poach your eggs.
Serve the cheese on toast on warmed plates with an egg on top and ketchup on the side.
(Original recipe by Cyrus Todiwala in BBC Good Food magazine, March 2020.)
We love recipes like this; perfect for using up bits and pieces and super tasty.
Wine Suggestion: There’s a vibrancy to this food and we matched it with Ventenac’s “Dissidents” le Paria, a fresh-fruited, minerally grenache. Lovely light spices, a stony core of texture and bright plums and cherry flavours.
Green Spiced Rice – serves 2-3
150g frozen broad beans
400ml vegetable stock
2 tbsp Thai green curry paste
200g basmati rice
a slice of butter
a few sliced mushrooms
a large carrot, coarsely grated
3 eggs, lightly beaten
a handful of coriander, roughly chopped
a few handfuls of spinach
Cook the broad beans in boiling water for 2 minutes, then drain and pop them out of the skins.
Wilt the spinach is a saucepan, then leave to cool. Squeeze out any excess liquid if necessary and chop.
Pour the vegetable stock into a saucepan, then add the curry paste and the rice. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until almost tender and most of the liquid absorbed.
Melt the butter in a large frying pan, then fry the mushrooms until lightly coloured. Add the rice and carrot to the pan with the broad beans. Stir until the rice is moist but no longer wet, then add the eggs and season. Keep cooking, stirring now and then to break up the egg, until it is lightly cooked. Fold through the chopped spinach and coriander, then serve.
(Original recipe from Eat by Nigel Slater, Fourth Estate, 2013.)
Thanks to a kind and generous birthday gift from friends we have been endowed with lovely smoked fish from the Connemara Smokehouse. The smoked mackerel made a lovely weekend brunch.
Smoked mackerel & leek hash with horseradish – serves 2
250g new or salad potatoes, halved
2 tbsp oil
2 large leeks, thinly sliced
2-4 eggs
100g peppered mackerel, skin removed (we used regular smoked mackerel and that was good too)
2 tbsp creamed horseradish
Steam the potatoes until tender.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, then add the leeks and a pinch of salt. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until softened. You will need to stir now and then to stop them sticking.
Add the cooked potatoes, then turn up the heat and fry for a couple of minutes so they start to crisp and brown a bit, then flake through the mackerel.
Make some holes for the eggs in the mixture, then crack an egg into each, season, then cover the pan and cook for 6-8 minutes. You’re looking for set whites and runny yolks. Serve the horseradish sauce on the side.
We’re really not brunch people, mainly as there’s so much going on at the weekends that we don’t have the time. Lockdown has provided us with some opportunities however. So instead of getting up early and out the door on a Saturday morning we’ve been coming downstairs in our pjs and making something nice for breakfast.
Smoked paprika-baked courgettes, tomatoes & green beans with eggs – serves 2
2 large courgettes, cut into ½ cm slices
200g small waxy potatoes, quartered
150g cherry tomatoes
6 scallions, trimmed
2 ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
leaves from 3 sprigs of thyme plus a few whole sprigs
½ tsp chilli flakes
½ tbsp smoked paprika, plus extra to serve if you like
2 garlic cloves, crushed
125g green beans, trimmed
2 large eggs
Preheat the oven to 190C/400F/Gas 6.
Blanch the green minutes for a couple of minutes in salty boiling water, then drain and run under cold water to stop them cooking. Dry with some kitchen paper and toss with ½ tbsp of the olive oil. Set aside.
Put all of the vegetables (except the green beans) into a large baking tray and spread them out in an even layer. Add 2 tbsp olive oil, the thyme, chilli flakes, smoked paprika, garlic and season with salt and pepper. Toss everything together, then bake for 30 minutes, tossing the veg a few times.
Sprinkle the green beans over the top and return to the oven for another 8 minutes.
Break the eggs on top, season and put back in the oven for another 8 minutes for runny eggs.
Serve with a little more smoked paprika if you like.
(Original recipe from Diana Henry’s ‘From the Oven to the Table’, Mitchell Beazley, 2019.)
This is a cheat’s version of the French classic and makes a great brunch/lunch.
Croque Madame – serves 2
4 large slices of sourdough
Dijon mustard
100g grated gruyère
4 slices thick-cut ham
butter
4 tbsp crème fraîche
2 eggs
Spread the sourdough with a thin layer of mustard on one side, then fill the sandwiches with half the gruyère and the ham. Spread the outside of the sandwiches with butter.
Heat a non-stick frying pan and fry the sandwiches on both sides until golden.
Mix the crème fraîche with the rest of the gruyère and spread over the top of the sandwiches. Put under a hot grill until the cheese bubbles and starts to brown.
Serve with a fried or poached egg on the top.
(Original recipe by Janine Ratcliffe in Olive Magazine, May 2015)
This is the second version of this we’ve done in the last few weeks. Both times inspired by two extra peppers in a pack when we only needed one. This version is more caramelised and uses less fresh ingredients but it also takes a lot longer to cook. We loved the addition of saffron too.
You can cook the sauce the night before if you like or keep half of it for the following day. You just need to reheat, then crack in the eggs and bake.
Chachouka – serves 4
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 large onion, halved and finely sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 red pepper, finely sliced
1 yellow pepper, finely sliced
½ tsp hot smoked paprika
a pinch of saffron strands
400g tin plum tomatoes, squeeze with your hands to break them up as you add to the dish
4 eggs
Heat the oil in an ovenproof frying pan, then add the cumin seeds and fry gently for a couple of minutes. Add the onion and cook gently for about 10 minutes or until golden.
Add the garlic and peppers and continue to cook for at least 20 minutes, stirring often, until the peppers are soft and wilted. Add the paprika and saffron, then the tomatoes and some seasoning. Cook gently for another 10 to 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4.
Taste and adjust the seasoning. If you can’t put your pan in the oven just transfer the sauce into a baking dish. Make holes in the mixture and gently break in the eggs (easier if you break into a mug first). Season the eggs with salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until the eggs are set but the yolk still runny.
(Original recipe from River Cottage Veg Everyday by Hugh Rearnley-Whittingstall, Bloomsbury, 2011.)
We had this for breakfast on Easter Sunday but you could also have it for a handy lunch or dinner.
Spicy asparagus & chorizo baked egg – serves 2
250g asparagus, cut into 3cm pieces
40g diced chorizo
1 tsp hot smoked paprika
150g frozen spinach
2 tbsp crème fraîche
2 large eggs
flatbreads or toast, to serve
Heat a medium frying pan over a medium heat, add the asparagus and chorizo and cook for about 8 minutes. Stir in the paprika and cook for a further minute.
Add the frozen spinach and cook for about 5 minutes or until it has completely wilted. Stir in the crème fraîche and season with salt and pepper.
Make two space in the mixture for the eggs and gently slide them in. We find it easier to break them into mugs first. Cover the pan with a lid and leave for 5 minutes or until just set.
We needed a green pepper for another dish, but could only get a mixed bag of three leaving us with a red and yellow pepper needing to be used. The clocks have changed and so we had brunch, very unusual in this house where our human alarm clocks goes off at 6am most days. Jono has been mastering a new skill and so we had this with freshly baked sourdough. Don’t think we’ll be eating another bite until this evening!
Shakshuka – serves 2
1 tbsp cold pressed rapeseed oil (we used olive oil)
1 red onion, cut into thin wedges
1 red pepper, finely sliced
1 yellow pepper, finely sliced
3 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
1 heaped tsp sweet smoked paprika
400g tin of cherry tomatoes
115g baby spinach (we used frozen spinach, boil for a minute or two to wilt, then drain, squeeze out water with hands and chop)
4 medium eggs
½ small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped
½ small bunch of dill, roughly chopped (we didn’t have any dill but used some fennel fronds)
Heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan. Add the onions and peppers and cook over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until starting to soften. Add the garlic and spices and stir for another minute, then add the tomatoes, spinach and 100ml of water. Turn the heat down and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Season to taste.
Make four indentations in the mixture and gently crack an egg into each one (we find it easier to crack the eggs into mugs and pour them in). Cover with a lid or foil and cook over a low heat for 8-10 minutes or until the eggs are just set. Scatter over the herbs and serve.
Quesadillas are a regular feature on our weekend breakfast/lunch table as we often have tortilla wraps leftover from pack lunches in the week. We loved these spicy, veggie ones for Saturday breakfast.
Breakfast Quesadillas – serves 2
a knob of butter
2 eggs, beaten
½ an avocado, sliced
2 flour tortillas
4 cherry tomatoes, chopped
25g cheddar cheese, grated
2 pickled jalapeños, chopped
Heat the butter in a small pan, tip in the eggs and stir until scrambled.
Scatter the avocado over one of the tortillas. Top with the scrambled eggs, the cherry tomatoes, the cheddar and the jalapeños. Top with the other tortilla and slide into a hot non-stick frying pan (we brush the tortillas on the outside with a tiny bit of oil to help them brown). Cook for 2-3 minutes then flip over and continue to cook until the cheese is melted and the insides are hot. Cut into wedges to serve.
(Original recipe by Janine Ratcliffe in BBC Olive Magazine, March 2019.)
We’re trying to make more of an effort at breakfast time. This dish by Gill Meller of River Cottage is more suited to a weekend when you have a bit more time but it’s worth it as the flavours are great. The vegetable shop can get a bit boring at this time of year but then arrives Purple Sprouting Broccoli to keep us in good spirits.
Serve this with some toasted brown bread for mopping up the hot, smoky butter.
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and simmer the purple sprouting broccoli for a few minutes until tender. Drain and allow to steam dry.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small pan until sizzling then add the garlic, rosemary and smoked paprika. Cook for about a minute or until the garlic is softened but not browned, then remove from the heat.
Divide the yoghurt between two warmed bowls. Lay the broccoli in the bowls with the poached eggs. Season everything with salt and pepper and spoon over the smoky butter. Serve immediately with plenty of toast.
(Original recipe from Time by Gill Meller, Quadrille, 2018.)
We just loved this simple omelette with lots of wild garlic and some melting goat’s cheese. You could leave the goat’s cheese out and it would still be a super supper dish with some salad and crusty bread.
Wild Garlic & Goat’s Cheese Omelette – serves 2
a good handful of wild garlic leaves – about 50g
4 large eggs, lightly beaten (beat 2 eggs in 2 separate cups for ease)
25g butter
50g goat’s cheese crumbled
Finely shred the wild garlic and season the eggs.
Heat half the butter in a nonstick frying pan. Add half the wild garlic and wild for about 20 seconds, then add half the eggs. Leave for about 15 seconds, then tilt the pan and gradually scrape up the set bits of omelette around the edge into the middle of the pan, letting the raw egg run out to the edges.
When the omelette is still a bit liquid on top but set underneath, put half the cheese over one half. Fold the other half over the filling, then let the cheese melt for about 20 seconds before turning out onto a warm plate.
Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make another omelette, then serve right away.
(Original recipe from Food from Plenty by Diana Henry, Mitchell Beazley, 2010.)
This sour herb stew is unusual, and perhaps not to everybody’s taste, but we loved it! Served with some saffron rice it felt like a big dish of healthy goodness. It would also work as a side dish, or as they serve it in Iran with smoked fish.
Gilaki Herb Stew (Torsh-e tareh) – serves 4
300g spinach
65g fresh coriander
65g fresh parsley
40g fresh dill
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp turmeric
400ml water
1½ tbsp cornflour mixed to a paste with 2 tbsp water
juice of ½ a lemon (plus a bit extra)
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp black pepper
2 medium eggs
10g butter
Finely chop the spinach and herbs (use a food processor if you’ve got one). Put the chopped greens into a saucepan and add the garlic, turmeric and water. Stir well, then cover and cook for 15 minutes over a low heat.
Add the cornflour paste, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Turn up the heat and cook for 5 minutes, without the lid, until the sauce thickens.
Crack the eggs into the greens and allow to cook for a minute before touching them. Run a wooden spoon through each of the egg yolks twice (horizontally then vertically) so they are just broken. Don’t be tempted to mix them around as you want the chunks of cooked egg, rather than scramble.
Cover with the lid again until the eggs are cooked. Remove from the heat and stir through the butter. Season to taste. Serve with some extra lemon if you like it sour.
(Original recipe from The Saffron Tales by Jasmine Khan, Bloomsbury, 2016.)
A tasty mid-week veggie curry for two. Not much more to say really. Serve with a cold beer if you’ve got one.
Bombay Egg & Potato Curry – serves 2
2 onions, 1 chopped and 1 quartered
sunflower oil
2 green chillies, 1 halved and deseeded and the other finely sliced
2 garlic cloves
a handful of coriander, leaves and stalks separated
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp garam masala
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp black mustard seeds
1 vegetable or chicken stock cube
1 tin chopped tomatoes
150ml coconut milk
400g potatoes, peeled and cut into 2.5cm dice
3 eggs
juice of 1 lemon
basmati rice to serve
Fry the chopped onion in 1 tbsp of sunflower oil in a large frying pan or shallow casserole until soft and golden.
Meanwhile, whizz the quartered onion, halved chilli, garlic & coriander stalks with ¼ tsp salt to a paste – you might need to add a splash of water.
When the onions are softened, stir in the paste and spices and fry for about 5 minutes or until fragrant. Crumble in the stock cube, stir in the tomatoes and coconut milk along with a tinful of water and bring to a simmer. Add the potatoes, then cover and simmer for about 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, boil the eggs in boiling water for about 8 minutes, then cool under cold running water, peel and quarter.
Remove the lid from the curry and continue to simmer for another 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the sauce has reduced and thickened.
Taste the curry and season with salt, black pepper and lemon juice to taste. Gently lay the quartered eggs into the sauce, turn off the heat and replace the lid to allow the eggs to gently warm for a minute or so.
Serve with the sliced green chilli, coriander leaves and steamed basmati rice.
(Original recipe by Sarah Cook in BBC Olive Magazine, April 2015.)
We made this back in June when local asparagus was available, but have been very lax getting posts up on the blog (must do better!). We really enjoyed the combination here and the addition of our own, home-grown mint, dill and chives really made the dish sing.
Warm Asparagus & New Potato Salad – serves 4
350g small Jersey potatoes, scrubbed or peeled if you prefer
salt
2 large mint sprigs
25g unsalted butter
250g asparagus tips
hearts of 2 round lettuces, leaves separated, washed and dried
Maldon salt
2 hard-boiled eggs, shelled
handful of chervil sprigs – we used dill
FOR THE BUTTER SAUCE:
juice of 1 lemon
pinch of caster sugar
75g cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
freshly ground white pepper
1 tbsp snipped chives
Simmer the potatoes in lightly salted water, with the mint, until tender. Drain over a bowl and reserve the cooking water. Return the potatoes to the pan with the butter, stir together and keep warm.
For the sauce, use a large shallow stainless steel or enamel saucepan and squeeze in the lemon juice. Add 6 tbsp of the potato cooking water and the sugar, then simmer until reduced by half. Slowly incorporate the butter, a chunk at a time, whisking over a very low heat until homogenous (you’re aiming for a light butter sauce). Season with white pepper and keep warm.
Peel the asparagus tips from just below the bud and slice in half lengthways. Add to a pan of boiling well-salted water and boil for about 1-2 minutes – you want them just tender but not raw, then drain.
Slice the warm potatoes and add them, along with the asparagus, to the butter sauce. Turn gently with the chives, until everything is nicely coated.
Arrange the lettuce on 4 plates and divide the asparagus and potatoes between them. Sprinkle with Maldon salt and grate over the egg. Generously scatter with the chervil or dill.
(Original recipe from The Vegetarian Option by Simon Hopkinson, Quadrille, 2009.)
A simple but indulgent weekend breakfast. Perfect for using up any leftover cream from the night before.
Ouefs en cocotte
butter
one egg per person
one tbsp of cream per person
You need small oven-proof china dishes.
Pre-heat the oven to 190°C/Gas 5.
Get your eggs ready by breaking into separate mugs.
Put a lump of butter into each dish. Place in the oven and remove as soon as the butter has melted.
Slide an egg into each dish.
Pour a tablespoon of cream over each egg, avoiding the yolk, and return to the oven.
You need to watch these carefully but they are likely to take about 4-5 minutes. You want to remove them while you still have a runny yoke. If you practice these a few times you will get to know the perfect timings for your oven.
Serve with buttered toast soldiers.
(Original recipe from At Elizabeth David’s Table: Her very best everyday recipes, Penguin, 2010.)
This was no effort at all to whip up on a Saturday for brunch. We were a bit concerned when we saw the quantity of peppercorns, but they work superbly and give much less heat than expected.
Peppercorn Eggs & Ham Baguette – to serve 4
large baguette, cut in 4 and sliced in half
good quality olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled
55g unsalted butter
8-12 large eggs
1 tbsp black peppercorns, cracked in a mortar
a handful of basil leaves
4 slices of good quality ham or prosciutto
2 large tomatoes, cored and sliced
Scoop out the dough from the slices of baguette to make room for the filling. Pour olive oil over each slice and rub with the garlic clove. Put the slices on a tray and toast under a grill on both sides.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a frying pan and whisk the eggs. Add the cracked peppercorns and tip the mixture into the pan. Tumble and push the eggs around the pan with a flat wooden spatula (think half scramble, half omelette).
Remove when still soft as they will continue to cook, and season with a little salt. Put a few basil leaves on the base of 4 baguette slices, then add the ham, the tomato and finally the egg, finishing with the top pieces of baguette.
(Original recipe from Tamasin’s Kitchen Bible by Tamasin Day-Lewis, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2005.)
