Frittata

I'm not much of an egg fan. I can deal with the yolk in a fried egg, I love poached eggs, and I can just about eat an omelette. Maybe. But I hate boiled eggs, and the white on a fried egg.

I had four eggs to use up though, and so I decided to try and disguise the taste of them as much as possible while still using them in a reasonably substantial meal. Time to try making a frittata...

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You will need:

- 4 eggs

- 2 potatoes

- 1 red onion

- 50g mushrooms

- 1 pepper

- 2 tomatoes

- 1 clove garlic

- 1 polony sausage (This is just what I chose, but really anything like chorizo or pepperoni would be fine)

- 100g cheese

- Salt, pepper to season

Start by peeling and chopping the potatoes and getting them on the boil. This is the longest process in making the whole thing, so best to get it started as soon as possible. It is best to cut the potatoes to the size they'll need to be in the frittata before boiling them - saves any finnicky manipulation later. Cut them fairly chunky, but reasonably small.

Then turn your attention to preparing everything else. While the potatoes are cooking dice the rest of the vegetables, garlic, and sausage, again quite small. It is a good idea to also prepare the cheese and eggs at this time too. Simply grate your cheese down on one plate. In a separate bowl, beat the four eggs together with seasoning to taste. Just enough to combine the whites and yolks.

Once everything is prepared, get a pan out that'll be big enough to cook the frittata in. About a ten inch pan should be enough.

Start by frying off all the vegetables and sausage, etc. It's now that you'll want to add any seasoning to the mixture. I used a mixture of paprika, dried red pepper and thyme.

Once the vegetables have been cooked through, and the potato is ready, put the potatoes into the frittata pan, and allow it all to cook for maybe another five minutes or so.

Now add in the egg. Just pour it over the top and allow it to cook through (without stirring) for about fifteen minutes. Make sure the heat is not up too high at this point or the omelette will burn on the bottom before it is cooked through (I may only know about the potential for this to happen because that's what happened to me...).

Once it's cooked about half way through, put the grill on in your oven and put the whole pan under it for about five minutes. Take it out when the egg all looks cooked through, again keeping a close eye that it's not all burning.

Take the frittata out, cover it in the grated cheese before putting it back under the grill until the cheese is bubbling.

Then it's ready! Slice and serve. It's also great cold, so any leftovers make for a great breakfast or lunch.

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Coming up:

- Egypt blog. Really.

Haggis Risotto

To use up the last of the haggis, I decided to make a risotto... One word of warning - make sure your stirring hand is up to the job. 20-30 minutes of constant stirring is a pain in the wrist.

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You will need:

- 400g risotto rice

- 1l or so of beef stock

- Some haggis

- 1 onion

- 2 cloves garlic

- 300ml white wine

- Salt and pepper to season

- Butter and cream to finish

Start by very finely chopping up the onions and garlic and frying them gently in some oil and butter. I used some chilli oil to give the dish some extra kick.

After the vegetables have softened a little, add in the rice and fry it out for a couple of minutes until the butter and oil is all absorbed.

Crank the heat all the way up before adding the wine. Pour it in to the pan and, constantly stirring, work the rice until it has absorbed all the liquid. The stirring helps to bring out the starch from the rice to give the creamy finish that is associated with risotto.

Once the wine is all gone, start to pour in the stock a bit at a time. The same rules apply - stir constantly, and wait until all the liquid is absorbed before adding more. Taste frequently to check the seasoning - adding pepper or salt as needed - and also to check how cooked the rice is. Stop adding stock if the rice is cooked through.

There really is some rice behind the steam in the above photo...

Once the rice is cooked, all that is left is to add in a large knob of butter and a splash of cream. Stir this through to give a rich finish to the risotto, and then leave it to sit for a couple of minutes while you heat through the haggis to crumble over the top.

The ingredients listed should cook enough for about 4. If you're going to have any leftover then crumble the haggis through it and stir in rather than leaving it on top to dry out in storage.

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Coming up:

- Egypt. Still. Really.

- Frittata for lunch... should find its way on here.

Apple Juice Battered Pork

So, after all the recent Burns festivities, I was given a haggis that was leftover by my colleague, Linda.

Having pondered over what to do with it, I settled for two dishes. One I made today and the other I'll do tomorrow night.

Today I made apple juice battered pork with mashed potato and sliced haggis. Tomorrow I'll be finishing off the haggis in a risotto.

Let me set the scene a little. First of all, pork and haggis is a little unusual - but chicken stuffed with haggis is not uncommon. I had pork leftover, and I just thought as another white meat that it would be a decent partner (and it was). This is essentially a leftovers meal - spare chops, haggis and a couple of potatoes in the cupboard.

As for the apple juice batter (think beer batter, but the beer substituted with apple juice), I'm afraid that this is not an idea that I can claim as my own. I was talking about the 'art of battering' with another colleague, Sammy, and she suggested that instead of an apple sauce with the pork, use an apple juice batter instead - put the flavour directly onto the meat as it were.

Intrigued, I had to give it a go. The conversation also led to the idea of irn bru duck with an irn bru reduction being mooted... but we'll see about that!

Anyway, below is how it all went.

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You will need (to serve one):

- 2 large potatoes

- Salt, pepper, butter and milk for the mash

- 1 slice of boiled haggis

- 1 pork chop

- 225g plain flour

- 200ml apple juice

- 100ml soda water

I'm not going to explain mashed potato again, as you can find it here. Plus, I'm sure you already know how.

Anyway, I had a whole haggis, but I only needed a slice for tonight. I boiled the whole thing though, and just kept the rest in the fridge for tomorrow.

For those who don't know, a haggis looks like this.

To boil it, you just wrap the whole thing (skin and all) in tinfoil and stick it in a pan of boiling water. For one this size (just a bit bigger than a fist), it'll take about forty five minutes.

When there's about fifteen minutes left for your haggis, get your potatoes on for the mash before turning your attention to the batter.

It's very, very simple - 225g plain flour whisked together with 200ml apple juice and 100ml soda water. The soda water keeps the batter nice and light, while the apple juice gives flavour. You want the batter to be fairly thick - a little like pancake batter. Make sure to be heating some oil in a pan to deep fry the pork while you make the batter.

Take the pork chop and dust it well with some spare flour before coating it thoroughly in the batter. Carefully lower the chop into the hot oil, and it will take about 10 minutes to cook through and for the batter to brown nicely. You can trim the fat of the pork before frying it, but it's fine either way. It really all depends on how healthy you want to be - but to be honest, if you're making this, you probably don't really care about that.

Once the pork is done, lay it on some kitchen roll to absorb any excess oil, and make your mash.

Your haggis should be done now too, so drain the pot, take the foil off the haggis and then take a slice of it for the meal. You can fridge the rest.

Now just arrange it all on your plate and enjoy an appley pork chop with some superb sides!

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Coming up:

- Haggis risotto tomorrow night.

- I will get that Egypt blog up - it's in the works. Quite long though...

Burns Lunch

Work is now over and I'm home blogging about lunch today - as it was a late celebration of Robert Burns' Birthday.

Scotland's national poet and one of her greatest heroes, Burns is remembered for his often satirical poems on the church and politics, as well as his beautiful works written in old Scots dialect.

As I was in Egypt last week (Burns' birthday is 25th January), I held a wee shindig at work this week to remember him - and to give all the English a wee taste of Scotland... The haggis!

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For those who don't know, to celebrate Burns Day, it is tradition to bring the haggis to the table to the sound of a tumultuous pipe band (sadly the music at work wasn't quite so loud as it could have been), and is then recited to with one of Burns' most famous works - the Address to a Haggis. The haggis is ceremoniously sliced open with a sgian dubh during the third verse.

The haggis will be served with mashed potato, mashed turnip (sometimes mixed with carrot), and whisky (and sometimes a whisky sauce... or just whisky poured over the haggis. Really.). But for the purposes of work, we drank Irn Bru with lunch.

Then, time is taken to recite Burns' poems or sing songs. I've uploaded a video of me butchering 'A Red, Red Rose' too... Just for you all to have a laugh.

All in all, I think it was a good wee change from a usual work lunch, and something new for a few of the staff. Superb.

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Coming up:

- Egypt blog.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Hello, hello. It's been a while, but I've been away in Egypt (blog to follow on that...).

Had to stop the Daniel Fast prematurely due to going, as I knew it was going to be difficult to stick to the rules while I was eating in another country in hotels and so on.

Anyway, I have quite a bit to catch you all up on in the next few blogs, but for today, I'll be showing you a sticky toffee pudding I've put together to welcome a couple of friends back to the country from South Africa.

Unashamedly, I've nicked this recipe from Jamie Oliver, so if you recognise it, that's why. Enjoy!

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For the cake you will need:

- 225g dates (fresh is preferable, but I soaked some partially dried ones)

- 1tsp bicarbonate soda

- 85g butter

- 170g caster sugar

- 2 eggs

- 170g self raising flour

- 1tsp cinammon

- 2tbsp ovaltine

- 2tbsp yoghurt

This is a nice and easy, one bowl sort of pudding to put together. You can't really mess it up unless you're me and you double the date quantity by accident. Ha. Hopefully it'll taste alright - still looks edible at least... David Disaster ahoy.

Anyway, the first thing to do is to de-stone your dates and then (if they're not already very soft) soak them in a bowl of boiling water with the bicarbonate of soda.

Leave them for a few minutes to soak, and while you do, turn your attention to starting the cake.

Get the oven heating to 180°C. Then cream the butter and sugar together before thoroughly mixing in the flour, ovaltine, eggs and spices.

Once the dates are nice and gooey, drain them off and blitz them in a food processor until they become a purée, then fold this into the cake mixture along with the yoghurt.

Pour the mixture into a suitable baking tin and leave it in the oven for about 35 minutes (unless you've doubled the quantity of dates, in which case, an hour is more like what you'll need.

I've made the cake in advance of this evening, but I'll be finishing the caramel sauce later on so that it's not cold and set!

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For the caramel sauce you will need:

- 140ml double cream

- 115g muscovado sugar

- 115g butter

Simply melt the sugar and butter in a saucepan before combining with the cream and leaving to cook out - it should darken and thicken a little. Careful not to burn it!

Please excuse the above squashed up picture - mobile phone pictures aren't the best... At least not from my phone!

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Coming up:

- Like I said, I've a blog about all my food experiences in Egypt to come.

- Also hosting a Burns Lunch at work tomorrow.

Falafel

Hello all - two posts in two days? Crazy talk... However, I've been cooking again, so here we go - some Daniel Fast friendly (90% sure anyway...) falafels.

Dinner was just another pile of vegetables cooked in a tomatoey sauce again, but thought I'd make something that I could eat at work tomorrow. Make a change from the last two days...

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You will need:

- 250g dried chickpeas

- 1tsp chilli powder

- 1tsp ground coriander

- 2tsp dried parsley

- 4tbsp (level) wholegrain flour (I used buckwheat) + more to coat

- Salt and pepper to season

You'll need to soak the chickpeas for a couple of hours before draining them, and then boiling them in fresh water. If not on a Daniel Fast, it's fine to use a can - for the fast though, it's hard to find a can where the chickpeas aren't swimming in a chemical preservative.

Boil the chickpeas for about five minutes and then leave to simmer for a further 45 minutes or so - until tender.

In a bowl, mix all the spices, flour and seasonings together while the chickpeas are cooking. Prepare another bowl, filling it about a quarter full with the wholegrain flour.

Once the chickpeas are cooked, drain them and leave to cool for a few minutes until they've stopped steaming. Once this is done, add the chickpeas to the bowl with the spices and mash them with a fork, potato masher, or your hands. Or all three...

Once the mixture is thoroughly mashed, and you have a doughy consistency, shape the mixture into little balls (about golf ball size is fine) before rolling them in the excess flour to coat them thoroughly. This will help to give a crispy coating and keep the falafel together as it cooks.

Traditionally, falafel is deep fried, however, deep frying is also banned during a Daniel Fast, so instead shallow fry your falafel in a little oil, rolling them as one section cooks. Once the ball is completely golden brown, remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and rest on some kitchen roll to absorb any excess oil.

Lunch. Sorted.

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Coming up:

- Probably some other vegetable based delight...

Daniel Fast

Well, it's a new year, and it's been nearly a month since my last update.

As updates go, this is more about food and an introspective look at myself rather than any particular recipes (though there will be one!).

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Basically, a few days ago at work, my colleague Dan had played a video by LifeChurch in devotions. The picture below is of Craig Groeschel, the minister who leads the church.

Generally, the video is a sermon on the start of a new year and how we should approach it from a spiritual perspective. Have we been apathetic spiritually? Are there things we need to change in the coming year?

Anyway, at about 19 minutes in, Craig talks about fasting to seek God at the start of the year - putting God first by denying yourself. Remembering to pray or to think on the things of God when you get hungry or are tempted to break the fast.

I decided to give it a go, following the fast that Craig and his church have taken up (though starting today I'm a little behind...). That is to say, the Daniel Fast. Whether I'll last the 21 days that they're suggesting I'm not sure. But if it gets me into a rhythm of seeking God first, then even if I don't manage 21 days, then that's a good start.

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Needless to say, I had to augment my shopping list to deal with the fast. At first I thought it was going to be very very easy. It's still eating, right? But looking through the food list and what is allowed, you really have to cut out a lot of stuff. No sugar, butter, meat, bread, white rice or processed pasta and more? I'm looking forward to the challenge and I hope that it brings me closer to God this year.

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If you're thinking about it as well, then be encouraged - I managed to make an enjoyable meal this evening.

It was a wee bit spur of the moment, and nothing fancy, but it was good.

I don't have any pictures or anything as I wasn't even planning to blog this, but changed my mind. So here goes. Also, this way, if anybody spots any mistakes in what I'm doing - if I've used any ingredients I shouldn't have, do let me know!

I cooked some wholewheat conchiglie in one pot while I prepared a few vegetables.

I diced a red onion, and chopped up two tomatoes and a handful of mushrooms. I sautéed these off in some garlic infused olive oil for a couple of minutes until the onions started to brown. I cracked in some black pepper and a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of chilli powder.

Allowing thirty seconds or so for the spices to heat, I then poured in a tin of chopped tomatoes and a couple of teaspoons of tomato purée. Don't worry, I checked the cans and purée for banned ingredients before I added them.

Stirring frequently until the sauce had heated through, I took it off the heat while I drained the pasta, leaving just a little of the pasta water to pour into the sauce for extra flavour and thickening. Just like the Italians.

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Stick your pasta in the bowl and ladle the vegetables and sauce over the top. Sorted.

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Coming up:

- More recipes based on this fast I should think...