An Egg-ceptionally Easy Dinner!

Yesterday I had a lovely date planned for Mr B and I, but all sorts of things happened including a bed that was far too comfortable and a wasp attack....honestly the universe is against me having any sort of romantic life what so ever. Regardless of Mr B's finger looking like it might have actually been bitten by some sort of radio-active wasp and me having a panic attack about him having some sort of allergic reaction, we soldiered on and decided to head up to the top of Mt Wellington seeing as it was such a beautiful day. The view from the top on such a clear day was incredible and it was nice to be up there on a warm and sunny day instead of a cold and snowy one for a change!

We spent a couple of hours doing various walks over and around the top of the mountain and made plans to go back and do some of the longer ones another day when we are, both, free of potential allergic reactions and fully stocked with ample food and drink supplies.

By the time we got home we were buggered. Tired and hungry an easy tea was in order and it doesn't get much easier then omelettes!

Mr B and I are absolutely in love with this omelette recipe, it's quick and simple and the end result is not only hanging off the plate but it's soft, creamy, cheesy and delicious. Plus in our house you know a recipe is good when Mr B requests to have it instead of his weekly steak!

For this super easy (and rather large) omelette, you will need:

2 eggs
1 tbspn milk
2 tbspn finely diced chives
1/3 cup grated cheese
Fillings (ham, mushroom, tomato etc)
Butter

Whisk the eggs, milk and herbs until combined. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large fry pan over medium heat, melt 1 tspn of butter and swirl over the base of the pan.

Pour the egg mixture into the pan. Using a large spatula or egg flip, occasionally lift the edges allowing the uncooked egg to flow underneath. Cook for 2-3 mins or until the underside is set, but the top side is still soft and creamy.

Sprinkle one half of the omelette with grated cheese and desired fillings. Fold omelette in half to enclose filling. Gently slide onto a plate and serve with salad.

Enjoy!

Mrs B xx

Asparagus and Camembert Quiche

Where are the days going? So far 2013 feels like one of those cartoons where the pages just fly off the calendar, one second it’s January and a split second later it’s February!! That’s ok though, I plan to make every minute count this weekend with lots of baking, relaxing afternoons full of buttery shortbread dunked in cups of tea, some quality Mr and Mrs B time exploring the outdoors, and general lounging about. We also have a giant trailer load of wood chips to spread around the front garden too but at this stage I'm choosing not to think about that.

Do you know what is a great meal if you have general lounging about planned, or if you need a quick pick me up after excess wood chip shovelling? Quiche. Super easy to throw together, can be eaten hot, cold or in a sandwich (trust me....) and assuming you can drag yourself off the couch or away from your book for say 10 mins to throw it all together, you’re good to go!

Mr B and I had some of our home made camembert leftover last week so we were looking for a recipe to use it up in, I was thinking asparagus, I was thinking quiche and we were extremely impressed with the results, this quiche has a tonne of flavour from frying off the bacon and the onion first and when you get it out of the oven the camembert will be all gooey and melty and awesome. I would even go as far as to say this quiche was even better the second night (but aren't they all!)

Asparagus and Camembert Quiche - Serves 4

You will need:

1 tbspn olive oil
1 bunch of Asparagus, trimmed
1 onion, finely diced
5 eggs
1 tspn Dijion mustard
½ cup milk
150g (3-4 slices)shortcut bacon, diced
60g Camembert, thinly sliced

Pre-heat oven to 180C.

Heat oil in a frying pan. Add the onion and bacon. Cook for 5-7 mins or until onion has softened and bacon is cooked. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add the asparagus to the pan and cook for 2-3 mins or until softened.

Whisk the eggs, mustard and milk together. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture into a quiche dish.

Arrange the camembert and asparagus on top of the mixture.

Bake for 30-40 mins or until set and golden. Serve with steamed vegies and / or salad.

Enjoy!

Mrs B xx

Baked Eggs with Chorizo

I don't know if this dish falls into the category of having breakfast for dinner....or having dinner for breakfast....but either way I have been keen to try making it for ages and Mr B and I were so impressed! We love our eggs runny and these eggs were just perfect for dipping your buttery toast into and then using the rest of your toast to wipe the bowl clean!

Baked Eggs with Chorizo 
Serves 2

2 eggs
2 heaped tablespoons of tomato paste
400g tin of diced tomatoes
50g of sliced chorizo
1 small onion diced
1-2 tspns of crushed garlic (depending on how much you love your garlic!)
1 tspn of wet herbs such as oregano
1-2 tspns of smoked paprika
Salt and Pepper to season
2 Turkish Pide Rolls and Butter to serve

Pre-heat oven to 180C

In a lightly greased fry pan over medium heat, cook the onion and chorizo for 5-7 mins or until onion is softened.

Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, herbs and paprika. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 10 mins.

Spoon the mixture into two ramekins. Using the bake of a spoon make a hollow in the centre of each one and crack an egg into it.

Place the ramekins onto a baking tray and cook for 12-15 mins (if you like your eggs runny) and 20 mins if you like them solid!

When your eggs are nearly ready to come out of the oven, slice each roll in half and toast. Butter and cut into little portions perfect for dunking!

There was absolute silence around the table while we ate this...aside from the 'oh my god this is delicious' and 'yuuuuuuuuuummmmm' and the excited giggles of two people dunking their buttery bread into gooey eggs - plus there is just so much you can do with this dish, if you want it vegetarian just replace the chorizo with a small tin of chickpeas or kidney beans, you could add some celery, you could mix up the spices and the herbs - the possibilities are endless!

Have a fantastic weekend!!

Mrs B xx

Chicken, Leek and Cheddar Tart

You know how sometimes for like your birthday or Christmas you get some really dodgy presents that show next to no thought? Like I know if someone brought me say a book on modern physics I would be highly un-enthused....but if they get me anything shoe, tattoo, kitchen, cooking, baking, pin-up, vampire related I am one happy little vegemite. Plus I am very lucky to be surrounded by people who put alot of thought and effort into their present buying so I haven't had to poke anyone's eye out with a candle just yet......

Which brings me to what we had for dinner last night, you see for my birthday a few weeks ago, one of my beautiful friends brought me a cookbook called Delicious Baking. This cookbook is very dangerous....every single recipe in there looks and sounds amazing to the point where you may possibly drown in your own drool or you will bake so much that you will be buried alive under a pile of backed goods - personally I think the second option is a pretty good way to go! So last night when Mum and Dad came for dinner, I knew exactly what to make. This Chicken, Leek and Cheddar tart has seen a few alterations from the original recipe in the book, but it really was easy and delicious plus the layer of mustard gives it a real flavour kick!

You will need

8 sheets filo pastry
30g butter + 1 tbspn melted butter extra
2 large leeks (sliced)
3 thyme sprigs (or 1 tbspn Gourmet Garden thyme)
2-3 tbspns wholegrain mustard
1 cup shredded bbq chicken
3 eggs
300ml thickened cream
120g vintage cheddar cheese (shredded)

Pre-heat oven to 180C

Line a tart pan or quiche dish with filo. To get good coverage of the sides you might place 4 sheets horizontally and 4 sheets vertically or just layer them individually and overlap them around the dish.

Brush with melted butter.

Heat the remaining butter in a fry pan over medium heat. Add the leeks and thyme and cook for 5-10 minutes or until leeks are tender.

Spread the mustard over the base of the tart. Top with leeks and chicken.

In a bowl or large jug, whisk together the eggs and cream. Stir through the cheese and season well with salt and pepper. Pour over the chicken and leek.

Bake for 25-30 mins or until golden and set. Serve warm with salad and / or steamed vegies.

Enjoy!

Oh and before I go - Hi Michelle!!

Mrs B xx

Fully Loaded Honey Roasted Pumpkin, Egg and Bacon Pie

So as far as I'm aware it's Easter yes? The time for 4 days of relaxing with cups of tea, buttery hot cross buns and easter eggs yes? Ahhh no....

On Thursday night Mr B and I kicked off the Easter break with a night out to watch the Shaolin Kung-Fu Monks. My god, these guys (and lady) were off tap, we were on the edge of our seats for the whole show and for a theatre full of people, including small children, the number of times the whole place fell dead silent in awe of what they were about to do, was incredible. I would definitely recommend catching this show if you get the chance.

Yesterday Mr B and I headed out with the bikes to do some skills practise for my upcoming license test. I've had my learners for nearly a year now, so it's time I got myself together. I have no trouble riding on the road, but the finer skills that they test you on like cone weaves and obstacle turns just needed some work. So we spent 5 hours in the cranking hot sun working on my skills...and getting frustrated with each other...and throwing tantrums...and getting very excited when I got things right...and dancing around like lunatics...it was an all over the show kind of day, thank god Mum and Dad came down and brought us hot cross buns, easter eggs and a cuppa for lunch! Thanks Mum and Dad!! After all that practise we were all tuckered out last night and in bed by 6:55pm....oh yeah just call me Nanna B!


Which brings me to today....more practise...and I finally nailed everything...HOORAY!!! (That's literally what I was yelling whilst doing a victory lap of the car park....) And I have video evidence to prove it! I wonder if they would accept that at the test??


Anyway, moving on...let's talk Pie. Like real pie....like a huge big savoury pie stuffed full of eggs, bacon, honey roasted pumpkin, onion, cherry tomatoes and spinach!?! Are you sold yet? You should be.


This pie is huge and so far had fed Mr B and I for two nights and we still have half of it in the fridge for the next 2 nights! Not to mention the overwhelming satisfaction you will get when you pull it out of the tin and see how amazing it looks and knowing you did it all yourself simply by following these very easy steps...

All you will need is:

650g butternut pumpkin cut into 2cm cubes
1 brown onion finely diced
1 small punnet cherry tomatoes halved
100g baby spinach
4 rashers of short crust rindless bacon, finely diced
2 tbspns honey
50g butter (melted)
6 sheets filo pastry
6 eggs
1/2 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cup grated cheese
1 tbspn wet italian herbs (I used Gourmet Gardens Italian Herbs)

Pre heat your oven to 180C (fan forced) and place the pumpkin and onion in a baking dish. Drizzle with honey and toss to coat. Roast for around 20-25 mins. Add the bacon and stir to combine. Roast for a further 10-15 mins or until pumpkin is tender and bacon is browned. Set aside to cool.

Reduce oven temperature to 150C.

Brush the base and sides of a 20cm springform tin with butter. Place 1 sheet of filo on a flat surface and brush with butter. Carefully push filo into pan, allowing it to extend over the edges. Repeat with remaining filo and butter ensuring all surfaces of the pan are covered. (The best way to do this is to layer them in a clockwise pattern around the pan)

Whisk the eggs and evaporated milk together in a bowl. Stir through the herbs, cheese, tomatoes, spinach and pumpkin mixture. Carefully pour the mixture into the prepared pan.

Place the pan on a baking tray and bake for around 55-65 mins or until the filling is golden and set.

Carefully remove the sides of the pan and stare in awe at the amazing pie you have created, take photos, call friends to come have a look at it, but most importantly, serve it up with some salad and enjoy it!!


Wishing you all a Happy Easter for tomorrow!!

Mr and Mrs B x

Savoury Omelette Stack

Well it is a wet and miserable day here, it's windy and rainy and generally horrible. I spent the morning lazing around in bed with my coffee and a monster size bowl of fruit and yoghurt but as much as I tried to avoid it, I had to go out in the hurricane and buy some vegies to plant this week and try and track down the last of the wedding decorations...I was so happy to get home and put my pjs back on!!

And on a day like this you just want to come home and have a nice dinner that is not only fast and easy to make, but tasty and different too! So when I came across this recipe during the week whilst searching for something to cook for Mum and Dad when they came over for dinner, I knew I was on a winner!


Savoury Omelette Stack

9 eggs
1 zucchini (diced)
2 spring onions (finely chopped)
2 capsicums (roasted with skins removed)
1 tspn crushed garlic
2 tspn crushed wet herbs (I used a combination of garlic, parsley, thyme and rosemary)
1/2 tspn crushed chilli
200g extra light cream cheese
Salt and Pepper
1/2 cup grated cheese

Now the night before I was going to serve this, I roasted the capsicums - pretty easy, cut them into quarters and place them on a baking tray skin side up and roast at 200C for about 1/2 hr until the skin is all wrinkly. Once they have cooled down you will be able to take the skin off. Then just pop them in the fridge till you're ready to use them :)

Pre-heat oven to 180C.

In a large bowl, add the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Whisk well to combine and set aside.

In another bowl, add the philly and mixed herbs and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a frying pan over medium heat add your zucchini, spring onions, garlic and chilli. Cook for 5-10 mins or until softened. Allow the mixture to cool slightly before adding to the eggs.

(Now I used my pancake maker at this step but you could use a fry pan just as easy) Spray a small frying pan (or your pancake maker) with oil. Use roughly 2 tablespoons of mix for each omelette. Cook until the egg is set and they are lightly golden. If you are using a fry pan you will need to flip them after a minute or so.

Now I got about 8 omelettes out of this mix so I made 2 x stacks of 4. To assemble your stacks, place 1 omelette onto a baking tray and spread with some of the cream cheese mixture. Top with another omelette and spread with more cream cheese. Once you have 4 omelettes in your stack, spread the top one with cream cheese, sprinkle with grated cheese and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Repeat this to make your second stack.

Back in the oven for 10-12 mins until the cheese is melted and golden.


Can I just say yum!!!! I also think these would be awesome with a bit of tomato salsa in between the layers with the cream cheese as well :)

This post is also being featured over at Veggie Mamas Meatless Mondays Em x

Chorizo, Pumpkin and Fetta Quiche

I don't know about you, but I've been interviewing all day...I like interviewing, it breaks the day up, you meet new people, but a whole day of it is a loooonng time in the one room, asking the same questions over and over and honestly after 4 hours I was starving!!!

So when I got home tonight, my brain was fried and I needed something easy, something tasty....something like this!


Chorizo, Pumpkin and Fetta Quiche

1 red onion cut into thin wedges
1 tspn crushed garlic
1 tspn crushed wet herbs (such as rosemary, thyme and parsley)
100g chorizo thinly sliced
1 zucchini thinly sliced
400g pumpkin peeled and thinly sliced
100g fetta cubed
6 eggs
1/3 cup milk

Add onion and herbs to a fry pan over medium heat and cook, stirring for 3-4 mins. Add the chorizo and cook for 3-4 mins or until lightly browned. Add zucchini and pumpkin, cooking for 8-10 mins or until pumpkin begins to soften.

Transfer mixture to a greased quiche dish and scatter with fetta.

Combine the eggs and milk in a jug, being sure to whisk well.

Pour the egg mixture evenly over the pumpkin mix.

Bake at 180C for around 15-20 mins or until puffed and golden and the egg is set.

You should get 4 serves out of this and we just had our with some steamed vegies.

I must say though, the leftovers are delicious cold on their own or in a sandwich!!

OH tells me I'm odd...but I can not be the only person who likes cold quiche / frittata in a sandwich....am I?? Come on guys (and gals) back me up here!!!

Em x