COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS...
December 21, 2009
The tree is sparkling, the presents wrapped, the guest room made up…something missing – the Christmas cake!
With all the preparations we make for the festive season, it can be all too easy to forget something, but help is at hand with this Last Minute Christmas Cake recipe.
Last Minute Christmas Cake
Preparation time: 15 minutes + 2-2½ hours cooking
Serves 12
675 g (1½ lb) mixed dried fruits
75 g (2¾ oz) glacé cherries, quartered
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Zest and juice of 1 orange
4 tablespoons dark rum or brandy
225 g (8 oz) butter, softened
225 g (8 oz) light soft brown sugar
4 large British Lion eggs, beaten
225 g (8oz) plain flour
½ teaspoon mixed ground spice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
50 g (1¾ oz) flaked almonds
To decorate:
4 tablespoons apricot jam, sieved
22 walnut halves
20 blanched almonds
1. Place the first four ingredients in a medium pan. Bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the rum or brandy. Cool.
2. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 3/170ºC/320ºF. Grease a 20cm (8-inch) deep round cake tin and line with baking parchment.
3. Purée one third of the fruit in a food processor. Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric whisk until soft and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, beating well between additions. Stir in the flour and spices.
4. Stir in the fruit purée and then the almonds and fruits. Spoon into the tin and level the surface. Bake for 2-2¼ hours. Cool in the tin.
5. When the cake is cold, remove from the tin and peel away the lining paper. Place on a serving plate. Heat the apricot jam in a small pan until warm and runny. Brush the glaze all over the top of the cake, arrange the nuts, then and brush over any remaining apricot glaze. Serve in wedges.
Look for the Lion! All eggs bearing the Lion Quality mark are laid by British hens that have been vaccinated against salmonella and are date stamped for freshness.
Christmas Meringue Snowmen
December 14, 2009
Preparation Time: 20 mins
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Makes 5
2 large British Lion egg whites
100g/4oz caster sugar
75g/3oz milk chocolate drops
5 (10cm/4in) lengths of tartan ribbon
1. Preheat the oven to 140C/Fan 120C/275F/Gas Mark 1. Grease a large baking sheet and line with non-stick baking parchment. Place the egg whites in a large, clean bowl and use an electric whisk to whisk them until they are thick, white and stiff peaks form.
2. Add about a third of the sugar and whisk again until the egg whites are stiff and shiny. Add the sugar in two more batches whisking in between. When all the sugar has been whisked in, the egg whites will be really stiff, white and shiny.
3. Use a dessertspoon to place 5 round heaps of meringue, (about 6cm/2 3/8 in diameter) well apart on the baking sheets – these will be the bodies. Then use a teaspoon to place 5 smaller round heaps, (about 4cm/1 ½ in diameter) of meringue on the baking sheet to make the heads. Bake for about 1 hour or until the base of the meringues feel dry and crisp. Cool.
4. To decorate: save 10 chocolate drops for eyes. Place the remainder in a small heatproof bowl and stand it over a small pan of hot water, stir until the chocolate has melted.
5. Use a small paint brush to paint a blob of chocolate on top of a body and place a head on top. Next wrap the ribbon around the neck of the snowman, gluing the ends onto the snowman with chocolate. Finally flue two eyes onto each snowman with melted chocolate and use the paint brush to paint a chocolate smile onto each face. Dust with icing sugar.
Look for the Lion!
All eggs bearing the Lion Quality mark are from British hens that have been vaccinated against salmonella and are fresher than required by law. In the past three years, 200,000 Lion Quality eggs have been independently tested and all were found to be free of salmonella.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH BACON AND EGG
December 7, 2009
PREP: 5 mins
COOK: 30-35 mins
CALS PER SERVING: 286
FAT PER SERVING: 15g
1 (175g/6oz) slice butternut squash
5ml/1 tsp vegetable oil
2 rashers lean back bacon, sliced
25g/2oz chestnut mushrooms, sliced
2 spring onions, sliced
1 large British Lion egg
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/400F/Gas Mark 6. Place the butternut squash on a baking sheet and rub a little oil on top. Season. Bake for 20mins or until tender.
2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil, add the bacon and sauté for 3-4 mins or until the bacon is crisp. Add the mushrooms and onion and sauté for a further 2 mins.
3. Heap the bacon mixture on top of the butternut squash and make a hollow in the centre of the mixture. Carefully crack an egg into the hollow and bake for 8-10mins or until the egg is baked to your liking. Serve hot with tomato salad.
CHICKPEA AND COURGETTE EGGAH
November 30, 2009
Preparation: 10mins
Cooking: 15-20mins
Serves 4
Cost per portion: £1.03
30ml/2 tbsp oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 courgette, thinly sliced
1 (400g) can chick peas, drained
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1/2 tsp ground cumin
45g/3 tbsp freshly chopped flat parsley
6 large British Lion eggs
1. Heat the oil in a medium non-stick frying pan, add the onions and sauté over a medium heat for 6-8mins or until golden brown. Add the courgettes, increase the heat and sauté for 2mins until softened.
2. Stir in the chick peas, garlic, spices and parsley and stir fry for 2mins until hot. Beat the eggs with 30ml/2tbsp water and add to the pan. Cover the pan with a lid or tray, then cook over a medium heat for 3-4mins or until the surface is almost set.
3. Sprinkle over the cheese, pop the pan under a hot grill and cook for a further 2-3mins or until the top is golden and the centre is set. Serve warm or cold in wedges with harissa sauce and a tomato salad.
PERFECTLY BALANCED BREAKFAST - MAN
November 23, 2009
Preparation: 5 mins
Cooking: 5 mins
Serves 1
Ingredients
2 large British Lion eggs
1 wholemeal muffin, split in two
1 (70g) tomato, sliced
100g/4oz premium lean ham
1 (200ml) glass of orange juice
Cracked black pepper to serve
Method
1. Fill a small frying pan with water to a depth of 5cm and heat until it is just simmering. One at a time, crack the eggs and drop them into the hot water, then reduce the heat so the water is gently bubbling. Poach for 3-4mins or until the eggs are cooked to your liking
2. Meanwhile, toast the muffin and place both halves on a plate, top with the sliced tomato and ham
3. Using a slotted spoon, carefully lift the eggs from the water and place them on top of the ham. Top with cracked pepper and serve immediately with a glass of orange juice
For more healthy recipes, please visit www.eggrecipes.co.uk.