Baked eggs and bacon

Baked eggs and bacon

• 4 portobello mushrooms (remove the stalks)
• 4 eggs
• 6 slices bacon
• Tomato (halved)
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Oregano

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.  Rub the mushrooms with a little olive oil and add a few grinds of black pepper and a pinch of salt to the inner part of the mushroom and a sprinkle of oregano onto each tomato.  Crack an egg into each of the mushrooms and place onto a lined baking tray along with the bacon and tomato and cook for around 20 minutes or until the bacon is cooked by which time the eggs will have baked through.  Plate up and enjoy.

This was a quick and easy brunch, no messing about and everything cooked on one tray and double bonus it is carb free!  Next time I will try the dish with poached eggs, I do like a runny yolk!

McMark's Bacon and Egg Flatbread

McMark's Bacon and Egg Flatbread

• 1 flatbread
• 5 eggs
• 5 slices smoked back bacon (or whatever bacon you prefer)
• Salt & pepper
• Knob of butter
• Sauce of choice

Method:
Cook your bacon under a medium heat grill for around ten minutes until nice and crispy, turning halfway.  Once done, remove from the oven and place onto some kitchen roll to absorb any fat.  Whilst the bacon is cooking, beat the eggs in a jug along with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper.  Melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat, once sizzling, pour in the eggs and leave for a minute or so until they start to set, then using a silicone spatula move the eggs around the pan (you don't want the eggs to turn into an omelette or stick to the pan!), keep doing this, breaking them up as you go, it should only take a few minutes to cook the eggs (without drying them out).  Whilst you are doing the eggs, place the flatbread onto a shelf in the oven for a few minutes, the residue heat from the grill should be enough to warm it through.

Place the flatbread onto a plate, drizzle with your sauce of choice, I went for tomato ketchup, place the bacon on the front half of the flatbread, top with the eggs and then fold over the other half of the flatbread and cut in two and serve (just incase you thought I was being greedy, this serves two people!).

Who needs to go to the Golden Arches for breakfast when you can make this bad boy yourself at home in no time at all!  There are endless variations you could make using the flatbread with the fillings of your choice, this was sooo good and took no time at all to make, let me know what you would put in your flatbread?

Breakfast frittata

Breakfast frittata

• 12 chipolata sausages
• 2 large handfuls of grated cheese
• 8 cherry tomatoes
• 2 handfuls of baby spinach
• 10 eggs, lightly beaten
• Couple glugs of whole milk
• 1 small pepper, finely diced
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Couple pinches of Turkish pepper flakes (if you have them!)

Firstly lightly grease your tin, I have a small non stick roasting tin, 9"x12" and 2" deep which is perfect for this recipe.  Preheat your oven to 180 degrees, whilst this is warming up cut up your sausages, you want about 6 pieces from each sausage.

Crack the eggs into a jug, add a few glugs of milk and season with salt and pepper and then lightly beat.  Place the cut sausages into the tin and cook in the oven until browned through (around 10 minutes).  Once cooked, place the spinach over the top of the sausages and then pour over the egg mix.  Sprinkle the diced pepper over the top of the mixture followed by the cheese, gently push down onto the top as you want the egg mix to cover the ingredients.  Place the halved cherry tomatoes evenly around. Grind some more pepper over the top and sprinkle on some of the Turkish pepper flakes (optional if you have them!), return the tin to the oven and cook for around 30 minutes until the top is browned slightly and the frittata is firm to the touch.

I only call this breakfast frittata as I make this for my partners breakfast however it is perfect for any time of the day, brunch, lunch or dinner served with a nice crisp salad or some cheeky feta fries!  It is so versatile, you can pretty much put what you like in with the egg mix, mushrooms are another firm favourite for this dish, enjoy!

Breakfast frittata

A mouthful of Mark does Eggs Royale

Eggs Royale

• 2 muffins (sliced in half and lightly toasted)
• 4 slices smoked salmon
• 1 avocado (cut in half, seed removed and then sliced lengthways)
• 4 eggs
• Cracked black pepper
• Lemon juice

Method:

Bring a large pan of water with a good splash of white wine vinegar to the boil.  Whilst the water is coming to the boil, toast your muffins.  Top the muffins with a slice of smoked salmon and several pieces of the avocado, squeeze some lemon juice over the top and a grind of black pepper.  Once the water has come to the boil, drop each egg into the water (keeping some distance between each egg) and let them cook for 3 minutes, once done, remove with a slotted spoon and place each egg on top of the muffins and crack a bit more black pepper over the top.

At the moment I am on a roll with poached eggs, I never knew they were so simple to make!  None of this swirling the water around when dropping the eggs in, just plonk them in, it works a treat!  Poached eggs have now become a Sunday breakfast staple, I just need to come up with different variations to try so watch this space.

Mexican Eggs Benedict

Mexican Eggs Benedict

• Muffins (1 per person, cut in half and toasted)
• 4 eggs (2 per person)
• 4 slices ham
• Guacamole  
• White wine vinegar

Method:
Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add a few splashes of the vinegar.  Whilst the water is coming to the boil toast your muffins, butter them and top each one with a slice of ham.
Put a good dollop of the guacamole onto the ham (see here for guacamole recipe).
Once the water is at a rolling boil crack each egg into the pan, aim to put one into each quarter of the pan.  Cook for around 3 minutes, remove from the pan using a slotted spoon and place on top of the muffin.  

This is a very straightforward recipe but definitely one that is worth sharing as it is so tasty and features on a regular basis in our household.  When serving a good grind of black pepper is always good and if you have it to hand a dollop of sour cream and a splash of habanero sauce works a treat, enjoy!  

Smashed avocado and scrambled eggs on toast

Smashed avocado and scrambled eggs on toast

This is a great dish, suitable for anytime of the day and quick and simple to make which is always a plus.  Just had this as a late breakfast, such a great start to the day!

• 1 Ripe avocado
• 4 Eggs
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• Dash of milk
• Knob of butter
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• Bread of choice to toast

Method:-
Preheat a nonstick frying pan and melt the butter.  Peel the avocado, remove the stone and then cut the avocado into chunks, place into a bowl, season and squeeze over some lemon juice.  Roughly smash the avocado, leaving chunks.  Beat the eggs together, season and add a dash of milk, add to the frying pan and scramble away, this should only take a few minutes.  Toast your bread, spread on the avocado and top with the scrambled egg.  As I like it spicy I added a few dollops of Kankun Habanero Sauce to the avocado and also to the scrambled eggs.  

Mexican Open Omelette

Mexican Open Omelette

• 2 tsps olive oil
• Handful of chopped jalapeño peppers
• 1/2 diced red onion
• 1 clove of garlic minced
• Handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
• 4 eggs, whisked
• Handful of chopped coriander 
• Handful of crumbled feta & cheddar cheese

Method:-
Heat the oil in a medium sized frying pan.  Add the onion and sauté for 3 minutes then add the garlic and tomatoes and sauté for a further 3 minutes.  Once done transfer to a plate and leave to one side.  

Preheat your grill to high.  Return the pan to the stove, add the whisked eggs and cook for around 5 minutes.  Cover the omelette with the cheddar cheese and place the pan under the grill until the cheese has melted and the omelette has puffed up slightly (remember to make sure the handle of the frying pan is outside the oven).  Transfer the omelette to a plate, scatter over the tomato and onion mixture along with the jalapeños, feta and coriander.

This was a late breakfast which was quick and easy to make and oh so tasty.  I drizzled some Kankun habanero and jalapeño sauce over the top for an extra zing.  An ideal recipe for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Avocado would be great with this as well, unfortunately the "perfectly ripe avocados " I had ordered were far from ripe!  Oh well, there is always next time.

Heavenly Mushrooms on Toast

Heavenly Mushrooms on Toast

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 100g smoked pancetta cut into cubes
• 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 25g unsalted butter, plus extra for spreading
• 2 x 300g packs of mixed mushrooms
• 3 tbsp white wine
• Large handful of flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• Eggs (1 per serving)
• Thick slices of sourdough or crusty white bread

I came across this recipe in the Waitrose magazine and the recipe is by John Torode, this made for a really tasty lunch…

Heat the oil in a large frying pan on a high heat, add the pancetta and fry until golden brown. Reduce the heat and add the garlic and soften, without colouring, for about 2 minutes. 

Increase the heat and add the butter, once it starts to sizzle and foam add the mushrooms and stir to ensure the mushrooms are coated with the pancetta and garlic.

 Once the mushrooms have browned then add the wine and then reduce down until there is a small amount of liquid remaining, season with pepper and then stir through the parsley.

Keep the above on a low heat whilst you then soft boil your eggs for 5 minutes, once done drain under cold water and then set aside to rest for 5 minutes. Toast your bread under a grill or on a hot griddle pan until lightly charred. Spread with butter, top with the mushrooms and serve with the soft boiled egg on top.

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