Broccoli Cheddar Quiche

My boyfriend was skeptical when I said we were having broccoli quiche but even he loved it :)

6 eggs

1/3 of a cup of milk

2/3 a cup of cheddar

Salt & pepper to taste

A small head of broccoli

One onion 

Olive oil

A sprinkle of minced chives

A pack of puff pastry

1. Preheat the oven depending on the instructions on the package and grease the baking pan you are using.
2. Wash and chop the broccoli before steaming it. 
3. Chop and fry the onion in olive oil.
4. Beat the eggs and mix them with milk, grated cheddar, minced chives, salt and pepper. Then add the the onions and broccoli.
5. Lay the pastry on the baking pan and pour in the filling mixture.
6. Bake according to the instructions on the puff pastry package. 

Spanakopita Scrambled Eggs

Have you ever made too much filling for spanakopita and didn't know what to do with the leftovers?

Spanakopita Filling (Onions, baby spinach, ricotta, feta, salt & pepper)

Eggs

Milk

Minced garlic (optional)

1. Beat the eggs and add in the spanakopita filling (It's ok if it doesn't mix fully, it will once you put it in a pan)
2. Pour in the milk
3. In a saucepan, lightly fry the garlic in some butter
4. Scramble!

Black Bean Garlic Stir Fry

Delicious on noodles or rice... or even by itself!

• 2 carrots
• 1 red and 1 yellow capsicum (bell peppers)
• 2 medium sized onions
• A cup and a half of tofu in strips
• 5 eggs
• 3 cloves of garlic
• A small handful of bean sprouts
• For the sauce: salt, pepper, black bean sauce, canola oil, sugar, water, cornstarch, oyster sauce (optional), sesame oil, low sodium soy sauce - all to taste! Make sure you keep tasting your sauce to make it just how you like it. 

1. Slice the tofu into strips and fry it in a pan with oil, salt and pepper. Make sure it is crispy on the outside  before putting it aside
2. Scramble the eggs and pour them into the pan, mix them slightly while they cook to keep them fluffy and flip the cooked egg as you would an omelet. Cut it into strips the same way you cut the tofu and set aside. 
3. In a pan or wok, place your sliced onions and garlic to simmer in oil and black bean sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil and some soy sauce. Meanwhile peel the carrots and slice them into long strands. Chop the capsicum into slices. 
4. Once the onions and garlic are slightly cooked, toss in the carrots and capsicum and stir well. 
5. In a bowl, mix together some water and cornstarch and pour it into the pan. You may want to add some sugar depending on how the sauce tastes to you. Add sauces until you like the taste. 
6. Before serving, toss the tofu and egg strips in and mix them before garnishing them with bean sprouts. 

Brian's Egg Fried Rice

• 1 1/2 cups of rice
• 2 eggs 
• Half an onion 
• 1 clove of garlic finely chopped 
• A small handful of chives 
• 1 tablespoon of garlic chili sauce 
• 1/2 tablespoon of oyster sauce 
• A dollop of black bean sauce 
• 1/2 teaspoon of 5 spices powder 
• 2 1/2 tablespoons of sunflower oil 
• 1-2 tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce 
• White pepper & salt to taste 

1. Cook rice so it is still very slightly dry (you don't want it to be sticky) 
2. Fry the minced onions and garlic in a pan with oil and let them simmer for a minute
3. Crack the eggs and let them cook as though you were making a flat omelet on low heat - season with salt and pepper and 5 spices powder
4. Add the rice and sauces, turn the heat up and stir the rice quickly while it fries
5. Garnish with minced chives 

Feta & Tomato Tart

• Pie crust
• 4 eggs
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 cup of crumbled feta
• A drizzle of balsamic vinagre 
• 1 teaspoon of oregano 
• Olive oil
• 2 small red onions
• A teaspoon of sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh basil for garnish 

1. Preheat the oven based on the instructions for the crust
2. Finely chop the onions and caramelize them in a pan with olive oil and sugar
3. In a bowl, beat the eggs, add the salt and pepper and feta
4. Lay down the pie crust and pour the egg mixture over it
5. Slice the tomatoes and lay them on top, sprinkle them with oregano and balsamic 
6. Once the eggs are fully cooked, sprinkle the tart with fresh basi

Spinach Gruyere Quiche

1 tablespoon of butter
3 bunches of baby spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups of Gruyere grated
1 clove of garlic
8 eggs
2 cups of whole milk
Just under a full teaspoon of grated nutmeg
Pie dough (yessss, I cheateddd)

1. Stem and wash the spinach, grate the cheese, preheat the oven (depending on the guidelines for the pie dough)
2. Saute crushed garlic in butter for a few minutes before adding the spinach and letting it wilt
3. Finely chop the spinach along with the shallots
4. In a bowl beat the eggs with the milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg as well as 3/4 of the Gruyere
5. Mix in the spinach and shallots and stir
6. Pour the mixture unto the pie dish and top with the remaining Gruyere
7. Bake depending on the instructions of your pie dough. 

Fried Egg & Sharp Cheddar Sandwich

So simple, so good for ANY meal. 

You will need:

• Brown bread
• Sharp aged cheddar
• An egg
• Lettuce
• Tomato
• Mayonaise (I used light)
• Salt and peper to taste

1. Fry the egg with salt and pepper
2. Meanwhile, wash the lettuce, slice the tomato and cheese 
3. Toast the bread, place a small amount of mayonaise on either side
4. Put your sandwich together and eat it while it's warm 

Homemade Pasta

Yes, homemade pasta can be time consuming, but it is worth it! AND you really don't need a pasta maker or even a rolling pin ;)

You will need:

2 and a half cups of flour
4 eggs
A pinch of salt

(cannelloni or lasagne sheets)

1. In a bowl, place the flour and salt combined
2. Make an indent in the centre for the eggs and slowly mix them into the flour
3. Knead the dough well for about 10 minutes, you will begin to see the colour changing
4. If you are using a pasta maker: separate the dough into fist sized portions. Start the knob at the widest setting and continually put the dough through, folding it each time until your dough is extremely smooth. Then slowly decrease the width until you are happy with the thickness of your sheet. 
5. If you do not have a pasta maker, use a rolling pin, long glass or even a paper towel roll (getting creative here) with flour dusted on it. Continually roll the fist sized sections of dough until it is as thin as you want it. 
6. In a pasta maker, add the utensil for whatever shape pasta you want. To avoid the pieces sticking, sprinkle them with flour. 
7. Without a pasta maker, slice the dough in equal lengths and voila, fettuccine or tagliatelle. 
8. Cook for about 4 minutes

Egg Foo Yung - Chinese Omlette

Amazing delicious Chinese omlette.

You will need:

• 6 eggs
• 3 stalks of bok choy
• A small handful of baby spinach
• 1 shitake mushroom (more if you are a fan)
• Half a spring onion
• Fresh ginger (about a teaspoon)
• A small handful of beansorouts
• 1 clove of garlic
• A splash of sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons of soy sauce
• 1 and a half teaspoons of oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons of water

1. Wash all your veggies
2. Finely chop the bok choy, spinach, mushroom and spring onions
3. Mince the garlic
4. Grate the ginger

5. In a pan, combine the water, sesame oil, soy sauce and oyster sauce, mix together
6. Toss all the veggies ginger and garlic into the pan and let them simmer for about 10 minutes and add 7. Salt and pepper
8. In a bowl, beat the eggs and pour them into the pan
9. As the egg seeps to the sides, with a spatula push it back towards the centre
10. Flip the omlette so both sides are slightly golden and serve

Capsicum Fritatta with Sharp Aged Gouda

You will need:

• 4 eggs 
• cup of gouda 
• one onion 
• one red pepper 
• one yellow pepper 
• two medium sized potatoes
• 1/4 cup of milk 
• 3 cubes Boursin 
• Salt and pepper to taste 
• 1 clove garlic
• Olive oil

I used some very special aged Gouda from Amsterdam but if you would rather use another sharp cheese, it's up to you.

How to make:

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius
2. Wash your bell peppers (capsicum), I used one red and one yellow
3. Peel the potatoes and slice them
4. Crush the garlic
5. Slice the onion
6. In a pot, boil the potatoes until they are soft
7. While they are boiling, begin to fry your peppers, onions and garlic until they are soft
8. In a bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and grated gouda cheese (leaving some left over) and whisk them together with salt and pepper

9. Once the potatoes are boiled, drain them and add them to the frying pan until they begin to get more golden
10. Add the Boursin to the vegetables in the frying pan and mix well

11. Now you can either use an oven pan to bake the fritatta, or, you can do as I did and use the same frying pan. Mine had a metal handle so it was alright for the oven.
12. Pour your egg mixture into the frying pan (if you will use it in the oven), top it with the remaining grated cheese and sprinkle with dried basil. If you are using a baking pan, place your cooked vegetables in the baking pan and follow the same steps
13. Place your frying pan or baking pan in the oven and cook for about 20 minutes or until your fritatta is fully cooked and golden at the top

Healthy Alternatives:

Remove the Boursin, use less cheese (the flavour is so strong from the gouda you will taste it anyway)
Use low fat milk. In all honesty, you don't really even need milk.

Rucola and Cherry Tomato Quiche

I love quiche. Looove. I ended up making this kind of out of the blue. I just checked the fridge and saw what was up, and low and behold... rucola, eggs, cherry tomatoes... voila!

• A large handful of cherry tomatoes
• 3/4 of a medium-sized red onion
• 1 very large handful of fresh rucola (arugula/rocket)
• 8 eggs
• 1/2 a cup of freshly grated parmesan
• 1 cup of milk
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 & 1/2 teaspoons of dried oregano
• A package of quiche crust

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius
2. Lay your dough in a pie dish and with a fork add some holes on the bottom
3. Slice the onion and tomatoes
4. In a bowl, beat the eggs, milk, grated parmesan (leaving some aside), oregano, salt and pepper
5. Drop the onions, rucola and cherry tomatoes into the pie dish and cover it with the egg mixture
6. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan over the top
7. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the egg is fully cooked and the top is slightly golden

Healthier Alternatives:

Something I do from time to time is bake a crustless quiche. This is a great way to reduce the overall fat of the dish. 

Removing the milk or using skim milk really won't reduce the good taste at all. The flavours will still be strong and delicious.

The same goes for cutting out the parmesan. If you like the idea of having a cheese in your quiche, you could always use cottage cheese.

Dill Egg Salad Sandwich

Photo by Alvaro Chocano De Rossi

Should make 2 sandwiches

• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon of plain yogurt
• 1/2 a tablespoon of mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard
• 1/4 of a spring onion
• 3 stalks of fresh dill
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Bread
• 1 large lettuce leaf

1. Boil the eggs
2. Finely chop the spring onions and dill and put them in a bowl with the shelled and boiled eggs
3. Mix in the yogurt, mayo, mustard, salt and pepper
4. Stir until the eggs are broken up as much as you'd like
5. Lay the egg mixture on the bread and cover it with lettuce
6. Put your yummy sandwich together and eat!

Ricotta Scrambled eggs

Photo by Kate Mitchell

You will need:

• 5 eggs
• 1/4 of a cup of milk
• 1/4 of a cup of ricotta
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Spring onion (approximately 3/4 of a spring onion including the greenest parts)
• Red and or yellow bell pepper (approximately half of one pepper)
• 1& 1/2 teaspoons of Garlic powder
• 1& 1/2 teaspoons of Onion powder
• Butter/olive oil
• Chives for garnish

1. Very finely dice your bell pepper and spring onion and place them in a bowl
2. Add the milk, ricotta, garlic and onion powder and salt and pepper - stir well
3. Place some butter or olive oil in a pan and pour in your egg mix
4. Stir well until they are as cooked as you would like
5. Add chives for garnish