Category: Lighter bites/lunch dishes

Recipe: Baked Eggs with Spinach, Cream and Parmesan

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An easy supper we come back to time and time again is these baked eggs with spinach, cream and parmesan. We tend to have all the ingredients at home most of the time, and as far as satisfying supper go, this is a great one.

It doesn’t take long to prepare, is easier than a shakshuka and super yummy! Perfect weeknight fodder, but it feels a little elevated with the cream and parmesan. Also great for brunch or lunch! Similar to oeufs en cocotte, but a little easier to throw together (no hot water!) and in a bigger dish so a bit more substantial.

Baked eggs with spinach, cream and parmesan, serves 2

2 large handfuls baby spinach, washed

1 tbsp butter

2-4 eggs

100 ml cream

grated parmesan

sea salt and black pepper

Add a little butter to a small non-stick frying pan on medium heat. Add the washed spinach and push it around until it has been wilted. If there is a lot of liquid in the pan squeeze the spinach to remove the excess water.

Butter two round gratin dishes with the remaining butter. Divide the spinach between the two dishes. Crack one or two eggs in each. Spoon cream into the dishes, some on top of the eggs. Grate a generous amount of parmesan into the dishes. Finish with a little salt and pepper.

Place in a 180C oven until the whites are almost set (cook for longer if you want them cooked through), approx 5 minutes. Serve with crusty bread.

Recipe: Tomato Toast

Published on by Hanna1 Comment

Hello!

I feel like I finally have time to write on here again. This weekend was the paus button I so very much needed. I feel so lucky to have had such a lovely summer, but we have been on the move quite a lot (Norfolk, London, Sweden, Paris, Norfolk, London, Norfolk and now back in London again) and for some reason, writing blog posts is the first thing to go when I have a lot on. It takes a lot of time, and requires more writing than say Instagram, so although I love it it’s a bigger mountain to climb. But I’m here now and hope I will have time to tackle a lot of the back log this autumn. But if I go quiet on here, you can always pop over to Instagram where I pretty much post every day.

One recipe I really want to share with you before tomato season is truly over for this year, is this simple tomato toast. It’s barely a recipe; more an idea, and a call to really enjoy those last good tomatoes of the season. Because a simple recipe require the ingredients to be good quality. There is little point making this in January with imported tomatoes that have barely seen the sun.

But back to the recipe/idea. When I was little we had a weird and wonderful thing in Sweden; salmon mayonnaise. It came in a tube, was salmon pink and tasted heavenly. I don’t remember it tasting of salmon per se, but it had an umami flavour that paired so well with tomatoes. So I basically grew up eating a version of this open-faced sandwich. Salmon mayonnaise has since been continued in Sweden, but still exists in Finland, so there have been a few rare occasions I have been able to get hold of some.

But this tomato toast is just as good as my childhood version but with readily available ingredients.

It’s my favourite lunch from August to October and the flavours are so so good together I think anyone who likes tomatoes will love this!

Tomato toast, serves 2

2 slices good bread, toasted (flimsy white bread is discouraged here)

salted butter

2 tbsp Hellmann’s mayonnaise

3-4 ripe tomatoes, washed, dried and at room temperature, thinly sliced with a serrated knife

a small bunch chives, finely chopped

salt and pepper

Let the toasted bread cool a little before spreading a very thin layer of butter on top. Spread a thicker layer of mayonnaise on top. Arrange the tomato slices on the toasts, as closely together as possible. Sprinkle with chives, a good pinch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Enjoy!

Recipe: Aubergine Pizza Toast

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This recipe is the culmination of my struggle to come up with yummy ways to eat aubergine for my boyfriend who doesn’t particular like aubergine. I struggle to understand why as it’s one of my favourite vegetables, but I accepted the challenge and after having tested a few different dishes (layered melanzane parmigiana – edible, but not great according to him; quick aubergine and courgette lasagne – better!; non-layered melanzane – he thought this was a lot better than the layered version and something I can make again (hurrah!); fried aubergine with lumpfish roe and dill for canapés – this was a no go) I somehow came up with this aubergine pizza toast. I obviously liked it and luckily the boyfriend did too!

There are no complaints when I cook aubergine this way, so since its inception I have made it many many times! It’s perfect for lunch or dinner together with a green salad dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar (trust me on this, the balsamic goes SO well with this!) but I have no doubt I will adapt them into canapès some time soon, as they would be perfect pre-supper and are vegetarian!

Aubergine pizza toast, serves 2

I often roast the aubergine the day before, refrigerate and heat up again (either in the oven or in the microwave) just before assembling the toasts.

1 aubergine, peeled and cut into 1, 5 cm cubes

1 tbsp mild olive oil

salt and pepper

4 pieces sourdough or seeded bread

olive oil

1 garlic clove, cut in half

1-2 tsp dried oregano

4-5 tbsp tomato sauce

1 ball (125 g) buffalo mozzarella, sliced

grated parmesan

To serve:

good olive oil, to drizzle

salt and pepper

8 basil leaves, if you have

green salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Pre-heat the oven to 200C fan. Place the diced aubergine in an ovenproof dish drizzled with olive oil. Drizzle with more oil. Add salt and pepper. Stir until evenly coated and roast in the oven for approx 15 minutes or until soft and a little dark around the edges.

Place the bread on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and put in the oven to toast until golden brown, approx 5-10 minutes. Rub the garlic, cut side down, over the bread slices. Divide the cooked aubergine between the bread slices. Scatter with oregano. Spoon the tomato sauce on top. Divide the mozzarella and grate the parmesan over the toasts. Put the tray in the oven until the mozzarella is melted and bubbly.

Transfer the toasts to plates (two per plate) and add the finishing touches; , basil, a drizzle of good olive oil, sea salt and black pepper. Serve with a green salad, dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Recipe: Omelette Tortilla Wrap

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I posted this speedy lunch on my instagram stories a few days ago, and have already had several requests for the recipe, so here it comes!

However, I can’t take credit for creating it. It was my blogg friend Kim who shared it on her instagram and it looked so good I saved it and tried it last week. It’s infinitely adaptable and such a yummy and quick lunch! (I had fried peppers, cheese and rocket in mine but Kim had kale, ham and cheese, so just pick some toppings you like but I suggest cheese is one of them). It’s so so yummy and a perfect speedy lunch!

Omelette Tortilla Wrap, makes 1

1 large egg

1 tbsp cream or water

salt and pepper

knob of butter

1 medium or large flour tortilla

Filling:

fried peppers

a small handful rocket

grated cheddar

Beat the egg and cream in a small bowl. Add a little salt and pepper. Heat up a medium sized frying pan on medium heat and add the butter to the pan. Once it’s hot, add the egg mixture and cook for a minute or so moving it about gently with a spatula. Remove from heat and add your toppings. Place the tortilla bread on top and fry for another 30 seconds to a minute. Place a dinner plate on top of the frying pan and turn it upside down. Slide the omelette with the bread side down into the frying pan and fry it for a minute or two until gently golden brown. Remove and place on a chopping board. Roll it into a roll and cut in half. Serve with salad.

Recipe: Broccoli, Pepper and Cheddar Quiche

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This quiche has become my new favourite! It’s vegetarian but so yummy carnivores don’t even notice the absence of meat. I first made it because I was in the mood for quiche but wanted a healthier option than my delicious puff pastry quiche Lorraine. So I skipped the puff pastry crust (but I would add it if I made it for a more special lunch or picnic because puff pastry quiches are so lovely and decadent) and made sure to pack it full with lovely nutritious vegetables, as well as cheese and cream (and milk) of course. Served with a nice salad it really is a delicious lunch or supper!

Broccoli, pepper and cheddar quiche, serves 6

Crust:

300 ml plain flour

a pinch of salt

1/2 beaten egg

Filling:

2 peppers, sliced, seeds removed

2 tbsp mild olive oil

1 large broccoli brown, cut into florets, stem discarded

2 handfuls grated mature cheddar

3 eggs + 1/2 egg leftover from the crust

300 ml double cream

100 ml whole milk

salt and pepper

In a large frying pan, fry the sliced peppers in the oil until they start to brown around the edges, approx 5-8 minutes. Season and transfer to a bowl. Rinse the pan and add the broccoli florets, salt and cover with water. Bring to the boil and let it cook for 30 seconds. Drain and set aside.

Make the crust by kneading the ingredients together. Push it out to cover the bottom and sides or a pie dish or springform. Prick with a fork and pre-bake for 10 minutes in 180C.

Remove the pre-baked crust and add the peppers and broccoli. Add the cheese. Add eggs, cream and milk to a bowl, mix with a whisk and season well. Pour the egg mixture into the pie crust and bake until golden brown and just set (I prefer a little wobble in the middle to over cooked) for 35 minutes on 180C. If it gets too brown before it’s done cover with tin foil towards the end.

Let it cool (uncovered) for at least 10 minutes before eating. Serve with a green salad. It can be eaten warm (it can be reheated), at room temperature or cold.

Recipe: Pinxtos lunch

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Every Saturday and Sunday we have more or less the same breakfast. Once in a while I might change it up with pancakes, French Toast or something, but we always have a big breakfast.

Which makes it a bit tricky to come up with a good, but not too big lunch. Because in the evening we usually have a big dinner. First world problems, absolutely. But recently I have come up with some good lunch options like the green tortilla pizza we both love and more recently I’ve made us pinxtos!

It stated with us out on an afternoon walk one weekend and getting hungry on the way back. Popping into a supermarket to buy some lunch I wanted something quick, with no cooking involved and so I raided the deli aisle and grabbed a baguette and got to work.

I personally love pinxtos and although these lack the finesse of some of the pinxtos bars in San Sebastien they are still lovely to eat, either for lunch like we did, or as a weekend starter or light supper. What you choose to top your baguette slices with is up to you, but I highly recommend ham and manchego, and if you have any omelette or frittata leftover that’s great too. A creamy cheese and cucumber is lovely and if you have smoked salmon it’s delicious mixed with mayonnaise.

Pinxtos, serves 2

10 slices fresh baguette

Various toppings such as:

Serrano + manchego

Le Roulé cheese + cucumber

Leftover frittata (heated up)

Bresaola + mayonnaise + crispy onions + tomato

Don’t butter the bread, just add the toppings! Serve straight away.

Recipe: A Classic Croque Monsieur

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Inspired by the best Croque Monsieur I’ve ever had, I wanted to try to make this wonderful dish at home. I miss restaurants a lot right now but the best we can do is to try and recreate our favourites at home or support our local restaurant businesses that offer takeaway. Here in the country there aren’t many restaurants nearby so I donned the apron and set to work.

Most important when making a dish like this is to use the very best ingredients. Crusty sourdough bread, good quality cooked (or lightly smoked) ham and gruyere cheese. And to not skimp on the béchamel sauce. It’s really what makes the sandwich.

This is not a difficult dish to make, but it has a lot of steps, so it’s best to prepare as much as you can in advance: grate the cheese, have the butter ready, make the béchamel sauce. Make sure the oven is hot. A little mise en place goes a long way.

I must confess it didn’t rival The Wolseley’s version, but it came pretty close and that’s good enough for me.

Please note I made this for 3 people but have reworked the recipe to serve 2 to make it easier to scale up and down.

Croque Monsieur, serves 2

4 slices good quality crusty white sourdough bread

2 slices cooked ham

100 g Gruyere cheese, grated

25 g salted butter, at room temperature

For the béchamel:

1 1/2 tbsp butter

1 1/2 tbsp flour

500 ml whole milk

a few drops lemon juice

salt and peppar

Start by making the béchamel sauce. Heat up the milk in a non-stick saucepan on medium heat. In another non-stick saucepan melt the butter on medium heat. Stir in the flour and let it cook, while whisking for a minute or so. Add the warmed milk bit by bit and whisk as the sauce thickens. Season to taste and add a few drops lemon juice. Set aside.

Butter each bread slice on one side and place it face up on a parchment paper lined baking tray. Bake in a 200C oven for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and turn the bread slices around so you have the toasted side face down. Spread on a layer of béchamel sauce on each bread slice. Add grated gruyere on two of the slices, followed by the ham. Add more gruyere and sandwich together béchamel side face down. Add a thicker layer of béchamel on the top of the sandwiches and top with grated gruyere. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Serve with a tangy green salad (little gem with olive oil, red wine vinegar or plenty of lemon juice and a little salt is all you need).

Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Wrap with Rice, Avocado and Blue Cheese Dressing

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Apparently there’s an American chain that make Buffalo Chicken Wraps?! I found this out on Instagram and immediately felt I needed to make this. Sans celery though (shudder).

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So below is my version of a buffalo chicken wrap, with chicken wings (although chicken thighs or any dark meat will work but I had wings in the freezer- just adjust the cooking time), hot sauce, rice, homemade blue cheese dressing, avocado and cherry tomatoes.

It was just as lovely as I had hoped it would be, but much easier to eat than regular buffalo chicken wings! Score!

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Buffalo Chicken Wrap with Rice, Avocado and Blue Cheese Dressing, makes 2

2 large flour tortillas

100-150 ml cooked basmati rice 

6-8 chicken wings

1 tbsp vegetable oil

salt and pepper

Frank’s hot sauce

200 ml soured cream 

ca 50 g Saint Agur cheese

1 avocado, sliced

8 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

Start with the chicken wings. Put them in a colander and pour boiling water over them. Pat dry with kitchen roll. Pour oil into an ovenproof dish and place the chicken wings in it. Add salt and pepper and place in a 200C oven. Turn them as they have turned brown, after approx 10-15 minutes and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Leave to cool slightly and pick the meat and skin off the bones. Place in a bowl, add hot sauce after taste (it IS hot!) and stir.  

Mix soured cream and Saint Agur with a stick blender until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Divide rice and chicken between the tortillas, top with sliced avocado, cherry tomatoes and blue cheese dressing. Add extra hot sauce, roll up and eat! 

Recipe: lettuce wraps with prawns and spicy mayo

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These little wraps are seriously delicious in an effortless sort of way. Perfect for a post-beach supper with a cold beer or a glass of rosé, or as a light lunch on the terrace. The point is that’s it’s low effort to make but full enjoyment to eat. And almost healthy.

If you want to make them actually healthy I’m sure brown rice or wild rice would work too, but lets be honest; it won’t taste as nice.

But they could easily be converted into a lovely starter by just omitting the rice. You see, the possibilities are endless.

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Lettuce wraps with prawns and spicy mayo, serves 2

2 portions long-grain rice

300 g raw large prawns

1 tsp Aleppo pepper or chilli flakes

1 lime wedge, the juice only

salt, white pepper

1 -2 little gem lettuce

10 cm cucumber, peel off most of the green peel and cut into small cubes

6 cherry tomatoes, cut into small wedges

2 spring onion, thinly sliced

1/2 avocado, cut into small cubes

Spicy mayonnaise:

100 ml Hellmann’s mayonnaise (or homemade) 

2-3 tsp gochujang (Korean chilli sauce)

a few splashes red Tabasco for added heat

a small pinch of salt

To serve:

chopped coriander

1/2 lime, cut into wedges

Cook the rice according to the instructions on the packet. Leave to cool a little. Mix the mayo. Wash and dry the lettuce leaves. Wash and cut the remaining vegetables. 

Heat up oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Add the prawns and fry until pink. Add Aleppo pepper or chilli flakes, salt, pepper and a squeeze of lime. Cut the prawns into smaller pieces. 

Fill the lettuce leaves with rice, mayo, prawn pieces and vegetables (in that order, the mayo works as a glue to hold the toppings in place), add some chopped coriander and finish with a squeeze of lime. Serve with plenty of napkins as they’re best eaten using your hands! 

 

Recipe: courgette and chilli fritters

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Sometimes I forget how genius some dishes are. Like fritters. They’re always satisfying to eat (any time of day) but never too heavy. And they contain vegetables which basically means they’re healthy right?!

 

Courgette fritters, makes approx 10

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s recipe.

2 medium courgettes

1 tsp sea salt flakes + extra to taste

1/4 red chilli, finely chopped 

1 egg

black pepper

72 g plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

oil for frying

Preheat the oven to 180C. Cut the ends of the courgettes and grate coarsely. Place in a bowl and mix in 1 tsp salt. Leave for 10 minutes the wring out the courgette either using your hands or a clean tea towel. 

Mix the grated courgette with a bit more salt for seasoning (1/4 tsp is perfect), the chopped chilli, black pepper and egg. Mix flour and baking powder and stir into the courgette batter. 

Heat up a frying pan on medium heat, pour in oil. Drop dollops of the mixture into the pan and fry on both sides until golden brown. Drain on kitchen towel and place on a parchment paper lined baking tray. Bake for 10 minutes until crisp and cooked through.  

Parmesan yoghurt crème

200 ml Greek yoghurt

1/2 lemon, zest only 

2 tbsp grated parmesan

salt, black pepper

Combine the ingredients in a bowl. Season to taste.