Aloo egg curry

It's been raining all day on Thursday. We even had a bit of a hail in the afternoon. Then the sun poked out for a bit before going back behind the rain clouds. My boys and I stayed at home all day. Eddie insisted on having fusilli with ketchup for dinner, Sash had his own usual meal. I fancied a meat-free dinner. Having rummaged in the kitchen, I came up with a plan of cooking a potato and egg curry.

Potato and egg curry
Ingredients:
3 eggs, hard-boiled
2 big potatoes, parboiled
2tbsp olive oil
1 medium leek, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, sliced thinly
1/2tsp ground cumin
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1/2tsp ground ginger
1tsp garam masala powder
salt and black pepper
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
160ml coconut cream

Cook potatoes in boiling salted water. Drain potatoes, let them cool before cutting into big cubes.
Cook the eggs to hard-boiled, once cooked, peel the eggs and quarter them.
In a deep frying pan fry the celery and leek in the olive oil, with the added garlic and spices. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the chopped tomatoes, and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring.
Add the cubed potatoes and coconut cream, mix well with the curry sauce, cook for a couple of minutes, finally add the eggs, and stir for a minute.
Serve hot.

It's a quick and easy vegetarian dish.

Best Banana Bread

In the morning after gulping his breakfast in one go my older son was forlornly looking around the kitchen, trying to find if any of the cake was left from the baptism day. I asked him if he wanted a banana cakey bread, and that I'd bake one when he is in school. He kissed me as a Thank you.
Bananas in the fruit bowl were turning spottier and more brown. At this stage, nobody fancied them. Yet they were perfect for the banana bread. I bake a very good banana cake, but was looking for a slightly different version. Of course, Pinterest is full of The Best Banana Bread recipes. I have adapted the recipe for banana bread found on BBC Food.

Banana bread
Ingredients:
3 very ripe medium sized bananas
175g caster sugar
2 medium eggs
1tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt (optional)
285g self-raising flour
1tsp vanilla essence
1/2tsp ground cinnamon
2tbsp ground hazelnuts
2tbsp Greek style yogurt, topped up with milk to make 70ml liquid
120g butter, melted
for the icing mix 4 heaped tbsp of icing sugar with lemon juice
decorate with banana chips

Mash ripe bananas with a fork and mix with the caster sugar. Beat two eggs in, add the baking powder and a pinch of salt. Add flour, cinnamon and hazelnuts. Keep stirring. In a measuring jug top up two tablespoons of yogurt with milk and add to the cake batter. Finally add the melted butter. Mix well and pour into a greased bread tin.
Place the tin in the oven preheated to 180C. Bake for 50+ minutes. Check with a wooden toothpick if it comes clean. If the bread is not quite ready but started to brown a bit too much on the top, cover the tin with the foil and bake for another 10 minutes or so.
Once cooked, let it cool a bit before taking out of the tin.
Mix the icing sugar with enough lemon juice to get a medium runny consistency and spread over the banana bread. Decorate with banana chips.

I usually bake with Anchor butter, which is my staple for cake baking. If it's a cake, it has to be butter in our household. I think I had enough of margarine baking in my childhood. This time I wanted to try President butter (I received a voucher for a free pack in the last Degustabox). I do buy President cheeses but don't remember if I have tried their butter before. It's creamy and smooth, and worked very well in baking. I used an unsalted butter.

Typically I would add a couple of tablespoons of ground almonds when I bake my cakes, but this time rummaging through my kitchen shelves, I could only find a pack of ground hazelnuts. This pack has clearly been at the back for quite a while. I tried the nuts, and they tasted just fine, so in they went instead of the almonds. As that definitely counts as part of a kitchen clearout, I'm adding this recipe to #KitchenClearout linky on Madhouse Family Reviews hosted by inventive Cheryl who is as bad "organised" as me when it comes to kitchen shelves. Well, actually she is much more organised than me. I mean it without inverted commas. How about a box of flavoured coffee which is 12 years old? I keep it for sentimental reasons. One day I will open it, and it will be an experiment.

The theme of this month #SimplyEggcellent linky run by Dom at Belleau Kitchen is breads, pastries and puddings, and I'm joining in with my banana bread.

Green pepper and sweetcorn tortilla

Today is a World Vegetarian Day. It initiates the whole month dedicated to the vegetarian way of living. To celebrate the Vegetarian Awareness Month many bloggers and brand sites are posting a variety of recipes. Apparently a few days ago, on the 27th of September to be precise, it was a Hug a Vegetarian day. You wonder sometimes who comes with these ideas, and why should I hug a vegetarian on that particular day, and not on any other. Incidentally 4 October will be the Feast Day of St Francis of Assisi.
Moving aside from this useful piece of trivia, did you have a meat-free meal today? We did, as I cooked a tortilla.
The idea for a tortilla was suggested by Green Giant who rustled up a few recipes for the World Veggie Day.

Green pepper and sweetcorn tortilla
Ingredients:
1 big potato, boiled and diced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp dried thyme
4tbsp olive oil + more
1 medium green sweet pepper, deseeded and chopped
3 small tomatoes, chopped
1tbsp fresh basil, chopped
4 medium eggs
4tbsp sweetcorn
2 heaped tbsp hard grated cheese
salt and pepper

Peel and cook a big potato, let it cool before dicing. In a frying pan pour 2tbsp of olive oil, when sizzling, add the finely chopped onion as well as a bit of thyme. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is soft and slightly browned. Remove from the heat. Slice the sweet pepper and tomatoes and cook with 2tbsp of olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add a tablespoon of fresh basil.
In a big mixing bowl beat the eggs. Season well. add the diced potatoes, onions, peppers and tomatoes, grated cheese and sweetcorn. Mix well. Pour into a frying pan and cook under the grill until set, or like me, pour in the oiled cake tin and bake in the oven at 180C for 15 minutes.
Cut into slices and eat hot.
It will keep well for another day, if you won't finish it all in one day. Just wrap it cold in cling film or foil and keep in the fridge overnight.

For another healthy vegetarian tortilla follow the recipe created by Green Giant. It uses much more sweetcorn in the recipe for obvious reasons.

Image credits: Green Giant

Sweetcorn and spinach tortilla (recipe courtesy of Green Giant)
Ingredients 
2 medium onions
3 tbsp olive oil
300g bag spinach
250g/9oz potatoes
340g Green Giant sweet corn
6 large eggs
3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
Method
1. Peel and finely slice the onion, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in the frying pan and cook the onion over a medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened.
2. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut into small dice, put into a pan with light salted water and boil for 8-10 minutes until just tender, drain. Add to the onions and cook for a further 5 minutes.
3. Cook the spinach in a large pan of boiling water for 1 minute until just wilted. Drain in a colander and immediately transfer to a bowl of cold water to stop cooking. Drain again, squeezing to extract excess water. Place on a board and roughly chop. Transfer to a large bowl.
4. Drain the sweet corn, add to the spinach with the potato and onions.
5. Lightly beat the eggs, season then stir into the vegetables.
6. Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan then add the egg mixture and cook over a medium low heat 10 -15 minutes or until almost set.
7. Remove from the heat, scatter over the cheese and pop under a hot grill for 2 minutes until the top is golden. Cover and stand for 10 minutes so the steam firms up the tortilla.
8. Run a palette knife around the edge to loosen the tortilla then slide onto a large flat plate. Cut into wedges and serve warm or cold.

If you liked this recipe, the Green Giant has plenty more of recipes and ideas on their site.


If you are a vegetarian or just try to celebrate the Vegetarian Awareness Month by staying meat-free (even some time during this month), you are welcome to link-up your vegetarian recipes.
It's a one-off linky in honour of the Vegetarian Awareness Month.
I will comment on all posts, RT and G+.

An InLinkz Link-up

Kedgeree nests

"The one Indian dish that did make its way among the British, albeit with an English accent, was kedgeree, based on khichari, a simple recipe of rice and lentils. The English started adding smoked fish to it, along with hard-boiled eggs, curry powder and fried onions, transforming it into a popular breakfast dish. It's still around, if not always made with the inventiveness and flair that it once was..." (A History of English Food by Clarissa Dickson Wright)

I haven't tried a kedgeree until my mid-20s when I arrived to Britain as a student of art and design. I knew of it, thanks to literature and films (think Wodehouse and Agatha Christie). It sounded very exotic, and of course, I had to try it. I actually don't quite remember what I thought of it. This recipe epitomizes the old grandeur of the British Empire, and is still quite popular, existing in many versions and variations, cooked with different types of fish and with tofu as a vegetarian dish.
When I was asked to create a recipe for the British Egg Week which takes place on 5-11 October 2015, I immediately thought of kedgeree. The theme for the current challenge is creating a classic egg recipe with a twist.
So, here is my revamped kedgeree nest, celebrating the great British egg.

Kedgeree nests
Ingredients:
1 big smoked haddock (about 380g)
200ml semi-skimmed milk
2tbsp butter
1tbsp olive oil
1 stalk of celery, diced
1/2 big onion, finely chopped
1tsp curry powder
a handful of raisins
300g cooked rice (e.g. Thai Jasmine rice)
50ml single cream
1tbsp olive oil
eggs (one per portion)
a handful of fresh parsley

In a deep pan melt the butter,add the fish and pour the milk over it. Cover the pan with a lid and cook on low for about 5 minutes. Keep warm under the lid.
In a frying pan fry diced celery and finely chopped onion with a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the raisins and curry powder, cook until the onion is browned. Add the rice and cream and cook for another couple of minutes, stirring.
Flake the fish and add to the rice, discarding any bones and skin.
Using a cookie cutter ring or cooking ring, make a mould of rice by packing it carefully inside the ring. I used Thai Jasmine rice, which is quite sticky and keeps the shape of the ring well. Add more flakes of fish on top, a bit of torn parsley and top up with a baked egg.
For the eggs, separate the egg whites from yolks. Keep the yolks in shell halves while you beat the whites until all fluffy but not as stiff as you would for a meringue.
Oil the muffin tray inside and pour the egg whites inside each mini-tray. Then carefully slid a yolk into each fluffy mass. Bake at 180C for about 3 minutes. Carefully remove out of the tray with a big spoon and place on top of the kedgeree nest.
My kids don't like the texture of boiled or fried eggs, and my Mum came up with this suggestion of baking egg nests. She said she saw it on the Russian TV. I really liked the idea, and so did my younger son.

In a typical kedgeree you would have hard-boiled eggs or a fried egg. My twist is to serve a fluffy baked egg. It is a bit like a poached egg, as the yolk is still soft and runny. But the texture of the egg white is sponge-like and very light.

Disclosure: As part of #ShortcutEggsperts team, I received supermarket vouchers for the purposes of creating a recipe with eggs on a given theme.

For more egg facts, recipes and information, visit Egginfo

Poached salmon salad with soft-boiled eggs

May is almost over, and it was good weather-wise. We had quite a few meals, sitting in our garden, enjoying the sun and the birdsong. It was a month of salads. Different ingredients and cuisines - but eggs featured prominently. I love adding eggs to a lot of salads, like the Poached salmon salad with soft-boiled eggs.

Poached salmon salad with soft-boiled eggs (serves 2)
Ingredients:
250g salmon (2 pieces)
1tbsp olive oil
1 fennel bulb, sliced thinly
1 small carrot, thinly sliced (optional)
50ml white wine (optional)
2 medium eggs
1/2 cucumber
a handful of olives and sun-dried tomatoes
mixed salad leaves
dressing made from 1tbsp honey, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar and 2 tbsp olive oil


First prepare the poached salmon. In a deep frying pan cook the thinly sliced fennel for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. I also added a bit of carrot, for the extra flavour.
Place the salmon on top of the fennel. Season with sea salt and a bit of pepper. Pour a bit of white wine. Cover the pan with the lid and cook on low for about 10+ minutes until the fish is cooked and flaky.
While the fish is cooking, prepare the soft-boiled eggs in boiling water.

Assemble the salad: first the mixed leaves, then a few pieces of cooked fennel and thinly sliced cucumber. Flake the salmon and scatter over the leaves. Add the olives and sun-dried tomatoes.
Make a simple dressing from the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey. Drizzle over the salad. Add one soft-boiled egg on top. If you prefer, use a poached egg.

This is an easy dish, yet immensely satisfying. It makes a perfect lunch. The egg is not just a garnish here, but an ingredient which adds an extra flavour and texture.

For more egg facts and information, visit Egginfo.

Disclosure: As part of the ShortcutEggsperts programme promoted by British Lion Eggs, I received vouchers for creating a recipe using the eggs.

Salad with spring greens

Having read the family saga written by Lauraine Snelling, which is set in North Dakota, I enjoyed all the mentions of food and recipes. There were a lot of Norwegian foods, and I do plan to cook a couple of dishes described in the books. But it's the mention of the first spring greens, especially the dandelion leaves, that made me go foraging in the garden.
I did get rid of a good amount of dandelions last year, so it wasn't that easy to find them, but I did locate a couple of newly sprouting dandelion clumps. I picked a small handful, just enough for me to make a salad for one. I knew that my guys would decline my offer, but I really-really fancied a salad with dandelion leaves. I also picked a few fresh garlic leaves and a few primrose flowers.
It's not much of a recipe. I have assembled a plate with well-washed dandelion greens, tomato, cucumber, sliced egg and chopped garlic leaves, and scattered a few primroses over it.
I kept the dressing very simple - just a mix of olive oil, honey and lemon juice.
It was lovely. I am definitely going to pick more dandelion leaves. You need to use only very young leaves, about 5-7cm in length. If the leaves are bigger, you might need to soak them in salty water before eating them, to remove the bitterness.

Adding my simple recipe to Simply Eggcellent linky run by Dom from Belleau Kitchen.

Spinach, wild mushroom and cheese roulade

Last year I was selected to be one of the ShortcutEggsperts with British Lion Eggs, and was delighted to continue being part of the panel for this year. The first culinary challenge for the year was to create a healthy recipe. What comes to mind when you say healthy? low calorie, fresh produce and spinach. As a child, I absolutely hated spinach. In my Soviet childhood it came in bricks of frozen green horror, and tasted vile. No amount of convincing it was good for me would persuade me. I associated it with school meals and people who were on a special diet. That dislike of spinach lasted until I tried fresh baby leaf spinach. Suddenly it was tasty and wonderful. These days I am happy to eat it in salads, lasagne and all kinds of meals, both fresh and cooked. And it is indeed very good for you. Those old grannies of my childhood knew what they were talking about.

Spinach, wild mushroom and cheese roulade
Ingredients:
100g wild mushrooms
2tbsp olive oil
1tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped finely
a squeeze of lemon juice
100g spinach
2 eggs, separated
2 egg whites
80g lighter soft cheese
60g self-raising flour
2tbsp soured cream
80g hard cheese, grated, like a vegetarian Manchego
170g lighert soft cheese

Clean the mushrooms well and slice or break into smaller pieces. Fry them in the olive oil for 5 minutes, with the chopped flat leaf parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice. Season with a bit of sea salt.
Remove the mushrooms into a bowl. There will be some oil left in the frying pan.
Add the spinach, and let it wilt, stirring for a few minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool before mixing with two egg yolks, flour, grated hard cheese and 80g of soft cheese. In a separate bowl, whisk four egg whites with an electric whisk. Once the egg whites get stiff, fold them into the spinach-cheese mix with 2tbsp of soured cream.
Place a piece of foil into a brownie tin and spray with a bit of spray oil for easier removal after the baking. Pour the eggy mix inside the tin.
Bake for 15 minutes at 180C.
Cool slightly before peeling off the foil.

Mix the remaining soft cheese with the mushrooms and spread the mix over the baked omelette. Roll up carefully. Serve chilled, sliced.
It is a tasty vegetarian dish.

I buy the wild mushrooms from Tesco throughout the year, you get different varieties, depending on the time of the year. Some mushrooms are picked in Scotland, some come from further afield, like Poland, Bulgaria or Lithuania. My favourite variety is chanterelles. I think Tesco is the only supermarket which consistently offers wild mushrooms all year round. At £1.50 for 100g it's a pretty good bargain as well.
If you cannot find wild mushrooms, chestnut mushrooms will work as well.

Disclosure: I received vouchers to buy products and create a healthy recipe with eggs.

For more ideas and recipes using eggs, visit Egg Recipes. And if you are a fan of TOWIE or just enjoy the celeb news, Lucy Mecklenburgh is also a British Lion eggs brand ambassador.
I confess, I never watched TOWIE, but Lucy's recipes which she created as an ambassador, look might good. See all her recipes at Lucy Meck's healthy meals page. I particularly like the sound of spinach, feta and pine nuts omelette.

Italian-style scrambled eggs (#happyeggtastemakers)

I cannot remember having scrambled eggs when I was a child. We usually had either fried or soft-boiled eggs for breakfast. I don't remember now my first taste of scrambled eggs, but it must have been served as part of a breakfast in a hotel. Whenever we eat in a hotel or B&B, I do enjoy a bit of scrambled eggs on toast. They are lovely for a light lunch as well. Just before Christmas, when we had lunch at Giraffe's in Heathrow, I had a plate of scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and toast. Delicious.
Scrambled eggs do need a bit of jazzing up, with cheese or herbs so as not to taste bland. The Happy Egg co has recently asked bloggers to join in the Eggciting January Challenge and come up with an idea for a scrambled eggs meal including a vegetable or source of protein like meat or fish, herbs and/or spices and a surprise ingredient.
As my husband is Italian, I often cook Italian dishes. Some of them are authentic recipes, some are inspired by the Italian cuisine.

Parmesan, Parma ham, oregano and thyme for Italian-style scrambled eggs

Scrambled eggs, Italian-style
Ingredients:
2 medium eggs
1tbsp olive oil
2tbsp grated parmesan
2 slices of prosciutto, chopped
1 heaped tbsp fresh herbs, chopped finely (oregano and thyme)
olives, to serve with the eggs
pepper
sage leaves (optional)

Break the eggs into a medium sized bowl, and beat with the fork, season with a bit of pepper. I don't add salt, as the prosciutto and cheese give enough saltiness to an overall result. Add the herbs, cheese and prosciutto and mix well.
Pour the eggy mix in a frying pan with the olive oil, and cook stirring gently.
Serve hot, with a toast or a nice crusty bread, add a few olives as well.

I have also pan fried fresh sage leaves for a minute or so in the olive oil. They are crispy and delicate, and add a nice touch to an overall dish.

As Eddie is not feeling well today, I kept him at home, and we had lunch together. He's not very keen on herbs, so I scrambled an egg for him with freshly cooked corn (also added more corn on the side) and a bit of parmesan. He scoffed all his lunch with gusto.

What is your favourite way of cooking scrambled eggs?

Alison from Dragons and Fairy Dust cooked Brunch Scarmbled Eggs for the challenge, and served them on toasted English muffins.

Wendy from Inside the Wendy House created Smoky Chipotle Scrambled Eggs recipe.

Cheryl from Madhouse Family Reviews prepared Happy Scrambled Eggs Nicoise.

Cheese and potato waffles

Just like my Italian husband who is happy to eat pasta every day, I never get bored with potatoes. I would eat them every day, as this is one of my top favourite vegetables. It is so versatile, you can cook a different dish every day for a year. Mashed potatoes are my comfort food, and occasionally I cook a bit too much of mash. It is not as good the next day reheated, but mix it with some other ingredients and transform into a different dish.
So, what can you do with the leftover mashed potatoes? You can make latkes with the mashed potatoes, or fish cakes, but I recently bought a waffle maker, and fancied trying some potato waffles (how difficult could that be?!).
My guys like all the potato goodies you can find in the frozen section like potato waffles and Smiles, but hopefully my homemade version will be less greasy. I also wanted to use all the leftover cheese bits. My in-laws are visiting us this week, and as they love cheese, I keep buying it on a daily basis, but there are some little bits left which are not big enough to serve.

Cheese and potato waffles (enough for 5 big round ones)
Ingredients:
375g mashed potatoes
2 eggs
3tbsp clarified butter, melted
2tbsp plain yogurt
65g cornflour
100g cheese, grated (I used mixed cheese, like Tickler and Cornish yarg, but any hard cheese will do)
1tbsp fresh choped rosemary and thyme

In a medium bowl mix the mashed potatoes with the eggs, clarified butter, yogurt, cornflour, grated cheese and fresh herbs.
Preheat the waffle maker as per instructions, then ladle the mix into the waffle maker. Cook for 4 minutes. Serve hot, with a dollop of soured cream, and top up with whatever you fancy. Or use as a side dish.
Best eaten on the same day. I had half a waffle left over from yesterday, and tried to eat it for breakfast reheated, it was OK, but not something I would recommend.

When freshly cooked, they were lovely. A good way to use the leftover mashed potatoes and cheese.

For a fluffy mash use a good floury potato like Maris Piper.

This is my second recipe for ShortcutEggsperts challenge for September: to create a dish with eggs, using leftovers. For more egg facts and information, visit Egginfo.

This post is an entry for #FluffyMarisPiper Linky Challenge sponsored by Potato Council. Learn more at bit.ly/18rWnaB

Russian salad

Do you do traditional roast dinners on Sundays? Are you tired of eating the usual roast beef sandwiches or quiche with ham for a few days in a row? And do I dare even to mention the C-word and the inevitable roast turkey? What do you do with the leftovers?
You might remember me mentioning it already that I was one of a few lucky bloggers who were selected to become ShortcutEggsperts (why do I always read this word as short cute eggsperts?!). This month's challenge was to create a dish with eggs, using leftovers. Many of my American readers will be celebrating Thanksgiving soon, and even Christmas is not that distant. At least some people are eagerly anticipating it, like my little man. The shops have already started selling mince pies, which I am going to resist buying for another month or more. As it often happens, both of these celebrations are accompanied by tables laden with food often including a traditional turkey or ham (that is, if you are not a vegetarian). My recipe for Russian salad is made, using the leftover turkey meat, but you can easily substitute it with the same amount of ham or roast beef.

Russian salad
Ingredients:
2 potatoes, about 350+g, cubed
1 carrot, 100g, diced
200+g turkey, cubed (or ham or beef)
3 eggs, hard-boiled
4 gherkins
2 heaped tbsp green peas
1 apple, diced
5tbsp mayonnaise
olives + gherkins for decoration

Leftovers used in this recipe were turkey and carrot (steamed).
Cook the potatoes in salted water, once cooked, let them cool completely before chopping into small cubes. Dice the cooked carrot and turkey meat. Chop three hard-boiled eggs, gherkins and dice an apple. Mix all the ingredients together with green peas (either tinned or cooked from frozen). Add the mayonnaise and again mix well, so that all the ingredients are covered with mayo. Decorate with the olives, baby tomatoes, gherkins or peas.

This salad will keep for a day in the fridge.
Salads are always a good way of re-using the leftovers, and the best part is that you can play with the ingredients. If you don't have carrots, add the cooked parsnip. Swap gherkins for cornichons or olives. Ham works very well in this salad, and so does cubed roast beef. You can also try it with the chicken.

For more egg facts and information, visit Egginfo.

Disclosure: As part of the ShortcutEggsperts programme launched by BritMums and Lion Eggs, I received vouchers for creating a recipe using the eggs.

Eiersalat, German egg salad

I got my World Cup days mixed up, and realised in the afternoon that I don't have any recipes ready for the culinary challenge. Drat, what can I make today that would be quick to prepare and use the ingredients I already have, as I didn't fancy crawling out to the shops in the heat. My guys and I went to Cogges manor farm earlier today, and that was enough of the hot weather for me for one day. As last week, I came back home with a box of duck eggs from the ducks at the farm.
Then I remembered a very simple German salad Eiersalat. There are many versions of this egg salad, some have added potatoes, mushrooms and even ham.

Eiersalat
Ingredients:
3 duck eggs, hard-boiled
3 spring onions, finely chopped
a few garlic leaves (optional)
3tbsp thick Greek style yogurt
2tbsp mayonaise
a pinch of paprika
a good squeeze of lemon juice

Chop the hard-boiled eggs and finely chop spring onions and garlic leaves. Mix together in a medium sized bowl. Add the yogurt or soured cream, mayonnaise, paprika and lemon juice, and mix well.

It is a lovely side salad to go with baby new potatoes and green beans. It will also be fab in plain egg sandwiches.

I am growing garlic this year, both in planters and in the strawberry patch. The green leaves are still young now. Can't wait to harvest it later this year.

Chris from Cooking Around the World has challenged the foodies to take part in a culinary-football-themed game this month. Read all about the rules of the game in his linky Bloggers Around the World.

Pirozhki with rice, eggs and spring onions

Russian pirozhki encompass a whole range of pies, from baked to fried, from meat-stuffed to vegetarian, from a bite-sized pie to a pie as big as your hand. They are made from different kinds of dough and pastry as well. I prefer to bake them, as this is a healthier option.
They are very handy to carry to picnics, convenient to eat and pass around. Last year I have posted a recipe for pirozhki with potatoes and wild mushrooms. Today I am sharing another Russian recipe for pirozhki with rice, eggs and spring onions.

You might remember me mentioning earlier this year that I have been selected as one of Shortcut Eggsperts programme with BritMums and British Lion eggs. This month's challenge is to create an eggs-based recipe for a summer outdoor dining. The task was to move away from the traditional Quiche Lorraine and egg-mayo sandwiches. So, today I am cheering the Russian team at World Cup with the Russian pirozhki.

Pirozhki with rice, eggs and spring onions (makes 25+)
Ingredients;
Jus-Rol shortcrust pastry (rolled)
100g cooked rice
2 hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped
2 spring onions, chopped
a handful of fresh parsley
1tbsp olive oil
thick Greek style yogurt, to serve with

You can make your own shortcrust pastry, of course, but I prefer to use the Jus-Rol, it is certainly better than my own handmade version (mine is too short to stretch well, and not as elastic)

In a mixing bowl mix the cooked rice with the chopped hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped parsley and spring onions. Unroll the shortcrust pastry and using a cookie cutter, cut out the circles. Slightly stretch each one before putting a teaspoon of stuffing in it. Fold in two, pinch in the middle and then keep going round the edges, pinching as you go, to seal it as a mini-envelope.
Place the pirozhki on two trays covered with the oiled foil, and cook in the oven at 180C for about 15-20 minutes, until the pastry is golden.
Serve with the soured cream or thick Greek style yogurt.
They are lovely hot, but are also nice cold with a flask of hot tea.

For more egg facts and information, visit Egginfo.

Chris from Cooking Around the World has challenged the foodies to take part in a culinary-football-themed game this month. Read all about the rules of the game in his linky Bloggers Around the World.

Cooks Joy hosts a lovely vegetarian recipe linky Bake Fest, and I'm adding my recipe to it this month.

Disclosure: I received vouchers to spend on food for the purposes of developing a recipe for Summer Challenge with #ShortcutEggsperts