Spicy Spanish Eggs with Manchego Cheese or Chorizo

Spicy Spanish Eggs with Chorizo

My absolute favourite thing about the weekend is eating eggs for breakfast. By Thursday I’m really excited at the prospect of only 2 days to go and start planning my early morning meal.

I usually walk my little dog first to build up an appetite so by the time I eat, it’s more like brunch than breakfast, this also gives me an excuse to have an extra large portion.

Today spicy eggs are on the agenda and to follow my theme of Spanish cuisine I added paprika and cumin for a Moorish twist.

Serves: 1 Vegetarian, 1 meat-eater

1 Spanish onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed and finely chopped

1 can chopped plum tomatoes

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp smoked paprika

Few sprigs of fresh thyme

4 free range organic eggs

Sea salt and black pepper

Olive oil

V: Chunk of Manchego cheese, cubed

M: Chunk of chorizo sausage, sliced

In a large frying pan fry the onion and garlic in a little olive oil until the onion starts to brown. Add the cayenne pepper, cumin and smoked paprika and cook for a minute, stirring constantly. Pour over the tin of tomatoes and add half a tin of water. Give it a good stir, season, sprinkle over the thyme and leave on a medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

M: In a small frying pan gently fry the chorizo until it starts to crisp up. Add half the tomato sauce and crack in 2 of the eggs. Fold the white into the sauce and leave to cook for a few minutes. Half cover with a lid to cook through the top of the egg too.

V: Add the other half of tomato sauce to another small frying pan, sprinkle over the cheese cubes and crack in the remaining 2 eggs. Fold the white into the sauce and leave to cook for a few minutes. Half cover with a lid to cook through the top of the egg too.

Don’t bother with plates and just eat from the pan, dipping fresh crusty bread into the gooey egg yolks.

Spicy lentil stew: chorizo or tofu

Spicy lentil stew with chorizo

It was such a lovely sunny day today that I mentally prepared the perfect salad to have for dinner. Unfortunately for me a minute before I was about to jump off the bus to leisurely visit the vegetable lady, the rain started to pour down uncontrollably like it wasn’t going to stop. Everyone on the bus was in a state of panic and people in the streets were darting for cover. Something took over me and I automatically joined in with the panic and ended up running home and knocking over anyone in my way. Suddenly feeling cold in my spring outfit I had a rummage through my fridge and came up with this warming dish. By the time it was ready, the sun was shining again but I was happy to be eating a dish full of flavours. The vegetarian liked his tofu version too.

Approx 250g puy (French) lentils

1tsp ground coriander

1tsp ground cumin

1tsp paprika

1tsp chilli flakes

1 tin chopped plum tomatoes

1 tin or equivalent of water

A few sprigs of thyme and rosemary

Squidge of tomato puree

1 small red onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped

2 red peppers, chopped into chunks

Olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper

V: Chunk of tofu, chopped

M: Chunk of chorizo, chopped

Fry the onion and garlic in a little olive oil for about 8 minutes. Once the onion has softened add the spices and stir for a minute. Stir in the red pepper and add the tinned tomatoes, lentils and water. Bring to the boil and tomato puree and herbs. Leave to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, and adding more water if necessary so that the sauce doesn’t dry out.

After 20 minutes, divide the mixture into two pans. Add tofu to one and chorizo to the other. Continue to cook both for a further 20 minutes.

Serve with salad and crusty bread.

Mixed bean stew: Sweet potato or Chorizo

Mixed bean stew with sweet potato

Serves: 4

1tsp paprika
1tsp cumin
1tsp ground coriander
1 red chili, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
Small bunch thyme
Small bunch rosemary 
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can borlotti beans, drained
1 can chick peas, drained

200g puy lentils
1 can chopped tomatoes
Squish of tomato puree
1 red pepper, chopped into chunks
1 green pepper, chopped into chunks
4 celery sticks, chopped into chunks
1 large onion, finely chopped 
2 cloves of garlic
1 pint vegetable stock
2 potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks
Sea salt and black pepper
Glug of olive oil
Glug of red wine (optional)


M: Chunk of chorizo, chopped
V: 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped into chunks


Heat a glug of olive oil in a large pan and fry the onion, celery and garlic until they start to soften. Add the chili, ground coriander, cumin and paprika and cook for a few minutes. Stir in the lentils, beans, chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, stock, red wine, herbs and seasoning. Leave to simmer for about 20 minutes, adding more water if necessary (the stew should be almost covered in water at all times). Divide the stew into two adding potatoes and peppers to each dish.


V: Add the sweet potato to one dish.
M: In a pan, fry the chorizo for a few minutes. Add the chorizo to other dish.

Cook each stew for a further 20 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked. 

Serve with crusty bead and dollop of yogurt.

Sweet potato Falafel with couscous salad and tzatiki

Sweet potato falafel

This sweet potato falafel recipe is based on one from the Leon cookbook but I have speeded up the process by boiling the sweet potato instead of roasting it. The sweet potato falafel tastes great in a pitta with tzatziki and a couscous salad.

Serves: 4 

2tsp cumin

2tsp ground coriander

1tsp cayenne pepper

handful coriander, chopped

150g gram flour

3 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks

Boil the sweet potatoes for 15 minutes or until soft. Drain, mash and leave to cool. Stir in the spices, fresh coriander and gram flour. Place covered in the fridge for 30minutes until mixture is easier more sticky than wet.

Heat the oven to 180C.

Roll mixture into balls and place on an oiled tray. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes.

Serve with wholemeal pitta pockets, couscous salad and tzatiki. 

Couscous with feta and walnuts

Serves: 4

 

The Ume plum seasoning used as a dressing adds a refreshing zesty flavour.

Handful walnuts

Handful coriander, chopped

Handful mint, chopped

Handful mung bean sprouts

Handful, feta, chopped

¼ zest of lemon

Olive oil

Sea salt and Black pepper

Pinch of saffron

200g Couscous

Ume plum seasoning

Put the couscous in a bowl and sprinkle over sea salt, black pepper, saffron, a glug of olive oil and just cover with boiling water. Stir once and cover with clingfilm for 10 minutes. Leave to cool.

Use a fork to fluff up the couscous and stir in the lemon zest, feta, mint, coriander, walnuts and mung beans. Dress with a glug of olive oil and a few dashes of ume plum seasoning.

Tzatziki

Serves: 4 

Tub of greek yoghurt

Handful mint, chopped

¼ cucumber, finely chopped

Sea salt

1 garlic clove

Olive oil

Add a good glug of olive oil to a mixing bowl. Crush the garlic with a large pinch of sea salt and finely chop, keep crushing and chopping until you have a salty garlic paste. Add the garlic paste to the olive oil and stir in a little of the yoghurt at a time, making sure the garlic and olive oil are evening distributed.  Add the mint and cucumber, stir and season to taste.

Spicy chickpea soup

This is my favorite soup, especially when I think I'm getting ill. It's full of vitamins and the chili gives a spicy kick.

Serves: 4

Olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
4 celery sticks, chopped
2 tsp cumin
1 can (400g) chopped plum tomatoes
1 can (400g) chick peas, washed and drained
1/2 head of broccoli, chopped into florets
1 pint vegetable stock
1 red chili, deseeded and chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Handful coriander, chopped

F: Handful pre-cooked prawns


Heat a glug of olive oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and celery and fry gently for about 8 minutes or until soft, stirring often. Add the garlic and chili and fry for a few more minutes before stirring in the cumin.

Add the tomatoes, chickpeas and stock and cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes, adding the broccoli for a further 4 minutes.

F: Divide the soup. Add a handful of prawns to the non-vegetarian portion/s, heat for 2 minutes.

Squeeze in the lemon juice and season to taste. Add a sprinkle of fresh coriander to each bowl.

Serve with crusty bread.