Huevos Rancheros – Mexican Breakfast Eggs

Although I can’t drink, eat, cleanse or exfoliate in anything containing milk, thankfully for me (for the time being and hopefully forever, please God, *praying hands), I can still eat eggs in moderation. A fantastic feat for someone like me, who, until time began would literally crack an egg over anything needing sprucing up. Whether it’s egg and soldiers, scrambled egg on toast, egg on a curry (don’t knock it until you’ve tried it) or the humble boiled egg sliced over a summer salad, I’m a big fan of the yellow and white stuff. So much so, I have an actual egg supplier in the countryside who supplies the freshest, most yellow eggs you could ever lay eyes upon.

Weekends for me are all about the egg – have I said the word ‘egg’ enough yet? On the whole, I pretty much plan my Saturday and Sunday all around an epic breakfast, containing none over than the King of the breakfast materials – the egg. For some reason a few weeks ago, I woke up with the most agonising hunger pang I’d experienced in a good week (I’m always hungry if you hadn’t noticed already) and felt an overwhelming need to rustle up something a bit more special than my usual scrambled concoction. After roaming through my cupboards, I stumbled upon a nice tin of tomatoes, sugar and a delicious crusty cob from BFree. Suddenly my mind catapulted back to a recipe I used to throw together many moons ago called Huevos Rancheros, AKA, Mexican breakfast eggs. This dish is extremely easy to make and uses up the store cupboard essentials you usually have lying around – all you need on the side is a warm, crusty cob smothered in butter to mop up the sweet and spicy juices.

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs
  • 400ml tin chopped tomatoes
  • Tsp sugar
  • Tsp oregano
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 tsp Bull’s Eye New York Steakhouse Sauce (optional)
  • Salt & pepper
  • Knob of butter (I use Pure Free From sunflower spread)
  • Sprinkling chilli flakes
  • 1 garlic clove
  • Violife cheese

 

Method

  • Pre-heat the oven to 190C.
  • Chop the onion and garlic clove. Grate two slices of cheese in preparation.
  • Heat a knob of butter in a saucepan, add the red onion and red pepper and cook until soft.
  • Add the garlic and fry until golden. Pour in the tin of tomatoes and tsp of oregano and stir well.
  • Season with salt and pepper. Add a sprinkling of chilli flakes to taste and a tsp of sugar.
  • Add a drizzle of the steakhouse sauce and stir.
  • Leave to simmer for 5-8 minutes.
  • Transfer the sauce into an oven proof dish and make two hollows in the sauce.
  • Crack the two eggs into each hollow.
  • Sprinkle over the grated cheese and then bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the eggs are cooked.
  • Warm a baguette up in the oven (usually for around 5-7 minutes according to pack instructions) and smother with butter.
  • Serve straight out of the ovenproof dish or in a bowl.

A not so traditional Spaghetti Bolognese

img_2983

There’s one recipe that never fails to be met with lots of ‘mmms’ when it’s placed on the dinner table and that is Spaghetti Bolognaise. It’s easy to make and has all of the ingredients you could wish for; hearty meat, a delicious sauce, a sprinkling of cheese and a messy face when you’ve finishing eating.

Now, if you’ve been to Italy then you will know that as a nation we’ve killed the traditional Bolognese recipe. Not only are we using the wrong pasta – a proper Bolognese is partnered with tagliatelle, but we do inexcusable things like add herbs to our recipe. I will hold my hands up and say, I’m guilty of all of these sins!

However, if like myself you are gluten free and living anywhere but London where there is a huge selection of gluten free goodies, you will know how difficult it is to source tagliatelle. It’s one of those rare delicacies that I stock up on when I come across it, usually in farm shops or strangely enough, service stations. I agree that Bolognese with tagliatelle tastes more delicious, the thickness of the pasta soaks up the mince and juices more, but we will have to go on with what we’ve got and let’s face it, I love basil and oregano so they are thrown in to many of my meals for added flavour.

In my recipe, I’ve missed out on some traditional ingredients such as carrots as unfortunately we ate them all with our Sunday roast. But, with a little love and care, a generous glug of wine and some yummy bacon, I can promise you won’t miss them at all.

Little tip: My family go to special measures to obtain David’s Chilli Oil – it really adds depth and flavour to even the blandest of dishes and is perfect for use in chilli’s, spaghetti and curries.

img_2986

Ingredients (Serves 2)

  • 400g Steak mince
  • Olive oil
  • 1 onion
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 rashers bacon
  • Sprinkle dried rosemary
  • 1 tsp basil
  • ½ tsp oregano
  • 400g tin plum tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 beef stock cube
  • 1-2 tsp chilli oil depending on heat (I used David’s Chilli Oil)
  • A good glug of red wine (I just went for it but around 100ml)
  • 1 tsp cooking salt
  • Generous sprinkle of pepper
  • Gluten free spaghetti or tagliatelle
  • Dairy free cheese (I usually use Violife)

 

  • Heat up 1 tsp olive oil in a medium sized saucepan. Chop up the bacon into squares and add to the pan, heating for 10 minutes or until golden
  • Chop up the onion and cook until soft
  • Next, throw in the garlic and rosemary and stir in
  • Add the mince steak and breakdown, stir until browned
  • Add the plum tomatoes, crumble in the beef stock cube and sprinkle in the basil and oregano
  • Add the chilli oil and pour in a good glug of wine
  • Bring to the boil and then leave to simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally and adding seasoning as desired
  • Cook the spaghetti according to packet instructions
  • Grate a handful of cheese
  • Once the sauce is nice and thick, drain the spaghetti and add the bolognaise on top
  • Sprinkle on the cheese and some basil to finish

Buon Appetito!