Those that know me, and those that read my blog, are by now, probably aware that I'm a rather huge fan of the humble egg. Well, I am. I post about eggs a lot, and post a lot of egg recipes. You make think, 'Hmm.. too simple'. But, sometimes simple, is splendid. Seriously! I understand if you're not a fan of eggs, (I feel for you), I however think they are versatile and quite simply 'awesome'. I'm repeating my self, but I feel I have to share it. I get a lot of joy from just a poached egg, on some good quality ham (another sort of love of mine, is that bad?), placed on top of a bagel (they're great), and topped with my own version of hollandaise. Again, I post these sort of recipes a lot, but they're consistently tasty! To make the hollandaise, I took a spoon of good mayo, mixed in some wholegrain mustard and a squeeze of lemon. (It may sound a bit mental, but it tastes ruddy nice.) There. I've said it. I wasn't egg-xaggerating. I really do love eggs, just as much as I love egg puns and other bad jokes... not bad yolks. (Terrible). Embrace the things you love! +Happy Eggs.
In February I received some great news. I have kindly been placed on to a Camp America program for the summer. YAY!! Guess where this incredible adventure will take me? GUESS! Okay, I'll have to tell you. Mississippi! The great and mighty! I decided to get a head start in exploring the wonders of this amazing place through their diverse culture and cuisine. This recipe was inspired by their hugely popular seafood tradition, incorporated with their 'fried foods & mashed potato' trademark. I took some prawns (washed & cleaned), then dipped them in a mixture of milk and malt vinegar (sounds crazy, I know! They use buttermilk, and this is an easy alternative!), drop the prawns into some plain flour, and repeat. The combination is really good, as it binds well and sticks on to the prawns. Meanwhile, prep some veggies. I put on a pan of peeled and chopped potatoes to boil. I then seared some green bell pepper (they love this), tomatoes, red onion and chorizo (for extra spice and richness) in another pan. Once your potatoes are about done and your veg mix is breaking down nicely, get a deep pan of vegetable or sunflower oil to the boil. (Be really careful when doing this!) Fill it up about half way, you may have to batch fry your prawns. Test the oil with a drop of bread. As soon as it's hot enough, drop in the prawns, and leave them to go crisp and golden. When finished, drain them on kitchen towel. Plate up all your ingredients in a nice bundle of love. It may sound mad, but it is really good! Stick on some B.B.King, and I'll see you in Mississippi.
Take a classic recipe, such as pasta and meatballs, and spin it on its head. Step away from the rules of tradition, if I may be so bold. Here we are. Firstly, to make awesome homemade meatballs, don't worry about buying mince meat. Grab yourself some nice pork sausages, and take the meat out of the skins. Simple! (I used a combination of 3 pork and 3 vegetarian sausages, for a coarser texture.) Place your meat in to a bowl, and add any herbs, spices you wish. (I used chili flakes, parsley and thyme.) Break your mix down with a fork and crack in one egg, this will help it to bind. Then, using your hands, shape it into large meatballs. My mixture made about eight. Place these beauties into an oven proof dish. Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prep the veg for your tomato sauce! I kept it simple with red onions and cherry tomatoes. After the 10 minutes is up, scatter the onion and tomatoes over the meatballs. Pour over some passata, and leave in the oven for another 5-10 minutes, until bubbling and your tomatoes are practically exploding! Get whatever pasta you fancy on the go, and when al dente, place in a bowl. Top with your pipping hot, brilliant, meatballs, and sprinkle with whatever cheese you like and even a fancy garnish of basil! A twist of black pepper, and you're there! Enjoy!
February was great. It was filled with all sorts of foodie fun experiments. Here is just one of them! Now, I know Pancake Day (Shrove Tuesday) was on the 12th of February, which is why I've expressed in the title of this post it's delayed, but this is sort of worth holding out for! My housemate, who is a fancy photography student, took this beautiful photo of her amazing pancake creation! - Delicious crisp, yet fluffy pancakes (made with the greatest & simplest batter), coated in a thin layer of +Nutella chocolate spread, topped with sliced banana, chopped strawberries, and a handful of blueberries. How magic does that sound!? HOWEVER, my other housemate may have topped this... with her crazy, creative, collaboration... Pancake, coated in a thin layer of MARMITE, topped with cooked CHICKEN, and sprinkled with sliced ham & grated cheese. INSANE? Yes. But, surprisingly good! I kid you not. Try something different once in awhile, you never know. You may just discover something great!
