Poached Soft Egg & Bacon Salad

This has got to be one of my favourite salads at the moment and I call it my BREAKFAST salad.  If you unpack it, you could say it is a twist on a Caesar, but without the fluff.

The key ingredient here is the egg, so make sure they are free range and fresh!  According to Heston the best way to test if an egg is fresh or not ... drop a whole egg into some water - a fresh egg will sink, an old egg will float.

Poached Soft Egg & Bacon Salad

Serves 2

100g streaky smoked bacon, cut into bit sizes
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp Dijon mustard

3 Tbsp oil oil

4 eggs

Pkt croutons store-bought
80g wild rocket
80g salad greens
30g Stilton, crumbled (optional)

Heat a non-stick pan, add bacon and cook over high heat for about 5 minutes until it is crisp and golden. Turn heat off and remove bacon from the pan and drain on some kitchen towel.  Whilst the pan is still hot add  lemon juice, mustard and oil and mix well, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze.  Pour dressing over a sieve into a small bowl and allow to cool.

Poach eggs in boiling water for 4 minutes - we need runny eggs. Remove and allow to cool.  

Divide rocket and salad  greens over 2 plates.  Add bacon and croutons.  Carefully place eggs on top. Crumble with Stilton if desired and drizzle with salad dressing. Season with salt & pepper.

Enjoy
~ Michelle ~

Salmon Vodka Tagliatelle

This is a perfect Friday easy meal.  Pasta off the pantry shelf, smoked salmon off-cuts and few other bits and pieces = gourmet food made at home!

There are so many variant recipes for this tasty dish with a wide range of pastas being used.  I love tagliatelle as it has a porous and rough texture which really sucks up the creamy sauce and richness of the egg yolk.  Tagliatelle is basically egg pasta - ratio 1 egg to 100g flour if you keen to make your own - and is a long flat pasta and a similar shape to that of fettuccine.  

Pasta offers great health benefits including providing glucose, a crucial fuel for the brain and muscles. It is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates which provide a slow release of energy.  Unlike simple sugars that offer a quick, and fleeting boost of energy, pasta helps sustain energy.

I generally work a 150g - 200g portion per person, which I find is more than enough, with no leftovers.

Salmon Vodka Tagliatelle 

Serves 2

• 400 g Tagliatelle
• 2 Tbsp butter
• ½ white onion, grated
• 1 Tbsp good tomato sauce
• ¼ cup vodka
• 1 Tbsp good tomato sauce 
• 1 cup single cream 
• 180g smoked salmon, cut into strips 
• Salt & pepper 
• 1 egg yolk 
• 2 Tbsp chives, thinly sliced

In a pot of salted water add a dash of olive oil and cook the pasta as per instructions on the packet.

In a large pan melt the butter and then add the onion and cook on medium until they have softened. Add the vodka and cook for a further 1 minute to burn off the alcohol.  Now add the tomato sauce and cream and simmer, still on a medium heat for 5 min.  Lastly, stir in the salmon slithers and season with a little salt and loads of fresh cracked black pepper.  Remove sauce from the heat.

When the pasta is ready, drain and ADD TO THE PAN - not the other way around.  Still off the heat, add the egg yolk and stir through to coat the pasta.

Return the pan and pasta to the stove and warm through on a low heat.  Serve immediately.

Welsh Rarebit Breakfast in Bed

Here is a Sunday night 'I don't feel like cooking' option.  Ever heard of breakfast for dinner? Sounds interesting?   How about some eggs, cold cuts, cheese and some lightly toasted bread?

Gourmet Welsh Rarebit is on the room service menu for tonight.  This is an old classic form Jamie Oliver, with a few tweaks over the years.

Suitable for 2 foodie lovers

4 slices of your favourite bread, toasted
2 tbsp herb cream cheese
4 slices cold cut meat (country ham/salami/Parma ham)
2 eggs
1/2 tsp paprika (smoked is best)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup strong cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 spring onion, finely chopped
2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Pre heat broiler (aka oven grill)
Toast bread in a toaster to your liking and allow to cool
Spread 2 slices of toast on one side with cream cheese
Add cold cut meat to each slice and add another toasted bread on top to make 2 sandwiches
Place on a lightly greased baking tray
In a bowl whisk with a fork eggs, paprika, salt, pepper, cheese, spring onion and balsamic vinegar
Spoon egg mix evenly over toast
Place under broiler in the middle of the oven and bake for 5 min until golden brown
Remove from oven, garnish and serve immediately

Enjoy the last day of weekend
          ~ Michelle ~