The Delightful Blog
TBS: Mommy Matters: Get the kids to help with breakfast this holiday!─── 08:52 Mon, 29 Jun 2015
Sam Gates is mom that believes it is very important to get your kids involved in the kitchen from a young age. In her book “Food for your brood” which was initially meant to merely document her recipes so her family could make us of it, she takes a fresh look at some old favourites as well as presents any keen parent with great food ideas for the whole family. Her “Baked egg bar” is perfect for large families or when you get loads of guests or even if the kids just want to treat the parents for once, here is the full recipe but listen to Sam’s tips in the podcast below. Sam provides 2 options for you to enjoy!
Baked egg bar Baked eggs are ideal breakfast fodder for big groups who won’t agree on what to eat. So rather than let things descend into an unseemly squabble, create a colourful distraction with this pick ‘n’ mix-style counter. Each guest just needs to grab a ramekin, egg, a sprinkle of their favourite toppings and everyone will be happy, including you. Baked eggs are best cooked in a bain-marie, which sounds technical but all you do is heat the oven, add boiling water to a deep roasting pan and you’re ready to go. Having eaten too many overcooked baked eggs in the search for the optimum cooking time, I’ve learnt that you need to preheat the oven exactly and don’t be tempted to leave the eggs in beyond the times below, even if they look wobbly. Eggs are sneaky little blighters that cook at alarming speed once they start, leaving you with a dusty, disappointing centre if you don’t whip them out on time. If you are planning on doing all the options below, ramp up the quantities and prepare the fillings in advance (better still, get the breakfast guests to help). Then, when they are ready, give everyone their ramekins and let them go. The quantities below are per person.
Butter10 ml (2 tsp) fresh cream
1 egg
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
Spinach, Gruyère and chilli
15 ml (1 Tbsp) cooked spinach, chopped and drained,
15 ml (1 Tbsp) finely grated Gruyère cheese and 1 ml (¼ tsp) finely
chopped chilli
Creamed leek and chorizo
30 ml (2 Tbsp) finely chopped leek, fried gently with finely
chopped chorizo
OPTION 1: Mushroom, garlic and thyme
2 mushrooms, thinly sliced
and gently sautéed in butter with 2.5 ml (½ tsp) crushed
garlic and a sprinkle of fresh thyme leaves
Prosciutto and truffle oil
15 ml (1 Tbsp) shredded
prosciutto and a dribble of truffle oil
2 mushrooms, thinly sliced
and gently sautéed in butter with 2.5 ml (½ tsp) crushed
garlic and a sprinkle of fresh thyme leaves
Prosciutto and truffle oil
15 ml (1 Tbsp) shredded
prosciutto and a dribble of truffle oil
OPTION 2: Sun-dried tomato and rocket
7.5 ml (½ Tbsp) finely grated Parmesan cheese, 5 ml (1 tsp)
chopped sun-dried tomatoes and 15 ml (1 Tbsp) chopped rocket
Cheddar, ham and chutney
15 ml (1 Tbsp) finely grated Cheddar cheese, 15 ml (1 Tbsp)
finely chopped ham and 7.5 ml (½ Tbsp) chutney
Heat the oven to 180 °C.
7.5 ml (½ Tbsp) finely grated Parmesan cheese, 5 ml (1 tsp)
chopped sun-dried tomatoes and 15 ml (1 Tbsp) chopped rocket
Cheddar, ham and chutney
15 ml (1 Tbsp) finely grated Cheddar cheese, 15 ml (1 Tbsp)
finely chopped ham and 7.5 ml (½ Tbsp) chutney
Heat the oven to 180 °C.
Generously butter a ramekin or small ovenproof bowl. Spoon in your chosen filling (reserve a little for sprinkling on top), plus 5 ml (1 tsp) cream. Carefully crack an egg into the ramekin and add another 5 ml (1 tsp) cream. Sprinkle the reserved filling over the top and season well. Place all the ramekins in a deep baking tray or roasting pan. Carefully pour boiling water into the tray or pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Place in the oven and bake for 10–12 minutes. Remove and eat immediately with hot, crusty bread and a teaspoon.
Recipe and images courtesy of Sam Gates from her book “Food for your brood” with permission from Random House Struik. For more information visit: http://www.foodforyourbrood.co.uk/
