When you have a fussy eater like I do in Little Bean, you will try anything to get some ‘good’ food into them. One of the foods that I consider good, would be eggs as they are full of protein. Even better if they simply refuse to eat meat. Eggs I find can be quite adaptable as you can easily hide them in some foods without Little Bean even noticing. Of course, life with Little Bean couldn’t be so simple that she would like boiled egg and soldiers (my childhood favourite) or even scrambled eggs (Beanie Boy’s favourite) or Omelette, oh nooooo not Little Bean, she won’t even attempt to try something like that.
The part where I generally fall down with cooking is lack of imagination, because I’m not a big fan of cooking I don’t tend let my imagination run very far, I need prompts and ideas. A couple of weeks ago an email landed in my inbox which immediately perked up my interest, the title “Take a box of eggs”. Initial thoughts were ‘egg decorating for Easter’? Nope too far away, so not wanting to make my brain fizzle out with the stress of thinking (come on I am pregnant!!) I decided to just read the email and see what they had to say. “How would you like to review the new Dairy Cookbook: Take a box of eggs”. Now I remember Dairy Cookbooks from waaaaay back when I was moving out of home and my Mum gave me her old copy of the Dairy Cookbook and it was brilliant, nothing too fancy, just plain and simple cooking – right up my street! So I said “yes please”.
When the book arrived I was pleasantly surprised to find a cookbook not much bigger than a DVD case, perfect as I’m running out of storage space in this house. I also like the fact that it is spiral bound with a covered spine so it’s got a bit more chance of lasting more than just a couple of months AND you don’t have to fight with the pages to keep them open (never good when working with eggs as it can get verrrrrry sticky!!). The book is divided into user friendly sections; Introduction, Toasts & Snacks, Vegetarian, Fish, Meat, Bakes and Desserts (always save the best until last!! Each recipe gives a breakdown of the preparation time, standing and cooking time. The number of calories and fat per portion as well as a QR Code which you can scan into your Smartphone to add to your shopping list.
Now I would love to say that I have converted Little Bean and that she is eating happily from the Vegetarian, Fish and Meat sections but who would l be kidding. I’m taking things slowly and we have been doing a little more of the recipes from the Bake section and she even tried some French Toast the other day, we still had to put tomato ketchup on it but I can let that slide if she is eating more eggs.
Another recipe which I have found that Hubby and I liked for a snack on a Saturday lunch time is the Bread and Cheese Bake. It looks rather like Bread and Butter Pudding but it’s more savoury and a little bit delish!!
Serves 2
Ingredients
Wholemeal bread with pumpkin seeds or multigrain 4 slices
Butter 40g (1 1/2 oz) softened
Mature Cheddar cheese 110g (4oz)
Spring onions 4, trimmed and finely sliced
Mixed dried herbs 1/4 tsp
Eggs 2
Milk 300ml (1/2 pint)
Cayenne pepper or paprika for sprinkling
1. Spread the bread with butter and cute each slice in two, lengthways
2. Butter two 500ml (18fl oz) shallow baking dishes. Arrange overlapping slices of the bread across the dishes and sprinkle with the cheese, onions and herbs.
3. Break the eggs into a bowl, add the milk and whist together. Then carefully pour over the bread in each dish. Place the dishes on a baking tray and leave to stand for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.
4. Bake the puddings for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and set. Sift with cayenne or paprika and serve while piping hot.
Cook’s tip: This bread and cheese pudding is quite rich, so serve simply with a mixed leaf salad sprinkled with seasoned rice vinegar.
Giveaway Time!!!!
If you would like to get your hands on one of these Dairy Cookbooks for yourself or perhaps for a Christmas present, then just enter my competition below using the Rafflecopter Entry form to win one of three copies. However, please note I do check all entries and will delete any entrants that have not done what they say they have done. It’s only fair!
Quiche for me, so versatile.
Omelettes for me – wth cheese and ham! Yum
muffins 🙂
Cake!
This book looks great, we love eating healthy food, and making it taste great at the same time! 🙂 What was your favourite recipe from this book? 🙂
soufflé
I’ve got a very sweet tooth so anything like fairy cakes, muffins etc – but my hubby also makes a great omlette (with ham/bacon and cheese) so that takes a close second. However C won’t entertain eggs of any sort, which surprises me as he tries most things! I’d love to read about and try new recipes 🙂
does french toast count 🙂
muffins cant resist x
Eggs benedict
I love Gypsy Toast – when you dip bread in egg yolk, milk and pepper then fry! Yummy!
I love a well made omelette with cheese and pickle, mmmm 🙂
My parents have chickens so I get loads of fresh eggs. This book would be great to give me ideas of what to do with them.
EGGS ARE FULL OF GOODNESS
Eggs benedict for me
Pancakes
eggs benedict
Definitely eggs benedict 🙂
A egg & Bacon Omelette
I love eggy bread! I do, I know its nothing exciting but I just love it and now I’m giving it to my little boy too who also seems to love it 🙂
Omelette with chorizo
I love scrambled eggs on toast
Has to be cake!
eggy bread, most saturdays its a bit of a family tradition
Eggy Bread is lovely!!!
Banana omelette…2 egg’s beaten with sugar and cinnamon, cook like an omelette, then add sliced banana and honey or maple syrup. Great for breakfast. : )
omelette
Scrambled egg with smoked salmon and Toast.
Scrambled egg with beans – a family classic
Eggs are so great-very versatile. We get through loads in our house-baking, scrambled, poached…the list goes on!
Eggy Bread
Cheese souffles
pancakes
omelette – yummy 🙂
Simple boiled eggs for breakfast
Omelette
quite simply, fried eggs on toast with brown sauce. 🙂
Scrambled egg for me!
Omelettes with things in like cheese and bacon!
My girlies love a flan – homemade with eggs from our 3 chickens – yummy x
spanish omelette
you can’t beat an omelette!
Carbonara Pasta 🙂
Hard boiled egg
Quiche!
Yorkshire Puddings
Well my favourite egg dish is a Spanish omlette but now I’ve seen the cover of this book I REALLY want to try stuffed peppers with eggs – nom!
Mmmmmmm gotta be an Omlette!
Hard boiled egg
Chorizo and mozarella frittata
My favourite thing to do with eggs is just to simply poach it and serve with some bacon wrapped asparagus. The perfect breakfast
I love eggs, but my favourite has to be poached eggs, yummie.
My favourite is an egg custard.
asparagus and poached eggs
My favourite egg dish is a bit naughty its a bacon and egg fry up on a sunday!
omlette of any variety, have at least one omletter meal a week
Vegetable frittata – yum!
Lentil and egg curry. The kids love omelettes though.
I love eggs but i’m not very inventive with them and tend to resort to scrambled eggs on toast!
pancakes x
Chocolate melt in the middle pud 🙂
good old boiled egg
I have fried egg on toast every single day around 11am!
I like fried, scrambled, boiled, poached. Any eggs will do lol
Quiche or simple boiled eggs with toast
I love eggy bread 🙂
love eggs so tough choice but absolutely adore fried egg and ketchup sandwiches
Cheese omelette. Yum!
Am I allowed to say “cake”? 🙂
Omelette
Chessey scrambled eggs
Spanish Omelette