Further vegetarian brunch adventures. Not sure what’s come over us but somehow CB and I can’t get over the vegetable+cheese+egg combination.
A long time back, when Orange Wednesdays were still a thing, CB and I began our great courtship with the Pizza Express Padana pizza. For the uninitiated, this is basically a delicious pizza with mozzarella, goat’s cheese, spinach and red onion. Of course, because yours truly couldn’t help herself, I’d often get it with extra pepperoni which I can now hand on heart say is delicious but unnecessary: Pizza Express knew what they were about.
While reminiscing on those good times, I asked myself what I increasingly find myself asking as we finish the weekly online shop on a Thursday night: how can we replicate that great taste in a brunch? And the answer came to me all of a sudden: just add eggs.
Unfortunately, we forgot to caramelise and add some red onions to the egg but I highly recommend you do it – I imagine it’ll be a fantastic contrast to the salty goat’s cheese.
Adapted from Nigel Slater’s Eat
Serves 2 (362 cals per portion)
Ingredients
4 eggs
A small handful of herbs – thyme, basil and rosemary are our favourites – roughly chopped. Also keep about 1 tbsp of roughly chopped rosemary separately to top.
1 + 1 tbsps of butter or whatever spread you normally use (we use flora light)
200g spinach, thoroughly washed (don’t skip this, even if it says the spinach is pre-washed; there is often hidden grit in the leaves that will just ruin everything.. as we found out)
100g goat’s cheese, roughly chopped into fairly large chunks.
Method
- Switch your top grill onto high. Beat the eggs and chopped herbs in a large bowl. Season generously.
- In a heavy bottomed pan, heat 1 tbsp of the spread until lightly bubbling then add the spinach. Cook until wilted. This should take 1-2 minutes. Add the spinach to the egg mixture.
- In the same (oven proof) pan that you used to cook the spinach, add the last tbsp of the spread. When that starts bubbling, add the entire egg mixture. Top with the chunky goat’s cheese and the last of the rosemary. Cook for approximately 5 minutes, until partly set.
- Put the whole thing under your grill until it starts to brown. This should be approx 5 minutes, depending on the strength of your grill.
- Serve with a simple tomato salad at the side (dice two vine ripened tomatoes, add 1 tsp of the best, nicest olive oil you have in the house, a good grind of salt and pepper and a healthy squeeze of lemon juice) and a huge glass of orange juice. Boom!
MAD AVOCADO 