For quick and easy recipes that are healthy and great value for money — try eggs. A wide range of egg recipes and nutritional information about eggs is available on www.eggs.ie
Colcannon cakes with poached eggs
and hollandaise sauce
Ingredients
450g potatoes; about 40g butter; three scallions, finely chopped; sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper; 50g Savoy cabbage, shredded; a little plain flour, for dusting; olive oil, for frying; one tablespoon of white wine vinegar and four large eggs.
For the hollandaise sauce
Two teaspoons of white wine or tarragon vinegar; two large egg yolks; 100g unsalted butter; fresh watercress sprigs, to serve.
Method
Cook the potatoes in a covered pan of boiling salted water for 15 to 20 minutes until tender.
Meanwhile, heat a knob of the butter and one tablespoon of water in a heavy-based pan with a lid over a high heat. When the butter has melted and formed an emulsion, add the scallions and cabbage with a pinch of salt.
Cover, shake vigorously and cook over a high heat for one minute. Shake the pan again and cook for another minute, then season with pepper.
Drain the potatoes and mash until smooth, then beat in the remaining butter. Fold in the cabbage mixture. Shape the mixture into four balls, dust with flour and press into neat patties.
Heat a thin film of olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan and add the patties, then cook for three to four minutes on each side until golden brown.
To make the poached eggs, bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the vinegar and season with salt and keep at a very gentle simmer. Break the eggs into the water and simmer for three to four minutes until just cooked but still soft on the inside. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain well on kitchen paper, trimming away any ragged edges.
To make the hollandaise sauce, place the vinegar and egg yolks in a food processor with a pinch of salt. Blend until just combined.
Gently heat the butter in a heavy-based pan until melted and just beginning to foam. Turn on the food processor and with the motor running at medium speed; pour in the melted butter in a thin, steady stream through the feeder tube.
Continue to blitz for another five seconds and pour back into the pan and stir in the scallions but do not return to the heat. Allow the heat from the pan to finish thickening the sauce as you stir it gently for another minute before serving. Season to taste with salt.
To serve, place a colcannon cake on each warmed plate and place a poached egg on top of each one. Spoon over the hollandaise sauce and add a grinding of black pepper to serve.
Apple and yoghurt pancakes
with blackberry and honey sauce
Ingredients
Pancake batter; 300g self-raising flour; 50g sugar; four eggs; 150ml natural yoghurt; two eating apples, peeled and chopped; milk butter to cook the pancakes; blackberry and honey sauce; 200g blackberries (or blueberries ); two to three tablespoons of honey; juice of one lemon.
Method
Place all the batter ingredients in the processor. Whizz until well blended. Heat a non–stick pan and add a touch of butter.
Add four large spoonfuls of batter, spaced well apart and cook for two minutes until bubbles appear, flip and cook for another minute. Transfer to a plate and keep warm while you cook the rest.
To make the sauce, heat the fruit, honey and lemon juice until you have a nice thick fruity sauce. Serve warm with the pancakes and extra yoghurt if you wish.
