Green lentil and egg bake recipe

June Challenge #happyeggtastemakers

Lentils and eggs are a great combination, creating a healthy, iron rich and protein packed meal. Served with fresh veggies, it is a wholesome vegetarian dish that the whole family will enjoy.

You can use dried lentils and make the meal from scratch, but for a quick, easy and convenient midweek meal, use tinned green lentils.

Ingredients 

(per 2 servings)

1 can of green lentils

1 finely chopped onion

1 crushed clove of garlic

1 finely sliced leek

1 tablespoon tomato puree

1 teaspoon mixed herbs

1/2 vegetable stock melts pot

2 free range eggs

oil

Method

Heat oil in a pan and gently fry onion, leek and garlic until softened.

Mix in lentils, tomato puree, herbs and stock melt.

Cook for around 10 minutes until well combined.

Put into an ovenproof dish.

Make two hollows in the lentil mix and crack an egg into each.
Cover with foil and bake at 180 deg for about 20 minutes, until the eggs are set.

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Find out more at thehappyegg.co.uk/trips and collect codes from the back of promotional Happy Egg Co boxes.

Chickpea Scotch Egg Recipe #vegetarian

I have been challenged by British Lion Eggs to come up with a family recipe using eggs as the main ingredient. As a vegetarian, eggs play an important role in my family's diet, being a good source of protein, vitamin D and iron.  I love how versatile they are and that they can be added to so many recipes in so many different ways

This is a recipe for vegetarian Scotch Eggs using a chickpea falafel style mix to cover hard boiled eggs, before coating them in golden breadcrumbs and oven baking.  I usually use a vegan sausage mix to make Scotch Eggs, but this recipe creates a much lighter Scotch Egg with a pleasant hint of warming spices.  Oven baking makes them less greasy than their deep fried counterparts, and keeps the calorie count down.  They are perfect served hot as part of a meal, or can be served cold for a picnic or a buffet.

Ingredients 

4 free range British Lion eggs

1 400g can chickpeas (drained)

1 small red onion

1 clove garlic

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

2 teaspoons parsley

ground black pepper 

pinch salt

2 slices wholemeal bread as crumbs

1 egg beaten

golden breadcrumbs

Method

Boil eggs by placing in cold water, bringing to boil and boiling for 5-6 minutes.

Remove from heat and transfer to sink.  Run cold water into the pan until cool.

Put chickpeas, onion, garlic and seasoning into food processor and blitz.

Add breadcrumbs to thicken using the pulse setting.

Shell the eggs and wrap a quarter of the chickpea mix around each one. (Flour hands if it gets too sticky!)

Dip covered egg in beaten egg and then roll onto a plate of golden breadcrumbs to coat.

Cook at GM6 for 15 minutes.

I only ever buy eggs which are free range, where the hens are well looked after and given freedom to roam outdoors.  I also look out for the British Lion safety mark which guarantees the egg has been produced in accordance with a strict code of practice (which has virtually eradicated salmonella in the British egg industry).

To find our more information about using eggs, such as advice on eggs and pregnancy, egg safety, recipes and nutritional information visit the British Lion Eggs website at egginfo.co.uk.

Nice Pecks - Official 2015 Calendar from The Happy Egg Co

The Happy Egg Co sent me a copy of their 2015 Nice Pecks calendar and I just had to share it on my blog!  I love the ethos of the Happy Egg Co. with regards to the wellbeing and welfare of their hens. The free range specialist encourages its hens to roam and forage outdoors.  As well as plenty of green pasture, all happy egg farms are equipped with an assortment of activities to enhance the birds’ natural surroundings – from towers to perch on, sandpits for dust-bathing, and natural play areas with logs, foliage and 20% tree coverage.

The Happy Egg Co's 2015 Nice Pecks calendar features twelve fantastic roosters photographed in their full sporting glory.  We've got David Peck-ham, Bradley Chick-ins, Tim Hen-man and Sir Egg-mund Hillary among the pin-ups included month to month.  There is also a seasonal recipe featured on each two page spread.

You can get your hands on one of these fab calendars or maybe even win an ipad Air 2 by taking part in the Enormous Eggsmas Egg Box competition at eggsmas.thehappyegg.co.uk.  Simply pop your egg in the enormous virtual egg box and fill in your details to be in with a chance of winning.

Easy Lentil & Egg Nests Recipe

Eggs are such a versatile ingredient and something we regularly use in our main meals.  Being vegetarian, eggs provide us with an excellent source of protein and iron.  Brit Mums are challenging bloggers to share their favourite egg recipes, looking for the easiest, quickest and most inventive main meals that incorporate an egg in each portion in their Main Meals Linky Challenge sponsored by British Lion Eggs.

I have adapted a rather complicated and time consuming baked egg recipe that I only use for special occasions into a very quick and easy midweek meal idea.  It takes just minutes to make, is filling, nutritious, cheap and very tasty.  The kids enjoy it too which is a real bonus.  Unlike the oven baked eggs which have a tendency to go a bit leathery on top, this recipe produces a delicious, soft result which is far more palatable.  It uses basic store cupboard essentials so can be made very easily, providing a delicious egg based meal for your family, even if you're short of time.

So this is the recipe I am sharing for the #eggmainsinminutes linky.

Lentil & Egg Nests 

(recipe listed serves 2 but can be easily doubled up to serve 4)

Ingredients

1 400g can of green lentils drained

1 finely chopped onion

1 dessertspoon of tomato puree

oil for frying

pinch of Italian seasoning

2 free range eggs

Method

Fry the finely chopped onion in a lidded frying pan until soft.

Add the drained can of lentils, the tomato puree and the seasoning and stir well.

Heat through.

Make two wells in the lentil mixture and break in the eggs.

Put the lid on the pan and cook gently on a low heat for about 8 minutes until the eggs are fully set.

We love this meal as the lentils make a deliciously, moist base for the yummy soft, baked egg.  They are a perfect culinary pairing.  For a variation on this recipe, you could add curry powder and cumin to the lentils, giving an Indian twist instead of an Italian one.  Either way, it is a very quick and tasty main meal that is excellent served with a portion of fresh green vegetables or a side salad to add some colour.

Find more egg recipe ideas at www.eggrecipes.co.uk/mainmealsinminutes or check out the Brit Mums linky where you can see other bloggers' egg recipes or enter your own idea.

This post is an entry for the #eggmainsinminutes Linky on BritMums.

The Happiest Quiche Around!

The Happy Egg co. are a brand that I really like.  Free range eggs are one of those things I never compromise on, which can prove a problem if buying any pre-cooked products that contain eggs.  However,  The Happy Egg co. have a range of products that includes their free-range eggs.  Within this range is a Cheddar and Spring Onion Quiche that is suitable for vegetarians.

I was sent some samples to try out in both their new single serve (170g) and snack size (2 x 120g).  It is also available in a 400g sharing size and available in other flavours.

Perfect for picnics, buffets or lunch boxes, the snack size or single serve size quiches make a great alternative to a sandwich.  With the Diamond Jubilee coming up, they'd be great additions to a street party!  They can be served cold or enjoyed hot.  The filling is really tasty and has a lovely texture with pieces of soft spring onion.

They were delicious heated up and served as a meal with mash and beans.  The snack size were just the right size for the little ones to eat.

With the Happy Egg Co's philosophy that the hen comes first, the quiches are made from eggs sourced from free-range farms ensuring they are the happiest quiches available.  They are free from artificial colours and flavouring and filled with Happy Egg goodness.

The single serve quiches are just £1.39.  Look out for them in the chiller at Tesco Express, Tesco and Sainsbury stores nationwide.