Have you got guests coming to stay? A big family to feed? Or just fancy a special treat? Then this Croque Madame brunch bake is perfect for adding some oomph to your mornings this Christmas! This recipe uses crispy fried eggs to add a tasty twist to this classic dish. It will keep the family full and ready for those busy days through the Christmas period. Breakfast just got even better!
Ingredients:
- 50g unsalted butter (melted)
- 6 slices white loaf
- 25g plain flour
- 500ml semi-skimmed milk
- a generous pinch of nutmeg
- 200g Gruyère (grated)
- 4 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 6 slices organic dry cured ham from Helen Browning’s
- 1 tbsp light olive oil
- 4-6 eggs, depending on serving size
Method:
- Preheat the grill to high. Use half the melted butter to brush over one side of each of the slices of bread. Grill the bread, butter-side up, until golden and crisp. Set aside. Heat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6.
- Heat the remaining butter in a saucepan and, once foaming, add the flour. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes, then remove from the heat. Gradually whisk in the milk a little at a time, until smooth. Return the pan to the heat and bring to a simmer, stirring continuously. Cook for 5-6 minutes, until you have a thickened, smooth sauce. Remove from the heat and stir through the nutmeg, 125g of the cheese and season to taste.
- To assemble the sandwiches, spread the Dijon evenly over the untoasted sides of the bread. Lay two slices of ham over 3 of the slices of bread and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the ham. Top with the remaining slices of bread, toasted-side-up, and press down. Cut into triangles and arrange in a 2-litre baking dish or roasting tin. Pour the cheese sauce over the sandwiches evenly, then bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
- While the bake is in the oven, heat the oil in a large non-stick pan and fry the eggs to your liking. Top the bake with the eggs to serve.
A creamy garlic and mushroom sauce combined with dry cured ham on toasted brioche; it really adds an element of luxury to your festive lunch. It is sure to impress any guest. Make sure you make this dish extra special with our organic dry-cured ham for a delicious flavour.
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp oil
- 6 slices organic dry-cured ham from Helen Browning’s (cut in half)
- 50g/1¾oz butter
- 6 thick slices brioche
- 4 fat garlic cloves (crushed)
- 250g/9oz chestnut mushrooms (sliced)
- 100g/ 3½oz shiitake mushrooms (halved if large)
- 75g/2¾oz oyster mushrooms (halved if large)
- 150g/5½oz enoki mushrooms
- 2 tbsp full-fat crème fraîche
- chopped fresh parsley (to garnish)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method:
- Add the oil to a large, heavy-based frying pan and fry the ham over a high heat for 1-2 minutes until crisp. You may need to do this in two batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Remove and set aside.
- Turn the heat down to medium and melt about a third of the butter in the pan. Fry the brioche slices until golden-brown on each side, you may have to do this in batches. Remove and set aside.
- Melt another third of the butter in the pan, add the garlic, chestnut and shiitake mushrooms and fry over a high heat for 2–3 minutes. Lower the heat, cover with a lid and cook for a further 2 minutes. Remove the lid and fry over a high heat until tender and golden-brown, tossing until dry and any liquid has evaporated.
- Add the remaining butter, along with the oyster and enoki mushrooms, and fry for 1–2 minutes until golden-brown. Season well with salt and pepper. Stir in the crème fraiche
- Place a slice of toasted brioche on each plate, spoon over some of the garlic mushrooms, followed by a slice of fried ham and a sprinkling of chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
Make sure to make the most of your leftover turkey with this temptingly tasty turkey, leek and ham pie recipe. Waste not, want not I suppose! Creamy, hearty, and filling; you really cannot go wrong with this recipe.
Ingredients:
- 50g butter
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 2 carrots (chopped)
- 2 leeks (chopped)
- 200ml double cream
- 250ml chicken stock or leftover gravy
- 400g cooked turkey, bite-sized pieces
- 300g Helen Browning’s organic honey roast ham ends, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 2tbsp thyme leaves
- 1tbsp wholegrain mustard
- 250g readymade puff pastry
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Heat a large pan over a medium heat. Add a knob of butter and gently cook the onion until soft but not brown.
- Add the carrots and leek and continue cooking for five minutes until the carrots begin to soften. Cover with the cream and stock or gravy and simmer until the sauce starts to thicken.
- Add the turkey, ham, wholegrain mustard, and herbs then season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper then remove the pan from the heat. Pour the filling into a ceramic pie dish.
- Roll out the pastry (if not ready rolled) to make a lid for the pie and strips to line the rim of the dish. Press the strips onto the rim, moistening them with a little beaten egg, then press down the lid firmly and brush with the beaten egg. Do not forget to make a hole for the steam to escape. Cook in the oven for 25 minutes until the pastry is golden-brown.
Pancakes aren’t just for Shrove Tuesday; they are a special treat that we believe should be enjoyed all year round. They make a tasty Christmas day brunch to prepare you for the big day. This versatile dish can also be made as a quick lunch or supper, if you wish to serve it with chips and salad.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onions and fry for 15-20 mins, stirring occasionally until completely soft and golden.
- Tip the flour into a large jug. Make a well in the middle and gradually whisk in the egg and milk until you have a smooth batter.
- When the onions are almost cooked, heat a medium non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and wipe with oiled kitchen paper. Pour approximately 3 tbsp batter into the pan, tilting it to coat the pan evenly. Cook for 1 min, flip and cook for a further 30 secs until golden. Sprinkle the softened onion, ham, Cheddar, and parsley (saving a little parsley to garnish) over one side of the crepe and fold over the pancake. Cook for 1 min to melt the cheese. Repeat until you’ve used all the ingredients and have 4 crepes in total. Sprinkle with the extra parsley.
Everyone loves tacos; they are most definitely a firm favourite of mine! This recipe makes them much healthier by using lots of grated hidden vegetables and organic beef mince. Carrots are an excellent super food to add to your meals. They are rich in beta carotene that the body converts to vitamin A; this helps to support immune function. Courgettes also contain 40% of your recommended daily intake of vitamin A… so it is time to eat up!
Ingredients:
- 340g of organic beef mince from Helen Browning’s
- 1 small courgette (shredded)
- 8 soft or hard taco shells
- 2 medium carrots (shredded)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 60ml water
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- your favourite taco fixings such as onions, tomatoes, lettuce, olives, cabbage, beans, cheese, avocado
Method
- Brown the beef in a pan over medium heat.
- While the meat is cooking mix the taco seasonings together in a small bowl.
- Once the beef is cooked through, drain off fat and return to stove and reduce heat to low.
- Stir in the taco seasonings and the shredded vegetables.
- Add the water and let simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until most of the water has been absorbed.
- Fill taco shells with meat and top with your favourite fixings.
Make a change to your usual cheesy pasta dish with some hearty gnocchi and spicy chorizo; it is mouth-wateringly good! This recipe makes an excellent family meal, and is unbelievably tasty. Try it out for yourself.
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 2 garlic cloves (crushed)
- 120g organic cooking chorizo from Helen Browning’s (diced)
- 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 600g fresh gnocchi
- 125g mozzarella ball (cut into chunks)
- small bunch of basil (torn)
- green salad (to serve)
Method
- Heat the oil in a medium pan over a medium heat. Fry the onion and garlic for 8-10 mins until soft. Add the chorizo and fry for 5 mins more. Tip in the tomatoes and sugar, and season. Bring to a simmer, then add the gnocchi and cook for 8 mins, stirring often, until soft. Heat the grill to high.
- Stir ¾ of the mozzarella and most of the basil through the gnocchi. Divide the mixture between six ovenproof ramekins or put in one baking dish. Top with the remaining mozzarella, then grill for 3 mins, or until the cheese is melted and golden. Season, scatter over the remaining basil and serve with green salad.
