Croque Madame Muffins

There is nothing I love more than a Sunday morning lie in followed by a spot of bunch!

It was time to see what Rachel Khoo had to offer. What could be more perfect for Sunday brunch than Croque Madame Muffins? I hadn't seen something like before but what an awesome idea! 

Croque Madame is a grilled ham and cheese sandwich served with a fried egg on top. The Croque Madame Muffin combines all of the ingredients of a Croque Madame into an individual muffin. 

The best part of these muffins is the béchamel sauce. Béchamel to me sounded quite tricky when I first heard the term but it is simply a classic way of making a white sauce. Made from using a mixture of butter and flour to make up a roux which is then cooked with milk to form the creamy yummy white sauce.

Serves 6

Ingredients

6 Slices of white bread with crusts removed
6 Small eggs
6 Slices of ham
3 Tbsp melted butter
Sauce:
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
200ml Milk
1/2 Tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 Tsp Nutmeg
30g Grated gruyere

Directions

1. Turn oven on to 180°C / 350°C / gas mark 4
2. Brush a muffin tin with some melter butter
3. Melt the butter in a pan and add flour. Beat until it forms a smooth paste. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 2 minutes.
4. Whisk the milk in slowly until there are no more lumps. Place the pan back on the heat and add the mustard and nutmeg. Allow to simmer gently whilst to move back onto the bread. Keep an eye that it doesn't catch though.
5. Flatten your white bread with a rolling pin until nice and thin and brush the front and back of each slice with melted butter.
6. Push each piece of bread into the muffin tin, making sure to push down into the inside edges of the bread.
7. Put a slice of ham at the bottom of each muffin and then top with an egg. If you think the egg may be too big, pour away some of the egg white and just pop the yolk and a little of the white into each muffin.
8. Remove the sauce from the heat and add the cheese, be sure to leave some to sprinkle on the top later. Stir the sauce until the cheese is melted. The sauce shouldn't be too think and should run off the spoon quite thick but doesn't get stuck! If it is too think, just whisk in a little more milk.
9. Spoon 2 tablespoons of sauce over each muffin and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and pepper. Before adding the sauce, I placed a piece of sliced tomato on top of each one but that is completely up to you how you like it.
10. For the finishing touches, brush the corners of each muffin with melted butter and pop in the oven for 15 minutes. (20 minutes if you like your yolks a little harder). 

Finally, server immediately and enjoy.

Spinach and Feta Filo Pie

After a long day at work, the last thing I want to do is spend hours in the kitchen making an evening meal. I like to be able to come home, throw together a nice delicious meal and relax for the rest of the evening.

One great recipe book I have come across that is prefect for this is Jamie Oliver's 30 Minute Meals. I have tried a few recipes so far but our favourite that we have made a few too many times but never gets boring is the Spinach and Feta Filo Pie.

The end result of this pie is fantastic. It looks like so much work has gone into it but you literally combine all of the ingredients, layer the filo and then fold it all over. Simple, quick and delicious! 

Now I know this recipe comes from Jamie's 30 Minute Meals and i'd like to say I can make it in 30 minutes but unfortunately I can't and it does usually take me a bit longer.... but it's totally worth the time!

This dish also lasts for a few days is the fridge and is great hot or cold. I like to serve it cold with a nice fresh salad. It is also great to take on a picnic or just pop it in your lunch box for work the next day!

Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients

100g pine nuts
5 free range eggs
300g feta cheese
50g Cheddar cheese
Dried oregano
1 lemon
A knob of butter
400g prewashed baby spinach
1 x 270g pack of filo pastry
Cayenne pepper
1 whole nutmeg

Directions

1. Turn oven on to 200°C / 400°F / gas mark 6
2. Put the pine nuts into a dry ovenproof frying pan and toast, tossing occasionally - make sure you keep an eye on these. I usually toast them for about 3 minutes.
3. Crack 5 eggs into a mixing bowl and crumble in 300g of feta cheese.
4. Grate in 50g of Cheddar cheese and add a pinch of pepper, a couple of pinches of dried oregano, the zest of 1 lemon and a lug of olive oil.
5. Once the nuts are light golden, add them to the egg mixture and mix well.

6. Pop the empty frying pan back onto the heat, add a little olive oil and a knob of butter and pile in half of the spinach. Gently move the spinach around, adding more as it wilts down. Make sure it doesn't catch and keep on adding the rest making sure to stir frequently.
7. Meanwhile, take the pastry out of the fridge and lay a large a large sheet of greaseproof paper, approximately 50cm long on your work top. Rub it all over with olive oil and scrunch it into a ball and then lay it flat out again.
8. Pop 4 filo pastry sheets in a large rectangle, overlapping at the edges so that they almost cover the paper. Rub some olive oil over them. Sprinkle over a good pinch of salt & pepper and a pinch of cayenne. Repeat until you have 3 layers - don't worry about any cracked bits.
9. Once the spinach is nice and dense, take the pan off the heat and add the wilted spinach to the egg mixture. Grate in ½ a nutmeg and mix well.
10. Carefully move the greaseproof paper and filo into the empty frying pan so the edges spill over. Push it down into the sides of the pan, then pour in the egg mixture and spread it out.
11. Fold the filo sheets over the top and let them fall where they will. Put the pan back on a medium heat for a couple of minutes to get the bottom cooking, then put the pan into the oven on the top shelf to cook for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden and crisp.

If you don't have a frying pan that you can put in the oven, you can also use a pie or cake tin (I use an 18cm spring form cake tin and it works perfectly). Just be careful when putting it on the heat before putting it in the oven as the paper may catch and the tin will be hot!