The Perfect Veggie Brunch
This recipe is based on a dish I ate at Manchester cafe Ezra & Gil which I really enjoyed and made at home with the addition of haloumi and spinach. It's the perfect weekend late morning breakfast and fancy enough to make for guests. I'd choose this over a bacon butty any day!
DIFFICULTY: 2/5 (if you can't do poached eggs then opt for fried instead!)
Serves 2
Pesto:
1 packet of Fresh Basil leaves (keep a few back for later)
Small handful of Blanched Almonds
1 tbsp Garlic Oil
1 tbsp Olive Oil (add more to loosen if needed)
Good grating of Fresh Parmesan
Salt and Black Pepper
The Rest:
15-20 Cherry Tomatoes
Large handful of Baby Spinach
1 Avocado
1/2 block of Haloumi
2 Free Range Eggs
2 Slices of Toast
1 tbsp Rapeseed Oil
1 tbsp Garlic Oil
Handful of Fresh Basil
Salt and Black Pepper
Takes 5 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes cooking on the hob
First off, make the pesto. Put all of the ingredients in a hand blender and blitz until almost smooth. If you want it less thick then add more olive oil.
Put the kettle on to boil. Half the cherry tomatoes and peel and slice the avocado, removing the stone. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the tomatoes when hot and stir around.
Whilst the tomatoes cook, add the boiled water to a saucepan with a dash of vinegar and bring to a simmer. Crack the eggs directly into the saucepan, as close to the water as you can, and cook for 3 minutes.
Meanwhile put a separate frying pan on to heat. Add the spinach to the tomatoes with the garlic oil and some salt and pepper and allow to wilt. Put the sliced bread in the toaster.
Slice the haloumi and add to the heated frying pan and cook for a few minutes until golden on each side.
Drain the poached eggs onto some kitchen roll.
Butter the toast and top each slice with the tomatoes, avocado and haloumi. Add the poached egg, a spoon of pesto and tear the rest of the basil leaves over the top.
