Truly, thou art damned like an ill roasted egg, all on one saide- (As you like it)

Red bull (1 to get me through last week of school) Weight (+10 having one of those days) Exercise (gym class) Anticipation for Masterchef episode (+100)


Eggs. A necessity in most cooking, but hardly ever the hero of the dish. But the other day on MasterChef they had a quiche test taste which got me in the mood to make a Quiche Lorraine, which is purely about eggs...eggs and more eggs. 
When I say "got me in the mood" I mean I wanted. I wanted. I WANTED! I thought it would be great to make it on the Sunday night, warming the house with the heat from the oven and creating pleasant baking pastry aromas. Also it would be good to pack it up for our lunches for the next couple of days, teamed with some salad from our vegetable garden. 
This is perfect for families and the kids for those school box lunches, as it is a cheap option and can be prepared earlier too.


This simple quiche recipe works all the time, even the pastry. This pastry is light, golden and crisp against the softness of the rich egg mixture, so I recommend you make it instead of buying it. It's cheap and inexpensive to do so. The mix of egg, pancetta (or bacon for budget friendly) and leeks has a hint of saltiness with creaminess. Make sure you bake it so it is golden on top.


A quick fix for lunch. Eggsitement!

Short crust pastry

• 125g butter
• 240gplain flour
• Pinch salt
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Filling

• 60g butter
• 1 small white onion, finely diced
• 2 texter leeks, washed and thinly sliced white and green
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 150gflat pancetta, cut into fine lardons
• 300mlpure cream
• 3 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• ½ cup grated good quality gruyere cheese

• 1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Lightly grease a 21cm loose-bottomed fluted tart tin.
  
  2. For pastry, place butter, flour and salt in a food processor and pulse until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add egg and lemon juice and process until mixture forms a ball. Turn onto a floured bench and gently knead to bring dough together. Do not over work. Wrap in plastic wrap and rest in refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.
  
  3. For filling, melt half the butter in a large frying pan over a medium high heat. Add onion and leeks cook for 3-4 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Transfer onion mixture to a bowl and return pan to heat.
  
  4. Melt remaining butter in the pan, add pancetta and cook until golden, stirring occasionally. Add to the onions and stir to combine. Spread over a double thick sheet of paper towel to drain.
  
  5. Roll pastry between 2 sheets of baking paper to a 24-26cm circle 2-3mm thick. Gently ease into prepared tart tin, pressing pastry into the edges of the tin. Trim with a small knife and prick the base. Lay a sheet of baking paper over the base and fill with baking beans or rice and blind bake pastry for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven, take out paper and baking beans and return to the oven for 5 minutes to crisp.
  
  5. Whisk cream, eggs and yolks in a bowl until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.
  
  6. Fill the base of the cooked pastry shell with onion mixture and scatter over half the cheese. Pour over egg mixture and sprinkle with tasty cheese. Bake for 15 minutes, reduce temperature to 160°C and bake until set. Allow to cool before cutting.

* Eggs are a good source of choline, a nutrient that helps to maintain the integrity of cell membranes and is particularly crucial to brain health and function.