Egg white pancakes and other stories!

Well, I was pondering, as my mayonnaise was curdling, 'What am I going to do with all these egg whites? Meringues again?'
First things first, I have now amended the mayonnaise recipe in my book (The Joyful Cook!) and can now say that it works. Funny thing, mayonnaise; so easy, but sometimes temperamental. I have discovered today that it is easier to make by hand than in a food-processor, because the processor can't cope with just two egg yolks; they just get left at the bottom of the bowl. And I had forgotten to add some lemon juice and that is important, apparently. Anyway, all is well!

Mayonnaise (or add two crushed garlic cloves for Aioli)

2 egg yolks
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp lemon juice
200ml vegetable oil (I find olive oil too rich and flavoursome)

Everything should be at room temperature.

Whisk the eggs with the salt, mustard and lemon juice. VERY gradually, I mean drip by drip to start with, whisk in the oil. When it becomes stiff, you can pour a VERY thin stream in as you mix. You should end up with a lovely stiff mayo. Keeps in a jar in the fridge for a week or so.


Then I had 5 egg whites to use, and found some lovely recipes on the web.

This one, www.thespicedlife.blogspot.com has a recipe for wholewheat pancakes using egg whites. Laura maintains it makes a lovely, light pancake you wouldn't really know was wholewheat. I will report back tomorrow after breakfast!

Then I found Erika at http://my.opera.com/wolfeel/blog/index.dml/tag/American%20cookies
with some lovely macadamia and white chocolate cookies. I am on an 'Ultimate Cookie/Biscuit Search'. I'll try them tomorrow too.

What I have been cooking:

Yesterday, I made lasagne using Quorn. As a vegetarian, I miss those meaty dishes and Quorn just about fits the bill. Thanks Jamie Oliver for the creme fraiche sauce idea!

Bolognaise sauce

1 pkt Quorn mince
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 grated carrot
1/2 glass red wine
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 tbs tomato puree
5/6 basil leaves
salt and pepper

Fry the onion in some oil until golden. Add the wine and bubble to reduce the liquid for 5 minutes. Add the mince, garlic, carrot and tomatoes and basil and simmer for 15 minutes.

For the sauce

500ml creme fraiche
2 handfuls of finely grated parmesan
seasoning

Mix all together.

You will also need:

1 pkt lasagne
2 pkts mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes
Extra grated parmesan for the top

Take a rectangular oven-proof dish and a packet of lasagne. Put two spoons of meat sauce in the bottom and cover with a layer of lasagne sheets. Then spoon on top a third of the bolognaise sauce, 1/4 of the creme fraiche and a quarter of the mozzarella, then a layer of lasagne. Continue like that finishing with a layer of creme fraiche and any mozzarella left. Make sure the sauce covers all of the lasagne on top and finally grate some parmesan over it.

Bake at 200degrees C/Gas mk 5 for about 35 minutes, until golden and bubbling.


And to finish, Pear Tart.
I had some puff pastry past it's best in the 'fridge, so I rolled it out, scored around the edges, put on it some peeled, sliced pears and folded the edges up a bit. I mixed an egg with one and a half tbsp of caster sugar and about 3 tbsp double cream and poured it all over the pears. I baked it for almost 20 mins and served it with more double cream - a hit!