Cheese and Egg Grills

You may not think that cheese and eggs are ideal for grilling but there are several simple but wonderful dishes here in which they are the integral part. One word of warning: beware of overcooking.

Both cheese and eggs will continue to cook when they are taken out of the grill and if cooked too much they become leathery as they cool. You will find some other cheese recipes in the snack section.

Grilled Goats' Cheese Croûtes with Fresh Blueberry Salad

Cool, creamy goats' cheese, griddled just until it softens, then transferred to crispy toasted slices of French bread, served on a fresh salad, enhanced with cubes of sweet beetroot and juicy blueberries.

Serves 4

A little sunflower oil
1 small bag of mixed salad leaves
2 baby beetroot (red beets), cut into small dice
1 small red onion, chopped
100 g/4 oz fresh blueberries
75 ml/5 tbsp olive oil
30 ml/2 tbsp raspberry vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A good pinch of caster (superfine) sugar
4 slices of French bread
4 x 70 g/3 oz discs of firm goats' cheese

Oil the grill, then preheat it.
Tip the leaves into a large bowl. Add the beetroot, onion and blueberries.
Whisk 45 ml/3 tbsp of the olive oil with the vinegar, a little salt and pepper and the sugar.
Add to the salad and toss gently. Pile on four plates.
Brush the bread and the cheese on both sides with the remaining oil. Place the bread on the grill plates, close the lid and grill for 1 minute only until lightly toasted.
Open, top with the cheese, close the lid again and grill for 30 seconds until the cheese is just beginning to melt.
Transfer to the salads and serve straight away.

Crusty Camembert with Celery and Cranberry Dressing

The savoury, crunchy coating adds delicious contrast to the melting richness of the Camembert. It is served with a sweet and fruity dressing on peppery wild rocket. Take care not to overcook the cheese or it will run everywhere!

Serves 4

8 individual portions of Camembert, chilled
1 large egg, beaten
1 x 85 g/3½ oz packet of parsley, thyme and lemon stuffing mix
For the dressing:
30 ml/2 tbsp cranberry sauce
60 ml/4 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing
15 ml/1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
1 spring onion (scallion), finely chopped
To serve:
1 small packet of wild rocket leaves

Dip the cheese in the egg, then the stuffing mix. Repeat the dipping until thoroughly coated. Chill until ready to cook.
Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the cranberry sauce, oil, vinegar and a little salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the celery and spring onion and chill until ready to serve.
When ready to cook, pile the rocket to one side of each of four small plates and spoon the dressing over.
Preheat the grill.
Brush the coated cheeses with oil and place on the grill. Cook on the open grill for 2 minutes, carefully turn over with a plastic spatula and cook the other side for 1½-2 minutes, pressing down lightly with a spatula until the cheese is just beginning to ooze.
Quickly transfer to the plates of salad and serve straight away.

Marinated Halloumi Cheese with Dry-cured Ham

Salty, firm cheese, marinated in garlic and oregano, wrapped in strong but sweet, wafer-thin ham and griddled until golden, then garnished with juicy cherry tomatoes and black olives. Hams such as Parma, Westphalian and Serrano are all suitable.

Serves 4

1 x 200 g/7 oz block of Halloumi cheese
8 thin slices of raw dry-cured ham
30 ml/2 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
5 ml/1 tsp dried oregano
Freshly ground black pepper
12 cherry tomatoes, quartered
45 ml/3 tbsp sliced black olives
To serve:
Greek bread

Cut the cheese into eight slices.
Wrap a slice of raw ham around each piece of cheese.
Place in a shallow dish and drizzle with a little olive oil, sprinkle with the garlic and oregano and add a good grinding of black pepper. Leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the grill. Drain the parcels, pat dry and place on the grill. Close the lid and cook for 2 minutes until the ham and cheese are turning griddle-browned.
Mix the tomatoes and olives together. Put the ham-wrapped cheese on four plates with a pile of tomatoes and olives to one side.
Serve with Greek bread.

Stuffed Tomatoes with Cheese, Ham and Eggs

This delicious dish is perfect for breakfast, a light lunch or supper. Each fat, juicy tomato is stuffed with cooked ham and an egg and topped with cheese, then griddled until everything is cooked to perfection.

Serves 4

4 large beefsteak tomatoes
A little olive oil
2 slices of ham, chopped
4 eggs
Freshly ground black pepper
50 g/2 oz/½ cup grated Cheddar cheese
To serve:
Granary bread

Preheat the grill.
Cut a slice off the rounded end (not the stalk end) of each tomato and scoop out the seeds. Brush inside and out with olive oil.
Put the ham into the tomatoes. Break an egg into each, season with pepper, then top with the cheese. Place on the grill.
If you have an adjustable lid, lower it gently so it is just touching the tomatoes and cook for 8 minutes. If not, close the lid so it is resting on the tomatoes but do not clip it shut. Cook for 5 minutes, then check to see how soft the tomatoes are. Continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes, checking frequently to make sure the tomatoes do not become too soft, or they will collapse under the weight of the unsupported lid. If necessary, finish cooking with the lid up for an extra minute or two.
Transfer the tomatoes to warm plates and serve with granary bread.

Spiced Egg and Potato Nests

Jacket potatoes, scooped out, spicily seasoned and filled with an egg, then griddled until the egg sets to make a delicious light lunch or supper. Reserve the scooped-out potato for Potato and Corn Cakes with Cumin or to thicken soup.

Serves 4

4 fairly large potatoes, scrubbed
5 ml/1 tsp garam masala
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
25 g/1 oz/2 tbsp butter or margarine
4 eggs
30 ml/2 tbsp single (light) cream
30 ml/2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or coriander (cilantro)

Prick the potatoes all over with a fork. Either boil in water for about 20 minutes until just tender or microwave for 12-15 minutes until soft when squeezed.
Drain, if necessary. When cool enough to handle, cut a slice off the top of each potato and reserve to use as lids. Scoop out about half of the potato into a bowl, leaving a wall about 3 mm/1/3 in thick.
Sprinkle the insides with the garam masala and a little salt and pepper. Dot with the butter or margarine.
Preheat the grill.
Break an egg into each potato and spoon the cream on top. Top with the lids. Place on the grill. If you have an adjustable grill, gently lower the lid so it rests lightly on the potatoes. If not, close the lid but do not press it down to clip it shut. Cook for 10 minutes until the eggs are set.
Sprinkle with the parsley or coriander and serve hot.

Eggy Bread

This tasty and nutritious bread is delicious on its own for a snack or served with grilled bacon or mushrooms for breakfast or lunch. Ring the changes by adding a sprinkling of chopped fresh herbs, such as chives or parsley, or a pinch of paprika.

Serves 1-2

1 egg
10 ml/2 tsp milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 slices of bread
A little sunflower oil

Beat the egg and milk together with a sprinkling of salt and pepper in a shallow dish.
Cut the slices of bread in half and dip each half in the egg mixture until completely soaked.
Oil the grill well, then preheat it.
Drain the excess egg mixture off the slices of bread, then lay them on the hot plates. Close the lid and cook for 2-3 minutes until crisp and griddle-browned.

Nutty Cheese French Toasts

Here's a fun recipe for toasted sandwiches with a difference - the whole thing is soaked in beaten egg before grilling, then cooked to make a golden, highly nutritious quick meal. Serve with a salad for a complete meal.

Makes 2

A little sunflower oil
100 g/4 oz/½ cup soft cheese with garlic and herbs
50 g/2 oz/½ cup roasted peanuts, chopped
30 ml/2 tbsp milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
30 ml/2 tbsp tomato relish or ketchup (catsup)
1 egg, beaten
4 slices of bread

Oil the grill, then preheat it.
Mix the cheese with the nuts and stir in 10 ml/2 tsp of the milk. Season to taste.
Beat the egg with the remaining milk and a little salt and pepper on a flat plate.
Spread two of the slices of bread with the cheese mixture. Spread the others with the relish or ketchup. Sandwich together. Dip both sides in the beaten egg. Drain well.
Place on the grill, close the lid and cook for 4 minutes until golden and griddle-browned.

Cinnamon French Toast

A nursery favourite: golden-toasted eggy bread, tossed in sugar and cinnamon and eaten warm. You could sandwich the slices together with mashed strawberries or raspberries or be really decadent and serve with whipped cream or crème fraîche too!

Serves 1

1 egg
10 ml/2 tsp milk
A pinch of salt
2 slices of bread
A little sunflower oil
30 ml/2 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar
5 ml/1 tsp ground cinnamon
To serve:
Sliced fresh fruit (optional)

Beat the egg and milk together with a pinch of salt in a shallow dish.
Cut the slices of bread in half and dip each half in the egg mixture until completely soaked.
Oil the grill well, then preheat it. Drain the excess egg mixture off the slices of bread, then lay them on the hot plates. Close the lid and cook for 2-3 minutes until crisp and griddle-browned.
Mix the sugar and cinnamon together. Sprinkle over both sides of the griddle-browned bread to coat completely, then cut into pieces.
Serve hot, either plain or with sliced fresh fruit.

Griddled Scotch Eggs

This is a low-fat alternative to the usual deep-fried recipe. You will be thrilled to see hardly any fat oozes out of these - especially if you use good-quality sausagemeat. The results are delicious hot or cold.

Serves 4

A little sunflower oil
450 g/1 lb pork sausagemeat
4 hard-boiled (hard-cooked) eggs, halved
2.5 ml/½ tsp dried sage
1 egg, beaten
50 g/2 oz/½ cup dried breadcrumbs
To serve:
Pickles

Oil the grill, then preheat it.
Divide the sausagemeat into eight equal pieces. Flatten each one. Put half an egg in each piece, sprinkle with the sage and wrap the sausagemeat around each to cover completely and form flattish cakes. Dip in the beaten egg, then the breadcrumbs.
Place on the grill. If you have an adjustable lid, close it so it sits gently on the scotch eggs. If not, lower the lid and support the clip on a cork or other similar heat-resistant object, so that the lid just rests on the scotch eggs. Cook for 6-8 minutes. Alternatively, cook with the grill open for about 6-8 minutes on each side, pressing down lightly with a spatula, until griddle-browned and cooked through.
Serve hot or cold with pickles.