Feed five for a fiver...

by Paul Warburton on 16 July 2009  |  7 comments
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Check out this retro recipe for egg Florentine with smoked cheddar and rocket salad - and feed five people for a fiver!

Recipe #6: Egg Florentine with smoked cheddar and rocket salad (RETRO!!!)

• 450g fresh spinach (£1.49)
• 150ml double cream (56p)
• 185g Ilchester Applewood smoked cheddar (£1.46)
• 6 pack of mixed value eggs (80p)
• 60g rocket salad (69p)

The cupboard staples...

For this recipe I'll assume you already have black pepper, salt, butter, olive oil and nutmeg.

Total cost

If you already have the staple ingredients then according to mysupermarket.co.uk, this trolley was cheapest at Tesco* where it came to exactly £5!

Instructions

• Drizzle a very small amount of olive oil into a saucepan and gradually add the spinach until it wilts down. Once wilted drain the spinach and add back to the pan.
• Get the pan back on the heat and add the cream and a pinch of nutmeg then gently heat through - you don't want to overcook the spinach or let the cream come to the boil. Season well with salt and pepper.
• Get 5 ramekin dishes, butter the dishes and split the spinach mixture evenly between them - making a small hollow in the middle of the spinach mixture.
• Now crack an egg into each hollow and sprinkle with grated cheese so the whole dish (and the egg) is covered. Twist a little black pepper over each one.
• Place the ramekins on a tray and put under a medium heated grill for 5-6 minutes until the cheese is bubbling (turn the grill up to high for last 2 minutes). This will give you the perfect eggs Florentine with runny yolks.
• Serve with a rocket salad lightly dressed with olive oil and salt and pepper.
• Enjoy!

A bit about our Chef, Paul Warburton

Paul Warburton, a lovemoney.com staff member, had a hectic career in the world of hot kitchens and screaming chefs before joining the lovemoney.com products development team.

During these years, under the tutorage of some great chefs, he honed his skills in cooking for numbers within a tight cost and portion-controlled environment.

Now he's planning to regularly offer his help to all budding chefs in the lovemoney.com community, so you can enjoy his original, low-cost recipes with your family and friends every Saturday for free!

What lovemoney.com readers have said about Paul's other recipes

"I made this recipe and it was absolutely delicious! Seriously good! Five of us feasted on it, and feasted well..." Ibeshy

"I made this recipe on Saturday night, and my 13 year-old son promptly requested it again for the following night!" MDW1954

"This is a cracking risotto recipe. Just had it for lunch & it's a winner. More recipes please. Thanks." SavvyLass

Please add your own comments using the comments box below!

If you like this recipe, why not also try Paul's other 'Feed five for under a fiver' recipes: Beef, mushroom and thyme pie | Spicy tuna, bean and coriander lasagne |  Beef koftas with a feta, spinach and fresh mint salad | Chorizo and pea risotto | Sausage and rosemary hotpot