Sun dried Tomatoes and Cheese Souffle + a rant.

Who said it's too much work to have a nice fancy souffle for Sunday brunch? I whipped this up in 40 minutes, and if you can work faster than me, maybe even less time. Like all things in life, you need to put a bit of time in what you do. None of those instant gratification BS because it desecrates the enjoyment of eating together and making food. And it's Sunday brunch, the most important meal before the week's grind - you owe it to yourself and your family to eat well. Nothing like a bit of family bonding and togetherness over good souffle to tie the week up.

And before I digress further, souffles are incredibly easy to make and a joy to eat. It goes both ways, savory and sweet. They encompassed all food that is fancy and highly priced plastered with a delusional idea that it's hard to make. Well, my foodie friends, souffle for brunch is not a folly, it's a pleasure. :)

My recipe incorporates sun dried tomatoes, spring onions and cheddar cheese.



Sun dried Tomatoes and Cheese Souffle Recipe:
100 grams of all-purpose flour
100 grams of butter
3 egg yolks
3 egg whites, beaten stiff
250 ml milk
2 tablespoons of chopped sun dried tomatoes
2 whole green onions, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 450F. Heat up a full electric kettle of water. Grease 6 ramekins with butter and dust with flour.



1. Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. When you turn the bowl over, the egg whites should stay in the bowl and not fall on your head. If it does, shampoo and start over. You'll need approximately 8 minutes of whisking by hand, non-stop or set it in your trusty stand mixer on high. Set the egg white aside for later.




2. In a medium size pan, melt butter completely and add the flour in. Stir until a soft doughy batter forms. Turn off heat but leave the pan over the burner. Add milk, little by little and mix until the dough resembles more of a thick roux. Add the sun dried tomatoes, green onions, garlic, cheese, salt and pepper. Mix well.



3. Temper your roux by adding 1/4 of your egg whites in first, mixing it well. Add the rest of your egg whites into the roux and gently fold them in. Once that's done, pour the batter evenly into all 6 of your ramekins.



Clean the edges with your thumb so spillovers are cleaned up. This ensures that your souffle rises nicely vertically and not lopsided.



4. Set the ramekins in a baking tray filled with hot water up till the middle of the ramekins and bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes. Your souffle should rise and brown nicely over the top.


5. Serve immediately with your favorite salad.

I made a tropical slaw with honey and balsamic dressing.

Tropical Slaw with Balsamic Dressing
1/4 cup of mangoes, cut into small dices
10 leaves of romaine lettuce, julienne
dried currants (optional)
2 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon lime zest + a squeeze of juice
1 tablespoon of honey
salt and pepper

Method:
Mix the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, salt and pepper together really, really well.
Add it over the salad and toss lightly.