When I wrote Chooks in the City I included a bunch of recipes in the back for the inevitable shock the new chook owner gets when eggs are rolling out of the fridge. I should have included a bunch of recipes for when the buggers are on strike, like my feathery female fowl are. I hate resorting to buying supermarket eggs, even if it only happens twice a year. And I growl and grumble at the chooks as they leg it to greet me with the steamy food scraps on a foggy cold morning. I can’t really blame them for choosing to fatten themselves instead of laying eggs in the cold wintery weathery. On the other hand, I CAN quite righteously hurl abuse at the Crows and Currajongs who hang about ghoulishly on low branches around the run. For all I know, THEY are pinching the eggs, warm from the hen’s bum and well timed for their breakfast. Regardless, it’s handy to have a couple of no-egg recipes aside from Scones for when the neighbours pop round, or for kids lunchboxes. Here are two good ones:
No-Egg Banana Bread
3 mashed bananas
3/4 cup honey
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda
1 1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or ground ginger (optional)
Preheat oven to 180 degrees. In a large bowl, mash up the bananas with a fork. Add the melted butter. Add bicarb soda, flour, and honey. Stir until everything is mixed together. Pour the mix into the oiled loaf tin. Bake for 40 minutes to 1 hour.
Easy Eggless Apricot & Date Slice
1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup coconut (or almond meal)
1 cup chopped apricots
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup skim milk
Soak chopped fruit in hot water as you go. Put dry ingredients in bowl and mix. Add milk. Add drained fruit. Mix well. Pour into greased slice tin and bake in moderate oven 30 – 35 minutes or until golden brown.
This slice can be altered almost beyond recognition and it will still turn out yummy. Any dried fruits can be used. My mother substituted ground almonds for the coconut, and glace ginger for the apricots to make the nicest slice she’s ever baked. If you use wholemeal flour just add a tiny bit more milk to make the mix more liquid. Too easy.
Eggs! Who needs them?
OK, I take it back. But you girls better come up with the goods or else! Errr or else I’ll…stop putting hot water on your brekky scraps!
Are you laughing at me?!
Alyson – we are desperate for some no egg recipes up here in Samford (Qld) at the moment so thanks for those.
I made a similar complaint about the winter egg situation on my blog a couple of weeks ago:
‘5 chooks, no egg’
http://www.randomplantings.com/?p=189
Today is the first time I’ve come across your blog but I will certainly add it to my roll.
regards
James
http://www.randomplantings.com
Are they trying to renegotiate their contracts or something?
Actually, Dennis, I think there’s going to be a coup. A coup! Get it? Get it? Anyone?
Hay – I was looking for a chicken coop last weekend when the guy suggested a book – YOUR book. I was so like “hey I KNOW this woamn. OK, I don’t really know her but I do know her. Sort of. I read her but not the book” The guy just looked at m like I was a nut.
‘Course you know me, you nut
I’m so glad that someone outside of my family knows my book…and even better recommends it…or was it Great Uncle George? Hi Unca George!
The Eggless Slice sounds like a luxurious breakfast. Or an intriguing blog.
Hi James & welcome! There are times I’m awfully envious of you Queenslanders…this is one of them
!
Very decadent waterjay, but certainly not out of the question…when it first comes out of the oven you’ll need to try a bit within 5 minutes, no matter what the time is!