Vegetarian Scotch Eggs

You may be surprised to see an egg recipe as most of my recipes are vegan these days. While we mostly eat a vegan diet, Cooper and I are veggie. So vegans look away.

Cooper does enjoy eggs. He particularly likes a cheese omelette, which he's a dab hand at making (I just flip it for him). He's gone off quiche recently, but he still loves dippy egg and soldiers (soft boiled egg with toast fingers) for breakfast.

He does likes these picnic eggs, although my child loves anything that sounds like it might be a part of buffet or picnic. He loves to be presented with a spread of tasty food so he can help himself to something from each dish.

He recently admitted to us that he only likes movie night on a rainy Sunday afternoon because of the buffet. He says he isn't bothered about the movies. He leave us speechless sometimes.

These vegetarian picnic eggs are a breeze to make. The filling that wraps itself around the egg like a hug is made with veggie haggis, oats, peanut butter and spices.

The filling is mixed together in a bowl then wrapped around hard boiled eggs and rolled in oats before being baking until crisp.

If you don't manage to have a picnic, why not serve these for lunch with a dressed green salad or serve them simply with some chutney?

These picnic eggs will keep happily in the fridge for a few days.

What is vegetarian haggis?

If you don't live in Scotland you may not have tried or heard of veggie haggis, although it is becoming more well known and well travelled. I won't go into what is in original haggis (you can thank me for that), but vegetarian haggis, which is usually suitable for vegans too is a treat. It's a mixture of finely diced and cooked vegetables, spices, seeds, oats and pulses. It comes like a big fat sausage in a plastic coating. It's ready to use in dishes like a savoury mince. I make it into burgers, pasties, pies and coat balls of it in beer batter which are delicious. I've also heard of people making filo parcels, toasties and stovies with it. You'll see a selection of recipes at the end of the post.

Homemade vegetarian haggis

If you can't get hold of vegetarian haggis, it is possible to make your own. Johanna over at Green Gourmet Giraffe has a great recipe for veggie haggis. I like how instant it is to use in veggie dishes, but I would encourage you to try making it yourself if you can't get hold of it.

Burns Night

These picnic eggs are a summer recipe, but we traditionally serve haggis on Burns Night here in Scotland. Robert or Rabbie Burns as well also know him was our national poet of Scots verse. He wrote romantic, funny and thought-provoking poems as well as ballads. He was born in Ayrshire in Scotland on 25 January 1759 and only lived until he was 37 years old, but three centuries later we still celebrate his birthday with Robert Burns poems, Burns Suppers (which of course involve haggis, whisky, kilts and bagpipes) and ceilidhs.

Yield: 4Author: Jacqueline Meldrum

Vegetarian Picnic Eggs

Vegetarian picnic eggs also known as vegetarian Scotch eggs. This traditional picnic food is brought up to date with a filling of veggie haggis, oats, peanut butter and spices. Perfect for a picnic or buffet.

prep time: 15 MINScook time: 20 MINStotal time: 35 mins

ingredients

• 4 hard boiled eggs, quickly cooled
  in cold water, then shells removed
• 150g veggie haggis
• 25g porridge oats, plus more for coating
• 3 tsp flax seeds
• 3 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
• 3 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried coriander
• a good grinding of black pepper
• 1 egg, whisked

instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 220c/200c fan/425f/gas mark 7.
2. In a large bowl mix together the veggie haggis, peanut butter and spices, then season with black pepper.
3. Pour in the whisked egg and bring together into a sausage-style mixture.
4. Take a hard-boiled egg and wrap it firmly in the sausage mix, then roll it in oats. Do this with all the eggs.
5. Place on a baking tray and bake for 20-25 minutes until crisp.
6. Enjoy!

Created using The Recipes Generator

If you're having trouble finding veggie haggis, check the meat aisles. It often sits beside the traditional haggis. You can also buy it from Macsween or Simon Howie.

Here are a few more veggie haggis ideas:

Red Peppers Stuffed with Veggie Haggis & Mushrooms - Planet Veggie
Veggie Haggis, Mash & Baked Bean Pasties - Tinned Tomatoes
Vegan Haggis Burgers - Allotment 2 Kitchen
Vegetarian Haggis Wellington - Inside the Wendy House
Vegan Haggis & Red Lentil Loaf - Tinned Tomatoes
Vegan Beer Battered Haggis Bites - Tinned Tomatoes
Moroccan Vegetarian Haggis Scotch Eggs - Farmersgirl Cook