Top chef donates recipe for Pink Ribbon Breakfasts

One of New Zealand’s top chefs, Ray McVinnie, has donated a favourite recipe to kick off Pink Ribbon Breakfast month, and is urging more people to get involved.

Throughout this month, thousands of New Zealanders will come together with their friends, family and colleagues to raise much-needed funds for Breast Cancer Foundation NZ.

Around 170 Northland women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year, and around 25 will die from it. Proceeds from the Pink Ribbon Breakfast campaign will go towards ground-breaking research by some of the country’s top scientists, breast health education, and free support services for families affected by breast cancer.

“I’m honoured to do a small part in the fight against a disease that can be easily treated if caught early, and I’m pleased to do it with the thing I know best — good food,” McVinnie said.

.. .. .. .. .. .. Ray McVinnie’s Turkish eggs and zucchini

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

450g zucchini, ends trimmed, sliced cm thick

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoons cumin seeds, which have been toasted in a dry pan over moderate heat until fragrant and slightly darkened in colour

1 green chilli, thinly sliced

teaspoon salt

8 eggs

125g feta, crumbled very coarsely

2 spring onions, thinly sliced Small handful torn basil

Small handful parsley leaves Turkish pide bread for serving Method:

Preheat the oven to 200C. Heat the oil in an ovenproof frying pan over moderate heat. Add the zucchini, garlic, cumin seeds, chilli and salt. Mix well, cover and fry gently for about eight minutes or until the zucchini are starting to soften (they should retain a little crispness when eaten). Remove from the heat. Break the eggs on top so they are evenly distributed, but don’t break the yolks. Sprinkle the feta and spring onions on top. Place in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the eggs are cooked the way you like them.

If you want the dish to be more browned on top, place under a hot grill for 2 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle the basil and parsley on top. Serve with slices of warm Turkish pide bread.

“No matter how small or large, every Pink Ribbon Breakfast helps us to be there for Kiwi families facing breast cancer and prevent more women dying from this disease. So please, get involved in whatever way you can — your efforts will make a real difference,” said Evangelia Henderson, chief executive of Breast Cancer Foundation NZ.

For more information, or to sign up to host a Pink Ribbon Breakfast, go to www. pinkribbonbreakfast. co.nz