Category: breakfast

Le Croissant Quebecois de Kim

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This summer I am staying in a college dormitory for three weeks as I attend French classes at the College Merici. Our kitchen is equipped with just a pot and a pan and a few plates, cups and cutlery.  Not wanting to equip an entire kitchen, my roommates and I have been challenging ourselves to make delicious meals using few ingredients and cooking utensils.

For Saturday brunch I walked to the patisserie to buy the croissants, and then came home to whip these up.  Et voila!  Les Croissants aux oeufs, avec bacon et des tomates!

What you need:

croissants, 1 per person

eggs, 1 per person

bacon, 1-2 slices per person

tomatoes, 1 small tomato per person

salt and pepper

olive oil

What you do:

1. Fry the bacon until crispy, then drain it on paper towels. Remove most of the bacon fat from the pan.

2. Slice the tomatoes, then fry them in a little bit of the bacon fat.  Add salt and pepper, and cook a little on each side.

3. Crack the eggs into a bowl, add a little salt and pepper and mix them up with a fork.  Add a little water, about a tablespoon, and mix it in.

4. Remove the tomatoes from the pan and set aside.  Add some olive oil to the pan, then cook the eggs. I like to have the pan on medium high, then add the eggs.  I don’t stir them until they have cooked a bit on the bottom, stir a little, then let them cook again, stirring maybe once or twice more before they are done.

5. To prepare the croissants, slice them open, then put in some eggs, then add the tomatoes and bacon on top.

Bon apetit!

Mom’s Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

I grew up on these, and now I make them all the time when I have company for brunch.  I’ve also served them, with lots of teachers flipping and serving, to the kids at my school for Bike to School Week.  Anybody who rides to school that week gets a free pancake breakfast!  The incentive works well, and we have tons of kids riding.

This recipe is really easy, and sooo much better than a box of pancake mix!  They are also amazing with raspberries in place of the blueberries.  Serve them with a little butter and real maple syrup and they’ll be perfect.

What you need:

1 cup buttermilk

1 egg

2 teaspoons vegetable oil or melted butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

butter for frying

What you do:

1. Beat the egg up a little with a fork, then add the other liquid ingredients.

2.  Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl.  Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and stir it until there are no lumps.  If it seems a little thick, thin it down with a bit more buttermilk.

3.  Stir in the berries.  If you are using frozen, don’t thaw them, just mix them in straight out of the freezer.  They’ll maintain their shape better that way.

4.  Heat a frying pan to medium high and put a little butter in the pan.  I usually do one tester pancake because the first ones never seem to turn out right.  Scoop spoonfuls of the batter into the hot pan, turning it down if it starts to smoke.  When you see bubbles rising to the surface of the pancake it is time to flip it.  Cook on the other side until they are nicely browned.

I like to serve them fresh out of the pan because they taste the best then, but I suppose you could put some into a warm oven if you needed to.

Lemon Cherry Poppy Seed Muffins

Oops, I think I’m getting the keyboard sticky. . . I just baked these, and they’re so good that I’m typing while I eat.  To be fair, they’re more of a mini cake than muffin – I think of a muffin of something sort of healthy, and I can’t really think of any health benefits for these except the sheer joy of eating them.  And joy is pretty good medicine, don’t you think?

I’ve been wanting to make a lemon cherry poppy seed muffin for a while, but I haven’t found a recipe I like.  I took this one from the Mennonite Girls Can Cook blog mainly because it had buttermilk in the recipe, which I think is the reason these turned out so light and cakey.  The original recipe is blueberry lemon, so I just exchanged the blueberries for dried cherries and poppy seeds.  I also made the glaze out of white sugar instead of the icing sugar the recipe called for, because I find glazes made of icing sugar have a bit of a tinny taste to them.

This recipe makes 1 dozen, but feels free to double it if you need more.

What you need:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1 & 1/4 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 & 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped (sour cherries if you have them!)

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

for the glaze:

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon lemon zest

What you do:

1.  Place paper liners in a 12 cup muffin tin.  Preheat the oven to 375 F.

2.  Beat the butter until light and fluffy, then add the sugar and beat again.

3.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then beat in the lemon zest and juice, and the vanilla.

4.  For the next part make sure you beat only as much as necessary to incorporate the ingredients: Beat in 1/2 cup of the flour, then 1/4 cup of the buttermilk.  Add 1/2 more cup of flour, then 1/4 cup more buttermilk.

5.  Mix the remaining 1/2 cup of flour with the baking power, baking soda, poppy seeds and salt.  Hand mix this into the batter until just barely mixed in, then add the cherries and just fold them in.

6.  Spoon into the lined muffin tins.

7.  Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  They should have a golden brown hue.

8.  While the muffins are baking, put the glaze ingredients in a pot and heat enough for them to melt together.

9.  When the muffins are baked, place them on a rack to cool and glaze them right away.

I recommend eating them while they are still warm, but I’m sure they’ll be almost as good when they’ve cooled.

 

Waffles with Ricotta and Pomegranate

This is a breakfast I served before Christmas, but I was too busy to post it at the time.  I came across the draft today, and figured – better late than never!

I made some Yeast-Raised Belgian Waffles a while ago and put the leftovers in the freezer.  I also made some homemade ricotta, and had some pomegranate on hand.  So with a drizzle of maple syrup I had a gourmet breakfast!  Mango slices would be divine in place of or in addition to the pomegranate, as would a raspberry sauce… hmmm, maybe I need to make some waffles again soon!

What you do:

You just need to make the waffles and ricotta ahead of time, or if you’re an early riser, the day of.  The waffle batter needs to rise for about an hour, and the ricotta has to cook and then drain for 20-30 minutes.  Then top it with the fruit and maple syrup.  Enjoy with your favourite coffee or tea!

Crepes with Peach Compote (or anything else)

In the spirit of  “clean out the fridge” weekend, Sunday morning called for crepes.  We pulled all the jams, fruits, cheeses, nut butters, yogurt and syrup out of the fridge for toppings.  The only tricky part was finding the right consistency for the batter and learning how to swirl it around quickly so it covered the surface of the pan, or most of it anyways.

After we had our fill I cooked up the last of the batter, cooled the crepes, then placed them between sheets of plastic wrap, popped them into a baggie and stored them in the freezer to reheat and eat later.

I found this in Mark Bittman’s book How to Cook Everything.

What you need for the crepes:

1 cup flour

1 & 1/4 cups milk

pinch of salt

2 eggs

2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

What you need for the peach compote:

1 peach

a smidgen of brown sugar

a splash of brandy

What you do:

1.  Whisk the flour, salt and sugar together.  Whisk in the milk until there are no clumps.  Whisk in the eggs, then the cooled butter.  If you have the time, put the batter in the fridge for an hour or so.

2.  Peel, then cut the peach up. Put it in a pot with a tiny bit of water.  Cook until soft, then stir in the sugar and brandy.  Serve hot.

3.  Heat a lightweight pan or crepe pan to medium heat.  If your pan is not non-stick, add a little butter to the pan.

4.  When the pan is hot, pour in about 1/4 cup of batter, quickly turning the pan in a circular motion so the batter covers the surface of the pan.  Okay, so this might not work out as planned – so practice a little!  They still taste fine!  If the batter seems too thick, add a little more milk.

I like to serve mine fresh out of the pan, but you could put them in a low oven between clean towels.  Just about anything goes in crepes – one of the favourites this time was brie with guava jelly.  So good!

Belgian Waffles, Yeast-Raised

I’ve made lots of waffles before, but I wanted to try something new for a birthday brunch.  I saw a few recipes online about yeast-raised waffles and figured I could try that out.  I balked at the amount of butter the recipes called for, so I cut back on it a little.  They are not difficult to make, but you need to plan ahead as you need to let the batter raise for about an hour before you want to use it.  This recipe is huge – I think it made more than 15 waffles.

I found this recipe on kitchen addiction.

What you need:

2 & 1/4 teaspoons yeast

3 cups lukewarm milk

1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled (original recipe calls for 3/4 cup)

1/2 cup sugar

1 & 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 cups flour

3 eggs, separated

What you do:

1.  Dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup lukewarm milk and let sit for 10 minutes.  To do this, just sprinkle the yeast on top of the warm milk; if it gets foamy you know it is working.

2.  Whisk the melted and cooled butter with the 3 egg yolks and 1/4 cup lukewarm milk in a large bowl .

3.  Whisk the yeast mixture into the butter mixture along with the sugar, salt and vanilla.

4.  Next you need to add the flour, alternating with the remaining 2 & 1/2 cups of warm milk.  Add half the  flour, then half the milk, the remaining flour, and the last of the milk.

5.  Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, then fold into the batter.

6.  Cover the bowl and put it in a warm place for about an hour, or until it has doubled in volume.

7.  Preheat your waffle iron.  Give the batter a little stir to deflate it, then add about 1/2 cup batter to the waffle iron, or more or less depending on the size of your waffle iron.  I know my waffles are almost done when I see steam escaping.

8.  Top with maple syrup and any other toppings you like.  I love some fresh fruit or a warm fruit sauce, and a dollop of yogurt.

I cooked up all the batter, then put the leftovers in the freezer to pop into the toaster another day – soooo much better than eggo!

Savoury Pancakes II, Leek Pancakes with Mushroom Sauce

Mm, they were so good last time I had to try another version of these.  This time they’ve got leeks in them, and they are topped with a creamy vegan (or not) mushroom sauce.  Brunch, dinner, an appie – these are good anytime!

What you need:

4 eggs, separated

1 cup flour

1 & 1/3 cups cottage cheese

salt and pepper

1 leek, sliced

butter for frying

grated parmesan for serving (optional)

For the mushroom sauce:

2 shallots, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, finely diced

10-12 button mushrooms (or any others of you’ve got some fancier ones)

a few leaves of fresh sage, chopped (a little thyme would work well as a substitution)

2 tablespoons butter plus some for cooking the shallots and mushrooms

2 tablespoons flour

1/2-3/4 cup soy milk (or regular)

1/3-1/2 cups white wine

2-3 tablespoons cream cheese/ soy cream cheese (optional)

salt and pepper

What you do:

1.  To begin the mushroom sauce, heat a frying pan, add a little butter and cook the shallots for a minutes.  Then add the garlic and mushrooms and fry until the mushrooms are cooked through.  Set aside.

2.  Heat the butter, then add the 2 tablespoons of flour.  Cook for a minute or two, then gradually add the soy milk (or regular milk), stirring each time you’ve added a little, making sure it doesn’t get lumpy.  Before it gets too runny begin adding the wine, a little at a time.

3.  Add the mushroom and shallot mixture to the cream sauce, then add salt and quite a bit of pepper to taste, along with the sage.  Set this aside, reheating just before serving.

4. To begin making the pancakes,  heat a frying pan and add a little butter, then the leeks, and cook for a few minutes.  Remove from the heat and allow the leeks to cool a little.

5.  Beat the egg whites until they are very fluffy and a peak forms when you take the beater out.

6.  Mix the egg yolks into the flour, salt and pepper.  Fold the egg whites into this yolk mixture, then add the leeks, stirring until it is just combined.

7.  Heat a frying pan to medium high.  I made small pancakes so they wouldn’t break apart easily.  Try making one first to see how long they take to cook and to make sure your pan is the right temperature.  When one side has browned nicely it’s time to flip it, then the other side needs about a minute.

8.  I like to serve them as soon as they come off the pan and eat them while they’re hot.  Top with the mushroom sauce and a little grated parmesan.

Savoury Pancakes I – Red Onion and Broccoli

My friend Jen got me thinking about this dinner pancake thing. It’s an all-in-one type of meal, good for dinner, lunch or brunch. Because of the beaten egg whites they are quite light, almost like a pan-fried souffle, and your veggies are built right in. I served them with slices of avocado on top, but plain yogurt or some fried mushrooms would make great toppings too!

What you need:

6 eggs, separated

1 cup flour

1 & 1/2 cups cottage cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper

1 head of broccoli, separated into small florets

1/2 red onion, diced

What you do:

1.  Cook the onion in a little olive oil until slightly browned.

2.  Beat the egg whites until they are very fluffy and a peak forms when you take the beater out.

3.  Mix the egg yolks and cottage cheese into the flour, salt and pepper.  Fold the egg whites into this yolk mixture, then add the onions and broccoli, stirring until it is just combined. I made the mistake once of stirring too much, and they got a bit tough and weren’t very fluffy.

4.  Heat a frying pan to medium high.  I made small pancakes so they wouldn’t break apart easily.  Try making one first to see how long they take to cook and to make sure your pan is the right temperature.  When one side has browned nicely it’s time to flip it, then the other side needs about a minute.

5.  Top with something savoury and eat them while they’re hot!

Healthy Homemade Maple Granola

Commercial granolas have a lot of sugar, fat and even salt added, so I tried to stay away from adding a lot of those to this recipe.  Nuts contain a lot of fat, but it’s a healthy fat, so you’re okay if you eat a moderate portion.  Two of the things I like about making my own granola are:  I know exactly what’s going in it, and I can change the ingredients to suit my own taste and what I happen to have on hand.  So feel free to substitute for your favourite nuts and seeds.  Do beware that some seeds, like flax and sesame, are more freely digested and therefore benefited from, if they have been ground  – probably not the best choices for substituting here.

What you need:

4 cups rolled oats

1/4 cup raw almonds

1/2 cup dried, not roasted, pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/4 cup coconut ribbon or other unsweetened,dried coconut

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon butter (or oil for vegan and lactose-free)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

dash of salt

optional: 1/4 cup raisins or other dried fruit

What you do:

1.  Combine the oats, almonds, pumpkin and sunflower seeds in a large bowl.

2.  Melt the butter and add the vanilla, salt and maple syrup to it.  Stir this liquid into the nut and oat mixture.

3.  Spread evenly onto a baking sheet, and bake at 350F for about 30 minutes.  Set the timer for 10 minutes, then give it a stir.  Stir again after another 10 minutes, then check and stir every five minutes until it is golden brown.  If you can hear the pumpkin seeds popping you know it’s done.

4.  Remove from the oven to cool and add the coconut and optional dried fruit.  I prefer to add the fruit with each serving rather than adding to the recipe, so the fruit stays moist and the granola stays crunchy.  That way I can also vary the type of fruit I add, whether it be dried (if I need to take it ‘to go’) or fresh.

5.  Store in an airtight container.  Of you think it will take you more than a few weeks to consume or give away parts of this recipe, it’s a good idea to keep it in the fridge.  Because  nuts oil they are susceptible to spoiling – refrigeration helps avoid this problem.

Blueberry Flax-Bran Muffins

This tasty muffin recipe uses Omega 3-rich flax seeds, which are a great way to lower cholesterol.  Plus they provide, along with the bran and blueberries, a great dose of fibre.  And blueberries – besides being delicious, contain antioxidants and vitamin C.  Did I mention these muffins also taste good – you can’t go wrong here!

It is important to use ground flax seeds so you can access their benefits; the chewing and digestive processes are not enough to break down the seeds.  You can buy them ground, or grind them yourself in a coffee grinder.  They are best stored in the fridge after grinding, so they do not become rancid.

You need:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 cup bran

1/2 cup ground flax seeds

1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

2 eggs

1 cup milk (soy is good too)

2 Tablespoons molasses

1/4 cup butter

What you do:

1.  Preheat the oven to 400F.

2.  Stir dry ingredients  in a large bowl.

3.  Melt butter, then mix in the milk slowly, so the butter doesn’t harden when you add cold milk.  Add molasses.  Pour the liquids, along with the slightly beaten eggs, into the dry ingredients.  Mix by hand only until the ingredients are combined; if you mix more you’ll get tough little muffins.  Gently mix in the blueberries, so they don’t break and you don’t over-mix.

4.  Place mixture in muffin tins lined with paper baking cups.

5.  Bake at 400F for 20 minutes.  Take muffins out of tins and cool on a rack for a few minutes before eating.

6.  If you freeze them, make sure they’re completely cool before they go in the freezer.