French Toast Muffins

I don't know what it is with the winning breakfast ideas right now, but I'm on a roll! I am internationally famous for my french toast, which I make with baguettes, but it is a labourious chore and so only for a Christmas treat. But this ingenious recipe that I adapted from Inspired magazine by the Sobey's grocery chain put all my famous ingredients into a heat and eat breakfast format that we can eat any day. Love it!

It's dead easy too. Just mix eggs, milk, butter, vanilla and cinnamon in a bowl and add a loaf of cubed bread (a multi-grain baguette would be awesome) until it absorbs the mixture, then mix in frozen blueberries. I had frozen mixed berries on hand, but my tradition is to use blueberries, which don't require any chopping into smaller pieces. I also doubled the eggs for protein.

Then mound the french toast mixture into muffin tins and bake.

Don't these look good?! The original recipe called for 1/3 cup of sugar and maple syrup drizzled over top before baking, but I just drizzled maple syrup over top after I reheated the muffins for a more diabetic-friendly meal.

With my first friend from childhood visiting and after a hard day of cooking the day before, I simply took a couple for each of us out of the freezer this morning; cooked up some breakfast sausages and served with grapes on the side. I have to say, this was every bit as good as my labour intensive french toast, with far less butter, because the bread crisps in the oven instead of frying baguettes in butter.  I'm sold!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

French Toast Muffins

Adapted from Fall 2011 issue of Inspired from Sobey’s. Just like my internationally famous French toast, but simpler and even a bit healthier!

Makes 12 muffins

6                                               eggs

1-1/2 cups                              milk (skim or 1%)

1/4 cup                                   butter, melted

1 tbsp                                      vanilla

2 tsp                                        ground cinnamon

1                                               loaf whole grain bread (cubed)

1 cup                                       frozen blueberries

     maple syrup for drizzling

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray muffin tin with oil.

In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, butter, vanilla and cinnamon until combined. Add cubed bread and stir until mixture is absorbed. Add berries and stir gently to combine.

Divide mixture evenly among the 12 muffins. Bake in centre of oven for 25 minutes until browned and set. Cool completely, wrap individually in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag to freeze.

To reheat frozen muffins, remove plastic wrap and place in microwave on defrost setting for 1 minute. Drizzle maple syrup over warmed muffin before serving.

 

Chai Spice Baked Oatmeal

Mmmm... it's looking cold outside and the rain has finally come. I need to get outside to see the gorgeous trees before the rain washes them all away. As I sit here contemplating this idea, I feel the urge to write about a new breakfast oatmeal that I'm enjoying at this very moment.

This is just like eating a snacking cake (if you remember the 70s favourite), but it's a breakfast food, and who doesn't like eating cake for breakfast?! I got this recipe for Chai Spice Baked Oatmeal from Good Thymes and Good Food and made a few of my own adaptations (which have been added into the recipe).

I ran out of oatmeal, so I had to run to the store for more. So this is oatmeal, spices, cranberries and I added a bunch of ground flax. I used porridge oats, so there are multi-grains in it. Oh, and I didn't add sugar, because hubby is diabetic.

I really need to read my recipes through before going to the store! I didn't notice the apple sauce and I'd already been out for oatmeal, so I used a bit of apple butter and the rest high protein Greek yogurt (thinking it was part of the recipe for moisture, rather than flavour), because I wanted this to be hearty and to hold me until lunch. It has an egg in it, but the next time I made it I added another, to give it even more protein.

At about this point I'm thinking, "there's no way the oatmeal is going to absorb all this liquid in 20 minutes," but this is a regular recipe for Good Thymes, so I chose trust.

Good thing! But when I smelled it, I was disappointed that I couldn't smell the Chai spices and I worried that I hadn't added enough cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, clove and pepper.

But one taste proved I had nothing to worry about! The spices are strong and redolent of chai. It's really, really good! I broke mine up in the bowl and poured a bit of milk and real maple syrup over and I have to say, I actually think I prefer this oatmeal to even my slow cooked steel cut oats made with apples.

We each ate a piece for 3 days straight (6 generous servings) and I never felt a hunger pang until lunch time. I think the high protein yogurt and egg helped a lot. 

If you have kids that don't like oatmeal, I think they would like this, even you make a less spiced version. If you use yogurt instead of apple sauce, you might want to consider adding the sugar though.

I think you could come up with all sorts of variations for this recipe. I also made it with just cinnamon and sautéed apple slices, but so far I prefer the chai spices version because of the depth of its flavour.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Chai Spiced Baked Oatmeal

Adapted from Good Thymes and Good Food: http://www.goodthymesandgoodfood.com

2 cups                                       rolled oats

1/3 cup                                     brown sugar, lightly packed (optional)

1/4 cup                                     dried cranberries

1 tsp                                          baking powder

1/2 tsp                                      ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp                                      ground ginger

1/4 tsp                                      freshly ground cardamom

1/4 tsp                                      ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp                                      black pepper

                                                   pinch ground clove

                                                   pinch of Kosher salt

1-1/2 cups                                milk (skim or 1%)

1/2 cup                                     applesauce (or high protein 0% fat Greek yogurt)

2 tbsp                                        butter, melted

2                                                eggs, lightly beaten

       cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly coat an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

Combine oats through black pepper in a large bowl and stir to combine.

In another bowl combine milk through egg and whisk together.

Add milk mixture to oat mixture and stir well. Pour into prepared dish and bake for 20-30 minutes, until set and top is lightly browned. Serve warm with milk and sugar or maple syrup.

Striploins with Peppercorn Sauce

Mmmm... Since we've been having such a great fall, I decided to throw one last steak on the barbie. My hubby is like that dad on the Clubhouse commercial ("But, I barbecue!"), so I don't interfere with his kinglyness in that arena. But I should have intervened when it came to the steak. I don't like broiling either, but I would have done it rather than use our really good fry pan (on high). Oh the smoke and the smell!  Hence the only picture above.

It also serves me right for not going to get the groceries myself. I asked for whipping cream and the hubster brings whipped topping stuff. Oy! Thank goodness I had some sour cream in the fridge.

Anyway, this recipe is fairly easy if you do your own grocery shopping and fry your own steak. Rub some oil and then some cracked peppercorns pressed into the steak. Whether you do all the cooking in a frying pan, cooking on high until the meat reaches 125°F (for medium-rare), then tent it for 5 minutes, or you  sear it in a frying pan and finish it in the oven like they often do in a restaurant. Whatever you do, I would highly recommend using a cast iron pan, even if you broil it. My guess it would have been a lot less smoky in the house when all was said and done.

Oh well, when the frying was done, I got busy with the sauce and juggled the beans, which I served with tarragon butter (double yum!). Because hubby did the steak quicker than I was ready for, I didn't follow the recipe all that closely, but it tasted damned fine to me in the end. I used Madeira instead of brandy and I liked the flavour very much. Maybe it tempered the sour cream, but I would do it again. We ate our steaks and beans with a lovely olive bread, using it to sop up the juices.

I thought I'd get through the whole steak, but I have enough left over for dinner tonight. This is a recipe I will make again. But next time I'll do it myself. Including the shopping.

I would highly recommend using an instant read meat thermometer to make sure you get your preferred doneness: 120°F for rare; 125°F for medium rare or 130°F for medium. The tenting allows the steak to finish cooking and brings out the juices.

Hmmm... my mother-in-law has a selection of cast iron fry pans. I wonder if she'd part with one? They are already well-seasoned...

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Peppercorn Steaks

adapted from a Canadian Living recipe

1 tbsp mixed or black peppercorns
2 striploin steaks (at least 1-inch thick)
1 tsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp minced shallots
2 tbsp brandy (or Madeira)
2 tbsp red wine
1/4 cup beef broth
2 tbsp whipping cream

In resealable plastic bag using bottom of pot, crush peppercorns (or lightly crush using a coffee/spice grinder).

Trim fat from steaks; rub all over with oil;  rub and press peppercorns into both sides. In large skillet, fry steaks over high heat, turning once, until desired doneness, 1120°F for rare; 125°F for medium rare or 130°F for medium. Sprinkle with salt. Transfer to warm plate; tent with foil and let stand for 5 minutes before slicing across the grain.

Peppercorn Sauce: Meanwhile, in same skillet, melt butter over medium heat; cook shallot until softened, about 1 minute. Add brandy and wine; cook, stirring and scraping up any brown bits until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Add beef broth; cook until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add cream; simmer until thickened, about 1 minute. Serve with steaks.

A feast for an old friend

Me on the left, Vicki on the right (I totally want your dress Vic!)

Legend has it that I met my friend Brown Vicki when she was two and I three, when our older sisters brought us together to play in our prams (Vicki comes from a British family) or buggies, as our family called them. I think we've been more like sisters than friends most of our lives — alternately fighting and hugging — we just can't seem to shake each other. We've been sister-friends all our lives and although we live on different coasts, we probably will always be connected in one way or other.

When she first confirmed she was coming out east to visit before her conference, I sent her three menus to choose from. She chose Tomato Bruschetta,  Bacon, Browned Onion, Camembert Galette, salad and Lemon Tart (her favourite dessert). It was a lovely meal, served with lots of wine, lots of laughter and lots of catching up. Oh boy was I full afterwards!

....mmmm!

I went for a walk with the dog this morning, just to clear my groggy head (did I mention there was a fair amount of wine consumption going on?), and then thawed some lovely French Toast Muffins, which will be the featured in another blog.

Just before she left, hubby (who is also a good friend of Vicki's) took a picture of us for the memory books:

Some things never change. We still love to eat!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Lemon Tart

Serves 8

Crust:

1-1/2 cups                              all-purpose flour

2 tbsp                                      granulated sugar

1/4 tsp                                    salt

3/4 cup                                   butter, cubed

Filling:

2                                               eggs

3/4 cup                                   granulated sugar

1 tbsp                                      grated lemon rind (about 2 lemons)

1 cup                                       lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons)

3/4 cup                                   ground almonds

1/3 cup                                   melted butter

Crust: Place flour, sugar, salt and butter in the bowl of a food processor; process until dough comes together. Press into sides and bottom of a 10” tarte pan with removable sides. Bake at 375°F for 12 to 15 minutes. Allow to cool.

Filling: Thoroughly whisk eggs, sugar, lemon rind and juice together. Stir in almonds and butter. Pour into pastry shell. Bake at 375°F for 25 to 30 minutes, or until filling is set and pastry is golden. Cool completely before serving.

Whitefish Veracruz

According to my research (because this dish was so good I forgot to take pictures) this seems to be the most famous dish out of Veracruz, Mexico. And it's obvious why: despite using whitefish, which I hope you will agree is pretty bland, this is one of the most flavourful way you could eat the stuff. It's loaded with tastes that could also be described as Mediterranean: olives, tomatoes, garlic, capers, onions and oregano. The Mexican take is in the lime juice, jalapenos and cilantro. The jalapenos definitely add bite. Yum!

The closest picture I could find to what my halibut Veracruz looked like can be found at No Recipes (Make Good Dishes Better), but the recipe I use is somewhat different, not so much in ingredients, but definitely in preparation. I got this from House and Home, but it was years ago and no record exists.

My recipe was originally for the barbecue, using a tinfoil packet, but it works fine in the oven and because it's sealed, it cooks very quickly, so it looks fresher than any of the recipe pictures I could find.

After I realized we'd eaten the entire thing without even a picture, hubby grinned and said, "You could always make it again." And I just might.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Whitefish Veracruz

A flavourful and rustic Mexican-style dish. Adapted from Canadian House and Home Magazine.

Makes 4 servings

4 fish                                          whitefish fillets of your choice

1 tbsp                                        lime juice

1 tbsp                                        olive oil

4                                                   cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp                                      ground cumin

1/4 tsp                                      each, salt and pepper

12                                                cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1/4 cup                                     sun-dried tomatoes (reconstituted in warm water for 5 minutes), chopped

1/3 cup                                     pimiento-stuffed olives (manzanilla),  chopped

2 tbsp                                        capers

1 tbsp                                        pickled jalapenos, chopped

1/2                                              onion, finely chopped

1 tsp                                           dried oregano

1/4 cup                                     fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped (optional)

Cut two 18" square pieces of heavy aluminum foil. Arrange fish fillets and toppings in one layer in centre. In a medium bowl, mix remaining Veracruz ingredients together and spread evenly over fish. Seal with other foil piece to make a packet. Bake at 375°F oven for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro before serving, if using. Tastes great served over rice.

Alternatively, place fillets in a roasting dish with a lid that allows the fish to be arranged in one layer. Evenly spread Veracruz mixture over top. Cover and place in 400°F oven for 20 minutes, or until fish is opaque and flakes easily when tested with a fork. Transfer to serving dish. Sprinkle with cilantro before serving, if using.

Mosaic Biscotti: Ode to Dunking

I am generalizing here, but did you know that people from France are big dunkers? I had no idea. The first time my fabulous French friends dunked their pieces of my coffee cake, I thought they were politely hinting that it was dry. But no, these friends are addicted to the dunk.

I must say I am a bit envious. I wasn't allowed to dunk as a kid. Too messy and too much spilled milk for my mother. I'm sure I did it sometimes anyway, but imagine my surprise when I learned that the French do it with gusto, and so should we all!

All this to say, when my fabulous French friends invited me to stay overnight when I was visiting their new home in Fredericton (I was there to work at a career fair for a campaign I've worked on for years, Come Make Your Mark), I knew the perfect thing to bring. Something even I would dunk. Biscotti are the ultimate dunking cookie because they are hard enough to break teeth on; they cry out for dunking; and they hold their shape so there is little risk of splashed coffee (or milk if you're a kid).

I got this recipe for Mosaci Biscotti from "In the Hopeful Kitchen". I'm not crazy for hazelnuts, but am developing a taste since I've been making my own homemade Better than Nutella Hazelnut Spread. I was making several recipes that day, so forgot to take pictures of the process, but Hopeful Kitchen shows it very well.

Even if you don't like store bought biscotti because they often are pretty tasteless, you owe it to yourself to give the homemade version a try. They are flavourific and even though you might need dental work if you don't dunk, they still have a crunchewy texture!

I enjoyed these cookies, but thought they were a bit on the sweet side, and had too many chocolate chips for my taste, so I've adapted the recipe below. I also ended up doing the final mix with my hands because the dough was so thick that even with my Kitchen-Aid mixer, it wouldn't incorporate the chocolate and nuts.

Did my FFFs like the biscotti? Let's just say that there were two left in the tin after they ate them for breakfast.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Mosaic Biscotti: biscotti di mosai
Adapted from "In the Hopeful Kitchen". Makes about 60 cookies

3-1/2 cups   unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 tsp            baking powder
1 tsp            salt
4                  eggs
2                  egg yolks
2                  egg whites for glaze
1 cup           granulated sugar, plus more for topping
1 tbsp          vanilla extract
1 cup           semisweet mini chocolate chips
2 cups          hazelnuts (skins on or off), coarsely chopped
2 cups          whole, unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped


Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together eggs, egg yolks, and 2 cups sugar, on medium speed until pale and thick, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, followed by the dry ingredients and then the chocolate and nuts, until the dough is thoroughly mixed. It will be very stiff and you may have to do the final mix by hand.

Using floured hands, divide the dough into 5 equal portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of the dough into a flattened log long enough fit the pan. Place the logs on the two baking sheets, leaving space between them.

In a small bowl, beat the egg white with a fork until frothy. With a pastry brush, glaze each log with the beaten egg white and then sprinkle each log with 1 teaspoon sugar.

Bake the logs until they are lightly golden brown, firm to the touch , and just beginning to crack slightly — about 25 to 30 minutes. Rotate 180° halfway through baking.

Allow logs to cool on the baking sheets on a wire rack until they are cool to the touch, about 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 200°F.

Once cooled, use a sharp, serrated knife to slice the biscotti diagonally into 1/2 inch-wide slices. Lay the slices on the baking sheets closely, but not touching. Return them to the oven and cook for 30 to 40 minutes more, or until toasted, dry, and crisp.

Cool the biscotti completely on the sheets, then store them in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks or freeze.

Corn and Tomato Galette

I've been intrigued by the idea of Corn and Tomato Pie for at least a year — I've seen recipes for everything from a quiche-like concoction to a green tomato variety. But when I found this one from Closet Cooking, made by fellow canuck, Kevin, I couldn't resist. Thank goodness I have finally grown enough tomatoes to actually tire of bacon and tomato sandwiches, or this might not have happened. And what a tragedy that would have been.

"Wow!" and "Oh My God" and "(groan) Mmmm... this is so good!" is what I heard (and said) when hubby and I sat down to eat this (and shared a tiny sliver with our friend Joce at lunch the next day. What?! We were having bacon and tomato sandwiches too).

You can save yourself some time by using a frozen pie crust and making a traditional double crust pie, but I so much prefer this healthier olive oil and whole wheat based crust, so I don't mind the effort. Plus, I love the rustic look of a galette.

For this recipe I wanted to use my sweetest tomatoes, so it was grape all the way. These are like eating candy!

I also bought some beyond fabu corn at a produce stand and scraped it off the cobs. I'm sure you could use frozen, but I wanted super sweet!

The crust is made with olive oil and is quite fragile, but the beauty of a galette is it doesn't have to be pretty. However, this time I used a springform pan because not pretty can sometimes turn to ugly mighty fast!

Oops, hubby knocked the crust into the pan, but a bit of a cleanup and we were good to go.

Ready to bake.

A bit of juice leaked out around the edges of the pan, but this it was less weepy than I though it would be. A quick run around the edge with a butter knife and the galette came out of the springform pan beautifully.

This will be my new galette method from now on. The look is perfect!

I will make this again next year for sure. I may even try roasting those tasteless out of season tomatoes and using frozen corn in a desperate attempt at summer, when winter's back is not yet broken. But for now at least, I have the pictures, and the memories, of how truly delicious and gorgeous this is.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Corn and Tomato Galette
Adapted from Closet Cooking (http://www.closetcooking.com/2011/09/corn-and-tomato-pie.html). Makes 6 servings.

Crust:
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
2 tsps baking powder
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp ground black pepper (optional, you can fresh herbs or black olives as well)  

Filling:
1-1/2 cups fresh corn, about 3 ears
1-1/2 lbs beefsteak tomatoes, about 4 medium, diced, or about 2 cups of grape tomatoes, halved
4 strips bacon, cut into small pieces and cooked (optional)
1/4 cup mayonnaise or sour cream
2 French shallots, finely diced
1/2 cup basil, chopped
1 cup old cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Crust: Combine all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a food processor; pulse several times. Sprinkle water, oil and pepper over the dry ingredients and pulse just until blended. (Alternatively, combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add the water-oil mixture, stirring until well blended. Blend in pepper, if using.) Form the dough into a disk; if it seems dry, add a little more water (it should be fairly soft). Wrap in plastic  and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Filling: Mix the corn, tomatoes, bacon, mayo, onion, basil, cheddar cheese and cayenne; season with salt and pepper.

Assembly: Flour the counter surface. Roll out the galette crust to about 14” at 1/4-inch thick. (This doesn’t need to be pretty!) Carefully roll the dough around your rolling pin and drape over a 9 or 10” springform pan. Gently position the dough into the pan, leaving the edges draped over the rim.

Pour in the corn and tomato mixture into the crust and fold the edges over top.

Bake in a preheated 350F oven until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, about 30-40 minutes. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes before scraping a knife around the edge of the springform pan and removing the side wall. Serve with a side salad.

Thank goodness for Moms Campbell's Macaroni Dinner

My mom, with her brood of six kids, must have really loved  the Kraft Dinner Hour and shows sponsored by Campbell's Soup. I haven't made this in years, but some days you just want to be reminded of home and childhood and comfort foods.

We loved this macaroni, ground beef (and onion as we got older and would eat it) dish made with a sauce of a can of tomato soup and a can of cream of mushroom soup. It was always served with either dill pickles or pickled beets in our house. Casseroles were our thing.

These days I add garlic and white wine, but I don't go much further than that. Some things are good the way they are. Once in a while...

I have no other pictures of this because I wasn't going to post it, but if you're looking for something easy to feed your brood of hungry kids, this is the ticket. Blows Hamburger Helper right out of the stew pot, in my opinion.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Mom's and Campbell's Macaroni Casserole

1 lb.        lean ground beef
1             large onion, chopped
2             cloves garlic, minced
1 can      Campbell's cream of mushroom soup
1 can      Campbell's tomato soup
1 cup     white wine
3 cups    elbow macaroni uncooked

In a large frying pan, cook ground beef, onion and garlic on medium heat until beef is no longer pink. Stir in tomato and mushroom soups and wine until blended. Reduce heat and simmer.

Meanwhile, in a large pot cook macaroni in salted water. When cooked, add sauce, stir in sauce and serve.

Excellent with dills or pickled beets!