Mini Egg Frittatas

3 Mar

A few months after moving in with my boyfriend, we had our families over for brunch. It wasn’t just a meet and greet for our families, it was also my first time hosting! I was so prepared – I planned the dishes and beverages way in advance, took advantage of everyones offers for help, and sweat a lot.

For a successful brunch, I had a varied number of dishes.

1. The classic smoked salmon, bagel, cream cheese and tomato platter

2. Fresh fruit and berries with 2 types of yogurt (one being lactose free of course), with homemade granola (curtesy Of Ryan’s mother)

3. Stawberry spinach salad with a honey poppy seed dressing

4. Overnight baked french toast – my sisters specialty brunch dish

5. Mini Egg frittatas – the easiest recipe which is posted below!!!

As for beverages, I served Mimosas (Yum!), french press coffee, and espressos.

Mini Egg Frittatas

Ingredients:

12 Eggs
Variety of toppings: Red pepper, spinach, mushrooms, fresh oregano, fresh basil, cheese…etc

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°C
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and season with a pinch of salt and pepper and prepare the toppings you wish to use
Pour the eggs into a non-stick muffin pan and top eggs with veggies, cheese and herbs
Bake for 10 minutes, checking at the 8-minute mark. They should be puffed up and set in the middle. Let cool a few minutes before removing from pan (may need to cut around the egg to remove it from the tin).
SERVE AND ENJOY!

Inspired by bevcooks

This is such an easy and great brunch dish! It also reheats well!

Hope you enjoy it!

-Jennie

Comments Comments Off
Categories Breakfast, Recipes, Vegetarian
Author Jennie

Rhubarb Berry Muffins

3 Jul

Happy (delayed) Canada Day weekend! I hope everyone enjoyed the 3 day weekend in the great white north, and those down south are soon to celebrate 4th of July. I’m sure many people had parties or bbq’s during this holiday, and probably ate a lot of good food! I know I did.

OH CANADA!

Yesterday, I got to go to my brother in laws country house. There is just something so special about leaving the city, smelling the country air, swimming in a fresh lake and spending time with friends and family. It was one of the nicest days I’ve had in a while.

I obviously couldn’t go empty handed, so I whipped together muffins that took no time at all to make.

Muffins were the obvious choice to bring with me – they are easy to bake and even easier to transport. The type of muffin can vary – you can make apple cinnamon, chocolate chip, and my favorite mixed berry. I find berry muffins visually pleasing (especially with raspberries thrown in), and so tasty between the sweetness and tartness of different berries.

Pretty, Eh?

They were quite a hit at the country house and it was just a small token of appreciation for such a nice day in the country air.

Rhubarb Berry Muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup diced rhubarb (small pieces)
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground ginger
1 cup non-fat vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries or a mix)

For topping

1/3 cup brown sugar
Pinch of ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 12 cup muffin tin with liners and set aside.
Chop rhubarb stalks (or use food processor if you got one!)
In a large mixing bowl combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ground ginger. Still just until ingredients are combined.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add yogurt, melted butter, egg, vanilla extract and stir with flour mixture just until combined, don’t over mix.
Fold shredded rhubarb and berries in batter just until combined.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin pan about 3/4 full.
Sprinkle top with additional brown sugar and cinnamon.
Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until tester (ex: toothpick) inserted into the center of muffins comes out clean and tops are golden brown.
Place on wire rack to cool.

Slightly Adapted from mother thyme

Hope you enjoy these muffins! They are a seriously good go-to “thank you” kind of baked good!

- Jennie

Comments Comments Off
Categories Breakfast, Dessert, Recipes, Snack
Author Jennie

The Long Weekend – a blueberry pancake extravaganza

21 May

For those of you in Montreal this weekend, I am sure you can agree that we lucked out during this holiday – sunshine every day!

I spent my days walking through the city, eating lobster rolls, strolling along the water, going to the Atwater Market, and best of all – making pancakes.

First we enjoyed the Old Port – a little Europe in Canada Land. Hello Instagram!

Some fresh fruit and veggies from the market!

And of course – the pancakes. I was planning on making the ultimate blueberry pancakes but I didn’t have any buttermilk. So I scoured the internet to find a recipe that uses plain ol’ milk and through in blueberries for the hell of it.

They were CKA = Clark Kent Approved.

I hope you’re long weekend (or regular length weekend) was great. If you ever want to add that little extra something to your weekends, try to make your own pancakes. They are easy to make, and always a special treat!

Sunday Morning Pancakes:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 1/4 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup fresh blueberries

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.
Create a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg and melted butter; mix until smooth – but do not over mix.
Add in the blueberries and mix until just incorporated.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Adapted from: All recipes

Hope you have a great rest of the week!

- Jennie

Comments Comments Off
Categories Breakfast, Recipes
Author Jennie

Chocolate Chip Scones

9 Apr

The holiday weekend has come to an end – as has the family bonanza. It’s a nice time of year where you get to see family and friends from out of town and enjoy good meals… and you get time off work. Alas, on my final day off I woke up with a sore throat and fever! Guess that leaves me sitting on the couch and watching Game of Thrones. Tee hee hee.

While this weekend was filled with brisket and matzah ball soup, last week I baked some tasty scones. I ate one and was about to have another when I decided they were safer at my neighbors. Unbeknownst to me, it was the college basketball championship…what’s that called? NCAA or something? I dunno! All I know is, I brought them to my neighbors, there were a bunch of boys there and they all enjoyed these scones. So ladies, these are a winner…but maybe don’t disrupt a beer drinking basketball party with scones – it looks weird.

I would suggest serving these for breakfast, or for a brunch. They come together quickly and take no time at all to bake. Best of all, they are moist unlike most other scones I’ve tried. They really are a winner, and I plan on making them again – this time with different additions…maybe blueberries?

Oh. And. Winter is coming.

Chocolate Chip Scones

Adapted from: Take a Megabite food blog, originally from Orangette

Ingredients:

1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
3 Tbsp sugar
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Beat together the milk and egg and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Rub butter into the flour mixture with your hands. Working until you have no lumps bigger than a pea. Add the sugar and chocolate chips. Stir to mix.
Take a scant 1/4 cup of the milk/egg mixture and set aside to be used for a glaze. Whisk the vanilla into the remaining milk/egg mixture and add to the dry ingredients. Bring dough together gently with a wooden spoon.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it no more than 12 times. Pat dough into a round approximately 1/2 inch thick, and cut into 8 (or 12) wedges. Place on an ungreased lined baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, glaze wedges with remaining milk/egg mixture.
Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until golden. Cool on a rack. Can serve with a light dusting of powdered sugar.

Happy holidays! Hope you enjoy the scones!!

- Jennie

Comments Comments Off
Categories Breakfast, Dessert, Recipes
Author Jennie

Jam-Packed Granola Bars

12 Feb

The granola bar myth has been debunked long ago.

Tear.

We all KNOW they aren’t a healthy snack yet we still munch on them convincing ourselves it’s like eating an apple.

I know I’m not eating an apple – unless it’s a chocolate covered apple. Tee hee hee.

I like my granola bars soft, chewy and chocolaty – obviously NOT healthy.

I’m not a glutton. Check out my meals – most of them are usually light and tasty dishes, not fat filled feasts. I have even made “healthy” granola in the past! However, if I pull out the big guns (also known as butter and chocolate) I just lose all control.

But what if I could have my cake and eat it to? What if I could eat a chewy granola bar that could actually be comparatively “healthy”.

These bad boys are not the “hiking in the woods and nibble the granola bar while doing yoga on a mountain top” kind of bars. That was indeed my original goal (minus the yoga – I’m not bendy) but then I poured in chocolate chips which subsequently melted into the bars leaving me more of a granola chocolate bar – oops.

Asides from the chocolate aspect, these bars were jam packed with nuts, dried fruit, oats, mashed banana, and peanut butter. They were filling and definitely an easy snack to carry on me. The chocolate chips were a little unnecessary and when I make them again I wont add chocolate chips to the mix (but maybe sprinkle a couple on top, I can’t resist!)

As well, I’m going to try and vary the amount of peanut butter and honey needed to make it all cohesive – these bars stayed together very well so I would try and use less peanut butter the next time around.

Jam-Packed Granola Bars

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 cup almonds, chopped
1 cup mixed dried fruit
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
Scant cup peanut butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 very ripe banana, mashed

Directions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Toast chopped almonds and coconut in the oven for approximately 7 minutes, until lightly browned.
Place in a pot the peanut butter, maple syrup, honey, mashed banana and vanilla over medium high heat. Heat to a simmer and then lower heat and cook for 2 minutes.
In a big bowl, place oats, almonds, coconut, dried fruit, seeds and 1/2 of the chocolate chips. Add peanut butter mixture to the dry ingredients and stir well with a wooden spoon to moisten all ingredients.
Take a baking pan and press the mixture into the baking pan until the mixture is evenly distributed throughout the pan and tightly packed – press out to be about 3/4 inch in thickness. If you’re pan is too big, simply use half the pan.
Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and press down lightly. Leave the bars in the pan and let cool on a countertop to room temperature for two hours or until the chocolate chips are set before cutting into bars.
Wrap in parchment or plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

Adapted from Good Life Eats

Hope you enjoy these granola bars! You can omit and add different spices, nuts and dried fruit to make these bars your own. If you don’t want peanut butter you can try almond butter! Have some fun with these bars!

- Jennie