Showing posts with label brunch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label brunch. Show all posts

Friday, June 14, 2013

Baked Eggs in Avocado with Chorizo and Fried Bread

Nothing is worse than a badly cooked egg—overcooked, rubbery, bland. But when cooked superbly, it is perfection. Eggs are on my list of things I can never tire of eating. Scrambled, poached, baked, boiled, fried (and deep-fried)—I love them all. Pair them with another favourite food of mine, avocados, and they become a new favourite breakfast entrée.

Baked Egg in Avocado

This is so incredibly easy and non-fussy, with only a handful of ingredients. You can omit the sausage if you want to keep this dish vegetarian, but the chorizo adds a beautiful smokiness to the creaminess of the egg and avocado. (Or try using your favourite smoky bacon for an alternative.)

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Wordless Wednesday #109: Barque Smokehouse (Brunch)

Barque Smokehouse

Pancakes

Barque Benedict

Smoked Candied Bacon

Herbed Cheddar Biscuit

Barque Smokehouse
299 Roncesvalles Avenue
Toronto, ON
Tel: 416-532-7700
Twitter: @barquebbq

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Wordless Wednesday #105: Farmhouse Tavern, Brunch

Farmhouse Tavern

Hangover Poutine
Hangover Poutine - thick-cut fries, braised short rib, jus, cheese, fried egg

Hangover Poutine

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Wordless Wednesday #104: Supper Club, Brunch Edition

Brunch Spread

Maple-Bacon Biscuit Bake
Maple-Bacon Biscuit Bake

Cuban Avocado, Watercress, and Pineapple Salad
Cuban Avocado, Watercress, and Pineapple Salad

Monday, April 22, 2013

Piña Colada Pancakes

Pancakes…my total and utter weakness. I usually keep things simple with plain buttermilk pancakes drizzled with maple syrup. But I decided to have a little fun with some leftover pineapple and a can of coconut milk in my pantry, and made these amazing Piña Colada Pancakes.

Coconut Pancakes

Rather than using all buttermilk in the recipe, some coconut milk was used in the batter instead to enrich the pancakes with some coconut flavour. The addition of the shredded coconut added a wonderful textural quality to the fluffy pancakes. And instead of maple syrup, a very tropical and delicious pineapple-rum sauce was served with the pancakes, topped with some whipped cream flavoured with—you guessed it—more rum.

This is a decadent brunch entrée for sure, but I promise you, these will make any weekend morning that much more special (and worth getting out of bed for)!

Coconut Pancakes

Piña Colada Pancakes
Makes 8 pancakes

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon coconut oil (or vegetable oil)
1/4 cup coconut flakes or chips, lightly toasted

For the pineapple-rum sauce:
1/2 pineapple, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt

For the rum cream:
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon rum, or to taste

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and shredded coconut.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just incorporated. Do not overmix; your batter should still be a little lumpy. Set aside the batter to rest for 10 minutes.

Heat some oil or butter in a cast-iron pan or heavy skillet over medium heat. Drop a small ladleful of batter into the centre of the pan and let cook until bubbles begin to pop in the centre, about 2 minutes. Flip pancake and cook for an additional minute or two, until golden brown.

Keep the pancakes warm in a very low-temperature oven while you finish cooking the pineapples. Pile a couple of pancakes onto a plate, and serve with pineapple=rum sauce and rum cream.

To make the the pineapple-sauce: Heat 3 tablespoons sugar and a tablespoon water in a small, heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar has melted. Allow the sugar to simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes, when it just starts to brown. Add the pineapples and toss to coat, and allow to cook for about 2 minutes, to allow the pineapple to soften a bit and release some of its juices. Sprinkle in some salt and cinnamon and stir. Remove the pan from the heat and add the rum. Carefully hold a lighter close to the pan until it catches, return the pan over the heat, and allow the fire to burn off the alcohol. Cook for another 30 seconds, and serve with the coconut pancakes immediately, and some rum whipped cream.

To make the rum cream: Put all the ingredients into a bowl and whisk until stiff peaks form (or use an electric mixer). Keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Friday, November 23, 2012

Broiled Eggs with Kale and Roasted Kabocha

I love kale, but I've been particularly crazy for them this season. For the past few weeks, I've been eating kale non-stop—in salads and in soups; roasted as chips or simply sauteed. And just when I thought it couldn't get any better, it did. All thanks to a perfectly cooked egg on top.

Broiled Eggs with Kale and Roasted Kabocha

I've made this dish of Broiled Eggs with Kale and Roasted Kabocha several times now. You get the crunchy bits from some of the charred kale bits, and then the creaminess of the egg yolk. The saltiness of the cheese and the sweetness of the kabocha. It's a fantastic vegetarian brunch option, but also lovely as a light dinner entree. It tastes so fresh and doesn't weigh your stomach down, yet it's a surprisingly hearty dish that won't leave you famished an hour later.

Monday, June 11, 2012

Brussels Sprouts and Bacon Hash

While I love a big, grand brunch on Sunday mornings, there are also those Sundays when I just want it to be the truly ultimate lazy Sunday. Sleeping in, and then staying in bed just a little longer after I've woken up. Plodding around in my PJs all day. Catching up on my favourite magazine or a book with a cup of coffee...or two. And an easy brunch dish that won't have me slaving in the kitchen for more than ten minutes.

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Monday, March 19, 2012

Banana Foster Maple-Pecan Waffles

I love the weekends. Not only for the chance to rest and recharge for the upcoming work week, and catch up with friends. But also for the mornings when I actually have time to make myself a hot breakfast from scratch.

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Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Wordless Wednesday #73: earth, Brunch Edition

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earth brunch_05

earth Rosedale
1055 Yonge Street
Tel: 416-551-9890

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Wordless Wednesday #71: Brunch at Keriwa Cafe

keriwa brunch_01

keriwa brunch_03

Friday, October 14, 2011

My New Favourite Brunch Dish: Polenta with Sausage Sugo

When it comes to making brunch, I'm a sucker for pancakes. Perhaps it's my sweet tooth talking, but I find a plate of fluffy pancakes drizzled with maple syrup simply irresistible. So when there's a savoury dish that comes along and blows my mind, you know it has to be THAT good.

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Thursday, August 11, 2011

Sweet Corn Pancakes

It has been ages since I've made pancakes, which is odd considering I'd list pancakes in my top 10 list of favourite things to eat. It's one of my ultimate comfort foods, and I'm always eager to try out new flavours and different flour combinations.

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Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Wordless Wednesday #50: Brunch at Jak's Kitchen

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Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Wordless Wednesday #38: A Southern-Style Sunday Monday

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Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Wordless Wednesday #35: Au revoir, Hoof Cafe

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(Your brunches will surely be missed!)

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Wordless Wednesday #34: Raspberry Bone Marrow Beignets

hoof cafe_02

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Wordless Wednesday #12: Sunday Mornings...How I Heart Thee

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Sunday, March 14, 2010

Ooey-Gooey Banana Cinnamon Buns

Imagine starting your morning off with a warm and pillowy-soft cinnamon bun.

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Now imagine that cinnamon bun with bananas.

I think I’ve found my kind of cinnamon bun.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Waking Up on the Right Side of the Bed

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It never really occurred to me to make my own granola until now. Every couple of months, when I went through my box of granola, I would simply go to the store and pick up another box. It was fast and convenient. And sadly, that’s what the majority of consumers have accepted nowadays, the fact that it's convenient to get just about anything. Why bother to make your own, right? Well, for one thing, it’s so much healthier for you because you know what you’re putting into your food without all those additives and unnecessary fats and sugars. But more importantly, it’ll taste a thousand times better because you can never beat the taste of homemade.

A friend made some granola a few weeks back, which made me determined to make my own. I finally found some down time this weekend to make some hearty granola. I came across this recipe and thought it would make a great base for my granola. Let me just say how incredible your house will smell as the granola bakes. It’ll be hard to keep your fingers away from the granola as you take it from the oven and allow it to cool. Sprinkle over your morning yogurt, cottage or ricotta cheese, or ice cream, or pack a small handful to snack on in the afternoon.

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Hearty Granola
Adapted from Adventures in Shaw
Makes about 5 cups granola


3 cups oats (the large variety)
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, lightly toasted
½ to ¾ cup dried cherries, cut in half if large (or you can substitute dried cranberries)
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup assorted nuts (whole almonds, walnuts, pecans), chopped
½ cup pure maple syrup
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 300°F.

Spread coconut onto a baking sheet in a single layer. Toast the coconut in the oven until they start to turn a light golden brown. Keep a close eye on the coconut, since it’ll quickly take on colour the minute you turn away from it. Set coconut aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, pumpkin seeds, nuts, spices, salt, and sugar. Stir everything together. Fold in the oil and syrup and stir until everything is evenly coated.

Spread the granola in a single on two non-stick baking sheets. Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every ten minutes, until golden. Remove sheets from oven and allow to cool thoroughly. Toss with the toasted coconut and dried cherries.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

A Little Goes a Long Way

Thanksgiving is over and done with (at least in Canada), and I’m sure many of my fellow Canadians were dealing with the Thanksgiving aftermath this week: leftovers. We’ve got your classic turkey sandwiches—cold with some Swiss cheese and cranberry sauce, or hot and slathered in gravy—your turkey pot pies, the seemingly endless pumpkin pie…

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A little sure does go a long way with one can of pumpkin puree. I was able to squeeze out three different treats from the little can that could: last week’s pumpkin flan, pumpkin pancakes (a favourite of mine), and pumpkin muffins.

With a meeting first thing Thursday morning, I thought everyone could use a little sugar-boost at breakfast. Not to mention that muffins are one of the easiest things to transport around for someone who takes the public transit. This recipe is slightly tweaked from the pumpkin cupcakes I made last year and yields incredibly moist muffins (reminiscent of my carrot muffin recipe), but for some reason they didn’t taste quite the same as I remembered. That’s not saying much, since I do have pretty bad short-term memory, opted for vegetable oil instead of the flavour-boosting butter, and the lack of cream cheese frosting. I’d love the spices and the pumpkin flavour to stand out even more—either that, or it’s just my taste buds slowly going dull (I desperately hope it’s the former). This recipe is a great starting point though, and you can add raisins or dried cranberries to the batter, or sprinkle some pumpkin seeds on top to give it some more substance. I think the next time I’ll play around with some wheat bran as well, to make them even heartier, healthier and more flavourful.

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Pumpkin Muffins
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Makes 12

½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat pastry flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
¼ tsp ground allspice
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
8 ounces pumpkin puree
½ cup raisins or dried cranberries, soaked in boiling water for ½ hour and drained (optional)
½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin pans with paper liners and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. Set aisde.

In a large bowl, whisk together oil, eggs, pumpkin puree and brown sugar. Add dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the raisins and pecans, if using.

Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about halfway. Bake until tops spring back when touched, and a cake tester inserted in the centre comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

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