Meatless Monday: Gluten-Free Mascarpone Pancakes with Raspberry Maple Syrup

It's no secret that I love mascarpone I've used it in breakfast dishes, pasta and I make a killer tiramisu that I promise to share in the very near future, since it will make an AH-MAZING Easter dessert.  But back to these beauties.  With the Pancake Day falling a few weeks ago the web was saturated with pancake recipes.  I came across quite a few that incorporated ricotta cheese and while they all sounded delicious I thought that mascarpone would also work fabulously in a pancake.  And pancakes while obviously good fro breakfast also make a delicious Meatless Monday dinner, or really any meal for that matter.

I've also been pretty intrigued with quinoa flour and have been looking for an excuse to use it.  Making good gluten-free foods is intriguing to me, My friend Suz over at You Can't Eat What has so many food restrictions it's a bit crazy and she is always trying to make yummy foods while taking into account all of her restrictions. Keeping her and the numerous other people who have to restrict or eliminate gluten in their diets, I wanted to try to develop a recipe that would work for them and is also something that those of us who don't have to worry about such things would also enjoy.  What's interesting to me about quinoa flour is that is so high in protein and is so good for you that why not use in something that's a little decadent and indulgent to a bit healthier.  Also in many recipes that I've seen it seems that it can be subbed in a 1 to 1 ratio in many recipes.  I don't claim to know anything about gluten-free cooking & baking so don't take that as complete fact, just something I came to assume after a brief survey of some recipes.

Sunday Brunch: Greek Frittata

I wouldn't call this a classic Greek Frittata, like to one Jen over at Domestic Divas has shared or my partner in crime at NoReEATS, Carole, made.  Something chock full of tomatoes, onions feta and some sort of greens.  Basically a Greek salad in a frittata. Sounds delicious, right?  I'm sure both versions are and I plan to try them at some point soon, either for dinner or brunch. But my take is inspired by a different Greek dish, one of my faves, Moussaka.  While I was cooking up the filling from my Stuffed Baby Eggplants I knew I had too much veal, so I chopped up some extra potatoes and if I had extra eggplant I would have added that too and cooked it all up, cooked up the extra beef and tossed it all together and saved the filling I had leftover for this yummy frittata.

Happy National Pancake Day

Whole Wheat Winter Squash Pancakes

OK , if you follow me on Twitter you likely saw me looking for yummy pork recipes since today is also National Pig Day, but upon doing some more research I learned that National Pig Day is generally used to celebrate the life of the pig.  I wanted to celebrate it as a yummy food, one where you can eat "everything except the oink," as they say.  But since I do respect them as the adorable animals they are and think their lives should be celebrated I shied away from a full-on pork round-up.

Lucky for me, according to various bloggers and sites on the web today is also National Pancake Day.  Now I'm the first to admit that pancakes are not my favorite breakfast treat, but I'm fairly certain I'm in the minority on this one.  So pancakes because the focus of today's recipe round-up.  Even though I don't love them these are some recipes I'm actually dying to try and since I have 10 more months in my No ReEATS challenge I may incorporate each recipe into a breakfast for dinner once a month for the rest of the year.

Knitting & Food: Green Eggs & Ham

Update:  Apparently Tuesday March 2 is also Dr. Suess' birthday, making this fun dish even more timely. I can't think of a more flavorful or fun way to celebrate this literary icon's birthday. 

Now I know I usually post meatless recipes for Meatless Monday, but today is the inaugural post for my new Knitting & Food Series.  I have partnered with In the Loop, a knitting store back in my hometown of Norfolk, MA to create recipes that go along with the store's monthly themes.  In the Loop's theme for March is "Green," which I think is great since all of us who live in snowy, cold places are craving a bit of green in our lives, myself included.  They don't call Canada the Great White North for nothing and while it was wonderful to wake up yesterday morning for a lovely dusting of fresh snow, I'm just about ready for Spring to get here.

With a task set forward I began to brainstorm.  It initially seemed like such a broad assignment, there is a plethora of green foods and I was given complete freedom to take it in any direction.  I thought about St. Patty's Day and about the possibility of incorporating that into my recipe.  I thought of all kinds of veggies.  I thought of these Green Velvet Cupcakes I made a few years ago, when I finally settled on one of my favorite children's books Green Eggs & Ham.  There have been a few different Food Network Chef treatments of this book, but I was determined to make my own version, utilizing some fabulous ingredients and turning it into a flavorful and simple brunch dish that will help ring in the spring.

Sunday Brunch: Pasta Frittata

Last weekend I was craving a hearty brunch, one that included eggs.  I could have easily gone with one of my faves, a couple of nice eggs over easy over some black beans and salsa but decided to try to mix it up a bit and use some of the leftovers in my fridge.  Part of the No ReEATS challenge that I'm doing is striving to reduce food waste and utilize those leftovers in your fridge.  Being a house of just 2 we often have alot of leftovers, pasta is very often one of those leftovers.  I pull my Italian Mama impression whenever making pasta and sauce and make enough to feed an army.  So often the pasta just sits there in the fridge until a Wednesday night when I go through the fridge and get rid of all food waste for Thursday trash day.

So, I wanted to do something with the pasta and sauce I had leftover from Saturdays dinner, Penne a la Vodka, that didn't include trash or simply reheating it. I've seen something like this before but never had it, a frittata or omelette that uses leftover pasta.   What could be an easier one dish brunch, you get your protein and carbs all in one thing, not chopping of veggies for the frittata, save for some parsley, easy-peasy.

Meatless Monday: Sherried Mushroom & Goat Cheese Frittata

Back to reality and back on the Meatless Monday track.  I took the easy way out today with a frittata, but since I really didn't eat too many eggs over my trip back to Boston I had a craving.  Besides that I love frittatas, they are easy, hearty and keep great for leftover lunches or dinners.  With the boy back to work today and me heading back on Wednesday, I'm all over easy leftovers.

I love how meaty mushrooms taste and for a carnivore they are a great substitution for meat especially if cooked right.  These mushrooms are so full of flavor and come together very easily.  They can easily be used in anything you like mushrooms in or on, a steak, risotto, let your imagination run wild!

Sunday Brunch: Brown Butter Belgian Waffles

Last Sunday I was finally, after 3 1/2 years together, able to take the Boy to his first NFL game.  It's crazy with all of the trips we've taken back to Boston that the schedules just hadn't worked out.  Not only did I want him to experience I game, I've been dying to get to one.  After years of being in Boston with the family's season tickets the move to LA and then TO got in the way of  my game attendance and it's been far too long since I've been to a game.

Now if you talk to my brother, he's all about the parking lot tailgate before the game and don't get me wrong I'm a huge fan of the tailgate, in the warmer months.  But January 2.....I don't think so.  Plus my parents live literally 5 minutes from the stadium and when Mom is home, she tends to be pretty willing to play taxicab for us.  Taking this all into account I planned an inside brunch tailgate at my parents house.  This is actually the only meal I cooked the entire time I was in Boston for the holidays and it was pretty fab which is why I had to share it with you.

I was lucky enough to receive Karen DeMasco's The Craft of Baking for Christmas and couldn't wait to start baking from it.  A recipe that immediately popped out as something I had to make while visiting the parents where her Brown Butter Waffles.  They had to be made in Boston because we don't have a waffle iron.  Plus waffles are one of my favorite brunch items and it seemed smart to me to carb-load a bit before a day of drinking at the football game, especially since we started drinking with coffee and homemade Bailey's (which is amazing by the way and so ridiculously easy that I advise making it right away)

Roasted Yam & Blue Cheese Fritatta

I love weekend brunch. Firstly because I love eggs, but also because brunch is later than breakfast and means you can sleep in a bit. With a new puppy the sleeping in isn't happening but I'll continue to call my first meal on the weekend, brunch. As much as I love to go out for brunch and be served I also really enjoy coming up with new tasty dishes to try. As I've mentioned before we recently started getting organic veggie delivery from the ever fabulous Mama Earth, in one of our recent baskets were some yams. I've only ever bought a cooked with sweet potatoes and was a bit intimidated by the yams upon hearing that they are in fact different vegetables. Now I could've done some research into how they are different, but I didn't because truth be told they look the same to me, so I decide to cook them the same way I'd cook sweet potatoes. One Saturday morning I woke up with a fresh carton of eggs in my fridge, lovely organic chives, blue cheese and those darn yams, and I just decided to throw something together. What that became was a Roasted Yam & Blue Cheese Fritatta. Yum!


Roasted Yam & Blue Cheese Fritatta
serves 3-4

1-2 organic yams (depending on size, they are yummy to munch on their own once roasted so leftovers are a bonus)
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
5 eggs
1/4 cup of milk
2 Tbsp organic garlic chives - chopped
1 tsp Herbes de Provence
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
sea salt & fresh cracked pepper


1. Preheat to oven to 400F. Peel and slice yam into 1/4" thick rounds. Spread in one layer on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt & pepper. Place in the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes, until the edges become brown. Remove from oven and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, milk, garlic chives, Herbes de Provence, salt & pepper. Heat a medium oven-safe skillet over medium heat and spread butter around to coat the bottom and sides. Once the butter is melted and the pan is heated, pour in the egg mixture. Carefully lay in the roasted yam slices around the pan
3. As the eggs start to set-up, gently pull the eggs from the side of the pan, letting the uncooked eggs flow to the edges. When the eggs are cooked approx halfway (the center is still slightly liquid and the top is very soft), top with blue cheese crumbles and carefully move the pan to the heated oven. The rack should be in the middle of the oven, not right below the broiler.
4. The fritatta should cook until the cheese melts and the eggs are cooked all the way through. The top will start to turn a nice golden color. This will take approx 5-10 mins.
5. Remove pan from the oven (be careful of the hot pan handle), cover with a foil tent and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan to a cutting board or platter. Cut into 6 wedges and serve.

While I'm quite confident with my fritatta making skills and what I chose to put in them, I have to say this was my favorite thus far. The sweetness of the roasted yams paired with the pungent, strong blue cheese was perfect. I liked it so much that I reheated the leftovers the next day for breakfast, not something I traditionally do with eggs. The boy agreed and gobbled up 2 pieces without a second thought. Enjoy!

Baked Eggs

Since we've both been working alot lately, there hasn't been much time for grocery shopping. Even when I do get to shop I don't plan out meals and generally just get basics. I cook when I can, which is usually the weekends and lately I've had to get creative with what I find in the house. That's how this dish came about. Canned tomatoes are always in my pantry, whether its to make a marinara or for soup or for anything I else I can think of, I always have them on hand. Eggs are another staple. The baguette was something that was stale and just about ready for the green bin but I decided to re-use much in the way Italian Peasants would in Pappa al Pomodoro, something I hope to make soon. What came about was a hearty breakfast or brunch dish that was full of flavor and so simple to make.


Baked Eggs

1 large can of diced tomatoes
1/2 day old baguette - cut into a 1" dice
1 small onion - roughly chopped
1 clove of garlic - minced
2 tsp Herbs de Provence
5 Eggs
5 thin slices of Oka Cheese - or whatever cheese you have on hand
salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add in onions and garlic and saute until onions become translucent, making sure not to brown the garlic. Add in the Herbs de Provence and saute for another few minutes, again being mindful not to brown the garlic.
2. Pour the tomatoes into the saucepan, add salt & pepper and simmer for 5 minutes, until the flavors begin to combine. Taste and add more salt & pepper as necessary.
3. Lightly oil a baking dish or pie plate (I used my Emile Henry Pie Plate because it was the only thing I had that was the right size) and spread the bread cube in a single layer. Pour the tomato mixture into the pie plate and break the eggs on top, keeping the yolks in tact.
4. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until the eggs whites become opaque. Remove dish from the oven and strategically place the slices of cheese over the eggs. Return to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes until cheese become melty and bubbly. Serve.


This was delicious! What started out as something I was just throwing together with some things I had in the house, became a new breakfast fave. The eggs ended up cooked over medium, which isn't normally the way I like them, but it worked perfectly here. Monitor the eggs as you bake, to get them cooked to your liking, but as I baked them worked very well. Next time you have some leftover stale bread or friends friends over for brunch, make this dish.

I used Oka cheese because we had it int he fridge, although I've become such a fan that I think it's something we'll always have from now on. But any semi-soft cheese would be nice. Crumbled goat or feta would taste very nice as well. Play around with it. Enjoy!

Pork Tenderloin Hash

It was over a week ago that I first posted my herb crusted pork tenderloin and promised to share what I did with my leftovers. Well here you go. Granted I ate this last weekend for breakfast, but even if it's late it was too tasty not to share. When I bought pork tenderloin and threw it in the freezer for a later use, it didn't occur to me that the package would hold loins. Well it did, so when I defrosted it I had to herb crust both since I couldn't freeze them again. Luckily it turned out well! So I was left with quite a bit of leftovers. My first go was with pork enchiladas with a red chili sauce, enchiladas are one of my go to uses with leftover meat. Another one is hash. Well the hash I made with the tenderloin was so simple and tasty I had to share.

Pork Tenderloin Hash
serves 2

1/2 loin Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin - diced
4 new potatoes - diced
1 small onion diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
garlic powder
salt & pepper
sliced green onions - for garnish
4 eggs - for serving

1. Heat oil and butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted and the pan is hot add in diced potatoes and a liberal amount of salt & pepper. Saute for 5-10 minutes until begin to soften and turn golden brown.
2. Add in onions and pork, more salt and pepper and a liberal amount of garlic powder. Saute over medium to medium low heat until the onions darken, the pork heats through and both the pork and potatoes have nice crispy bits on the outside.
3. Serve with poached or over easy eggs and garnish with sliced green onions.


Now it's safe to say that I'm a fan of hash. This is the 3rd recipe I've posted in less than 6 months (Carniats Hash and Sweet Potato & Turkey Sausage Hash) I think it's mostly because it's an easy and filling meal and a great way to reuse leftovers. it comes together even more quickly if you have leftover potatoes. You can even throw black beans into it, if you have them lying around, basically almost anything goes here. I may try it with some Swiss Chard next time. And of course it's always good topped with my fave, eggs!

I think it's safe to say this was a winner with me. Enjoy!

Yet Another Breakfast For Dinner

If you are a regular reader you know I am a fan of eggs and an eve bigger fan of breakfast for dinner. Awhile back I read this post by one of my favorite bloggers Molly from Orangette. Now I'll state up front I'm not the best when it comes to eating my veggies. I know I should, but it's rare that I'd ever crave a big ole plate of greens, but something about this recipe sounded really tasty and it went on my list of things to try.

After a few weeks of too much baking and lots of heavy food I decided it was time to get a bit healthier and work more veggies into our meals, which brought me back to Molly's post. I have never cooked kale or any greens like it before and was excited to try. I adapted the recipe a big to include ingredients I had on hand. As I was organizing my ingredients to prep this I realized that instead of kale I had bought collard greens. At that point I decided that greens are greens and moved ahead with my dish. Which luckily worked out! After some research today I learned that kale and collared greens are actually in the same family and can be swapped out for one another (in this dish anyway) based on what's readily available.

Collard Greens on Toast
serves 4

1 bunch of collard greens - stripped from the ribs and sliced into 1/2 inch ribbons
1 leek - white and light green parts sliced
2 cloves of garlic - thinly sliced
1 pinch crushed red pepper
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
salt & pepper
bakery fresh multigrain bread
halved garlic cloves
4 eggs
olive oil
Parmigiano shavings

1. Place the chopped leeks in a bowl of cold water and toss around with your hands to get any bits of dirt off and the separate the pieces. Drain in a colander, rinse with some more water and pat dry with a paper towel. Repeat the same steps with the collard greens.
2. In a pot heat one Tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Saute the leeks until translucent and tender. Add in the garlic, red pepper and greens, saute until wilted then pour in the chicken broth. Let simmer until tender, tasting to adjust seasoning as you go, approx 30 mins
3. Slice bread into thick slices and toast. While bread is toasting bread fry eggs in olive oil to desired doneness. Rub cut side of garlic on to toast. Spoon a generous helping of greens onto toast with a bit of extra chicken broth. Top with fried egg and parmigiano shavings.

This is a very basic dish that is packed with tons of flavor. While you could easily simmer the greens in water, the chicken broth really adds so much that I wouldn't recommend anything else. I was a bit nervous serving this to my meat & potatoes guy, but he enjoyed it so much and responded more enthusiastically than he has to dinner in quite awhile. I liked it so much that I reheated some of the greens for breakfast the next morning and I have to say it was one of the most satisfying starts to the day. If you've never been a huge fan of greens, make this dish. I am not sure if it is the slowly simmered greens or the warm yolk all over everything or the garlic toast sopping it all up but this is a hearty, satisfying and oh-so-healthy meal that I think everyone should try at least one. Enjoy!

Raspberry Mascarpone French Toast Strata

This was the perfect breakfast for those weekend mornings when you just want to have a lie-in and relax, but still want a tasty breakfast. It's also good for a crowd. We had this for breakfast on Valentine's morning, the red of the raspberry's made it in the spirit of the holiday and it was something super easy for me to throw together the night before and just pop in the oven Saturday morning.

This recipe was inspired by a Cranberry Lemon French Toast Strata that the fabulous mom of my "adopted" little sister made for the fam when we were all in VT skiing over the Christmas holidays. I don't have the actual recipe but loved the dish so much I decided to create on of my own and I think it was quite successful

Sweet Potato & Turkey Sausage Hash

This is a dish that my sister makes. It's something she saw Rachel Ray make on 30-minutes meals and just kind of threw it together based on that, not following any specific recipe. Since we were allowed starchy foods this week I decided to feed my craving for this tasty breakfast for dinner. When I emailed my sis asking for the recipe, she said there wasn't one and just listed off the ingredients she uses. Here is my version, I think it was pretty good although nothing ever tastes as good as when someone else makes it for you!

Sweet Potato & Turkey Hash
serves 2

2-3 turkey sausage - meat removed from the casing
1 sweet potato - sliced in discs and each disc cut in half
1/2 red onion diced
2 tsps ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
salt & pepper to taste
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 handful of fresh cilantro - roughly chopped
1/2 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used 2% milk cheddar)
4 eggs - I prefer Eggland's Best - sadly my stash of eggs I brought back from the states is almost gone!
mango salsa (recipe below) - optional

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage to skillet and saute until browned.
2. Add sweet potato, onion, cumin, chili powder, salt & pepper. Lower heat to medium low and cover cooking until the potatoes are cooked all the way thorough, turning occasionally.
3. When the potatoes and sausage have cooked through, stir in the chopped cilantro and dump the whole mixture onto a large plate of platter. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and cover loosely with aluminum foil, to melt cheese and keep the has warm while you cook your eggs.
4. Cook eggs as desired, I like mine over easy my sis always had hers scrambled.
5. Serve 1/2 of the hash topped with 2 eggs and mango salsa (or any other salsa of your choosing)

Mango Salsa

1/2 fresh mango - diced
1 slice large red onion - diced
1 garlic clove - minced
small handful fresh cilantro - roughly chopped
1/4-1/2 jalapeno - finely diced
juice of one lemon or lime (I only had lemons on hand so that's what I used)
salt & pepper to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and gently toss to combine. Let sit for at least 30 mins for the flavors to meld.


This dish is technically South Beach friendly, although your should probably have a side salad or a side of green veggies along with it. The sis always topped it with the fresh mango salsa you can buy at the grocery store in LA, we really liked Santa Barbara Mango & Peach salsa. That's not available in my grocery store in Toronto and since mangoes were on sale last week I just made my own. I threw it together as the hash was cooking and was very pleased with the results. I'll use lime juice next time, but the lemon was quite good in a pinch. While you can also use a fresh tomato salsa as a topper, the sweetness of the mango really compliments the spice in the hash and I recommend using it if it's available at the store or you want to make your own.

This meal is perfect for anything from breakfast to brunch to dinner. It's great on a cold day as it's really hearty and a twist on my favorite corned beef hash (quite a bit healthier too). The boy liked it, which is always the big test when I make things that are outside his comfort zone, and I hope you will too. Enjoy!

Breakfast for dinner

Since I have a slow cooker that is far too big for just 2 people because for it to cook properly it needs to filled with a certain amount of food. My slow cooker hold far more food that 2 people can consume in one sitting. So, we ended up with alot of Carnitas leftovers. Since we don't have a microwave and I don't think I can force Mexican on the boy 2 nights in a row. I decided to do a take on one of my favorite breakfasts, corned beef hash and poached eggs. Since poached eggs are gross cold and I was starving by the time we both were able to sit down to eat, there's no picture. Sorry, but you get the recipe which I think is far more important.

Carnitas Hash
serves 2

1 russet potato - cut into 1-inch dice
1 small onion - diced
1/2 red bell pepper - diced
1 clove garlic - minced
1 1/2 cups of Carnitas at room temperature (or any other pulled or diced meat that's already cooked)
salt & pepper to taste
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp (or more) olive oil

1. Heat skillet over medium low heat. Melt butter with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Once pan is heated and butter is melted add potatoes and cover. Let cook on medium-low heat for 10 to 15 mins, checking a stirring occasionally to cook the potatoes evenly.
2. Once potatoes are tender add in onions, garlic & peppers. You will likely need to add the remaining Tbsp of oil here as the potatoes would have soaked it up and you need a bit of oil to make sure things don't burn. Cover and let cook for 5 mins.
3. Add carnitas to pan and gently mix in with vegetables. Turn heat up to medium and let cook for 5 minutes, without stirring. Flip and cook for another 5 minutes, without stirring. This last step is to get a nice crispy crust on the hash. Serve with poached eggs.

Any kind of meat hash is a great way to deal with leftover meat & potatoes. I used raw potatoes, but it comes together even more quickly if you have leftover baked or roasted potatoes. You can also add whatever vegetables you'd like. I've had it with green peppers before, but since I'm not a fan of green peppers I left them out. I like this dish because it's different every time and something you can have fun with.

I could write here how to poach an egg based on what I was planning on doing, but luckily the boy got home and has poached eggs before and took over that job for me. So it just doesn't seem right to pretend I did that myself, although I found these pretty solid directions on wikiHow.

The boy had never had hash and eggs before and seemed to like this. Poached eggs and hash is on my list of ultimate comfort foods and something I wish I had more often. Enjoy!

BLT Quiche

Since I made the Pear pie last week and my pie crust recipe yields at least 2, almost 3 crusts (probably would be 3 if I was better at rolling it all out!) I had some crust left over this weekend. I was going to make another sweet pie, but the sis requested a quiche and since I haven't yet made a traditional quiche, I decided to try it out. We had some bacon leftover in the fridge and a large assortment of cheese so I figured I would make a quiche that would use up some things we already had. I found this recipe for a Ham, Leek & 3-cheese Quiche that I used for my initial inspiration and combined it with this one for Madame Quiche's Quiche au Fromage.

Bacon Leek & Tomato Quiche

1 pie crust
5 strips of bacon - slices into 1/2" pieces
3 leeks - white & light green parts cut in half and sliced to 1/4" pieces
7 grape tomatoes - halved
1 cup of shredded Gruyere
1 cup of shredded Monterey Jack
1 cup of grated Parmesan
16 oz creme fraiche
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 large eggs

1. Roll out pie crust and place into a 9" deep dish pie plate. Crimp edges and poke bottom with a fork or sharp tipped knife. Place in the freezer for 30 mins. (Doing this makes a huge difference in the flakiness of the crust)
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line the pastry with aluminum foil and pastry weights and bake in the bottom third of the oven until the pastry is golden at the edges, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove the aluminum foil and pastry weights. Return the pastry to the oven to bake until the bottom is golden, an additional 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and reserve. Lower oven to 350 degrees.
3. Place sliced leeks in cold water and mix them with your hands, to clean and separate the pieces. Drain in a colander and pat dry.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and cook the bacon pieces until crisp and brown. Remove bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon to drain on a paper towel, leaving the bacon renderings in the pan. Lower the heat to medium/medium-low and saute the leeks until tender, approx 8-10 minutes.
5. Line the bottom of the pie crust with the bacon pieces, they may overlap. Toss cheeses together and sprinkle on top of the bacon. Top cheese with the leeks.
6. Whisk together the eggs, nutmeg and pepper until combined. Add in the creme fraiche and whisk until smooth.
7. Carefully pour the egg mixture into the pie shell. Moving the leeks and cheese as necessary to allow for even distribution of the mixture. Top with the halved grape tomatoes, cut side up.
8. Cover the quiche with aluminum foil, being careful not to let the foil touch the egg mixture. Place on a cookie sheet and into the oven heated to 350 degrees.
9. Bake for 1 1/4- 1 1/2 hours until center of filling is puffed and set (center will be slightly wobbly but not liquid). Allow to cool for 20-30 minutes before serving.

I made this right before the sis and I went to the movies for a double feature. So when I got home I topped it with some extra Gruyere and popped it back in the oven to heat up and let the cheese melt. I love how easy quiche is and much like fritatta is a great way to use up extra things you have in the fridge.

Huevos Rancheros

I was out of town last weekend and am leaving town again on Friday. I fully expected not to post anything until later next week, but my thrown together dinner of Huevos Rancheros looked and tasted too good not to share. Living in Southern California there is great Mexican everywhere you go and Huevos Rancheros is a staple on most breakfast/brunch menus, that being said I often make them at home for dinner. It's a really great and hearty meal that is honestly perfect anytime of day if you ask me.

Huevos Rancheros
serves 2

4 eggs
1 15oz can of black beans
1/2 small red onion chopped
1 clove of garlic chopped
2 tsp olive oil separated
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 tbsp salsa (whichever you like best, I used Santa Barbara Peach Mango Salsa)
4 soft corn tortillas

1. Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a small sauce pan. Saute chopped garlic until translucent. Add chopped red onion and saute for 3 mins. Add black beans to saucepan. Simmer on medium low for 15 minutes
2. When the beans are 5 minutes from being done, heat the remaining tsp of olive oil in a frying pan over medium high. Place one corn tortilla in the pan, let heat up for approx 1-2 mins, then flip over. Add a second tortilla on top, using it to soak the excess oil of the first tortilla. Flip the tortilla stack and replace the original tortilla with a new one. Repeat this process until all four tortillas are heated and soft. Place on a plate and over with a towel to keep warm.
3. Spray Pam in the frying pan and heat over medium heat. Put two eggs in the frying pan let cook until approximately halfway done (I like a standard sunny side up egg here, so I cook until the white is mostly cooked). Put 2 tbsp salsa and 1/4 cup shredded cheese on top of eggs. Cover pan and cook on low until egg is done to desired doneness and cheese is melted.
4. Place two tortillas on a plate and top with eggs, salsa & cheese.
5. Repeat steps 3 & 4 with the remaining ingredients.
6. Top with sour cream and chopped cilantro as desired. (I didn't have either but my dinner was tasty nonetheless)

This recipe is great because it can be modified with whatever cheeses and salsas you like or have on hand. It's traditionally made with a basic fried eggs, but would be great with scrambled too. Since I've lived in Southern California I almost always have corn tortillas and black beans, two things that last for awhile, making this an easy meal to throw together. Enjoy!

Crustless Quiche

Based on the frequency of breakfast & brunch postings, it's clear that I am a fan of the weekend brunch. This past weekend I had some girlfriends over and we did a pot luck brunch and watched The Notebook, becasue (gasp!) two of my friends hadn't seen it. It was my ideal Sunday morning/afternoon, good food, good friends and a movie. I found a recipe on Simply Recipes for Cheesy Crustless Quiche and while I have finally made good pie crust, I am always on the lookout for low-carb versions of my favorite dishes. I really loved this dish, and will be making it again for sure. I subbed extra sharp cheddar for the swiss, because I still had a ton of it left over from my Mac & Cheese recipe contest experiments and I forgot to pick up green onions when I was at the store, so I improvised with Italian Seasoning. Recipe below, with my edits in purple:

Cheesy Crustless Quiche Recipe
from Simply Recipes
serve 8

1/2 stick of butter (1/4 cup)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cups milk
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
5 eggs
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
6 ounces shredded Swiss cheese (I used extra sharp cheddar)

3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onions (I used Italian Seasoning)
3 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled
6 cherry tomatoes, cut in half (I used grape tomatoes)

1 Melt the butter in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Stir in flour; cook, stirring until bubbly. Gradually add the milk; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens. Remove from the heat; set aside to cool, about 15-20 minutes.
2 Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine cottage cheese, baking powder, salt and mustard; set aside.
3 Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Slowly add the cream cheese, the cottage cheese mixture and the milk/flour sauce. Fold in the Swiss (Cheddar) and Parmesan cheeses.
4 Pour into a buttered 10" pie plate. Sprinkle the top with chopped green onions (Italian Seasoning) and crumbled bacon. Arrange tomato halves, cut side up, around the top. Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes, until puffy and lightly browned. A knife inserted into the center of the quiche should come out clean. Let rest for 15 minutes, serve.

I am looking forward to trying this recipe again with other cheeses and other fillings, although my tasters really loved the bacon and tomatos in this one. I think I may try one with some goat cheese and red peppers or maybe ham & gruyere. The possibilities are endless!

The other girls brought Mimosas, tasty cut up nectarines and plantains.

Another Tasty Brunch

My boyfriend was in town this past weekend and one of our things it breakfast & brunch. It's both of our favorite meals and we always take turns making it for each other. He's got your traditional eggs and bacon down so well that I don't even attempt anymore. So I looked through my Rachel Ray Get Togethers Cookbook and decided to use one of her brunch menus. Since I was young I have LOVED french toast and this one is pretty fabulous. As opposed to buying sausage or bacon, I decided to try out the recipe for sausage patties and make my own. The french toast called for stale bread, but as I wasn't planning on making this and we rarely have bread in the house, I opted for fresh french bread which worked well. Although it's nice to know that the recipe offers a good use for the leftover bread from a previous night's dinner.

Pain Perdu - Lost Bread a.k.a. French Toast
Serves 2-3

2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in a splash of water
1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I used already ground nutmeg)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I added this because in my opinion French Toast should always have cinnamon)
8 slices stale white bread or 6 slices thick cut stale bread (I used 6 slices fresh French Bread)
Butter, for griddle pan

1. Preheat nonstick griddle or skillet over medium heat.
2. Beat eggs very well, add sugar and beat again.
3. Add cornstarch in water and beat that in, then add milk and nutmeg.
4. Coat bread thoroughly in egg-milk mixture.
5. Lightly butter hot pan with butter nested in paper towels. Add bread to the pan and cook slowly, 3 or 4 minutes on each side, 2 to 3 slices at a time.
6. Serve hot with your favorite toppings or Three Berry Compote.


Three Berry Compote

1/2 cup sugar
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup water
1 pint strawberries, sliced
1 cup raspberries
1 cup blackberries
1/4 cup maple syrup or honey

1. Combine sugar, lemon and water in a small sauce pot.
2. Over moderate heat, dissolve sugar into water.
3. Stir in fruit, coating it in sugar water and bring the fruit and water to a bubble.
4. Reduce heat and simmer 7 or 8 minutes.
5. Remove fruit with a slotted spoon to a serving dish and add maple syrup or honey to the pan.
6. Thicken syrup 5 minutes and pour over fruit.
7. Serve with French toast, pancakes or waffles.

Maple Fennel Country Sausage Patties
Serves 2-3

1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 pound ground pork
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil

1. Combine salt and pepper, fennel in the bottom of a bowl.
2. Add pork and mix to combine spices.
3. Pour 2 tablespoons maple syrup over the pork and work the meat again to combine the maple syrup.
4. Form meat into patties, 2 to 3 inches round.
5. Cook patties in 1 tablespoon oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat 4 or 5 minutes on each side.
6. Drain sausage patties on towel lined plate, then serve.

This was the first complete meal I've made from my Rachel Ray cookbook and it was actually extremely easy and quick. I didn't time myself, but in the past I have tried her recipes and felt that they took longer than the advertised 30 minutes. This was probably pretty close to the 30 minute mark, all said and done. This is a great brunch if you want something hearty and tasty and if you want to impress someone.

Weekend Brunch

This weekend my sister had some friends in town, giving me the perfect excuse to make a tasty brunch before we went to the beach. We are both trying to be carb-conscious so I decided to make a frittata. I love frittatas because they are so easy to make and yet guests are generally impressed by them. Brunch isn't completely without some tasty home fries, which I had to make for our guests, and of course mimosas.

For my frittata I don't follow any specific recipe, I have read quite a few different ones and use elements from each to put mine together.

The recipe is below:

Frittata
serves 6-8

10 large eggs
1/4 cup milk (approximately)
4 hot Italian turkey sausages
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 small onion, sliced
1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
5-6 oz ciliegine sized mozzarella (small cherry tomato sized mozzarella balls) halved
2 Tbsps extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsps unsalted butter
1/3 cup grated parmigiana
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat over to broil. Heat a saute pan to medium high with 1 tbsp olive oil. Remove sausage from casing, break up with a spatula and brown, approx 5 mins or until cooked all the way through. Once cooked remove sausage to paper towels to drain and cool.
2. Wipe out pan, return to heat and heat 2 Tbsps butter and 1 tbsp oil to medium. Once pan is heated add onions and peppers. Cook slowly until the onions begin to caramelize and the peppers soften.
3. In a large bowl beat the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Add parmigiana and basil. Beat to combine.
4. Heat a large non-stick oven-safe pan to medium high. Melt 1 Tbsp of butter. Add the sauteed vegetables to the pan. Pour the egg mixture over the veggies. Add the sausage, evenly spreading through the eggs.
5. As the eggs start to set-up, gently pull the eggs from the side of the pan, letting the uncooked eggs flow to the edges. When the eggs are cooked approx halfway (the center is still slightly liquid and the top is very soft), top with mozzarella and carefully move the pan to the heated oven. The rack should be in the middle of the oven, not right below the broiler.
6. The frittata should cook until the cheese melts and the eggs are cooked all the way through. The top will start to turn a nice golden color. This will take approx 5-10 mins.
7. Remove pan from the oven (Be careful of the hot pan handle) and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan to a cutting board or platter. Cut into 8 wedges and serve.

Once you are comfortable making frittatas the possibilities are endless for the filling. I also like pancetta, Gruyere and tomatoes. If you decide to use tomatoes I advise cutting them at least and hour before you need them, salting them and letting the excess juice drain on paper towels. You don't want any extra liquid mixing in with the eggs.

I find that brunch, is not complete without home fries (even if I'm not eating them). I make mine with diced potatoes (approx 1-2 inch dice), chopped onions & garlic and tons of salt pepper, cooked nice and slow until they are golden brown and crispy. This can take up to an hour to get right so start them early! Just enjoy a great cup of coffee or a tasty mimosa (made with orange tangerine juice for extra sweetness) while cooking and the time will fly.

Enjoy!