cheesy egg bake + oatmeal brown sugar scones

I love breakfast - almost as much as this blog I just discovered - xo breakfast. Let me count the ways... maple syrup, fruit, oatmeal, pyjamas, mimosas, coffee, sunshine, radio, sleeping in, warm baked goods, old episodes of the colbert report, orange juice, waffles, jam, butter. I could go on. It's my favorite meal of the day, hands down.

cheesy egg bake
You can switch up the vegetables and cheese for whatever you have available. Serves two, increase for more people.

olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup mixed peppers, large dice
handful of kale, stemmed and torn into chunks
handful of mixed herbs, chopped (I used lemon thyme, parsley and oregano)
2 eggs
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

Heat a swirl of olive oil in a pan. Preheat the oven to 400. Cook onions and garlic in olive oil, until translucent. Add peppers and kale, and cook another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in chopped herbs. Turn off heat. Grease two large ramekins with olive oil (the 2-cup kind is best). Divide the vegetables between the two ramekins, and make an indentation for the egg. Crack the egg into the indent, and top with grated cheese. Bake for around 10 minutes, until the egg is cooked to your liking.

Alternately, you could make this in a cast iron frying pan - just cook the veg in the pan on the stovetop, make indentations for eggs, then transfer the whole thing to the oven. (I just love the individual ramekins for purely aesthetic reasons.)

oatmeal and brown sugar scones
From this post on xo breakfast. Makes 6 scones.


3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 c cup + 2 tbsp rolled oats
1/4 cup brown sugar plus extra for sprinkling
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 tbsp cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, mix the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt together. Use your fingertips to rub in the butter until the mixture looks like large crumbs. Stir in the milk. Turn the dough out onto the pan and pat it into a rectangle. Cut in six and spread them out about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes.

I ate mine with Blueberry Ginger Jam from Food in Jars, and Ginger Butter (crystalized ginger + butter pulsed in the food processor).

mushroom, kale and thyme quiche

Here's a rustic tart-like quiche for winter. Quiches are a great recipe to make ahead for breakfast or lunch. This one is gluten-free, and would go beautifully with a winter slaw or some greenhouse greens. The crust was inspired by this posting on the Wednesday Chef. 

mushroom, kale and thyme quiche with a cornmeal crust
(filling)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced thinly
A handful of mushrooms, sliced
Splash of white wine
A handful of kale, stemmed and cut in ribbons
A few springs of thyme
Salt and pepper
(crust)
3 cups boiling water
1 tsp salt
1 cup cornmeal
A few springs of thyme

1/2 cup grated parmesan
1 egg
(custard)
1 cup yogurt
2 eggs
salt and pepper
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/2 cup cheddar, cut in small cubes

Preheat the oven to 350. Start heating the olive oil in a pan. Add the onions, and sauté for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, put the 3 cups of water and salt on to boil. Back to the onions - add the mushrooms, and sauté on low heat for another 10 minutes. When the water boils, add the cornmeal in a slow stream, whisking to prevent lumps. Cook for a few minutes, until thick. Strip thyme leaves from springs and stir in. Beat in egg and parmesan. Set aside to cool.

Back to the onions again. Turn the heat up to medium, and deglaze the pan with the white wine. Add in kale, thyme leaves, salt and pepper. Cook until kale is wilted. Set aside.

Stir together the yogurt, eggs, salt and pepper in a bowl. Set aside. Now, press the cornmeal into a greased pie plate, shaping into a crust. Scatter the cheddar across the bottom, then spread the onion/mushroom mixture on top. Finally, pour over the yogurt and egg mix. Grate 1/2 cup parmesan over the whole quiche. Bake for 45 minutes. Let cool for at least a 1/2 hour before slicing. 

vegetarian carbonara

Carbonara, whatever kind of noodle you choose, usually has bacon, parmesan and eggs. Yes, eggs! That creamy sauce is created not with cream, but by stirring eggs into hot, cooked pasta (although if you order carbonara outside of Italy, it probably has cream in it). Here's a delicious recipe I found by way of 101 Cookbooks January favourites list - Pasta with Greens "Carbonara" from Gilt Taste.

(The byline says it's for bacon lovers, but without bacon; because as any vegetarian will tell you, if they were forced to eat meat, they would choose bacon. It's been the undoing of many a herbivore.)

espresso chili, cheddar cornbread and kale slaw

Here's a great winter menu: hearty, rich espresso chili, with a crispy cheddar cornbread for dipping, followed by a wintery and fresh kale slaw

Who doesn't want a big bowl of chilli after a weekend of skating and sledding? Well, no sledding yet, still waiting for that snow, but I've definitely been breaking in my new hockey skates.

This chili is a nice departure from plain old tomato-chili powder-onions fare. Every time I make a staple dish (vegetable stew, quiche, squash soup), I like to try out a new flavour combination or recipe. It keeps things interesting! This one is from David Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. The cornbread is also from his cookbook, but I added cheese, corn and green onions to spice things up.


(Even my cat thinks it smells delicious.) The kale slaw is from the Moosewood Collective's Cooking for Health, except I used my own favourite salad dressing instead of their suggestion. Like other vinaigrette coleslaws, it keeps well in the fridge for a few days.


espresso chili
3 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp chili powder
1 can diced or crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup strong coffee or espresso
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cinnamon stick
2 cups dried pinto or black beans, soaked overnight and cooked
(or 2 14-oz cans of cooked beans, rinsed)
salt and pepper to taste


In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, and cook 5 minutes. Add garlic and chili powder, and cook another minute. Add tomatoes, coffee, brown sugar, cinnamon, beans, salt and pepper. Simmer for 1 hour, covered, on low heat, stirring every once in a while. Serve with this delicious cornbread...

cheddar cornbread
2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cup buttermilk or yogurt
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 green onion, minced
1 cup frozen corn kernels

If you have a cast iron skillet, use it! Preheat the oven to 350, and pop the skillet in the oven with the butter. (Preheating the skillet with help develop a crispy, buttery crust.) If you don't have a skillet, grease a 9x9 pan with the butter. Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, beat together the egg and buttermilk. Combine the flour mixture and the egg-milk mixture. Stir until just combined. Stir in cheese, onion and corn. Pour into skillet or pan, and bake for 20-25 minutes, until a fork comes out clean and the edges are browned.

kale slaw
1 apple, grated
1 carrot, grated
1/4 head of cabbage (about 1 cup grated)
4 or 5 large dino (aka black) kale leaves, stems removed, sliced finely
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp grainy mustard
salt and pepper

In a bowl, combine apple, carrot, cabbage and kale. You want to kale and cabbage sliced as finely as possible - use a grater attachment on a food processor, or a mandolin if you have one. In a jar, combine oil, vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, salt and pepper. Close the jar, and shake to help emulsify the dressing. Pour over salad, mix, and let sit at room temperature for half an hour. This helps soften the kale and cabbage.

kale and oregano pesto

Around this time in the fall, I realize I should have been using my fresh herbs far more than I have been, because now they are all going to die, and it's going to be a long winter.

Sigh. Hindsight is 20/20.

This is an attempt to recreate that awesome pesto made by Sunflower Kitchen (you know that brand, the one that makes the best spicy hummus and delicious zesty pesto). This is almost as good. Play around with the amounts until you get the flavour you like.


Kale and Oregano Pesto

2 cups chopped kale
1 cup fresh oregano
about 1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
2 garlic cloves
salt

Combine everything except the olive oil in a food processor. While it's turned on, add the oil in a slow stream. Add a few tablespoons of water if it's not runny enough. Store it in the fridge for a few weeks - a layer of olive oil on the surface will keep it from discolouring.

Spiked Olive Oil

Not spiked with booze, but with flavour! This is adapted from 101 Cookbook's Magic Sauce. And by adapted, I mean I was missing ingredients, so I substituted others. Flavoured olive oil is a great start or finish to any meal - you can use it to start off whatever you're making (eggs, sautéed vegetables, croutons), or finish off a meal by drizzling it on top. Any herbs, spices or flavourings can be added to olive oil to spruce it up; try keeping a jar in your fridge.

Spiked Olive Oil

1/2 cup olive oil
1 tbsp each fresh rosemary, sage and oregano
Juice and zest from 1 lemon
1 tbsp paprika
1 crumbled bay leaf
pinch of red pepper flakes
salt and pepper

Gently heat the olive oil on medium heat. Finely chop the herbs. Remove the oil from the heat, and stir in all other ingredients. Store in the fridge for a few weeks.

 Here it is, in its element, finishing off a poached egg with kale and caramelized onions.

the mysteries of pie dough

It worked! It seems so difficult, so complicated, something left to pastry chefs and grandmas, but don't let that pie crust fool you: it's not so hard, and it will make you look like an expert. Plus, it will  always taste a million times better than that freezer pie crust (with its perfect scalloped edges and cardboard flavour). 

Was this the key to my success? The ice water? Who knows, but I followed the recipe exactly, and it made a crusty, flaky and light crust. Here's what went in the crust: a Leek and Kale Tart, from fiveandspice on Food52. 

Leek and Kale Tart

(This time I used the cornmeal crust from the original recipe, but it's pretty labour intensive, so next time I might use another, quicker crust, or even make it crustless. Try a mashed potato crust, recipe here.)

3 leeks, thinly sliced, light green and white parts only

1 tbsp olive oil

1 bunch of kale, stemmed and chopped into ribbons

3 cloves of garlic

1 cup gruyere cheese, grated

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup yogurt

2 eggs

salt and pepper

prepared pie crust

Preheat oven to 350. Heat oil in a pan. Add the leeks, and sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes. Turn heat down, and continue to cook the leeks for another 10 minutes. Add kale and garlic, and a 1/4 cup of water. Cook another 5 or 10 minutes, until the kale is cooked. Remove from heat, and stir in cheese, lemon juice, yogurt and eggs. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Put filling in pie crust of choice. Bake for 35 minutes. 

dinner for one

While my significant other is off travelling the world, I'm stuck making meals for one. It can be daunting (and so tempting to resort to eating things out of a bag... or the freezer... or just getting take out). Here's a solution that can be gourmet, delicious and only takes as long as your favourite pasta takes to cook.

Switch it up, and use whatever's in your fridge. With some tasty cheese and fresh herbs, any pasta dish can be restaurant-worthy.

Linguine with Kale and Tomatoes
Handful of linguine
Kale, stemmed and torn up
Olive oil
A few garlic cloves, minced
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Olives, pitted
Basil and oregano, chopped
Salt and pepper
Parmesan reggiano

Cook the pasta in well-salted, boiling water. While the pasta is cooking, heat some olive oil in a pan. Add garlic, and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Throw in the tomatoes, olives and herbs, and cook for another few minutes. When the pasta is almost done, add the kale leaves to the pasta water. Drain pasta and kale, and add to pan with tomato mixture. Toss, season with salt and pepper. Top with cheese! Only fifteen minutes to a gourmet meal for one.

orange tempeh and kale

Well, it's been a while since I wrote anything, but one of my classes today made me reflect on the importance of finding just a few moment to write for yourself every once in a while. So, while I may not have time to write out a new recipe, here's one I've been making a lot from the beautiful 101 Cookbooks blog - Orange Pan-Glazed Tempeh. Every time I make it, I modify it a bit, perhaps throwing in whatever vegetables I have around. Today it was a wintery mix of cabbage, kale and swiss chard. Seriously, there's still kale and swiss chard growing in my garden! It will be a christmas miracle if it's still there in four weeks. I've made some makeshift cold frames with old windows.

And since I have nothing else new, have a look at some of the excellent blogs in my list to the right!