Mini Egg Soufflées

One weekend morning I was rooting through my fridge to see what I could make Percy and I for breakfast. Next to the fruit bowl was half a whole wheat baguette from the previous night's dinner that had gone stale. It brought to mind this delicious baked breakfast strata that I sometimes make (from Chef at Home) that uses stale bread, eggs, layers of peppers and onions, cheese and ham or bacon, all baked together in a bain marie. But I didn't have over an hour to let it bake, nor did I have on hand some of the ingredients I like to use. So I improvised and came up with these individual portion sized mini soufflées - I hope you enjoy them! They puff of nicely and hold their shape.

These would make the perfect brunch item as you could assemble them ahead of time, just adding the eggs at the last minute.

Mini Egg Soufflées

I baked these in a muffin tin. So when preparing your ingredients think: 1 egg per cup plus 3-4 chunks of bread per cup.

• Stale whole wheat bread, baguette, buns, whatever you have on hand, cut into half inch cubes. Remember that if you are using whole grain bread to expect the flavour of the different grains to impact the overall taste. (You can prepare the bread the night before and leave it out in a bowl so that it goes stale).
• Beaten eggs, one for every cup.
• Freshly grated Asiago, enough to add about 1 heaping Tbsp to each cup.
• Chipotle sauce, a few drops per cup
• Sea salt and pepper

You can of course play with these ingredients. Some to try are:

• Chopped green onions
• Any type of pepper or chile (think bell peppers, roasted peppers, or smoky flavours like chipotles in adobo)
• Chopped olives, any type that you like
• Freshly chopped herbs like oregano, tarragon, basil or dill.
• Bacon pieces
• Sausage slices

I used a silicon muffin tin (seems strange to call it a tin when it's made from silicon!), so I didn't have to grease the cups. If you are using a regular muffin tin, lightly grease or spray the cups with cooking spray.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Arrange 3-4 chunks of bread in each cup (when deciding how much bread to add think about how much room you need for your other ingredients and the egg).

Sprinkle all other ingredients into the cups. Lastly, add one beaten egg to each cup and sprinkle with salt and pepper. (I beat all the eggs together and then just slowly pour into each cup, leveling them all off).

Place in oven and bake for 20-30 minutes or until soufflées are puffed up and and slightly firm to the touch. Using a spoon, pop out each soufflé, plate, and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Deviled Eggs

I love deviled eggs. They are one of those foods I should not be alone with. Like with pizza, my stomach knows no bounds when it comes to how may deviled eggs I could eat! I think that is why they are really called "deviled" eggs!

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Growing up they frequently made an appearance at family functions. And with springtime rolling in, and with BBQs and outdoor parties to attend, here's a recipe you can wow your friends and family with - it's all in the presentation. Deviled eggs are also an economic dish to make - in fact the toppings might be more expensive than the eggs! So get creative with your egg toppings - wouldn't bacon pieces be good?? Just like eggs and bacon! You could even add a little slice of cherry tomato. For more ideas see the recipe below.

I've always wanted a deviled egg tray (you know, the plates with the egg shaped indentations that hold your deviled eggs just right), so please, if you have one - use it!

Deviled Eggs

Makes 12 eggs

The Eggs

• 6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and cut lengthwise.
• ¼ cup mayonnaise or salad dressing (if you use mayo you might want to add a little sugar).
• ½ teaspoon dry ground mustard, yellow mustard, hot, or whole-grain mustard (pick your preference here keeping in mind that your guests may or may not like hot flavours).
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Toppings

• The classic paprika – splurge a little here and get your hands on some good quality paprika, such as Hungarian or Spanish. These can range from delicate to hot, choose whichever one (or two!) that strike(s) your fancy.

• Chopped olives: try high-quality black olives (never buy “California ripened”, they are picked unripe and then treated with chemicals), kalamata or green. For an extra zip try olives stuffed with jalapenos.

• Sundried tomatoes, sliced into small slivers.

• Roasted green chilies or other hot peppers, finely chopped.

• A variety of chopped herbs such as dill, basil or chives.

• Crunchy vegetables such as celery, radish or carrot, finely chopped or slivered.
  
  1. For perfect hard-boiled eggs: Put eggs with enough water to cover them in a saucepan. Cover, bring to a boil, and then turn off heat. Leave the covered saucepan where it is for 12 minutes. Transfer eggs to an ice bath to cool. This will not only quickly cool them, but it will shrink the egg away from the shell to ensure that you get a perfect egg when you peel it!
  
  2. After the eggs have cooled and are peeled, pop out or gently scoop the egg yolks into a small bowl and mash with a fork or beat with an electric mixer until smooth (this is important if you chose to use a piping bag to fill the eggs). Add the other egg ingredients and mix thoroughly. Taste to see if you are happy with the balance of flavors. Using a small spoon or a piping bag, fill the empty egg whites with the mixture. ***Note: using a piping bag really isn't very hard and the results are well worth your efforts. You can usually find one at your supermarket and it will work fine.
  
  3. Cover eggs lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to one day before serving. When ready to serve, arrange eggs on a tray and serve with any of the suggested toppings. You can top them yourself or serve the toppings on the side.

Wine pairing: try a bubbly, a Prosecco, a crisp white wine (ie. Sauvingnon Blanc), or a light and subtle red (ie. Beaujolais). Personally, my favourite pairing would be a dry rosé. Let me know what you think!

Enjoy!

Baniza!

This lovely (yet steamy) picture of Baniza is making my mouth water! I wish I was at home cooking! I've mentioned once before on this blog (see Wild Rice Risotto) our Bulgarian friends, Slavy and Yanko. This is one of Slavy's many great dishes that she makes when we go over to their house for dinner. She's brought this one to work as well and it is always met with a warm reception. And for good reason! This phyllo, yogurt and feta concoction is fabulous! I'm so happy that I now have this recipe, I know you will enjoy it too. Slavy doesn't measure for this one, so I hope my measurements are clear and work out for you. You can always email or post any questions.

Baniza

• 1 pkg phyllo pastry (found in the frozen foods aisle)
• 4-5 eggs, well beaten
• 1 egg, beaten, to brush on top
• 1 1/2-2 cups feta, crumbled
• 1/2 cup or so of plain yogurt
• 1 cup oil (Slavy uses Canola, I think I would use Olive - if not butter!! ha!)

Open up your package of phyllo and open it out so all sheets are stacked and flat.

1. Incorporate the crumbled feta and yogurt into the beaten eggs. Sprinkle a scant 1/4 or so of the egg/feta/yogurt mixture all over the top of the phyllo, followed by a tbsp or 2 of oil. It's ok if not every bit of phyllo is covered, just sprinkle it on and then quickly brush it around with the back of a spoon.
2. Take the two top pieces of phyllo and roll it up - start from the longest side - to form a log. Coil this is up, and place in the middle of the pan. Slavy has this awesome, large pan (featured above in the picture) that she got in Bulgaria. I plan to use my large skillet that is oven proof since I don't have a pan as large as hers. Alternatively, you could cut this recipe in half and use a pie plate. If you look at the picture you can see how it is coiled up.
3. Repeat step 2, coiling the next piece around the centre piece, until the pan is full. If you have leftover phyllo you can always freeze it for another use.
4. Preheat oven to 350° and brush one beaten egg over top of completed baniza to get it golden brown.
5. Bake for 10 minutes uncovered. Cover with foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes until the bottom of the baniza is golden brown. (If unsure, carefully lift one side with a spatula to check).
6. Cut into wedges, serve family style (aka: still in the pan!) and enjoy!

Some variations:

• Use cinnamon, a little sugar, butter and cream cheese or mascarpone for a dessert version.
• Add berries, bananas, apples or pears (but don't use too many).
• Keep it savoury but use a different kind of cheese, add herbs or add some kick with a few chopped up chiles.

Thank you Slavy for sharing this wonderful recipe with us!!!

Stuffed Mushrooms

Mmmmmushroooms! This is one of my favourite recipes. It's quick and easy to put together, can be prepared ahead of time and it incorporates many of my favourite ingredients (herbs and wine!!). Plus, everyone loves them. These took me a few tries to get right so I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Sarah’s Stuffed Mushrooms
Makes 20

· 1 small onion (yellow, white or sweet), diced
· ½ cup bread crumbs
· ½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Asiago cheese
· 100g pancetta, chopped (you can often find this at deli counters, if not use bacon)
· 2 cloves garlic, minced
· 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
· 1 tbsp lemon juice (½ to 1 lemon)
· ½ tsp pepper
· 20 large button mushrooms
· 3 tbsp white wine (a Viognier or Sauvignon Blanc is nice)
· 1 tbsp fresh oregano, finely chooped
· 1 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 425º.

Clean mushrooms by wiping with a damp paper towel. Gently break out entire stem. Reserve ¼ of the stems, trim off the woody ends and dice. Place mushroom caps gills up on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large frying pan. Briefly sauté the pancetta and onions, for about 3 minutes. Add garlic, sauté another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients, including reserved diced mushroom stems.

Once well combined stuff each mushroom so they are heaping.

Bake for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

When it comes time to stuff I generally just use my hands - the ingredients really stick together so you can just mold a little clump of the filling and put it in the mushroom.

I always use Yalumba's Y series Viognier from South Australia for this dish. It's perfect. Enjoy a few stuffed mushrooms with a chilled glass of this great wine and you will have a match made in Heaven. For more information on this wine check it out here, http://www.yalumba.com/vintage.asp?p=154&l=63&v=1965

Enjoy!!

Quinoa Salad

Quinoa (keen-wa or keen-oa) is a grain that I wish I would have learned about earlier in life. This super food (almost a perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids) was known as the "Mother Grain" to the Incas and has been cultivated for more than 5,000 years! Since my boyfriend is half Peruvian we figure this grain definitely has a place in our diet! But even if you don't share the same heritage as quinoa you should really consider giving it a shot if you've never tried it. Here's a recipe, you won't be disappointed:

Quinoa Salad

• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1/2 cup sliced mini sweet peppers (you could use chopped bell peppers instead)
• 1/2 cup black beans (canned or already soaked and cooked)
• juice of 2 limes
• 1/2 cup kale, chopped and lightly sautéed
• half an onion, diced and sautéed until translucent
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• chopped jalapenos or serranos - to taste (optional)

Rinse quinoa well and add to a small saucepan with one cup of water (scant 2:1 water to quinoa - so a little less than double the amount of water to the amount of quinoa). Cover and bring to a boil, reduce heat and let cook until most or all of the water is absorbed and the quinoa pops - it will look like the quinoa grew a little white curly tail - see picture! If you are unsure just give it a taste to see if you like the texture. I have found that cooking quinoa in my rice cooker works really well - if you got one, use it!

Meanwhile, sauté onions first, adding kale when onions are almost done. When the quinoa is finished, drain if necessary and immediately squeeze on the lime juice. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir to combine and serve. This salad is also great cold or reheated. I really like bringing this to work for lunch. The bright colours, varied textures and flavours really appeal to me. The beans make this a hearty and filling dish too. It is just so good for you. Try it today and enjoy!

Vegetable Medley

Well, I called this one "vegetable medley" because it's just one of those "let's see what's in the crisper" side dishes to have with dinner. I always try to use a variety of vegetables in different colours to get the best eye appeal - because I think it is true that you eat with your eyes. Follow up some beautiful looking food with some beautiful flavours and you have a winning combination. If you were to make this after work, or when pressed for time, you could easily have these veggies chopped up beforehand and then just throw it all together...

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Vegetable Medley

For 2

I never really measure in these types of recipes, feel free to add more of whatever you like.

• 2 shallots
• 1/2 lb or so of carrots - I used baby carrots and cut them down the middle
• 1 cup chopped greens - in this case, kale (my favourite!!) Be aware that some greens cook a lot faster than others! I prefer kale because it doesn't get wilty but retains a crunch.
• A quarter of one purple cabbage, shredded
• Juice of 1 lemon
• salt and pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil

Heat a good glug of olive oil over medium heat in a large sauté pan. Add shallots, cook for a couple mintues. Next add carrots and cabbage. Cook, stirring often until slightly tender with a little bit of a bite. Add kale, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Let cook for a few more mintues and voilà, you are done.

If you like a little heat try adding some crushed chile peppers or some chopped fresh chiles.

Enjoy!

Gnocchi di Ricotta

Mmmmm...
gnocchi. Besides homemade chicken soup when you are sick or the odd box of KD (c'mon, admit it, most Canadians still love Kraft Dinner, even after they are no longer twelve!) there's not much that' s more comforting than a big bowl of saucy gnocchi. And so versatile! This version is features ricotta and is baked with Asiago and marinara sauce. I've done other versions too, such as herbed gnocchi using basil and oregano with a pesto sauce loaded with garlic. Whatever your mood there's a gnocchi for you!

Gnocchi should be light and airy and not heavy and chewy. Despite this, I don't find it very hard to make, just use a light hand and don't overcook it.


























As you can see from the pictures, after the dough is made you roll it into little logs that you then cut "pillows" from. At this point some would roll it down a gnocchi board or down the tines of a fork to give it perfect impressions. Well, instead of these methods I take the end of the handle of a wooden spoon and lay it across, making a little channel with a deep spot in the middle. This little impession will nicely collect a good dollop of sauce on your gnocchi, making each bite a as good as the next. Check out the picture of my "Army of Gnocchi" to see what I mean.


And now, for the recipe:

Gnocchi di Ricotta
Serves 4, with leftovers

• 1/4 cup durum semolina
• 3 1/4 cups flour
• 1 medium yellow potato
• 2 eggs, lighly beaten
• 1/4 cup grated Asiago or Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 lb ricotta
• 1/4 cup Asiago
• 1/2 tsp olive oil
• salt and pepper

Bake or boil the potato. When cooked and cooled peel and break up with a fork until you have tiny uniform sized bits. Add this to a medium sized mixing bowl. To this add the flour and stir to combine.

Next, add the lightly beaten eggs, the ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano and some salt and pepper. Mix the ingredients, using your hands (no rings!) to form a dough. Transfer to a lightly floured working surface and gently knead for a few minutes, gradually adding the durum semolina, until you form a nice soft dough that is slightly tacky but doesn't stick to your hands. I find that the gnocchi is easier to work with having a bit of the durum semolina added.

Divide dough into 4 peices. Roll each piece into a ball, roll into a log and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. You may find it easier if you divide the dough into more pieces as you will have smaller logs to shape.

Impress the end of a wooden spoon handle into each gnocchi making a little dent.

Preheat oven to 350° (if you are planning on baking the gnocchi). Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the tsp of olive oil and the gnocchi. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until gnocchi rises to the surface of the pot. Drain. At this point you can serve the gnocchi with the sauce of your choice or you can mix is up with your sauce, sprinkle with the Asiago and bake, uncovered for 10 minutes.

Serve this with a Dolcetto, Côte-de-Rhones or pinot noir and Enjoy!