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!

.

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!

Eggs, Hashbrowns and Chard - A Weekend Breakfast

What defines a relaxing weekend for you? Some like to get up early and go for a walk, others like to sleep in. While I enjoy a full complement of weekend activities, making a nice breakfast and a good cup of coffee is up there.


I pretty much cook my eggs the same every time, in the same way my mom always cooks eggs when we are at our family cabin: basting. Until recently I had no idea that what she was doing was "basting", I just knew that it was a great method to use when there are many mouths to feed. Plus, you more often than not end up with perfect eggs.

I so often find that breakfasts involve no veggies, unless you are of course having an omelet with veggies. Sometimes we go English and have fried tomatoes, but other than that it is all proteins, grains and fruit (and of course fats, but whatever). Considering Percy doesn't eat enough veggies I have to get them in whenever and wherever the opportunity presents itself. Of course, making sure your veggies are super tasty helps in getting them down. If not, I'd have to resort to the airplane method: "Vvvrrr......open the hatch, it's coming in!" Now, what 35 year old doesn't like that?! (LOL).


So, without further ado, here's how it's done.....


Basted Eggs

This method is slightly different from my mother's and also from some other recipes I've come across. But, I can promise you that this method works very well.


Based on 4 eggs.

In a medium to large sized lidded skillet heat 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil over medium heat.

Once oil is hot carefully crack in the eggs. Salt and pepper the eggs.

Once the eggs turn white, pour in a little water, paying special attention to the space between the eggs. Cover. At this point you want to cook the eggs until they are to your liking. Right before they are done I always loosen them up with a spatula - the water helps loosen them too.

Once done, remove from heat and serve immediately.






Sautéed Swiss Chard

And here's where the greens come in. If you have everything chopped up and set aside you can cook this up while the eggs are cooking.

• Swiss chard, about 4 stalks, chopped
• 2-3 shallots, diced
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (approx. juice of 1 lemon)
• Salt and pepper
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  

Heat olive oil in a medium to large sized skillet over medium heat.

Once oil is hot add the shallots and sauté for 2 minutes, or until translucent.

Add the chard and reduce the heat to medium-low or slightly higher. Stir frequently for 1 minute then add the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Let it all bubble, stirring frequently, for another minute or 2. You do NOT want the chard to be too soft, it should retain a little crunch. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Homemade Hashbrowns

Now this is my favourite part. I love a good potato, in any form. The more the merrier.

• 2-4 potatoes, depending on size and appetite, scrubbed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425°.

In a medium sized saucepan cover cut potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.

Drain water and add olive oil, salt and pepper. Replace lid and shake to coat potatoes.

Pour out into a rimmed baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes, flip potatoes, and bake for another 15-20 minutes. Bake until desired doneness/crispiness.

Other than that, I just heated up some baked beans, just because I love baked beans at breakfast. Serve with juice, freshly brewed coffee, and a smile....enjoy!