Family Bites

Overnight Gingerbread Pancakes

It's entirely possible that these pancakes may end up being what I serve to my family on Christmas morning. I didn't set out to find a new recipe for this year, but after a late night trip to the library with Ben last week we returned home with arms full of hockey and gingerbread books, and the second I spotted the recipe for pancakes I knew I was a goner.

Did you know that there is an entire book dedicated to all things gingerbread. Not the colourful candy cabins, but rather cakes, cookies, dessert and candies all infused with a gingerbread-y flavouring. I was smitten. Although the book isn't mine to keep, I've flagged many recipes to try in the coming weeks, and I've already renewed the book to ensure I'll have it with me until the end of December.

What I like about this recipe, besides the cinnamon, ginger, molasses, brown sugar, maple syrup, buttermilk and nutmeg, is that it's prepared the night before you need to make the pancakes. Everything is whisked into a scented batter that perfumes the kitchen, and then is stored in the fridge until morning. Brilliant.

Pancakes are a favourite morning food around here, and I must confess we eat them at least once, usually twice, a week. If I can hold out on making these again until Christmas it will definitely be a holiday miracle. 

Update: A few weeks after writing this post, I won a copy of the Gingerbread book from a fellow blogger. I think it was meant to be!

Overnight Gingerbread Pancakes (adapted from Gingerbread)

• 1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 egg
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons melted butter

Whisk together the flours, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

Whisk together the egg, buttermilk, molasses, maple syrup and butter in a medium mixing bowl until just combined. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and mix together. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight.

In the morning, melt a teaspoon of butter (per batch of pancakes) in a skillet set over medium high heat. Pour 2 tablespoons of batter into the pan for each pancake. Cook for a minute or two, or until bubbles appear on the surface, then flip them over. Cook the other side for the same amount of time.

Remove the pancakes and transfer them to an oven-safe plate.  Store them in a preheated 200 degree oven to keep them warm. To serve, stack pancakes and pierce them with a decorative skewer and a cranberry.  Serve with a side of maple syrup. 

Spring Series: Let's Do Brunch

Happy April!  I finally feel as though I can officially claim it's spring, despite the small amounts of white still covering the ground.

After a long winter, in which many of us cocoon in our homes and hibernate the days away, I feel like spring brings people together again, and back into entertaining mode.  We have Easter, Mother's Day and Father's Day to celebrate, not to mention birthdays, weddings, baby showers, wedding showers and graduations. It's a fun season, and one that offers plenty of opportunity for family gatherings.

This year I'm in love with the idea of brunch entertaining.  In lieu of dinner and evening events, why not gather those you love for a fun mid-morning celebration.  It's cost effective (no alcohol to purchase - unless you're offering mimosas), family friendly, and fun and easy to put together.  

Throughout this month I'm going to be offering recipes, party tips and helpful suggestions for pulling off the perfect brunch this Spring.  By the time Easter comes around you'll be armed with everything you need for your sunrise soiree. This is also the perfect opportunity for me to don my party planner's hat and pass along what I've learned after four years of planning some of the city's most fun events.

Why Quiche?

Quiche is baked tart filled with savoury items, and thickened with eggs.  Easily put together, this is a hearty morning offering that can be made in advance and served room temperature, leaving you more time to mingle with your guests and less time hovering stove-side watching your food.

• Armed with a solid recipe, quiches can be made with a variety of fillings and one of the following bases: 

                        puff pastry (use one roll of frozen dough per quiche)

                        frozen pie crust (one per recipe)

                        phyllo dough (four sheets, as per package directions)

                        Homemade Pate Brisee

• Offer up at least two varieties of quiches when entertaining: one vegetarian and one other option
• Be creative with your fillings.  The swiss chard, sausage and feta combination (recipe below) isn't common, but it's certainly a crowd pleaser.
• I usually get six servings with a quiche (not eight).  Be sure you make enough to offer at least one slice per person.

 

Swiss Chard, Sausage and Feta Quiche

• 1 quiche base (see above)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 bunch swiss chard, trimmed and chopped
• 2/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/3 cup cream or milk
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 400.

Line your pie plate with whichever quiche base you're using and set aside.

Place a skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, and cook the sausage until browned.  Add the Swiss chard and saute until wilted.  Remove from the heat and scatter over the base of the quiche.  Set aside.

Whisk together the eggs, milk/cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Pour the egg mixture over the sausage and chard.  Top with the crumbled feta and place the pie plate on a baking sheet.  

Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until golden brown on the top and the egg mixture has set.  Remove from the oven and allow to rest for at least ten minutes before serving.

 

 

Buttermilk Bacon Biscuits with Maple Butter

I know you need to eat these about as much as we need to get more snow, but I'm sharing them with you because you're going to want them.  Without a doubt.  

These biscuits are just about the best of breakfast all combined into one.  Which is exactly why I came up with them.  I'm hosting a brunch in a few weeks time, and I've decided to test a bunch of new goodies for the day.  It'll be Ben's eleventh birthday, and he loves, loves, loves bacon.  I need a non-messy way to serve him his pork that day, without slapping a pile of pig on a plate, if you know what I mean.  

Now, while they sound perfectly delicious on their own (and really, they are) the icing on the cake - or biscuit - comes in the form of the maple butter that I heavily applied to the baked good.  That's right....think warm buttery and flaky biscuits, peppered with crispy bacon pieces and slathered with a slightly sweet maple butter.  Like I said, all that's good about breakfast together in one little bite.

I've heard the weather man is calling for snow this week.  We don't need it, like we don't really need these biscuits, but we're getting it anyways, so I say go ahead and make these.  I promise, your secret will be safe with me.

Buttermilk Bacon Biscuits with Maple Butter

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
• 1/2 cup butter, frozen and grated
• 8 slices bacon, cooked, cooled and minced

Maple Butter

• 1/2 cup butter, unsalted
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 425.

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper in a medium-sized bowl and whisk together.  Set aside.

Grate the butter on a box grater, and toss it with the flour mixture to create a meal texture.  Pour in the milk and sprinkle with the bacon, and mix together with the end of a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms.

Using an ice cream scoop, or a large spoon, drop biscuits (approximately 8-10) onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.

 

 

French Toast Kebabs

My kids hate French toast.  But they love French toast kebabs.  Completely illogical, wouldn't you agree?

I've written before about the power of change, and I do believe it applies to all foods.  Take something the young people in your house don't like that much, change the presentation and ta-da....a meal that makes them smile.

I do realize that part of the appeal of this new offering could very well be the bacon sandwiched between the cinnamon-vanilla grilled bread.  Even the bananas and cranberries are somewhat tempting.  But isn't that the point?  Take what they don't like, add something that they do, make it look fun and no matter how old they are, they'll be more likely to eat it.

Jackson (now nine) walked into the kitchen this morning, home from school with a tummy ache, and muttered through his half-opened eyes "Oooh, what are those? Can you save me some?"  See what I mean. He even acknowledged that he liked the colour of the cranberries on the skewer.  He hates cranberries. 

But now he likes French toast.  At least if it's served on a stick.

**Complete side note:  How do you spell kebab?  Or is it kabob?  Maybe even kebob?  Please do tell because I can't figure it out.

French Toast Kebabs

• 3/4 cup milk
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 6 slices of French or Italian bread, cut into 1 inch slices
• Optional: assorted fresh and dried fruits, bacon slices

Combine the milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla.  Place the bread in a shallow baking dish and pour the milk mixture over top.  Turn the bread and allow it to soak for 3-5 minutes.

Heat a pan over medium high heat, add some butter and cook the bread, 3 minutes per side or until golden brown and crispy.  Remove from the pan, cut into six pieces and skewer with other items as desired.

Banana Oat and Peanut Butter Smoothie

I still haven't quite made friends with breakfast, although I'm trying.  With a season of hot cereal and grainy pancakes upon us, what's not to love? 

Well, loving breakfast isn't for me, but smoothies?  Well, that's a different story altogether.  And the blended beverage breakfast  inspiration kicked into overdrive recently when I bought the January issue of Whole Living magazine, and spotted an array of fabulous smoothies gracing the front cover.  Green tea and blueberries?  Chamomile and banana?  Orange ginger?  Yes, please. 

You, too, can now access those tempting smoothie recipes, which are now available on the website.  I was so intrigued by two banana varieties in the list, I combined them to come up with this smoothie recipe.  Think oatmeal and banana cookie topped with peanut butter, but in frozen smoothie form. 

And I know what you're thinking. With temperatures hovering as low as they have been this year, who wants to indulge in frosty beverages for breakfast?  Well, try this and I'm sure you'll see it's worth the frozen fingers.

Banana Oat Smoothie

1 frozen banana, cut into chunks

1/2 cup almond milk

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/4 cup large flake oats

2 tablespoons peanut butter

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

Combine all ingredients in a blender, and puree until smooth.

Kids-Choice Breakfast

                  
 

Do you ever let your kids decide, on their own, what to eat for breakfast? 

We've been doing this for about a year now.  Every Wednesday morning in our house is known as "Kids-Choice Breakfast".  The boys choose, and make, whatever they want to eat. 

Do they always make good choices?  No.  Do they always eat what I want them to eat? No.  Do they enjoy being allowed to have a say over what they eat once a week?  Yes! Do I see improvements in what they're choosing for breakfast? Yes! Do I have a hard time keeping my mouth quiet, and my opinions to myself,  when they're making their own morning food?  YES!

But if I don't let them do it, how will they ever know how to make good food choices on their own?  If I always make them eat what I want them to eat, will they learn to eventually eat that way on their own?  Or will they run out and eat the first not-so-good-for-you foods they can find, because they've never been allowed the freedom of choice before?  I don't know the answers to any of these questions, but I do know this is working well, at least for now. 

Besides, how else would I ever learn that eggs, cheese, ketchup, salsa and peanut butter makes for an excellent sandwich filling.

PS - I want the breakfast above.  A granola parfait, enjoyed outdoors, in Paris.

Daylight Savings (and the Homemade Breakfast Sandwich)

Do you have any idea how hard it is to take a decent food photo in the evening?  I'm spending my daylight hours tucked away in an office planning parties for the entertaining elite, and I have to say, it's really inhibiting my ability to take a great picture of something I've cooked.  So, it seems as though I may have to do all of my photography in the mornings (at least until Christmas) in order to capture a little bit of natural light.

Which brings me to today's breakfast.  A simple morning sandwich.  I'm amazed at what people will pay to purchase this exact same thing from their favourite coffee shop.  Yesterday, I spotted something that resembled the photo above, in my local haunt, only it was made with a dry English muffin, microwaved eggs and processed cheese slices, retailing for a whopping $3.89 each.

For my family that would equate to almost $20 for pure rubbish.  The above cost me approximately $7, and we made six sandwiches, not four.  This means that Daddy started his day with a really full tummy, the boys trotted off with some nutritional value tucked in their bellies, and she got to eat too.

This is loaded with chopped spinach which really is my favourite thing to keep stocked in the freezer.  The boys think it's herbs, and really, why bother to correct them.  They love it, devour it and everyone is happy.  And if you're thinking this might make for a great dinner, you're right.  Just make sure you take your pictures in the morning.

Homemade Breakfast Sandwich

• 6 strips of bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled
• 8 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2/3 cup cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 cup chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Fresh grated pepper 
•  6 bagels or English muffins

Preheat the oven to 350.

Combine the eggs, milk, cheese, spinach, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl and beat well.  Pour into a lightly oiled oven-proof pan set over medium-high heat.  Cook for approximately 7 minutes or until the edges have set.  Place the pan in the oven and bake until the top is puffy and golden brown.

Remove the egg from the pan and cut into circles using a 3" cookie cutter or the bottom of a drinking glass.  Place on lightly toasted and buttered bagels and top with hot sauce or ketchup if you like.  Enjoy!

Grilled Peach and Sweet Basil Cornbread Muffins

 

My basil grew!  I could shout these words from the highest of rooftops I'm so darn excited.  

You see, I love the domestic arts.  I love cooking, sewing, knitting and cleaning.  I love organizing and filing and labeling and gardening.  Yes, I really love gardening and the idea behind growing something from baby seedling to large plant, with nothing more than a little sun, water and love. Sounds easy enough, only for me it's never been that simple.  I have no green thumb (more like a black one) and despite my best efforts I massacre almost anything I grow.  

 
  

Until now.  We came home from vacation to discover that my basil had grown.  With actual leaves. And a lot of them at that. 

Yesterday morning I headed out to the garden and cut a big batch of my beloved green leaves.  I needed to prove to myself that I actually did it.  And after assigning 40 leaves to tonight's dinner I pondered over what to do with the rest.  Pesto seemed so pedestrian for my cultivated goodness.  So did salad.  But muffins sounded appealing.  Basil muffins.  Basil muffins with peaches?  Basil muffins with roasted peaches?  I think I found my recipe.

I used my favourite cornbread recipe for the base, two peaches and a handful of basil.  I didn't measure it accurately but you could just use it to your own taste.  I think I ended up with about three tablespoons worth. Plenty to add a nice shock of colour and flavour.

I can't wait to see what else crops up in this little garden of mine.  My thumb just might be changing colour.

Grilled Peach and Sweet Basil Cornbread Muffins

• 2 peaches, pitted and quartered
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• Fresh ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons fresh basil, roughly chopped
• 1 cup medium grain cornmeal
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

Toss the peaches with the olive oil, sea salt and a few grinds of fresh ground pepper and grill.  Roughly chop and set aside.  Allow to cool.*

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Whisk the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and basil in a large bowl to blend.  In a separate bowl combine the milk, honey and egg.

Add the butter to the egg mixture and the egg mixture to the cornmeal mixture.  Do not overmix as you want the batter wet and runny.  Gently fold in the grilled peaches.

Scoop the batter into a greased muffin tin and fill to the top.  Bake for 15-17 minutes.  

*This can be done up to two days in advance.  Just throw the peaches on when you're grilling dinner so you have them ready for when you want to make the muffins.

Breakfast Couscous

I'm always on the lookout for interesting breakfast ideas and this is no exception.  Less time consuming than oatmeal, I'm able to offer something warm and filling in under ten minutes with our new breakfast couscous.

As a tea drinker, I always have a kettle going in the morning (or rather a pot after I lost my kettle in an I-almost-burned-my-house-down episode two weeks ago).  As I wait for the water to boil I put a tea bag in my mug and some whole wheat couscous in a large bowl.  I cover both with water (sometimes adding a bit of juice to the couscous concoction for extra flavour) and drink my tea while I allow the couscous to soften.  We add a smattering of toppings and are ready to go in less time than it would take to cook some frozen waffles. We're talking ten minutes, friends.  Ten!

What interesting breakfasts are you eating these days?  Anything ultra quick and easy? 

Breakfast Couscous, adapted from Mark Bittman

• 3/4 cup whole wheat or regular couscous
• 3/4 cups boiling water
• Assorted toppings: fresh or dried fruits, berries, nuts, raisins, maple syrup, yogurt, honey etc.

Place the couscous in a ceramic or stainless steel bowl.  Top with boiling water and cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel.  Leave until ready to eat (minimum five minutes). 

Add desired toppings (above I used sliced strawberries, sunflower seeds, raisins, assorted nuts and maple syrup).