Oven-Baked Bacon

Bacon is one of my weaknesses. For years, I was a vegetarian, but secretly, on Saturday mornings when T and I would go out for breakfast, I would indulge in a few strips of bacon. There's something about the saltiness of it that I crave and it just completes a Saturday morning breakfast.

But no matter how much I loved bacon, I rarely made it myself. I found it super messy and I hated that hot oil always popped up and burned me and covered my stove top. Baking my bacon though has changed all of this. It is a foolproof way to cook bacon and I always  have perfectly cooked, non-curly bacon that has an easy clean up. The other great thing is that it is one less thing I have to watch on the stove when I am making eggs, pancakes and vegetables. 

Oven-Baked Bacon

Ingredients

• strips of your favourite bacon

Directions

• Line a baking sheet with tinfoil and place a cooling rack on top.
• Lay strips of bacon out on cooling rack in a single layer and put in centre rack of oven. Turn oven on to 400 degrees (do not preheat) and bake for 18-20 minutes or until bacon has reached desired crispness.
• Remove tray from oven and transfer bacon strips to a plate lined with paper towels to remove excess grease.

Eggnog Pancakes

It's eggnog season! Every year, I buy one delicious litre of eggnog, to enjoy during the holiday season. This year, I wanted to find some creative ways to cook with it, so for Pancake Sunday, I subbed in eggnog in my standard buttermilk pancake recipe. The result was a pancake that tasted a lot like french toast. They were light and fluffy and a great new way to use up that extra nog!

Eggnog Pancakes

Makes 12-14 

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups eggnog
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg (cinnamon would work too)
• some butter to grease the skillet

Directions

• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
• In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with the eggnog and melted butter.
• Using a spatula, combine the dry and wet ingredients to make a thick, lumpy batter, being careful not to over mix.
• In a non-stick skillet, melt some butter over medium heat. Ladle 1/3 cup batter into hot skillet. Do not overcrowd the skillet because the pancakes will puff up and out as they cook.
• When bubbles appear on the surface of the pancakes, and the edges begin to brown, flip the pancakes and cook the other side. 
• Smother with maple syrup and a dollop of whipped cream.

Asparagus and Swiss Quiche

One of the hardest things about serving brunch to a group, is that so many things need to be done at the last minute: eggs, bacon, pancakes. One recipe I discovered last year and has made a number of showings at the brunch table, is sausage and vegetable strata. This year, for my girls' festive brunch, I wanted to make something new so my mom shared her tried and true quiche lorraine recipe with me. 

The great thing about this recipe is that it's almost entirely make ahead. The day before, you can make and roll out the pie crust, cook and chop the asparagus and grate the cheese. The morning of, you simply need to mix the egg mixture, and bake it. Making this let me spend time with my guests instead of spending time in the kitchen.

Asparagus and Swiss Cheese Quiche

Serves 6

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 flakey pie crust, well chilled
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups heavy cream
• pinch nutmeg
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup swiss cheese, grated
• 8 asparagus stalks, steamed and cut into fifths

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine eggs, cream, salt, nutmeg, sugar, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Beat long enough to mix thoroughly.
• Sprinkle pie shell with grated cheese then pour in cream mixture.
• Place asparagus pieces evenly throughout the mixture, using a paring knife to dunk them slightly into egg mix.
• Bake for 45 minutes, or until knife inserted comes out clean.

Bacon, Tomato and Cheese Frittata

Pancakes are our traditional Sunday morning breakfast, but this week, I wanted to be a little less hands on and give this quick frittata recipe a try. It was a nice change of pace and, since we don't eat a lot of bacon, a real treat to have something a little salty and well, let's just say it: greasy. 

I used six eggs which was two more than the recipe called for so it took a little longer to cook, but two of us easily split it. (Split may not be the right word here... there was definitely a hungry man in my kitchen that may have had more than his half!). Overall, a great way to mix up breakfast and give me some time to sit back and relax while this was cooking. A great way to start a Sunday.

Ingredients

• six eggs
• 1 tomato, diced
• 6 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped
• 1/2 cup of shredded cheese (I used cheddar)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• In a skillet on medium, melt 1 tbsp of butter.
• In a bowl, beat the eggs slightly, then add the rest of the ingredients and stir.
• Pour in the warm skillet and cover. 
• Cook for 8 - 10 minutes, or until centre is set.

Recipe adapted from Kraft Canada's What's Cooking magazine

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

I've been seeing apple everything all over the blogosphere and couldn't wait to whip up something very fall-like for breakfast this weekend. Having just run out of blueberries, I thought apple would be the perfect addition to my pancakes. I used a slightly different recipe than usual, so these were a bit denser than the buttermilk pancakes, but yummy in a completely different way. 

I used honeycrisp apples for these because I had them on hand, but making these with tart apples would be best so the apple flavours really stand out. Served best with warm syrup, slippers and a good book.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup shredded tart apple
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp white sugar

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine butter, egg, milk and apple
• In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and sugar
• Stir flour mixture into apple mixture until just combined
• Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat
• Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle using a 1/4 cup for each pancake
• Brown on both sides (flip once bubbles appear on the surface)
• Serve hot

Recipe from allrecipes.com 

Pumpkin Pancakes

Looking for something different to make with pumpkin? I made these out of the blue on a Sunday morning (which in our house, always features pancakes), but this could easily be part of a special Thanksgiving brunch. They are a dense and decadent pancake, perfect for a cold morning and would be delicious served with whipped cream and toasted pecans. 

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp vinegar

Directions

• In a bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, spice and salt.
• Combine dry and wet ingredients just enough to combine.
• Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium heat. Pour 1/4 cup batter onto the griddle for each pancake.
• Brown on both sides. Serve hot with whipped cream and pecans.

Breakfast Burritos

After the success I had with the baked steak burritos, I thought that the burrito possibilities were endless. In a state of panic the other night when it seemed like there was no food in the house, I was able to pull off what looked like a pretty sufficient dinner -- all thanks to some great presentation.


You can really do anything you want with these burritos (which is what makes them so amazing), but I stuck with the classics: bacon, eggs, tomatoes, onions, cheese. This was a breakfast of champions and would be good to make in the morning for active kids walking out the door. 


Ingredients

• 4 large flour tortillas, warmed
• 6 eggs
• 8 slices of bacon
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese
• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
• 2 green onions, diced
• salsa and/or sour cream to serve

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
• In one frying pan, cook the bacon
• In another frying pan, cook the eggs, scrambled
• Open up the four tortillas and spread out over the counter
• In each, in a line down the middle, place two slices of bacon, a couple of spoonfuls of egg, some tomatoes, some green onions and some cheese
• Fold the burrito by folding the long side in, tucking in the short ends and rolling over
• Lay seam side down on a baking sheet (don't be shy to use toothpicks to keep them closed)
• Serve with salsa and/or sour cream, or wrap in tin foil for easy portability

Brown Sugar Oatmeal with Berries

It's getting cooler here in the morning. One of my favourite things to do on a Sunday morning is snuggle up with my dog, a hot coffee and a warm breakfast and watch Sunday Morning on CBS. I usually make pancakes, but sometimes I'm looking for something easier so last week I pulled out a bag of Quaker oatmeal and I might not turn back. 

I pretty much followed the recipe until the end when I opted to make it a little more decadent by adding cream and sugar -- balanced out with some blueberries of course. 

Ingredients (makes 2 servings)

• 1/2 cup Quick oatmeal (3-5 minutes to cook)
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp cream
• 1/4 cup blueberries

Directions

• Bring water to a boil and add oatmeal cooking for 3-5 minutes (or, as per the bag's directions)
• Remove from heat and add brown sugar and cream. Stir in
• Add blueberries and mix in, letting warm up slightly
• Serve in bowls and sprinkle lightly with more brown sugar and a few more blueberries

Mixed Berry Muffins

It's berry season here in Ontario and I had an absolute abundance of berries on hand when I decided to make these. I laughed when I looked at these half way through cooking because the recipe told me "these muffins hide a sweet surprise" -- but the surprise of the berries were bursting all over my muffin tin. I actually think they looked better than if they were just a plain looking muffin. 

I will note that the "muffin" was pretty dense though -- more like a shortcake or even a scone. These would work really well as a summer dessert too -- add some fresh whipped cream and some extra berries on the plate and you're done!

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 2 1/2 cups mixed berries (I used blackberries, strawberries and raspberries)
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp water
• 1/4 tsp lemon zest

For the muffins:

• 3 cups self-rising flour
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup  butter, melted
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1 egg

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
• Combine all the filling ingredients in a small saucepan. Gently bring to a simmer and cook for five minutes until the berries give some of their juices. Set aside.
• For the muffins, combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Combine the butter, milk and egg in a small bowl. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
• In a 12 tin muffin pan, use half the batter and spoon into each cup. Then spoon a layer of the filling and the add the remaining batter.
• Bake for 20 minutes.

Recipe from 500 Cupcakes

Zucchini and Chocolate Chip Muffins

I'm having a cooking love affair with zucchini. It's such a lovely ingredient to cook with and because of it's high moisture content, everything I make with it is so moist and delicious.

Zucchini muffins seemed weird to me, but I was happy to add chocolate chips to it (as per the recipe!). As this recipe was from www.allrecipes.com, lots of people suggested that this was a great way to feed vegetables to children. Truthfully, I don't agree. In a dozen muffins, there was one large zucchini, which nets out to hardly one serving. Either way, I really enjoyed these and they certainly didn't last long in our house!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions

• In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
• In a separate bowl, combine the egg, oil, milk, lemon juice and vanilla.
• Stir dry ingredients into wet until just combined.
• Fold in zucchini and chocolate chips.
• Pour into greased muffin tins.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Recipe adapted from www.allrecipes.com

Lemon Yogurt Cake

Dear Ina Garten, 


Oh how you've inspired me. Every delicious dish I have made from the pages of your beautiful cookbooks have turned out perfect and your lemon loaf was no exception. You have certainly helped build confidence in this rookie cook and I look forward to many more wonderful dishes.


Lindsay

Our puppy Cooper, turned five last week, so I made this Lemon Yogurt Cake to celebrate. Well, T and I celebrated and Cooper just watched us enjoy it, but we were all ok with it.

This lemon loaf was moist and light. The only change I made was omitting the glaze that went on top, because, well, it just didn't need more sugar. I just opted for some icing sugar to finish it off. And you don't need a reason to celebrate to make this one. Making it to Tuesday is enough!Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup yogurt (I used vanilla, but plain would be fine)
• 1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tsp grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a loaf pan.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt into one bowl.
• In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup of sugar, eggs, lemon zest and vanilla.
• Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. 
• With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes or until a cake tester placed in the centre of the loaf comes out clean.
• Meanwhile, cooke the 1/3 lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup of sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
• When the cake is done, pour the sugar and lemon mixture over top, letting it soak in. 
• Cool for about an hour before removing from the pan. 

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa at Home

Zucchini Pancakes with Roasted Garlic Mayonnaise

I eat a lot of zucchini. It's one of my favourite vegetables, and while I mostly eat it raw in salads, it is wonderful to cook with. Zucchini has a really high water content -- which not only makes it low in calories, it helps make foods incredibly and unbelievably moist. I learned this when I made zucchini and chocolate chip muffins.

Looking for new ways to explore this vegetable, I turned back to Ina Garten and discovered zucchini pancakes. My mother's immediate question was: "Do you put maple syrup on them?" Well, no. They're not those kind of pancakes -- more like crab cakes or the asiago crumpets I made.

I made these one night for dinner with a garlic mayonnaise and they were a hit. These could easily be served as a side dish with steak or meat, or as a part of a brunch buffett. And I have no doubt that kids would love them and wouldn't even think they were full of folate, potassium and Vitamin A!

Ingredients

Zucchini Pancakes:

• 2 cups shredded zucchini
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 6-8 tbsp flour
• salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Roasted Garlic Mayo:

• 1 head roasted garlic
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

Directions

• Wash and shred the zucchini with a cheese grater.
• In a bowl, whisk two eggs. Add 6 tbsp flour.
• Add zucchini and salt and pepper and toss.
• If batter is too runny, add the other 2 tbsp of flour. Note that this will be more zucchini than "batter," but it should be coated in the flour and egg mixture.
• Heat olive oil in a frying pan and turn down to medium. Ladel batter into silver dollar-sized pancakes.
• Cook each side for 3-4 minutes, until browned.
• Serve with garlic mayonnaise.

To make the roasted garlic mayo, simply add one head of roasted garlic (squeezed and mashed) to 1/2 cup of mayonnaise and stir. You may want to do this in advance so the flavours melt together better.

From Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa at Home

Streusel Rhubarb Loaf

After making strawberry-rhubarb pie, my husband has discovered that he loves cooked rhubarb. Always looking for new ingredients, I was happy to oblige and find something new to make. I found this recipe for rhubarb loaf and on www.allrecipes.com, it was getting rave reviews. 

I already had the buttermilk on hand for my recent buttermilk pancakes, so I gave this a whirl and it was worth it! It made two loaves, and I had every intention of giving one full loaf to my mom, but it didn't last long in our house and she only got a couple of slices. Sorry Mom, but hope you loved it as much as we did!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh or sliced frozen rhubarb
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Topping:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp cold butter

Directions

In a mixing bowl, combine brown sugar and oil. 

Add egg, mix well. 

Beat in buttermilk and vanilla. 

Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into brown sugar mixture just until combined. Fold in the rhubarb and nuts. 

Pour into two greased 8-in. x 4-in. x 2-in. loaf pans.

For topping, in a bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon and butter until crumbly; sprinkle over batter. 

Bake at 350 degrees F for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. 

Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Cut with a serrated knife.

Print recipe for Streusel Rhubarb Loaf

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com

Muffin Frittatas

This is the new Egg McMuffin. 

These met all the criteria for a weekday breakfast:

• easy to prepare (even better to make the night before and just microwave in the a.m.)
• healthy -- loaded with veggies and protein
• good for on-the-go

I made this frittata mixture and simply put them in (note: well greased) muffin tins. You could add any combination of veggies that you like and any kind of cheese to dress them up -- or down -- as you like. 

Next time I'm going to experiment with a strata recipe, which I think will make these a little denser (the difference, as far as I can tell, is that in a strata there is bread). These would also be great as mini-muffins as a nice brunch appetizer. Stay tuned for more variations of this one!

Ingredients

• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk (if you use skim, mix some 5 or 10% cream with it so it's not too runny)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup zucchini, diced
• 1/2 cup yellow pepper, diced
• 1/3 cup diced tomatoes

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper until blended.

Add cheese and veggies, mix well.

Ladle into well greased muffin cups. About 1/4 cup each -- makes 10 to 12.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until just set.

Cook on rack for about 5 minutes, but as soon as they come out of the oven, run a paring knife around the edges (this will not only help get them out, it will make clean up a breeze).

Serve warm.

Recipe adapted from www.allrecipes.com

Print recipe for Muffin Frittatas

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

Every sunday morning, I make the same pancake recipe. It's easy and delicious, but this weekend, I had buttermilk in my fridge so I whipped out a brunch cookbook and found this new recipe. 

These pancakes are light and fluffy but rich and decadent at the same time. The batter -- which was full of air holes -- should have been a good indication of how light these were going to be. They were certainly a nice change to my regular stack and the kind of special occasion pancake you'd serve with warm maple syrup and whipped cream. Mmmm...

The trick to these is in the mixing. If you overmix the batter, the pancakes won't be moist and delicate. The batter, according to the recipe, should be thick and lumpy, but by the time I went to put my second batch on the skillet, it was light and airy. 

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• some butter to grease the skillet

Directions

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with the buttermilk and melted butter.

Using a spatula, combine the dry and wet ingredients to make a thick, lumpy batter, being careful not to overmix.

In a non-stick skillet, melt some butter over medium heat. Ladle 1/3 cup batter into hot skillet and sprinkle with blueberries. Do not overcrowd the skillet because the pancakes will puff up and out as they cook.

When bubbles appear on the surface of the pancakes, and the edges begin to brown, flip the pancakes and cook the other side. 

Smother with maple syrup and a dollop of whipped cream.

Print recipe for Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

Recipe from Out to Brunch: A Mildred Pierce Restaurant

Cinnamon Rolls

I love the smell of St. Cinnamon's or Cinnabon. If I'm in a mall, the smell is just arresting and makes me crave the delicious, soft, gooey and moist cinnamon rolls. I rarely enjoy this treat, but yesterday I had a lazy day and decided to get my hands dirty and take a stab at making my own.

Our whole loft smelled de-li-ci-ous. The cinnamon wafted through our home, creeping into every nook and cranny; it was wonderful! The cinnamon rolls themselves were really good and now I have an understanding just how easy they are. With the rise times, they do take awhile, but you can prepare the dough a day in advance and then slap on the butter, let them rise for a bit and then throw them in the oven in the morning for a brunch treat. So delicious and extremely impressive.

Ingredients

Dough

• 3 cups flour
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp active dry yeast
• ¼ cup warm homogenized milk
• 3 eggs
• ¾ cup butter cut into 12 pieces

Cinnamon Butter

• 1 cup light brown sugar
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 ½ tsp cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• ½ cup butter, softened
• ¾ cup pecan halves, toasted, if desired

Glaze

• 1 ½ cup icing sugar
• 3 tbsp whipping cream

Directions

Prepare the dough. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Set aside.

In the mixer bowl, stir together the yeast and milk. Let stand until the yeast begins to foam – about five minutes. Add eggs. Mix in flour mixture ¼ cup at a time until combined.

Using your dough hook, add butter, one piece at a time, incorporating each piece before adding the next. Continue kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Cover and let dough rise for 1 ½ hours until doubled in size.

Prepare the cinnamon butter. Place brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt and mix until smooth.

Uncover dough and punch down several times to work out air bubbles. Turn dough onto a floured surface and roll into an 18x11” rectangle.

 

Spread cinnamon butter over surface evenly and sprinkle with ground pecans.

 

(I didn't have any pecans, but this is where you'd add them)

Starting with a long side, roll dough up jelly roll style and cut into 12 equal pieces and place cut side up in a pan.

 

(um, they didn't all work out!)

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for another 45 minutes until doubled in size.

 

Bake at 350 degrees until rolls are golden brown – about 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

Prepare the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together confectioner’s sugar and whipping cream. Add water until desired consistency is achieved.



Drizzle glaze over cinnamon rolls.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe from The Mixer Bible


Download a printable version of the Cinnamon Rolls recipe