Smoked Gouda and Swiss Chard Quiche - Mother's Day Brunch

It has become somewhat of a Mother's Day tradition for Dave and I to host a brunch for our mom's. I love planning a brunch menu - so many tasty and easy options. For mother's day I don't have to consider the tastes of any meat loving men, but only the tastes of my mom and mom-in-law, which happen to align very much with my own. This year I made a quiche, and replicated a recipe that I came up with for our family friend Ashli's baby shower. Ashli was a huge fan of the smoked gouda, egg and pastry combo, not really a huge surprise there though.

I haven't really given my mom full credit for her cooking abilities. I like to poke fun of her for her lack of passion in the kitchen - but I've realized that she does have a number of signature recipes that she puts her heart and soul into. One of them is Quiche Lorraine. She always makes the crust from scratch. This recipe largely uses the same ratios as the one she goes by, from her old Betty Crocker cookbook. Like my mom, I use the pastry recipe on the Tenderflake box and it has never failed me. There's no need to pre cook the curst for this one, a huge bonus in my opinion.

Spinach and Eggs en Cocotte

We just returned from an extravagant and fun filled week in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. After an overnight flight home, it was slim pickings in the fridge when we woke up early Easter Sunday morning. Thank goodness for eggs, rye and a chunk of leftover pecorino.

It wasn't exactly grilled langostino on a private yacht (shameless braggy trip photos below)... but these baked eggs made a great comforting post-all-inclusive breakfast. Dave and I generally go to church two times a year - Easter and Christmas - after spending the past two Easters sitting in the pew with a growling stomach aching for breakfast - this year I made sure to go in full.

Eggs en Cocotte are essentially eggs baked and served in a heat proof dish. I have an obsession with  recipes made in individual servings. Any ramekin or heat proof container will work. If you've had the baked eggs at Stella's you already know the comforting heaven that is two eggs slowly baked with cheese. I use this recipe at least once a month when I have totally random things in the fridge. You can use any cheese, and any other additions (I've previously used smoked gouda, goat cheese, sliced tomatoes, leftover carmalized onions, avocado).

Skinny Green Monster Smoothie

 

Sure it's easy to consume fruit for breakfast, but vegetables rarely make an appearance before noon, unless you count potatoes and onions. That's why I love the concept of deceptively hiding a ton of spinach in a rich and sweet tasting smoothie.

Enter the Skinny Green Monster. I've been making these for the past four years now on and off and originally got the recipe from Skinnytaste.com when she posted it here. She adapted the original recipe from Oh She Glows - just to lighten it up a bit. I haven't really changed much along the way, and wanted to share this with you, not because it's an original recipe that I created, but as more of a public service announcement for consuming large amounts of spinach for breakfast.

I was so skeptical when I first made this but now I crave one at least once a week. I don't know if it's just placebo effect - but when I start my day with a few cups of spinach, I feel more energetic. The key to making the spinach undetectable is blending it long enough so that there are no visible specks.  A really ripe banana will help with sweetness. There's no ice to crush so I like that I don't need an expensive blender to get it right.

Seared Scallop and Asparagus Benedict

Hmmm... would we call this benedict? There is no poached egg, english muffin or pork involved, but the architecture and egg yolk butter sauce is enough for me to confidently deem this recipe a benedict. This is certainly not a go-to weekend recipe, it is probably the fanciest brunch I've ever made at home. But hey - we had leftover scallops in the freezer from when I made the Beet Risotto, our oven isn't working so Coquilles St Jacques was out, and it was Valentine's Day!

I chose to use potato pancakes for the base - I didn't have english muffins and in the end I liked the way the softer potato pancake didn't compete with the tender scallops the way a chewy english muffin may have. I'm not proud, but I used a mix instead of making the potato pancakes from scratch. Sacrilege, I know, but shredding potatoes is a bit labour intensive for Saturday morning when you also are going to be poaching asparagus, making Bernaise from scratch and searing scallops. Plus, I had the mix in the cupboard and quite frankly it just tastes so amazing. 

Bernaise is even better then Hollandaise in my opinion - and I knew it would work here with the Scallops. I followed this recipe pretty closely for the sauce but realized at the last minute that I didn't have dried tarragon, so I happily substituted the tarragon vinegar that I use once every five years in the back of the cupboard. One warning on this one: I don't normally prep my ingredients ahead of time - I like to live on the edge like that ... but as you know if you've made Eggs Benedict before, the last 5 minutes of cooking are hectic. Be prepared! I cooked the pancakes first because they are the easiest to keep warm, while also cooking asparagus, then the scallops and Bernaise last.

Soft Boiled Egg with Soldiers

I realize this post is in no way a "recipe". And you probably don't need a how-to guide for boiling water and buttering toast. I post it only in hope of inspiring you to try this old method again, as it is one of my most favourite morning pleasures. I post the step by step pictures and directions not to patronize you or question your basic living skills, but because the ritual is so dear to my heart. Because it takes only 10 mins start to finish, it's great for upping the ante on week day breakfasts.

The top three reasons I love Winnipeg: Family, Friends, and Rye Bread. How can anyone pick sides if asked to choose between the chewy, cracked rye bread that City Bread and KUB Bakery produce here in the city. Mornings can never be bad when started with a healthy pat of butter melting on a well toasted slice of rye. Butter used to be my guilty pleasure, until I started rationally thinking about it, now it's just a pleasure. 

Again, my Point counting voice will chime in at times with the "just have the toast dry - butter is so unhealthy." I've learned to stop listening. Counting calories is something I try not to do anymore, but for all those worried about the occasional buttered piece of toast or egg yolk, this breakfast of: one egg, two slices of rye, 2 teaspoons of butter, and half a grapefruit is approximately 360 calories. A Tim Horton "Egg" White and Turkey Sausage Sandwich is 330 calories. For a negligible 30 extra calories I would much prefer sitting around the breakfast table enjoying some real food, the ingredients of which I can pronounce. Admittedly, I fall prey to those horrible convenience foods too often, but by putting these thoughts in writing I hope to forget them less. Sorry - rant over.

I already spoke to my new found love of eggs here, but one of my favourite parts of being a new egg lover is the excuse to collect all kinds of egg eating paraphernalia (much to Dave's enjoyment as you can well imagine). Finding the perfect egg cups is a fun outing in itself. The antique mall at The Old House Revival Company has many great finds. If you don't have cute egg cups - I made do with shot glasses for the first years of making soft boiled eggs. The only soft boiled egg tool I'm still on the hunt for is an ornate silver spoon. Once I find the perfect one, my Sunday morning breakfast table ritual of making believe I'm Mary from Downton Abby will be that much more realistic. 

Poached Egg on Broiled Mushroom and Ricotta

Ah yes, Saturday mornings. I found some Manitoba "portobello" mushrooms at Vic's Fruit Market. Having some leftover ricotta cheese and pea shoots, I thought a little poached egg on top would make a delicious, easy breakfast. And then, just to up the fancy factor, which you know I'm always inclined to do, truffle oil and truffle salt were a must.

I grew up hating eggs, but in the last few years have done a complete 180 and now revel in the glory that is a runny yolk. I think the key to enjoying eggs is to start buying good, free range eggs. I love the Manitoba Free Run Vita Eggs - the yolk colour is unbeatable.

Normally you would use one large portobello, but mine were tiny (not convinced they're actually portobellos but I do love trying mystery mushrooms). You could use an alternate cheese (probably chèvre) but I wanted to use up the leftover ricotta. And of course any greens would work as the base - arugula would be my top choice.