As I was processing the photos for this post, I tried recalling when I first had Shakshuka and for some reason I just can’t picture it. Maybe it’s because each time we make and share this with friends, our friends then share their first memory of shakshuka and it all blends together. I do recall how enamoured I was by how a dish with simple ingredients becomes so flavourful! Since that time period, I have seen Shakshuka literally everywhere! Sometimes you might see Shakshuka under a different name like Eggs in Purgatory. However, the essence of the dish is all the same. It is essentially cooking whole tomatoes with onions and spices in a skillet or cast iron and slowly poaching your eggs in said delicious sauce. This makes it easy to add your personal twists to the dish making a great comfort food.

Here is a version of our Shakshuka topped with feta cheese. Typically you would top your Shakshuka with parsley but I only had green onions on hand that day when I made this particular shakshuka.

Recipe for Shakshuka with Feta (serves up to 4 people)

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet for approximately 2 minutes.
2. Add garlic slices, stir until onions become soft and translucent (approx. 8 minutes).
3. Add onions, with a pinch of salt & pepper. Stir for 1 minute.
4. Stir in smoked paprika with the cooked onions and garlic until it all 
5. Slowly pour in the cans of whole tomatoes. Gently crush tomatoes until both cans are added into the skillet. Mix in the sugar and simmer sauce until it thickens (approx. 12 minute)
6. Once sauce has thickened, make 4 wells in your sauce and crack eggs into the wells.
7. Allow eggs to simmer until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny. I prefer mine to be sunny-side up, but you could also baste the eggs (by gently pouring sauce over) as they cook.
8. Turn off the heat, crack with pepper & salt. Scatter feta and green onion (or parsley) all over.

Serving Shakshuka with a good bread; home-made or artisanal helps to sop up all the sauce. For this particular meal, we had it with a home-made cheese sourdough that my hubby had made. I’ve also served our shakshuka with quinoa.

The beauty of the Shakshuka is that it is perfect for any occasion. I hope you make this Shakshuka too and create more amazing food memories with friends and family.

Breakfasts and brunch for me never seem quite complete until I have a crepe or waffle on my plate. So you can imagine how sad I felt when I learned that I had gluten sensitivities. Stacks of waffles with delicious toppings appeared to be far from my reach. I can confidently say that after many experiments of varying success, Dan and I now have an easy waffle recipe that is not only simple but more importantly tastes like a regular crispy Belgian waffle (crispy outside, fluffy inside). 


Our previous waffle recipe was a yeasted batter that involved folding batter into egg whites while this one has no yeast, no folding, and no flour but all the taste. The other thing about this particular gluten-free recipe is that it doesn’t require any of the gums that are needed for gluten free recipes. Even though it has the word “glutinous” in it, glutinous rice flour is a made from grinding a type of sticky rice (pure rice, which contains no gluten). Glutinous rice flour can be found at most major grocery stores and definitely in most Asian grocery stores.

Ingredients for Gluten Free Rice Flour Waffles

Rice Flour Waffle Recipe

Ingredients
makes about 8-9 full size deep pocket waffles
Dry

• 2 1/2 cups (290g) Glutinous Rice Flour
• 1 cup (114g) Cornstarch
• 2 tbsp (12g) baking powder 
• 2 tbsp (30g) sugar
• 1 tsp (2g) salt
• 1 tsp xanthan gum (optional)

1. Crack eggs into a mixing bowl (preferably one with a spout). Add in oil and whisk.
   
   
2. Pour milk into the mixing bowl. Whisk as the milk is incorporated. Add in vanilla extract.
   
3. Combine all dry ingredients together into the bowl of the stand-up mixer or a mixing bowl. Attach the paddle attachment.
   
4. Turn the mixer onto stir. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. It should become a thick pancake-like batter.
   
5. Prepare your waffle maker the way you normally do. However, if it is your first time with your waffle maker you might need to experiment a bit with how much batter and heat you need. We have a Cuisinart rotating waffle maker and we are cooking our waffles at level 6.
   
6. Measure out about 1/4 cup of batter and pour into your waffle maker. You might need more or less depending on the size of your waffle maker.
   
7. Once the waffle is ready (ours beeps when the waffle is done), gently move the waffle to a cooling rank.
   
8. Repeat until all the batter is finished.  

Also, visit my last post about ChocoVine Pot de Crème for a delicious recipe and a ChocoVine giveaway! You can never go wrong with chocolate! 

Aren’t these mushroom shaped potatoes the cutest? A few weeks ago, EarthFresh Foods sent me some of their potatoes to try. I received their organic yellow baby potatoes in the mail (yes! potatoes by mail!). For a little over a week, I couldn’t quite figure out what to do with them. Then one Saturday morning, inspiration hit! Admittedly I was also craving brunch food items and was starting to get hungry. 

These mushroom looking potatoes can be created from any type of baby potatoes and would be perfect for a quick breakfast or as a side dish for dinner. 

Carving the Potato Mushrooms

1. Wash and dry the baby potatoes. You can leave the skin on for these potatoes. First make a small cut down one side of the potato. Turn the potato and make another parallel cut (2nd cut). Next, turn the potato again and make a 3rd cut (this will be perpendicular to the first cuts). Make another cut slightly away for the 4th cut but parallel to the 3rd cut.
   
2. Then, gently run your knife around the base of the cuts to create the stem of your potato mushroom.
   
3. Here is the final result!
   
4. We also made a quick video to help demonstrate the creation of these potato mushrooms. This might be easier to visualize. 

Cooking the Potato Mushrooms

1. Place the cut potato mushrooms including the square bits (your potato hash) into a bowl. I poured a tablespoon or two of some rosemary olive oil that I had made this summer and mixed it into the potatoes along with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
   
2. Cook the seasoned potato mushrooms in a cast iron pan or bake them in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
   
3. Serve your potato mushrooms along with your choice of breakfast or brunch food items or as a side dish for dinner.

   

I have found that EarthFresh foods is also sponsoring a pretty cool giveaway until May 31, 2016 at this link. In the meantime, I am hoping that you have a chance to try making these potato mushrooms yourself!

Back in November 2014, I had the very exciting opportunity to attend the launch of Duchess Bake Shop’s cookbook. While Giselle was introducing the cookbook she mentioned how some recipes were easier than others such as the Ginger Cookies and some were more challenging such as the macaron recipes and the croissants. At that moment, the thought occurred to me that I had to bake the Duchess croissants. 

The Duchess recipe book had a great suggestion to create a nicely shaped butter plaque using a resealable plastic bag. I didn’t quite have the same dimensions for the bag specified in the recipe but I measured it out to be approximately the right size for the butter plaque. The recipe in the book also has some easy to follow instructions for how to make this.

By the time I finished making the butter plaque and placed it into the fridge to keep cold, the dough had doubled in size and was ready to use. For Christmas, I got Dan a marble rolling pin and it is probably the best kitchen item we have bought! The heavy weight makes rolling the dough out a breeze! Honestly, getting the dough to the size I needed to fit the butter plaque in took no time at all. Dan can attest to this as he had previously used a light wooden rolling pin for the cronuts.

One of the things that was different about this croissant recipe compared to others is cutting the dough in half- instead of folding. With the butter plaque firming in place, I squished the sides of the dough closed in order to keep the butter inside.

Next, came some more rolling, placing the dough back into the fridge (so the butter doesn’t melt) and specific folds such as the book fold and the single fold (sort of like folding a letter). The recipe in the Duchess cookbook is very detailed so it was quite easy to follow. 

After all that, the dough rested in the fridge for another 40 minutes. By this time, I was getting tired as it was hitting close to 12am (I started this croissant baking later than expected at 8pm on a Friday). However, we had decided to bake off all of our croissants around the same time the next day, so I was determined to finish! This recipe is also a bit different compared to other recipes as there is less proofing time and folds other than the book and single fold.

I rolled out the dough to about my arm’s length and then scored triangles out. In order to have the characteristic crescent shape for this style of croissants (not chocolate or almond), you want to cut a small line at the base of each croissant before you roll.

Stay tuned for the next post about the comparisons and results from the croissant bakeoff!

When my husband and I made the Taiwan Red Bean Wheelcakes back in September, we were trying out various recipes that could be used on the Nordic Ware Eggs Plus Pan. One thing that you should know about my husband is that he is a huge proponent on ensuring that every single one of our kitchen gadgets must not be single function kitchen tools (with the exception of a can opener). This means that any kitchen gadget that lives in our kitchen must be able to be used for different recipes. 

The first recipe we made with the new pan was actually not the Taiwan Red Bean Wheelcakes but instead Crustless Quiches!


So below is the recipe for the Crustless Quiches. Make sure you read all the way to the end for exciting details on how you can win the Eggs Plus Pan for yourself!

Crustless Quiches

Ingredients

• approx. 1 cup of milk
• 4 eggs
• 3-4 filling ingredients such as tomatoes, onions, cheese, spinach etc.. The sky’s the limit!

Directions:

1. Dice up all the ingredients into smaller pieces as the quiche cooks fairly quickly.
   
2. Beat eggs and milk together in a bowl. Transfer the filling to a bowl with a spout and pour the egg mixture about half-way up each reservoir. Oiling each reservoir beforehand is optional (the pan is non-stick).
   
3. Once the egg mixture begins to cook, slowly add fillings to each crustless quiche. You can even put different fillings in each one and customize to everyone’s preferences!
   
4. Cook the crustless quiches on medium for about 10 minutes, or until the tops are cooked and the egg is no longer runny looking.
   
5. Using a silicon spatula gently loosen the quiche from the pan and serve onto a plate.
   

We tried putting the top on the pan initially, but realized that this would soften the quiches as the pan begins to cook with steam. If you want crispy quiches, leave the top off.
It goes without saying that having individual quiche creations is great. However, you could easily use the pan for multiple uses such as making two crustless quiches, a sunny side egg and sausage all in the same pan. The pan also has a little pamphlet that comes with further ideas on how to use it.

Or, you could always make the Taiwan Red Bean Wheelcakes from my previous post!

Giveaway!

Now for the eggciting part of this post! Nordic Ware has given me an Eggs Plus Pan to give away to one lucky reader! This pan will be shipped directly to you from Nordic Ware and is open to Canada and the U.S! Enter the giveaway in the Rafflecopter below with your details. Make sure you leave a comment as that is the minimum requirement for entering the giveaway. Good luck!

Prize: One (1) lucky reader will receive a Nordic Ware Eggs Plus Pan.

Duration: Giveaway will be open until November 30, 2014.

Who Can Enter: Open to residents of Canada and the USA.

How to Enter: Please follow the instructions in the rafflecopter below. Remember that leaving a comment is mandatory.

How will the winner be chosen: The winner will be chosen at random and will be notified via email. The winner will have 24 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

 

 

Ingredients for Thin Strudel Dough

• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3 1/4 cups of all purpose flour (with more for kneading dough)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

Ingredients for Cinnamon Rugelach Filling

• 1/4 cup finely ground and roasted hazelnuts
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. cinnamon
• Egg wash (1 large egg beaten with 1 tsp. water) 

 Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl combine the milk, sour cream, butter, sugar, and salt. Microwave on high heat for 90 seconds or until warm. Whisk in the eggs.
2. Place flour and yeast into the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Add in the ingredients from step 1 (milk, sour cream, butter, sugar, salt, eggs). Mix on low speed until the dough forms a soft ball. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. This should take 5-6 minutes.
3. Switch to the dough hook and keep the mixer on low. To keep the dough from sticking to the sides of the bowl sprinkle the dough with flour from time to time. Allow to knead for 3-5 minutes. 
4. To check if the dough is ready, stick a finger into the dough and see the dough spring back. 
5. Take a large mixing bowl and oil it. Place dough into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm draft-free place for 45 to 60 minutes. Typically we place our dough into the microwave as it is the most draft-free place in our place. Once the dough has doubled in size you are ready to start making the rugelachs.
6. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and cut into 4 parts. (We just purchased a Roll’Pat from Williams and Sonoma (similar) which works well for rolling out dough.)
7. Roll each part into a circle 12 inches in diameter.

8. To make the rugelach filling, if you don’t have ground hazelnuts toast about 1/2 a cup of hazelnuts. Then, allow the hazelnuts to cool before finely grinding in a food processor or a Magic Bullet. Combine the ground hazelnuts, cinnamon and brown sugar together into a bowl. Using a scale measure out 4 equal portions of the rugelach filling (you can also estimate by tablespoons as needed).

9. To roll the rugelachs do the following:

Sprinkle the filling into each dough circle with 1/4 of the filling.

Spread the filling around with a pastry brush (you can also use your hands).

With a serrated knife or pizza wheel cut each circle into 16 triangles.

Thin cinnamon rugelach dough cut into 16 triangles.

To roll: Start at the wide end of the triangle and roll the triangle into a tight crescent.

As you roll, try to keep the filling inside the triangle.

Place each roll with the strip down to prevent it from unrolling.

Place on parchment paper approximately 1 inch apart.

Allow the rugelachs to rest in a warm place for 45 minutes. They won’t rise a lot.  Preheat the oven to 350F.

Brush each roll with the egg wash mixture.

Sprinkle any remaining filling onto the rolls.

Bake at 350F for 13 – 15 minutes. The cinnamon hazenult rugelachs should look golden brown.

Food Notes:

Easy Flapjacks/Granola Bars

Today’s post comes from my desire to make a relatively healthy granola bar at home.  Many times I was tempted to just buy a box from the store, but the one I had in my mind was filled with oats, cranberries, raisins and topped with chocolate! Plus, I wanted to make mine less sweet in comparison to store bought bars. Another instigator of wanting to bake ‘something’ is because I purchased an absolutely gorgeous Emile Henry baking dish recently – as can be seen in these pictures.

• 1/3 Cup of Sugar
• 1/2 Cup butter 
• 1/3 Cup corn syrup
• 4 1/2 – 5 Cups oats
• 1 Cup raisins
• 1 Cup craisins
• dark chocolate or milk chocolate bars or chips (your preference)

Now that summer is finally here alternative dinner options are welcomed! Crepes are nice light fare and are perfect for summer! What I love about crepes is that they can actually be eaten savoury or, what we often see, sweet.  The crepe recipe that we have gotten lots of mileage from in our household is the one from Jacques Pepin.

• 2 large egg
• 3/4 cup All purpose flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1/3 cup cold water
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter + more for pan (we actually do not put butter in our batter but use it for cooking on the pan instead)

1. In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, flour, milk, salt and sugar until smooth. The batter will be thick.
2. Whisk in the water, oil and melted butter (the butter can be skipped if you want)
3. Heat a 6-inch pan (or any flat pan- we use a stainless steel one) or a non stick skillet and rub with a bit of butter. Tilt the skillet to distribute the butter evenly.
4. Add about 2 tbsp of batter (we use a ladle to put in how much we need; as long as it thinly covers the entire pan). Tilt the skillet to distribute the batter evenly.
   Pour away any excess batter back into the bowl.
5. Cook over moderately high heat until the edges of the crepe curl up and start to brown. approx. 45 sec.
6. Flip the crepe and cook for another 10 seconds, until a few brown spots appear on the bottom.
7. Tap the crepe out onto a baking sheet (or parchment paper)
8. Repeat with remaining batter to make up to 12 crepes. You may need to butter the skillet a few times as time progresses.

This recipe can be used to make savoury crepes by skipping the sugar and filling the crepes with slices of cheese, sandwich meat, spinach leaves, tomatoes, mushrooms and more!

For dessert crepes you can put chocolate, strawberry/better compote (made with frozen fruit, butter & sugar in pot on stove top), or any types of fruit. Enjoy!!