Egg Medallion

Last time I went on vacation with my family, we bought these small cake tins with removable bottoms. I'm actually not sure whether they're for making cakes because the bottom is pretty loose, which will allow the batter to leak out easily. It could be for individual bread rolls, but they're only ~5 cm wide and 4 cm tall and I only have four of these, so it would be a very small bread recipe. This morning, I used these as egg moulds to make breakfast today, and it worked quite well. Take a look!

The removable bottom cake tins. I just put them upside down (as in the picture above) on a hot pan and slipped a raw egg with some cheese and pepper into the small whole at the top. 

One large egg fits perfectly into tins this size: 5 cm diameter, 4 cm height. Since I used a non-stick pan, I didn't use any oil. I was reminded to be careful not to scratch the non-stick coating with the tins by my mom, and the rounded edges of these tins were perfect. After removing the bottoms of these cake tins, I placed them upside down on a hot pan, and allowed 30 seconds for the cake tins to heat. In the meantime, I whisked an egg slightly with some black pepper and shredded cheese. Once I was sure the pan and cake tins were hot, I poured the whisked egg into the upside down cake tin and waited.

This is how it looked when I turned the tin onto a plate after a few minutes. The hot aluminum tin evenly distributes the heat from the pan to the sides of the egg medallion, which allowed the whole egg to get cooked. 

A sprinkle of very finely chopped red pepper, and some green fruit and veg (avocado and cucumber) makes a pretty and tasty breakfast. 

Crepes

It's finally starting to feel like spring here, with the weather being sunny, breezy, and 19 degrees today. To me, crepes are  a particularly fitting food for spring because their light and delicate nature reflects the new grass, budding flowers, and baby animals born in this season. An additional bonus is that they can be topped or filled with almost anything you fancy, so I went ahead and came up with...

The Recipe:
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup whole wheat chapati flour
• 1/4 cup shredded cheese. 
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 whole egg
• 3/4 cup milk

Whisk together in a large spouted container. In a non-stick pan, greased if desired, med-high heat, cover the flat surface of the pan with a thin, even layer of batter. To do this, take the pan off the heat, pour enough to cover about half the area into the centre. Swirl batter in the pan until the surface is evenly covered. Return pan to heat and cover until the steam that collects on the lid falls back to the pan and makes sizzling noises. Crepe's surface should look dull but the colour unchanged. Loosen edges of crepe from pan and flip with a heat-safe spatula. Cover and wait until you hear sizzling from the steam falling back to the pan again. Remove crepe from pan and repeat to finish other crepes. Makes 6 to 8 depending on size of pan

Dry ingredient mix - chopsticks help break apart shredded cheese

Some finished crepes

Brunch. Turns out strawberries and yogurt taste pretty good with black pepper crepes.

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Cereal made from Scraps

Just because you're busy, doesn't mean you should skip breakfast, right? I know cold cereal is affordable and much easier to buy than make, but sometimes they get boring. This morning, as I was about to pour myself my 2639th (approx) bowl of corn flakes, I realized the time had come to roll up my sleeves and make my own cereal.

I understand most people decide to make their own cereal out of health concerns (allergen-free, preservative-free). Today, I made cereal just to have fun. These are made from leftover store-bought products: frozen pancakes, frozen waffles, and tortillas.

Ingredients: 

• 2 frozen pancakes
• 1 frozen waffle
• 1 whole grain tortilla
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Cut frozen pancakes in half and slice horizontally to open up pancake like an english muffin (easiest when frozen). Then cut into small pieces (whatever size you wish your cereal to be). Do the same with the waffle and cut the tortilla into small pieces as well. Toast in a skillet on medium heat and stir regularly to prevent burning. When pieces become golden and crispy, sprinkle sugar and cinnamon onto the pieces and toss in the pan. Allow the pieces to toast for a few more minutes so that the sugar melts and sticks to the pieces, and the pieces become even more golden and crispy. Transfer contents from skillet to bowl and enjoy your homemade cereal. You can allow your cereal to cool before consumption, or pour cold milk into hot cereal to take cereal to a whole new level. (Makes 2 servings)

Sliced and diced frozen pancakes

Whole grain tortilla pieces

Toasted tortilla. I tried to toss the sugar out of the pan at first, but that didn't work so I added it back to the pan. 

Ready for breakfast!

Homemade Apple Butter for a Winter Breakfast

It's been a cold, cold, winter week here. I've always thought of winter as my favourite season for many reasons. First, there's Christmas and New Years. Then there's Chinese New Year, which has always been exciting, and my birthday. Of course, there is snow, and with snow comes many hours playing in it and the thin sliver of hope that I'd always kept for a "snow day" to happen. The other wonderful thing about winter is the coziness you can achieve by having a pot of something simmering and releasing wafts of warm fragrance for hours on the stove. I enjoyed hours of that yesterday; it was like having a scented candle lit the entire day, with the added benefit of being able to stir the pot and taste the deliciously sweet and rich concoction bubbling inside. I made apple butter.

The Recipe:

Ingredients: 

• 10 medium apples (any variety or mix)
• 1/2 cup chopped pineapples (drained from can or fresh)
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Wash and peel apples. Save half of the peels, and place in a loose-thread cotton spice bag. Then cut apples into small cubes, and cook in a covered pot on low heat. Add a little water to cover the bottom of the pot to prevent burning. Add apple peels, chopped pineapples, and lemon juice. Continue to cook on low heat, with the lid covered for 20 to 30 minutes to let everything soften. Then prop the lid ajar, and continue to cook over low heat for 3 to 4 hours. Stir every 15 minutes or so to make sure the bottom is not burning. After a few hours, the apple pieces should be broken down, and the colour should be darkened. Transfer to your favourite glass jam jar, allow to cool and chill overnight. Then spread on toast and enjoy!

Note: I didn't bother going through the proper canning technique that's normally used for making jams, because this wasn't a very large batch, and I'd planned to keep it in the refrigerator. Besides, something this yummy will be gone before it has a chance to spoil, I'm sure. By adding the apple peels, I was hoping for the natural pectin and rosy red colour to seep into the apple butter. I'm not sure whether the pectin made a difference because this was the only batch I made and I had nothing to compare it to. It did add a touch of rosiness though!

Apples, peels, pineapples – after 20 minutes

Jar of homemade apple butter

Ideal breakfast.
(that's just milk by the way)

New Year's Breakfast

Happy New Year!

I thought I'd share my first breakfast of 2013 here. Quinoa porridge instead of oatmeal, with cubes of toasted apple and leftover cake on top. I used light coconut milk to cook the quinoa, which makes the porridge vegan. Add a few dried cranberries and some sliced fruit on the side, and we have a hearty, healthy, and tasty breakfast to start the year off.

Hope all of you have a happy, healthy, and fulfilling year. I look forward to sharing more kitchen creations with you!

Buckwheat banana pancakes

There are many healthy ways to start a day. Homemade buckwheat banana pancakes is one of those ways. These pancakes are soft and fluffy on the inside and have a thin, crispy coconut crust on the top and bottom. They are also very easy and quick to make.

The recipe: I peel and chop 2 medium-sized, ripe bananas and place in a bowl. Then I separate two eggs and place 1 egg yolk in the bowl with the bananas and the 2 egg whites in a clean bowl for whisking later. I add 3 tablespoons of buckwheat flour and 1/4 teaspoons of salt to the banana and egg yolk. Using a fork, I mash the bananas and thoroughly combine the flour and egg yolk and set aside. Using a whisk, I beat the egg whites until it holds a soft peak. As I preheat a non-stick pan, I gently fold the beaten egg whites and banana mixture together, leaving a few small lumps. The pancake mixture is ready. I add a about a teaspoon of margarine to the pan and swirl it around. Before I spoon the pancake mixture onto the pan, I sprinkle some dried, shredded, unsweetened coconut where I plan to place my pancakes. I then spoon my pancake batter into the pan (about 3-4 tbsp of batter per pancake), sprinkle over some more coconut, and let the pancakes cook unit small bubbles start to pop on the upper surface (about 2 minutes). I flip the pancakes and let the uncooked side brown for another 2 minutes. The first batch of pancakes is ready to serve!

Since there's such a high banana content in these cakes, I find that they are sweet and moist enough to eat on their own, but they can certainly be topped with any pancake topping of choice. By the way, these pancakes happen to be gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free. Who would've guessed?

Disclaimer: Please note that this recipe has not been reviewed by FAI or medical experts. Avoidance is the only accepted course of treatment for food allergy. Always verify ingredients or food products by checking with the manufacturer and/or your physician to ensure that any foods are safe for your unique allergy issues.

Sunny sides up!

This version of sunny side up will never have you worry about your waistline or cholesterol levels! The sweet filling, crispy edges and wonderful smell will surely bring a smile to your face. 

The recipe (if you haven't already guessed...): Crack 6 large eggs and separate whites and yolks. Add 1 egg yolk and 1/4 tsp cinnamon to 3/4 cup mashed, cooked pumpkin or acorn squash and stir to mix thoroughly. Preheat a non-stick skillet to medium-high heat. Use two spoons to drop six round dollops (2 tbsp each) of pumpkin mixture in the skillet, keeping the dollops evenly spaced. Let them cook on one side for one minute. Then pour all of the egg whites into the skillet over the pumpkin. Using two small spatulas, flip each pumpkin patty over. Lower the heat to a medium low, cover the lid and let it cook for five minutes. Use a spatula to transfer onto a plate. Season with salt and pepper to taste, divide, and enjoy! (serves 3)

A peppery breakfast

Open-faced pepper omelette

I can admit here that I am a health nut when it comes to food. But let's turn away from the nutritional analysis of this meal for a moment. The fiery, sunshiny colours of the peppers and the sun-ripen taste of the tomato paste are enough to warm up my gloomy winter day. It's not exactly a million-dollar breakfast in a French restaurant but it's enough for a student like me.

Recipe (in case you're interested): I put the small non-stick skillet on medium heat and pour a very thin layer of liquid egg whites to coat the bottom. After a minute I dollop small spoonfuls of tomato paste on top of the egg white layer, now cooked. Another minute later, I scatter sliced, fresh bell peppers, a handful of mozzarella, and some black pepper and dried oregano. I cover the skillet, turn off the heat and take a minute to clear my cutting board and stash the rest of my tomato paste away. Finally, I return to the skillet, gently loosen the egg from the pan and slide the entire assembly onto my plate. Breakfast is served.