Festive Eggnog Pancakes (can be whole wheat!)

So I recently did a post about these awesome eggnog muffins. I originally made them because I had some eggnog leftover from when my sister came over. Well, needless to say, I loved these muffins so much that I bought some eggnog to make some more. And what do you know, I still have eggnog left in the fridge. And so begins that vicious cycle of leftover eggnog.

I figured I should make something else besides the muffins. And since my husband was off from work yesterday, I decided to make something for breakfast besides our usual bowls of oatmeal. So I made pancakes. With eggnog. Oh, and I added a little extra nutmeg and cinnamon just to emphasize the fact that these were eggnog pancakes.

I made the pancakes with whole wheat flour, but you could use white flour or a mix of white and whole wheat. The pancakes were delicious and fluffy. You could eat these with maple syrup, butter or jam, but I highly recommend eating them with a drizzle of sweetened condensed milk. I think the milk adds to the spirit of the eggnog pancake.

They were fluffy and delicious and oh so festive.

Merry Christmas to you and your families!

Nutella Pinwheel Cookies

'Tis the season for cookies and cookie swapping! Every year, my sister and I host a cookie swap. Each of the attendees bakes enough of one kind of cookie to give half a dozen to each person. That means, if there are 10 other people, you arrive with 5 dozen of the cookies you baked and leave with 5 dozen cookies that are 10 different varieties! 

I love this event, especially this year when I am crunched for time with a newborn. Essentially, I can make 1 type of cookie and end up with 10 kinds, many of which I have never tried before! 

This year, I wanted to make a simple cookie and one that I could make ahead. That way, I could make the dough at any point in the month leading up to the cookie swap, and bake them fresh the day before. I though the perfect choice would be a sliced icebox cookie. 

The tough decision was the filling. I was toying with making a cranberry orange compote for the inside or using my favorite jam, and then it hit me. Nutella. Who doesn't love Nutella? So, the nutella pinwheel cookie was born.

Buttermilk Waffles

Nothing like an amazing breakfast to start off a long weekend!

What is your favourite breakfast? For me, it is usually something savory with eggs, bacon, sausages and good bread; however, I have taken a liking lately to pancakes and waffles, which my husband adores. Especially waffles, now that we have our own waffle iron. 

I got a waffle iron for my husband for Christmas. Unlike many households, who have an electric countertop waffle iron, I did not want yet another single use appliance sitting on our counter top. So I found a stove top waffle iron which is fantastic. Use it on the stove like a pan, then put it away. It takes very little space and it works great! No need to search for an electrical outlet or clear the counter to make space for it!

Blueberry Maple Muffins

There is definitely an abundance of blueberries in my fridge. Not that I am complaining. Nothing makes me happier that seeing lots and lots of blueberries.

They are one of my favorite fruits and in the peak of the season, I could eat them all day! On yogurt or ice cream, with cereal, and even in salads. And let's not forget the bowls and bowls of fresh blueberries that I eat by the handful when I need a sweet snack or a nibble which doing other things.  Nothing is better than fresh blueberries!

Today, however, I decided that I had so many blueberries, that I could spare some in a batch of muffins as a quick grab and go breakfast. They were so good, I am thinking of making a double batch and freezing some to have available to just warm in the oven later too!

Slow Cooked Short Ribs in Maple Stout

Meat on a bone...I don't care what anyone says, but meat cooked and eaten off the bone tastes better. Always. This applies to chicken, pork, beef, you name it. The flavour and moisture of the meat is just far superior.

Having said that, I have this ongoing fascination with short ribs. I see them all the time, and they have been on the "list of things to do" for ages. But, I have never gotten around to cooking them. That is, until now.

We were celebrating my brother in-laws successful completion of a real estate appraisal course. So, I figured, what better time than to cook some tasty meat that this occasion?

I found a recipe for slow cooked short ribs from the Canadian Living test kitchen that used Guinness. When I went to the liquor store, I found large bottles of local maple stout. First of all, you can't say no to supporting local business. Second, the sweetness and flavour of maple just sounded like it would be perfect for the short ribs. So, that's what I bought.

Maple Walnut Fudge

Nothing says Christmas like fudge! And thanks to the Cookin' Canuck, her Nutella Fudge with Sea Salt has become a holiday staple and favorite.

But this year being our first year in Vancouver for Christmas, it was time to combine the old Christmas favorites with some new recipes. So, I decided to make a new fudge. After all, fudge is easy to make in batches and then enjoy all holiday season long, it's easy to transport, and great as a gift.

This fudge combines Canadian Maple Syrup with walnuts and white chocolate to make a delicious Christmas treat!

Maple Walnut Fudge

Makes 1 pan 9" by 13"

2 tablespoons butter

2/3 cup 2% Evaporated Milk

1 1/3 cups Sugar

1/4 tsp Salt

2 cups Mini Marshmallows

300 grams White Chocolate Buttons or Chips

1/2 cup Walnuts, chopped

1/4 cup Maple Syrup

50 Walnut Halves

Butter the bottom and sides of the pan and line with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, evaporated milk, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes. Add the marshmallows and stir rapidly to melt the marshmallows. Remove from heat and stir in the white chocolate, chopped nuts and maple syrup.

Pour into prepared baking pan. Press the walnut halves into the top of the fudge in rows. Cover and refrigerate until the fudge is firm. Cut into squares.

Roasted Vegetable Salad

As the summer ends and fall arrives, we are greeted with a plethora of "wintery" vegetables and a feeling that we just aren't ready for the summer to leave.

So, we find ourselves wanting to ease the passage of another summer by making dishes that reconcile both summer and winter seasons. Gone are the fruity, leafy salads, and fast arriving are Sunday night stews.

I think this dish perfectly expresses this changing of the seasons. Hearty vegetables are roasted and served room temperature or slightly chilled. An easy complement to the final summer grill out or a wintery roasted meat.

Roasted Vegetable Salad

Serves 4

1 Large Red Onion, cubed
1 Large Parsnip, cubed

1 Red Pepper, cut into chunks
1 Zucchini, cut into chunks
1 Sweet Potato, cubed
1 Eggplant, cut into chunks

4 cloves Garlic, whole peeled and crushed

2 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

1/2 cup Crumbled Feta Cheese

Dressing Ingredients
2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 tbsp Maple Syrup
3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Toss all the vegetables and garlic cloves in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Place the vegetables on a baking tray and roast for about 50 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool.

For the dressing, place all ingredients into a jar and shake together. Once the vegetables have cooled, toss with the dressing. Crumble the feta cheese on top.

The Fluffiest Pancakes Ever!

I love pancakes. And there are so many great recipes out there that it can be difficult to choose.

But after trying these pancakes once, they have become THE recipe in this household. Why? Because they are simple and work every single time!

I also really like this recipe because it works with whole wheat flour. I have tried it with 100% whole wheat, and 100% white, but I think this 50/50 recipe gives the best balance.

This is the pancake at its simplest. Feel free to add whatever toppings and variations you want (see some possibilities below) and make this recipe your own!  Enjoy!

The Fluffiest Pancakes Ever

Recipe adapted from Saveur Magazine

Makes about 1 dozen pancakes

1 cup White Flour

1 cup Whole Wheat Flour

2 tsp Sugar

1⁄2 tsp Salt

2 tsp Baking Soda

1 cup Low Fat Yogurt

1⁄2 cup Sparkling Water

2 Eggs

Butter for pan

Possible “Stuffings”: chocolate chips, berries, nuts, bananas, dried fruit, apple

Possible Toppings: Jam, Nutella, Butter, Maple syrup

Stir together the flours, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Add the yogurt, eggs, and sparkling water and mix together until combined. Let the batter rest for about 15-20 minutes.

Over medium heat, melt a little butter in a large, non stick pan. Pour about 1/3 cup of batter into the pan to make 1 pancake. Depending on the size of your pan, you could make between about 2-4 pancakes each batch.

 Let the pancakes cook without touching them for a few minutes, until bubbles start to surface at the top of the pancake. At this point, sprinkle any of your desired stuffings onto the pancake (eg. Chocolate chips) and press down lightly. Then flip each pancake and cook until lightly golden on the other side. Transfer pancakes onto a baking sheet and place in a warm oven. Repeat the process with the rest of the batter.

Serve with your desired toppings.

Easy Pork Tenderloin with Maple and Mustard

Pork really is the new chicken. Well, in my eyes anyways.

The great thing about pork is that, like chicken, it is so easy to cook and is not as heavy as red meat. It also goes very well with pretty much any flavor. This makes it a great alternative white meat to chicken, which we have all had a little too much of lately.

And sweetened and spiced up with a little Canadian maple syrup and some Dijon mustard? This is a dish that is hard to beat!




Easy Pork Tenderloin with Maple and Mustard
Adapted from recipe at http://www.bbcgoodfood.com

Serves 2

1 Pork Tenderloin (approx 450g), cut into 6 pieces
2 tbsp Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Fresh Black Pepper
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 Yellow Onion, cut in large dice
1 cup Vegetable Stock
2 tbsp Maple Syrup
1 tbsp Wholegrain Mustard
1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
juice of half a lemon
1/4 cup Fresh Parsley, chopped

In a dish, mix together flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge each of the pork slices in the flour mixture.

Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Brown the pork on all sides, about 4 minutes. Remove the pork from the pan.

Add the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil to the pan. Add the diced onion and sautée for about 2 minutes, until they just start to soften. Add the stock and let cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the maple syrup, both of the mustards, and the lemon juice and stir until combined.

Return the pork to the pan, cover, and let simmer for about 5-7 minutes until the pork is cooked. Sprinkle with parsley.

Great served with mashed potatoes or steamed rice.

Brioche French Toast with Fresh Orange Zest & Vanilla

Of course everyone that read my posting last week made Brioche, right? I mean, my husband found time to make it, so I am absolutely positive you all did too. And if you didn’t, well, you are certainly going to miss out on this one!

Today, with that piece of uneaten brioche sitting on the counter (which I am sure that you have considered tossing but never got around to actually doing), we are going to make some French Toast. And not just any French toast. We are going to kick it up with a little fresh orange zest and vanilla! Yum yum!

Before we begin, I’d like to start by discussing this topic of “French Toast.” I mean, we have all eaten it as kids for breakfast, and you can find it on most breakfast menus in pretty much any hotel or diner in any city around the world. But where did it come from? I mean, is French toast even French??

After some research, I have found that the birthplace of what we call “French Toast” today is up for debate. I guess everyone wants to take credit for this delicious breakfast staple! But the reason by which this interesting concept began is agreed upon by most... It originated as a way to use stale bread. By coating the bread in egg, then frying it, the bread became edible (Actually, edible is an understatement... the resulting bread is irresistable!).

In France, this type of bread dipped in egg is not even called French Toast (or i guess you could say, Toast Francais). It is actually called "Pain Perdu" (literally "lost bread" referring to its ability to use the lost or old bread).

Anyway, does it really matter? I mean, whatever it’s called and wherever it came from, it is so so good. Here are a few tips for making what I think is the best French Toast.

The Type of Bread: Of course, you could use any old bread you have lying around, but brioche makes the best French toast. When the bread soaks up all that eggy milky goodness, it really gets a second wind, and becomes a beautiful breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, or snack.

The Age of the Bread: As mentioned before, French Toast was created to use up old bread. Now, some of you are probably thinking... "if the recipe tastes good with old bread, it must be just divine with fresh bread!!" WRONG! You really need to use day old bread to get the best end product because old bread keeps a firm texture even after the dip in egg. If you use fresh bread, which is already soft, the end product is just a soggy mess when it comes out of the pan, let alone when you douse it in maple syrup...

The Cut of the Bread: Now, I like to cut the brioche quite thick, about ¾ of an inch thick. The reason? Because even after soaking up all that liquid, the bread still maintains a great shape and texture. If you cut it too thin, you get soggy French Toast (again...). Are you getting the message here? The idea is to have French Toast with texture, not a puddle of soggy bread and fried egg on your plate.

Condiments: Okay, this isn't really a tip. It's more of a preference. But I highly recommend you serve this French Toast with real Canadian Maple Syrup. Yup, the good stuff. And I am not being biased because I am Canadian. I am just telling the truth. Try it, then you will taste what I'm talking about.

Brioche French Toast with Fresh Orange Zest & Vanilla
Makes 4 thick slices of French toast

4 slices of brioche, cut about ¾ inch thick
2 large eggs, beaten
2/3 cup milk
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Zest of 1 whole orange
3 tbsp Sugar
Butter and Oil for cooking

Beat together all ingredients.
Heat a large, non stick skillet over medium heat. Add about 1/2 tbsp butter and a drizzle of vegetable oil (you could use just butter, but the oil helps prevent it from burning. You could also use just oil or non stick spray, but to be honest, it's not the same. The butter adds flavour!).

Place a slice of brioche into the eggy mixture, let it soak for about 10-15 seconds, then flip it over for the same amount of time so that the other side soaks up some goodness. Place the egg soaked brioche into the heated skillet and cook on both sides until golden (about 1 minute per side).

Eat immediately plain, with maple syrup, or your condiment of choice.