HAPPY EASTER! ( and I still don't have a working oven--BUT) this is what we accomplished!

So I love to entertain, I love to cook, I love to set a pretty table, pick out the wine, etc....and now it is EASTER! yay.  My oven ( Sears!  ) broke down at Christmas and it is still not repaired! Don't even get me started on THAT!...so lets talk about the good stuff instead....

I invited my family and Alan's for Brunch on Sunday, ( I am the type of person that will invite everyone, as the more the merrier and I wouldn't want anyone to feel left out, or celebrate an occasion alone) This stems from our past living in Ottawa. There were many holidays where  Alan and I wouldn't be able to get home to see our families, due to our shift work in Health Care and we were so far away. No one wants to be alone so we decided,   we would let EVERYONE know...WE are having a meal at " _____" time , our place, please come if you are free.  We have had people from all over the world, as people tend to come to Canada to get their medical degrees. I still have the most beautiful basket from one of our  guests that was Muslim.  ( Yes, we had people from every race, every culture, religion, sexuality, etc) We would show them what Canadians normally eat and do on certain holidays and they would share what they did back in their own Country. It was really interesting...some of the best memories!

  One year, little did I know that Braun, a co-worker of mine...a fellow R.N, came for Christmas, and that was was his last year alive. He died of unexpected Cancer before the next Christmas.   Honestly, you just never know...invite everyone possible. Life is too short not to. No regrets!

Well, enough of that rant. After all of that, it turned out that my in-laws were free today, and the rest of the people we had  invited had somewhere  else to celebrate, or they were working or with other family.

It was still a very nice meal, as we tend to eat at my in-laws a lot, so it was nice to return the favour. I told her NOT to bring a thing, it is time for ME to do the work for her...



Grilled Grapefruit  Brûlée- 1st course- an experiment, and turned out really good actually!



Pan seared scallops on a bed of spinach, edamame, strawberries, almonds, carrots and a  honey /lime dressing. Served with Italian Prosecco!



Cleanse the palate with Key Lime Sorbet...

For this dish was got the basic recipe from Food and Drink magazine, but changed it up a bit. Spaghetti with a garlic, wine, Parmesan sauce, with basil, red pepper, crispy pancetta, and lemon asparagus. Topped with a runny, gooey, poached egg that releases all it's yumminess all over your pasta...

I can't " bake" so I put some frozen vanila bean yogurt in a dish, and poured on some caramel Baileys and skor bar bits...served with a biscotti.

Tea, espresso and coffee...

It was a great day!

Lemon Asparagus Tart

Perfect for Brunch or Potluck!

I entered this dish in the Philadelphia Cream Cheese contest...they requested it via video!  HOW embarrassing!  We didn't know how to make it into one complete video. It is only 3 minutes long...but cut into 4 sections. Sorry!

Part 1

Crustless Quiche

I love quiche, but for something that looks like it should be so healthy, the fat content from the crust can really add up.

I was at friends house not that long ago and she served crustless quiche. I asked her for the recipe. It was delicious and versatile.

Crustless Spinach, Onion and Feta Quiche


1 medium onion, diced
6-oz fresh baby spinach
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
pinch cayenne pepper
1 1/3 cups milk (low fat is fine)
1/2 cup feta cheese

Preheat oven to 400F.

Lightly grease a 10-inch quiche/tart pan (or a pie plate)

In a medium frying pan, cook diced onion with a bit of vegetable oil (or cooking spray) over medium-high heat until translucent and tender. Add in fresh spinach and cook until just wilted. Set aside to cool for a few minutes

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in milk, then stir in spinach-onion mixture.

Pour quiche base into prepared pan. Top with feta cheese.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until center is set and the outside edge is golden brown.

Let set for 5 minutes, then slice and serve.
Serves 4.

salt and pepper, to taste

Sausage and Mushroom Crustless Quiche


1/2 medium onion, diced (1/2 cup)
6-oz cremini mushrooms (1 cup)
approx 4 links Italian turkey sausage- casing removed, crumbled
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
pinch cayenne pepper
1 1/3 cups milk (low fat is fine)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400F.

Lightly grease a 10-inch quiche/tart pan (or a 9-inch pie plate)

In a medium frying pan, cook onion, turkey sausage and mushrooms with a bit of vegetable oil (or cooking spray) over medium-high heat until onions are translucent and tender, and mushrooms are browned. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in milk, then stir in mushroom mixture and diced, cooked sausages.

Pour quiche base into prepared pan. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 25 minutes (30-35 minutes in a pie plate), or until center is set and the outside edge is golden brown.

Let set for 5 minutes, then slice and serve.
Serves 4.

salt and pepper, to taste


OR, better yet...why not make little mini ones that you can freeze and quickly warm up each morning for breakfast?

Off to work and school you go!  Protein, Dairy, Vegetables all in one! Eat with one hand.

Easter Brunch after all!

Leave it to  my husband...cooking away while I was blogging. Impromptu Brunch with whatever he could find in the kitchen.

My absolute favourite!  Eggs Benny with Italian proscuitto, and his home-made pototo latkes with creme fraiche !

Happy Easter from our sunny dining room!

ps. if you REALLY want to step the latkes up a notch able to plan ahead of time, add some caviar to the top! Or make mini ones as appetizers!  ohh laaa laaa!

Healthy Easter Brunch Idea's?

I'm working on a delicious, yet HEALTHY Easter menu for next week-end! Can you believe Easter is almost here!? crazy how time flies!

Here is what I am thinking about making so  far!


Eggs Florentine  ( But only 160 cal and 6.5 grams of fat!)

Ingredients:


•1/2 cup plain low fat yogurt
•2 tbsp fat-free mayonnaise
•1 tsp Dijon mustard
•2 whole wheat English muffins, split
•1 cup baby spinach leaves
•1 tbsp vinegar
•Pinch of salt
•4 eggs
•Freshly ground black pepper
•Fresh parsley for garnish

Preparation:


In a small pan, whisk together yogurt, mayonnaise and mustard. Stir gently on a low heat until warm.
Place spinach in a microwavable dish, sprinkle with a little water and microwave for 20-30 seconds until gently wilted.

Toast the muffins and place one half on four plates. Spread 1 tbsp of warm sauce on each half muffin, followed by one-fourth of the spinach.

Fill a large skillet with 2 inches of water and 1 tbsp vinegar (to help the eggs keep their shape). Add a pinch of salt to the water. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat to low so that the water is barely simmering. Break each egg gently into a shallow bowl and empty carefully into skillet. Simmer for 3-5 minutes until desired doneness, spooning hot water over the yolk until slightly opaque.

Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove eggs from water, letting excess water drain away; place on top of spinach. Drizzle remaining sauce over each egg. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper, garnish with parsley, and serve immediately.


Serves 4.


Or another option: 

Scrambled eggs with smoked salmon ( 119 cal, 5.6 grams fat)
Ingredients:


•2 whole eggs
•4 egg whites
•1 ounce smoked salmon, cut into thin strips
•Freshly ground black pepper
•Fresh dill or chopped chives for garnish

Preparation:

Whisk eggs and egg whites together. Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray. On a low to medium heat, gently cook eggs until curds begin to form. Use a flexible spatula to move the eggs around. Just before the eggs are set, stir in the salmon. Remove from heat promptly. Serve with a toasted whole wheat English muffin.

Serves 2

or


Low Fat Ham and Cheese Strata 
( 203 calories, 5.7 grams of fat) WHO said Strata's have to be full of fat!?
Ingredients:


•8-10 slices of  day-old Italian or French bread, cut into cubes
•2 whole eggs
•4 egg whites
•2 cups skim milk
•1 cup reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
•2 tsp Dijon mustard
•1  package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
•4 slices lean cooked ham. chopped
•Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation:


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Coat an 11 X 7-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs and egg whites together. Add milk, half the cheese, mustard, spinach and ham. Stir well. Add bread cubes and toss well. Pour egg and bread mixture into baking dish. Top with remaining cheese and freshly ground black pepper.

Bake uncovered for 40 minutes.

Serves 8.

Have you ever thought of this? Sounds good to me! a nice light dessert.

Broiled Grapefruit

The pleasures of broiled grapefruit are akin to those of a classic crème brûlée, only here the hot caramelized topping gives way to cool, tart-sweet segments of citrus fruit instead of chilled custard. Any grapefruit will work in this recipe; just be sure the fruits are well chilled to produce the best results.


Ingredients:

2 large grapefruits, well chilled
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 small fresh mint sprigs

Directions:

Preheat a broiler.

Cut each grapefruit in half crosswise. Cut a thin slice off the bottom of each half, if necessary, so that it will stand upright.

Using a serrated grapefruit knife or a small, sharp knife, loosen the grapefruit segments in each half by first carefully cutting between the fruit and the peel and then by cutting along either side of each segment to free it from the membrane. Leave all the segments in their shells. Place the halves upright in a baking dish.

In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, butter and cinnamon. Using your fingers, sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly over the grapefruit halves. Slip under the broiler about 4 inches from the heat source and broil until the sugar is uniformly bubbly, 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer each grapefruit half to an individual dish and garnish with a mint sprig. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

courtesy of Williams and Sonoma.