Food Safety is local. Get to know your producer on CBC's Weekend Morning Show

Yesterday, on CBC's Weekend Morning Show, with host Laurie Hoogstraten, I featured local beef sausages, in response to a recent report on sausages in Canada not being what is labelled.  This is generally never the case when buying from your local producer, butcher, farmer, etc. 

Get to know your local producer!  I featured the beef breakfast and beef smokies of Manitoba Beef, locally produced grass-fed beef.  When you speak to to butcher, or the farmer at the market, you can be guaranteed that you are getting the product that you expect, in fact, they were great!

Local Halal butchers offer the products that you expect as well.

Featured below are beef breakfast sauasages and smokies by Manitoba Beef.  Also featured are Cook's Creek Kimchi, and Nature's Farm eggs.  These products are all available at the St. Norbert's Farmer's Market.

Enjoy!

Tater Tot Breakfast Burrito

I recently had a breakfast burrito in Los Angeles at an INCREDIBLE coffee shop called Alfred Coffee + Kitchen, but the burrito itself came from The Rooster Food Truck.   I ordered something named the 'Rico Suave' which had eggs, bacon, tater tots, avocado and a cheddar & cotija cheese blend.  Yes, tater tots.  TATER TOTS IN A BURRITO.  If you've never experienced the splendor of tater tots in a burrito, you should really (bonus points if you can name what children's book that line comes from).  Now that I'm back in the land of bagels and deli egg sandwiches (which there is NOTHING wrong with), I know I need to make my own Rico Suaves at home.  And I do.

I really do.

Here's how I do it:

Fry up a few pieces of bacon in a pan until crispy.  Remove and wipe out most of the grease.  In the same pan, add some tater tots (you don't even have to thaw them out) and fry until golden.  I like to smash them once they're soft enough which will help them crisp up.  Remove from pan.  Add your scrambled eggs (I always add cream to my eggs) and softly scramble.  Remove.  Layer your burrito with shredded cheddar, crumbled cotija, eggs, bacon, tots, and avocado.  Fold and then lightly grill in the same pan until the tortilla becomes lightly golden.  Serve with your favorite hot sauce!

Parmesan Cloud Eggs

Lately, "Cloud Eggs" have been all the rage.  I guess they've been around for a long time, but Instagram has taken their popularity to a whole new level, as only Instagram can do.  I mean, they are super purrrrrrty, aren't they?  A bright, runny yolk delicately placed atop fluffy, baked egg whites.  Best part?  It takes less than 10 minutes to accomplish.  All you need to do is separate your eggs, whip your whites, bake them for 3 minutes solo and 3 minutes with the yolks.  Done!  I added Parmesan to my egg whites after the stiff peaks were formed, but I want to experiment with more ingredients like chopped chives, crumbled bacon and other types of cheeses.  And you might be wondering how it tasted?  SO delicious.  It's a delightful texture and a very healthy breakfast.     

You can view tutorials on how to make these here and here.

Green Breakfast Sandwich

Most mornings, I run around the house with a yogurt in my hand, occasionally taking bites as I nag on my children to put their clothes on, eat a bite, put their clothes on, eat a bite, go pee, brush their teeth, PUT THEIR CLOTHES ON, etc.  However, their are those magical mornings when I actually wake up before them, and they actually sleep past 7am, and I have the school lunches made and their clothes, snacks, vitamins and backpacks ready to go.  On those mornings, which I will refer to as unicorn mornings, I make myself something fun for breakfast!  

This particular sandwich is loosely based on one at this restaurant (I order NOTHING else), and it took me no time to throw it together.  I toasted an English Muffin, spread on a layer of cream cheese, added some arugula and then avocado, fried up an egg and topped the whole thing with store-bought pesto.  Salt, pepper, lemon juice, drizzle of olive oil... it was ridiculous.  I love my unicorn mornings!  

Coffee cup was made by a friend based on THIS Instagram page :)

Victoria Day Weekend Market Opening for CBC's Weekend Morning Show

This morning I had the great pleasure of presenting these dishes for CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Terry MacLeod.  We are marking the great items available at the St. Norbert's Farmer's Market with Wildfire Farms Grassfed Beef, Nature's Farm eggs and other items available.


Mini K�fte two ways  Moroccan and Turkish

Moroccan
1 lb ground beef (or lamb), Beef today from Wildfire Farms, available at the opening today of St. Norbert�s Farmer�s Market
1-2 tbs Ras el Hanout (available at the opening of St. Norbert�s Farmer�s Market)
pinch salt
1 egg
Optional:  Finely chopped preserved lemon peel, recipe follows

Mix ingredients well together and form into patties or oblongs (K�fte shaped)

Grill over high heat until desired cooked state.  Let rest and serve with your favourite condiments such as Dijon mustard, caramelized onions, tomato chutney, soft egg, cheese, etc.  Served today with yoghurt tahini sauce.

Turkish
1 lb ground beef
1-2 tbs Turkish Baharat
pinch salt
1 egg

Mix ingredients well together and form into patties or oblongs (K�fte shaped)

Grill over high heat until desired cooked state.  Let rest and serve with your favourite condiments such as Dijon mustard, caramelized onions, tomato chutney, soft egg, cheese, etc.

Enjoy!

Also served today with homemade pita bread.  See link for very easy recipe.  http://www.thefreshloaf.com/recipes/pitabread

Preserved Lemons

1 clean sealing jar
4-6 lemons
kosher or sea salt (`1/2 cup)
Juice of 3 lemons

Cut lemons open but not through and stuff with salt.  Press into jar and fill with remaining salt and cover with lemon juice.  Place in sunny place for 3-7 days and then refrigerate.  Use lemon peel in many dishes and liquid for dressings.


Yoghurt tahini sauce

1/2 cup good plain yoghurt
1 clove garlic, minced
3 heaping tbs tahini
2 tsp lemon or lime juice
pinch salt

Mix all ingredients together. The tahini will cause the sauce to thicken quickly. Use on grilled Pide or Naan or as a crudit� dip.


Enjoy!

Veggie Hash and Eggs

Has anyone been to Prime Meats in Brooklyn, New York?  Go!  Go, go, go, go, go.  I've actually only been once, but they have the best brunch and NO, I'm not just saying that because I was sans children which meant I could actually hear myself think and eat my food while it was hot (and YES, there was also booze).  First of all, they put warm, buttery biscuits on the table with jam and salted butter and they were the best I've ever had.  For my meal, I ordered a veggie hash with eggs (it was also available with meat) that was essentially roasted root vegetables and kale underneath two over sunny-side-up eggs.  I had to recreate it at home, and here's what I did...

I diced up one butternut squash, one rutabaga and one fennel bulb into little bite-sized squares.  I drizzled it with olive oil, salt and pepper, and roasted it in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes (I didn't have kale, otherwise I would have added that, too).  Then, I made crispy eggs, placed them on top of the veggies, served it alongside an arugula salad, and it was dinner!  But it would also be a perfect breakfast or brunch, even with your kids :)   

Turkish Omelettes for CBC's Weekend Morning Show

This morning, I presented the following recipe for CBC's Weekend Morning Show, with host Terry MacLeod.  I made these omelettes often on the boat in Turkey.  Easy to prepare, with great and simple ingredients.


Turkish Omelettes

2 eggs per person
1/4 cup crumbled feta per person
good pinch each of dried oregano and marjoram
pepper, to taste

butter, in the pan

Whisk together all ingredients.  Ladle out one small portion in a hot pan with melted butter and get the mixture throughout the pan.  Fold omelette into quarters, pie shaped folds and serve immediately.

I�m using Nature�s Farm eggs which are available in the St. Norbert�s Farmer�s Market, at their outlet in Steinbach,  Neechi Foods, and Tall Grass Prairie Bakery.

Enjoy!

Lemony eggs for loving on CBC's Weekend Morning Show

This morning I presented the following dish for CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Terry MacLeod.  The eggs are from Nature's Farm and the Gluten Free shells are from Piccola Cucina.  The butter for the curd is our wonderful Notre Dame butter.  

Lemon Curd

2-4 lemons, zested and juiced
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
3 eggs (I use Nature�s Farm eggs, available at the St. Norbert�s Farmer�s Market)

Finely grate the peel of 2 large lemons. Squeeze the lemons and reserve the juice. (I used Meyer Lemons for this recipe)
Melt 1/2 cup butter in a double saucepan over a very gentle heat.
Gradually add 1 cup superfine sugar, 3 beaten eggs, the grated lemon zest and the lemon juice.
Stir until thickened.
Put into sterilized jars while still hot and cover with wax paper, pressing the paper on the surface of the lemon curd. (If using curd for Lemon Meringue Pie/tarts, cool in fridge)
Leave until completely cold before covering the jars.

Lemon Meringue Pie/Tarts

3 large egg whites
1 lemon curd recipe
Pie or tart shells ( I used gluten free Almond tarts from Piccola Cucina, locally made and available at Vita Heallth, DeLuca�s Red River Coop stores, GJ Andrews)
pinch of cream of tartar
2 tbs sugar

Prebake pie and tart shells at 375� for 10-15 minutes.
Fill tart shells with curd.
Whip egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks forms.  Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form and appear shiny.  Top the lemon filling, making sure to cover completely to the edges.  Otherwise the meringue will shrink to nothing.

Bake for 10-15 minutes at 375�F or until the meringue is golden.  Cool on rack completely before slicing.

Enjoy!

Gluten free and fabulous on CBC's Weekend Morning Show!

 On Saturday, I'll be presenting these recipes on CBC's Weekend Morning Show, with host Terry MacLeod.  The Gluten Free tart shells are made with unsweetened Almonds by Piccola Cucina and can be found at the St. Norbert's Farmer's Market. 

Two Tarts Today (Gluten Free)
Piccola Cucina Tart or pie shells, made in Manitoba, are gluten free, dairy free and vegan.  They come in a variety of sizes from pie to tartlet and are available at the St. Norbert�s Farmer�s Market.

Pre-bake the shells at 350�F for 12-15 minutes.  Cool before filling with the following recipes.  You can cover the edges with foil to prevent over browning. 

1. Caramelized Shallot Tarts

Shallots
port or wine
rosemary or thyme
drizzle olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Take the skins and ends off of the shallots and place them in a shallow baking dish. Add remaining ingredients and bake at 350�F oven for up to one hour or until the shallots are soft. Enjoy in a number of options or as a garnish to meats and vegetables or, combine with Okanagan Cherry reduction in tarts:

Dried Okanagan Cherry reduction
1 cup tart dried Okanagan cherries *
1 cup port
1 tbs chopped fresh rosemary
2 tbs butter
1 cup dry red wine or port
Soak cherries in port over night or for several hours.
In a sauce pan, heat soaked cherries and add wine or port and rosemary. Bring to a boil and add butter. Remove from heat and pur�e. Use on tarts or as a drizzle for meats or poultry.  Add ch�vre to each tart shell and top with shallot/cherry mixture.  Bake until hot throughout.

2. Quiche Lorraine (with Beef Bacon!)
Beef bacon can be purchased at Wildfire Farms, at St. Norbert�s Market on Saturdays and the Downtown Hydro Building on Thursdays.  Nature�s Farm eggs can be found at St. Norbert�s Farmer�s Market and well as a number of grocery stores.

for 6 medium tart shells

1 tbs butter
6 eggs
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 pound beef bacon (or Berkshire, another local bacon), chopped
1 finely chopped leek whites
1 cup shredded Swiss or Gruyere cheese
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
salt and pepper, to taste

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium high heat.  Add leek and bacon until starting to soften and brown.  In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs and cream together.  Add the leek and bacon with the cheese and seasonings.  Pour into crust and bake until the centre of the quiches are just set, ~ 20 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Fiddlehead and morel mushroom omelettes for Mother's Day

This morning I presented a lovely seasonal omelette for CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Terry MacLeod.  In season now are fiddleheads and morel mushrooms, perfect in a fluffy omelette made with Nature's Farm eggs.  If you don't want to hunt in the woods for them, you can buy them at DeLuca's on Portage Ave. in Winnipeg.

This was served with Brandied Farmer's Sausage.

Fiddleheads and Morels Omelette
1/2 cup fresh fiddleheads (available at DeLuca�s)
1 cup whole or sliced fresh morels (available at DeLuca�s)
1 tbsp. butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 eggs
quick drizzle cold water or cream
3 tbsp. grated Parmesan (padano or reggiano - optional)
pinch grated nutmeg

INSTRUCTIONS

1.Blanch trimmed fiddleheads for 1 minute in boiling water and cool immediately in ice water.  (http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/eating-nutrition/safety-salubrite/fruits-vegetables-legumes-fruits/fiddlehead-fougere-eng.php)
2. Saut� fiddleheads in browned butter and set aside.  Saut� morel mushrooms in brown butter.  Season and add nutmeg.  Can deglaze with wine or vermouth.  Set aside.
3. Whisk eggs, salt, cream and pepper in a bowl. Heat butter in a 12" nonstick skillet over medium heat; cook until milky foam settles at the bottom of the skillet and turns nut brown. Add eggs; cook, without stirring, until large curds form, 3-4 minutes, then gently stir until eggs are almost set. Using a rubber spatula, pat eggs into an even layer. Place fiddleheads and mushrooms and cheese over eggs. Remove from heat and using spatula, roll omelette up and over filling; slide omelette onto a plate and garnish with remaining extra fiddleheads and cheese or chives.

Serve immediately. 
Enjoy!

Classic Deviled Eggs

There are a trajillion deviled egg recipes on the internet.
Fancy ones with Dungeness crab on top or truffle oil mixed in. Spicy ones with sriracha or horseradish. Deviled eggs with bacon, goat cheese, and avocado. Southern, southwest, and buffalo deviled eggs. I even saw a recipe for breaded, deep fried deviled eggs. Whoa! And, for every crazy, fusion-y, fun deviled egg out there, there are probably 3 takes on the classic version.

This is mine. It�s not inventive or overly exciting, but it�s how my family has always done deviled eggs, and we�re quite fond of it� in fact, we typically turn our noses up at other people�s deviled eggs. I learned sometime in the last few years that some people don�t put mustard�just mayo�in their classic deviled eggs, and I found this shocking. And terrible. You guys! Mustard! It�s a must�urd. 

We typically don�t measure, just add and taste and add and taste, but I did the due diligence for you here, so you can you have what I consider the best classic, basic deviled egg. And with Easter just around the corner, you should have a lot of hard boiled eggs on hand in the next few weeks! Here�s the step by step of how we usually make them:

1. Once the eggs have been boiled and cooled, I make it very clear that Amanda doesn�t get to make the eggs, because she over mustards them. Mustard is key, but too much of a good thing can be... a bad thing. I shoo her out of the kitchen. 
2. Once the eggs are peeled, halved, and scooped, I shoo my mom out of the kitchen, because she keeps trying to eat them all. On her way out, I concede, and let her eat the whites that didn�t peel or halve well. There�s usually at least one in the bunch. This just means more filling for the rest of the eggs, which let�s be real, is the best part. 
3. I add the yolks, a squirt of mayo, and a squirt of classic yellow mustard to a bowl, and mash it up with a fork. Sometimes with a pastry blender (which, by the way, I also use for guacamole). In goes a sprinkle of salt. 
4. Now Amanda and Mel are welcomed back into the kitchen, and we all do a taste test. Amanda requests more mustard. Mel requests more mayo. I need a little more salt. 
5. I add just a little bit more of each. We don�t want them too mayonnaisily (new word) creamy, or too tangy and mustardy. By we, I mean me. Amanda wants them too mustardy. She�s banished once again.
6. If we have company joining us, I scoop the filling into a large ziplock back, snip the corner, and adorably pipe the filling into the egg halves. If it�s just us, I spoon it in and don�t even bother smoothing out the top. 
7. Finally, a sprinkle of sweet Hungarian paprika, and the eggs have been deviled and are ready to chill for later or eat right now. 
8. Amanda squirts an additional dollop of mustard on top of her egg. She�s insane. 

Classic Deviled Eggs
Makes 6 full / 12 half eggs. Double recipe if you're using a full dozen.

6 hardboiled eggs, peeled and halved

1.5 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 1/4 teaspoon classic yellow mustard

Salt

Sweet Hungarian Paprika

Scoop the egg yolks into a bowl, and add mayo, mustard, and a pinch of salt. Mash up with a fork and stir until combined and smooth. Taste. To make creamier, add a bit more mayo. For more tang, add more mustard. Add more salt as needed. Pipe or scoop the yolk mixture into the egg white halves, and sprinkle with paprika. For a simple twist, sprinkle on a little smoked paprika!

Omelettes for Mother's Day on CBC's Weekend Morning Show

 This morning I had the pleasure of presenting this recipe that I found on Savoir's page for CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Terry MacLeod.  It is very yummy and so easy to prepare if you are looking for such a thing for Mother's Day tomorrow.  I would also consider substituting the peas for fiddleheads if any are available where you are.

I used Nature's Farm eggs, Pecorino from DeLuca's and Gunn's Bagels.  

Enjoy!

Brown Butter, Peas and Mint Omelette
? cup fresh or frozen peas
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 eggs
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
3 tbsp. grated pecorino romano
2 tbsp. thinly sliced mint leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Bring a 1-qt. saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add peas and cook until tender, 1 minute; drain and transfer in a bowl. Stir in oil, lemon zest, salt, and pepper; set aside.

2. Whisk eggs, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Heat butter in a 12" nonstick skillet over medium heat; cook until milky foam settles at the bottom of the skillet and turns nut brown. Add eggs; cook, without stirring, until large curds form, 3-4 minutes, then gently stir until eggs are almost set. Using a rubber spatula, pat eggs into an even layer. Place peas, half the cheese, and mint leaves over eggs. Remove from heat and using spatula, roll omelette up and over filling; slide omelette onto a plate and garnish with remaining mint and cheese. 

Sesame Sriracha Egg Salad

Here's my second egg salad experiment. And, I must say� this one rocks. It rawks, even. 

Before we get to the goodness of this recipe, can I tell you something sort of embarrassing? So, I've had lower back pain on and off for years, and recently, as I've amped up my outdoor running for spring, my backs been killing me. So I went to a sports rehab doc, and guess what? My glutes aren't doing their job, forcing all the effort on my lower back. Basically, in a nutshell, my butt muscles aren't working right. So now, in order to retrain my muscles to do what they're supposed to do, I have four weeks of PT. To relearn how to walk. My butt is broken.

In other news� Sesame Sriracha Egg Salad! After my deconstructed egg salad, I was brave enough to try a mixed up version with lots of fun flavors. This has sesame oil, soy sauce, and sriracha, and the flavor totally kills. So, so good. I seriously want to eat this every day. Egg salad convert!

Sesame Sriracha Egg Salad

This is the 4-egg version, which basically made two overloaded baguette slices. Double the recipe for more, or cut in half for less.  

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon Sriracha

2 teaspoons mayonaise

1 teaspoon sesame oil

4 hardboiled eggs

Salt & pepper 

Baguette slices

Micro greens or spring greens

Extra Sriracha

Black sesame seeds

Whisk together soy sauce, Sriracha, mayo, and sesame oil. Chop eggs in fairly small pieces, add to mayo mixture, and gently toss to combine. Salt & pepper to taste. Top baguette slices with greens, a big scoop of egg salad, an extra squirt of Sriracha, and a sprinkle of black sesame seeds. 

Egg Salad No. 1

This is the time of year where all my online feeds fill up with egg salad sandwiches. Which I hate. Well, used to hate.

I�ve mentioned here before that my whole life I had a major hate-hate relationship with eggs, until about five years ago. Now it�s sort of love-hate. I eat a ton of eggs. Love �em over medium, baked, scrambled, and sometimes even hardboiled. But I still have a few weird leftover hang-ups from my egg hating days. Like, I don�t want to eat eggs that other people prepare. And I don�t like watching other people eat eggs. And until this week, I hated egg salad sandwiches.

My egg salad memories from childhood are squishy and smelly. Amanda loved the things, and would really disgustingly eat them in front of me since she knew it grossed me out. Since egg salad is all over the place around Easter, I started a little convo about it on Facebook. And, kind of to my surprise, it turned out that everyone loves egg salad sandwiches.

You guys also told me on the 'book that you like dill and green olives in your egg salad. I decided to work with that. But I was still a little nervous, picturing a smelly, mushy mound of squishy egg salad, so I decided to go the deconstructed route: baguette slices with tangy green olive and mustard tapenade, micro greens, sliced hard-boiled eggs, and dilly mayo. 

GUYS! This is actually good. Really good! Hey egg salad, I�m not afraid of you anymore! You hear that? I�m not afraid of you! Sorry, quick Home Alone tangent. Anyway, my first foray into egg salad gave me enough courage to try a mixed up version� today you get deconstructed, and later we�re doing a little somethin� somethin� with everyone�s favorite bright red hot sauce. Stay tuned for that one!

Deconstructed Egg Salad Sandwiches

1/2 cup mayo 

2 tablespoons fresh dill

Sea salt

1.5 cups green olives

2 teaspoons grainy dijon mustard

Hardboiled eggs

Baguette slices

Micro greens (I like the Trader Joe's micro greens, but sprouts or spring greens work too)

Dill fronds
Sliced chives

Salt & pepper

Add mayo, dill, and a pinch of salt to blender, and blend until combined. Taste, and add more dill or salt as needed. Scoop into a dish. Once blender is thoroughly scraped out, add olives and mustard, and blend until combined and chunky, but not totally pureed. Scoop into a separate dish. 

For each baguette slice, spread a bit of the mustard tapenade, add a handful of micro greens, sprouts, or other greens, a layer of thinly sliced hard boiled eggs, a pinch of salt and pepper, a drizzle of the mayo (I add mine to a ziplock baggie with the corner cut out to pipe), chives, and a bit of fresh dill. Make as many as your heart desires! 

Baked Tortilla Cup Huevos Rancheros

Evan was sick all weekend, so I made him his favorite chipotle chicken tortilla soup. Which meant I had a jar of chipotle peppers in my fridge, along with half a lime, cilantro, cotija, corn tortillas, and of course, sour cream (which, let�s be real, I always have in my fridge). I also had a can of black beans in the cupboard, and a brand new jar of Mel�s homemade salsa.

I went to bed Saturday night planning Sunday�s brunch, those ingredients dancing in my mind (seriously� who needs sugar plums). First I was thinking a scramble, then maybe something like chilaquiles, or maybe a fried egg tostada type deal. But just before I drifted off to sleep, it came to me: baked eggs in tortilla cups, with mashed chipotle black beans. EUREKA!

I woke up super early Sunday morning (ok, like 8am�which because of the time change should have been 9am, but whatever�I�m not an early riser), feeling like a freaking genius for the idea I had come up with. So I decided to just do a real quick search on the ol� internetz to find some tips for tortilla cups and egg baking� and the Google search �tortilla cup baked eggs� popped up a recipe that was pretty much exactly what I had dreamt up. The top search result.

Like� get out of my head, Bon Appetit! 

So, while I thought this recipe was totally unique and completely my own, it turns out tortilla cups filled with mashed black beans and top with a baked egg exists, outside of my head. They even used chipotle. C�MON, YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!
 

Anyway. These are super easy to throw together, and an awesome brunch party idea, since you can make individual little egg cups for everyone. Or you can make them for breakfast for yourself, then eat all 6 of them throughout the day� that�s also a thing that can happen.

Baked Tortilla Cup Huevos Rancheros
Adapted from this recipe
 

Olive oil 
Six 6-6.5-inch corn tortillas (soft taco size)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo, diced + extra sauce adobo sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin 
Salt
3/4 cup grated cheese (jack, cheddar, etc)
6 large eggs 
Salt & pepper

Toppings:
Sour cream
Cilantro
Salsa
Lime
Crumbled cotija cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Brush six 10-ounce custard cups with oil (or cooking spray), or use large muffin tins (not regular cupcake size). 

Wet and wring out a paper towel, and wrap around stacked tortillas. Microwave until warm and pliable, about 30 seconds. Gently press 1 tortilla into each cup, and brush with oil (or spray).

Add beans, a splash of oil, the chipotle peppers and sauce (add more or less, depending on your heat tolerance), cumin, a pinch of salt, and � of the grated cheese to a bowl, and mash with a fork or pastry blender.

Spoon bean mixture into bottom of each tortilla cup.

Crack 1 egg into each tortilla cup on top of the beans, being careful not to let it spill over the edge. Sprinkle each with salt and pepper, and the remaining grated cheese.

Bake uncovered until whites are set, about 25-27 minutes. Serve with suggested toppings.

The Big Brunch for the Assiniboine Park Conservancy and the MLCC

 It was such a treat to present the following recipes for the Assiniboine Park Conservancy at the Madison Square MLCC.  Bonnie Tulloch, Assiniboine Park Conservancy Education Coordinator presented on the history of brunch and the plants used while Stephanie Mills, Product Consultant for the MLCC, provided excellent pairings.  Pairings to come soon.  Enjoy!

1. Homemade Granola
Paired with Innis and Gunn Rum Finish (Scotish)   $5.01

I adapted this recipe from my parents' older version of the More with Less Cookbook

Preheat oven to 350�F

1 large roaster (I use a large aluminum turkey roaster)
2.25 kg oats (you can reduce for your wants)
1/2 cup skim milk powder
up to 2 cups each sliced almonds, broken pecans, or other nuts that you enjoy
1 cup unsweetened medium coconut (optional)
1 cup roasted green pumpkin seeds (optional)

In a saucepan melt together:
1 cup molasses
1 cup honey
1/2 cup olive oil

Watch that the molasses and honey don't boil over but it is ready to pour into the oats mixture when it bubbles and foams up.
Mix well into oats and nuts and bake for 20- 30 minutes or until browning on top. Stir and bake for at least another 20- 30 minutes. While it is baking, soak dried fruit.

Dried Fruit (I always round quite up on these items and don't really measure at all)

1 cup dark raisins
1 cup craisins
1 cup cut dried apricots
1 cup pitted cut dates
All optional or what you may have on hand. At Christmas I use dried cherries. I also often use currants.

After turning and baking the granola, turn off heat and stir in drained fruit. Leave in oven until all dried.

Fill small sealer jars with granola for gifts.

2. Waffles with White Sauce
Paired with Crown Royal Maple Cocktail  

4 eggs, separated (Nature�s Farm eggs are excellent)
1 cup milk (local organic available) *OR Club Soda for crispy waffles (I sometimes use twice as much)
3 cups flour (this amount makes a thinner batter) (Freshly milled flour available at Tall Grass Prairie Bakery)
1/2 cup butter, melted (Notre Dame Dairies is a local source for Manitoba)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs sugar
4 tsp baking powder

Beat whites until peaked and set aside or chill. Beat yolks with milk or club soda. Add melted butter without cooking yolks. Sift dry ingredients and add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Fold in egg whites. Let proof for a while until you see bubbles in the batter. Cook in waffle iron without over filling iron. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

White Sauce
1 cup waffle batter (see above)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sugar, or to taste
1 cup milk
pinch salt

In a sauce pan, cook all ingredients together until it thickens to a smooth sauce. Use over waffles.

3. �ilbir(pronounced, chill burr)
Paired with Trius Brut Sparkling Wine (Niagara)  $26.99

These luscious eggs are so easy to make with a wonderful and velvety result. Perfect comfort food for a weekend morning brunch/breakfast.

The recipe below is for 1, but you can easily make it for more people by adding more eggs, yogurt, and butter.

2 eggs
2 tbsp vinegar
5 cups of water (or more)
1/2 cup yogurt
1 tsp paprika (I used hot smoked paprika)
1/2 tbsp butter
mint flakes
salt
pepper
1 clove of garlic, minced (optional)

Bring to boil water, vinegar, and salt in a medium size pot. When it starts boiling, turn it down to medium to low heat.

Stir the water and then break eggs one at a time in a small bowl, and glide them, one by one, in to the very hot but not boiling water. (If the water is boiling vigorously when you pour the eggs, you cannot have a homogeneous cooking or keep the egg together) Do not cook more than 2 eggs at a time. If an egg starts going messy in water, try to pull it together with a spoon. (stirring the water will help make the eggs into a perfect round shape).

Cook the eggs for 3-4 minutes for medium soft yolk. For a hard yolk, you need to cook them at least for 5 minutes.

Take the eggs out of the water with slotted spoon on a plate.

Pour yogurt on them. (If you want to have your �ilbir "a la turque", mix yogurt with 1 clove of minced garlic, a perfect pairing)

Heat butter. When it sizzles add paprika. Stir for half a minute or less (just don't let it burn) and pour it on top of eggs and yogurt.

Sprinkle mint flakes on top. Serve with toast.

It is extremely easy to make �ilbir; there are only a couple of points to be careful about: don't put the eggs in boiling water; bring it to a boil and then let it calm down and do not break the eggs directly into the pot; instead break them in little bowl and let them glide.

4. Smoked Goldeye, bagel and Homemade fresh cheese
Paired with Mission Hill Five Vineyards Rose (Okanagan)   $15.49

Smoked Manitoba Goldeye on toasted bagels with yoghurt cheese.

Yoghurt Cheese

1 cup good yoghurt (no gelatin, corn starch, etc.)

cheese cloth

Strain the yoghurt through the cheese cloth overnight.  Ta Dah!  Cheese!

Store in refrigerator with a bit of olive oil and salt.

Serve as cream cheese or on an antipasto platter.

Enjoy!

On Saturday I had the pleasure of presenting Fritatta(Torta) on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Ismaila Alfa.  I served it with a bit of tomato chutney but it is a dish that can be made to your own tastes.

Frittata or Torta is a very versatile dish.  It can be used with a large number of "left overs" and other ingredients.  Try with sliced mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, or many other vegetables.


Spinach and Parmesan Frittata
3 Tbsp. olive oil
6 eggs
3 thinly sliced potatoes
1 cup (1/2 lb.) chopped raw spinach
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
pinch grated nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350�. In a large bowl mix all ingredients except oil and scapes. Heat oil in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet on the stove.  Pour egg and potato mixture in skillet and cook over medium heat for 5-7  minutes. Place in oven and bake uncovered for 10 minutes or until top is set. Cut into wedges and serve.

Enjoy!

Eggs! Nature's Farm eggs on CBC's Weekend Morning Show

 This morning I had the pleasure of presenting two egg recipes for CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Ismaila Alfa.  The first is a poached egg recipe from Turkey and the second is a Kerala dish that usually calls for duck eggs but is wonderful with Nature's Farm eggs.

1. �ilbir (pronounced, chill burr)

These luscious eggs are so easy to make with a wonderful and velvety result. Perfect comfort food for a weekend morning brunch/breakfast.

The recipe below is for 1, but you can easily make it for more people by adding more eggs, yogurt, and butter.

2 eggs
2 tbsp vinegar
5 cups of water (or more)
1/2 cup yogurt
1 tsp paprika (I used hot smoked paprika)
1/2 tbsp butter
mint flakes
salt
pepper
1 clove of garlic, minced (optional)

Bring to boil water, vinegar, and salt in a medium size pot. When it starts boiling, turn it down to medium to low heat.

Stir the water and then break eggs one at a time in a small bowl, and glide them, one by one, in to the very hot but not boiling water. (If the water is boiling vigorously when you pour the eggs, you cannot have a homogeneous cooking or keep the egg together) Do not cook more than 2 eggs at a time. If an egg starts going messy in water, try to pull it together with a spoon. (stirring the water will help make the eggs into a perfect round shape).

Cook the eggs for 3-4 minutes for medium soft yolk. For a hard yolk, you need to cook them at least for 5 minutes.

Take the eggs out of the water with slotted spoon on a plate.

Pour yogurt on them. (If you want to have your �ilbir "a la turque", mix yogurt with 1 clove of minced garlic, a perfect pairing)

Heat butter. When it sizzles add paprika. Stir for half a minute or less (just don't let it burn) and pour it on top of eggs and yogurt.

Sprinkle mint flakes on top. Serve with toast.

It is extremely easy to make �ilbir; there are only a couple of points to be careful about: don't put the eggs in boiling water; bring it to a boil and then let it calm down and do not break the eggs directly into  the pot; instead break them in little bowl and let them glide.

2. Kerala eggs
 2-4 hard boiled eggs
1-2 cups sliced onions
2 tbs olive oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
pinch salt
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Bring a pan up to medium-high heat and add olive oil and mustard seeds.  When the seeds begin to pop, add the sliced onions.  When the onions are softened, add the remaining spices and seasonings.  When almost crispy, add peeled eggs that have been scored and bring to temperature, covering with the sauce.  Serve with flaky parotha or naan.

Enjoy!