Chorizo and Arugula Scrambled Eggs

It you're anything like me, cooking really isn't just about the food. It's a social endeavour of sorts.I'll cook up a storm for friends and family any day of the week, but tend to shy away from elaborate concoctions when I'm cooking for myself.

Don't get me wrong, I'll indulge in a plateful of delicious cheese, cured meat and bread, or a rustic salad with a tangy dressing, but I usually keep it simple -- and quick. This dish is a new favourite I wanted to share. It's barely a recipe but just a pleasant mix of satisfying ingredients. Silky scrambled eggs cooked low and slow (none of those rubbery, overdone eggs here!), crispy chorizo & a handful of fresh arugula served on top of buttery Challah bread. {Toronto folks, the Challah bread from Harbord bakery is divine!}

I've enjoyed this for a lazy breakfast but it also makes a delicious (and easy!) breakfast-for-dinner option.

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Steel-Cut Oats with Cinnamon Pears

Ah, breakfast.To be honest breakfast has always been pretty low on my list of favourite meals. I usually have unorthodox desires (read non-breakfast desires) that I don't always have the time to fulfill in the morning when I'm rushing to get ready for the day ahead. I went through a Japanese-inspired phase a couple weeks ago that consisted of a bow of white rice topped with toasted sesame seeds, a nori sprinkling, sliced avocado and a drizzle of sesame oil. In a bit of a Goldilocks fashion, I seem to have trouble finding my perfect  breakfast option -- the one that will keep me satisfied for the better part of the morning. Because, let's be honest. when you work in a Test Kitchen, the last thing you want is to be overly hungry when you first walk into the office!

Steel-cut oats have solved my breakfast dilemma - for now! These golden pearls have a wonderful bite and texture, and, although they take a little while to cook, they really make a wonderful breakfast option that will keep you full for hours.

This version is sweetened using seasonal pears tossed in brown butter and cinnamon and topped with toasted almonds and a drizzle of flavourful honey. I can't think of a better way to start the day at this time of year.

The Perfect Breakfast and a Sweet Giveaway!

Let's be honest. We've all had those days when you wake up and need a pick-me up right off the bat. For those kind of days, a nice breakfast might just do the trick. For me, frittatas are definitely the way to go when you have time for a hearty morning meal. Beat a couple eggs with a little cream, add some greens and a little cheese and let the frittata bake in the oven while you prepare the rest. This breakfast platter includes some greek yogurt topped with blueberries and oats, some sliced apples and a parmesan, spinach and green onion frittata. Add a glass of freshly pressed grapefruit juice and a good cup of coffee and you can be sure the day ahead will be that much brighter!

And to continue the day on a good note, I'm offering a great giveaway. I have 3 copies of Kings of Pastry to send to 3 lucky readers. This movie follows chefs as they compete for the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France. It's a wonderful movie for anyone interested in the pastry realm and will bring you backstage at one the most intense culinary competitions in the world. To enter the contest, comment on this post and tell us what your favorite pastries are. For a second entry in this contest, add a comment on Chocolate Shaving's facebook page. This contest is open to US and Canadian residents only and ends on February 18th, 2011. Good luck!


Parmesan, Green Onion and Spinach Frittata
Serves 2

4 eggs
1 splash of heavy cream
1/4 cup milk
3 green onions, sliced
1 handful of baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup of shredded parmesan
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat your oven to 375F. Beat the eggs until homogeneous and add the cream and milk. Stir in the green onions, spinach and parmesan. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add the egg mixture to a cast iron pan on medium heat. Using a whisk or wooden spoon, stir the mixture until it just start to cook. Place the cast iron in the oven and bake until the frittata is just set and golden brown (about 15 minutes).
Serve warm. Enjoy!

Pear and Buckwheat Pancakes

First, I should start this post by saying that I'm usually a crepe lover. I grew up with crepes being a family weekend staple, usually enjoyed with just a a little granulated sugar and a generous squeeze of lemon. My mom, as I've mentioned before, doesn't cook very much, but what she makes, she makes amazingly well.

Let me tell you, even though I didn't grow up eating pancakes (when I first moved here I use to call them crepes, fatter and less popular cousin) these pancakes are absolutely amazing and didn't make me miss the crepes a single second! They are part of my new quest in the kitchen: baking with new types of flours. I've always had the feeling that flour was needed in baked goods but really didn't bring much in the flavor department. By using more flavorful, textured flours you end up needing to use a lot less sugar as well. Let's face it, if flour and sugar were in a battle they would be carrying pretty similar weapons. Sugar, besides pure, basic sweetness, holds very little subtleties in flavor. That's why I usually tend to use brown sugar instead of white as the addition of molasses makes the taste of the sugar more interesting. In the case of these little pancakes, the buckwheat flour mixed in with freshly grated pears makes them the best pancakes I've ever had.

Pear and Buckwheat Pancakes
Adapted From Good to the Grain

Dry Mix:
1 cup of buckwheat flour
1 cup of whole-grain pastry flour
3 tablespoons of granulated sugar
2 tsp of baking powder
3/4 tsp of kosher salt

Wet Mix:
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 + 1/4 cup of whole milk
1 egg
2 medium ripe pears

Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl.

In another bowl, whisk the melted butter, milk and egg until thoroughly combined.

Peel the pears. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the whole, peeled pears into the milk mixture. The pear juice should fall into the milk along with the grated pears.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and gently combine using a rubber spatula.

Heat a cast iron pan or griddle over medium heat until water sizzles when splashed on the pan. Rub the pan generously with butter. Working quickly, dollop 1/4 cup mounds of batter onto the pan.

Once bubbles have begun to form, flip and cook until bottoms are golden brown. The pancakes should cook for about 5 minutes total.

Wipe the pan with a cloth before the next batch and rub the pan with butter again. Serve warm, with maple syrup and fresh fruit. Enjoy!

Eggs Baked in Tomatoes with Prosciutto and Basil Puree

I have been meaning to make this dish for a few weeks now, but had not found the time for a leisurely Sunday morning where I could afford to try it out and take the time to appreciate the result. This morning, the timing was just right: I had a couple tomatoes just asking to be cooked, and Oliver and I were both in the mood for a nice breakfast. I really enjoy making dishes like these that are hearty, fairly easy and fail-safe and that look and feel so deliciously rustic. I've taken a liking to serving food in my cast iron at the dinner table, and this would a great opportunity to do just that.

I got this recipe from Delicious magazine and slightly adapted it. It was truly one of the best meals I've had in the past few months. The salty prosciutto gets crispy in the oven, the tomato flavor intensifies, the basil smells wonderfully fragrant and the egg yolk breaks as soon as you dig in. Need I say more?

Recipe (for 2)
2 large tomatoes
A handful of basil
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and Freshly ground pepper
2 slices of prosciutto
2 eggs, at room temperature

Preheat your oven to 350F. Cut the top of the tomatoes with a sharp knife and gently scoop out the seeds and juices with a spoon. Lay them upside down on a couple sheet of paper towels to soak up extra moistness. In the meantime, using a mortar and pestle, smash the basil until it forms a paste. Add a pinch of salt, and drizzle a little olive oil to loosen the basil. Add some black pepper. Check that the tomatoes are dry inside, and dab the inside with an extra paper towel. Wrap a slice of prosciutto around the tomato, and, using a toothpick, seal both ends so they fit snugly around the tomato. Smear some of the basil paste inside the tomato.

Drizzle a little olive oil in a cast iron and lay the tomatoes in the pan. Cook for 15 minutes. Gently add the egg inside of each tomato and cook for another 8-10 minutes or until the egg is cooked to your liking. Remove the toothpicks and add a little salt and black pepper. Enjoy!

Herb Frittata with Feta, Green Onions and Arugula

We had some of our friends over for brunch Sunday morning."Why don't we make them poached eggs?" Oliver asked seconds after we were brainstorming brunch ideas. Oliver has a sort of obsession with poached eggs and has spent weeks (or is it months?) perfecting his poaching skills. But, true to habit, we still went browsing through our ever-growing cookbook collection when we stopped on one of Jamie Oliver's recipes for a shrimp frittata. I had made it a few months ago and I remembered it being easy and delicious. "Maybe we should make a version of this instead? It would be easier to prepare beforehand, don't you think?". Oliver didn't look entirely convinced, but as soon as I suggested a mix of herbs, feta and green onions topped with market fresh arugula, he was sold.

The thing is, when you have guests over, there is nothing more annoying than having to run back and forth to the kitchen. Don't get me wrong, getting your guests in the kitchen to all cook together is on the top of my list of great entertaining, but sometimes it's just not what you want. Frittata made our brunch preparations a breeze. I had everything ready in a bowl and just popped my cast iron into the oven as my guests were coming in, and 5 minutes later - literally - it was on the table, warm and rustically served in the cast iron. I also made a batch of chocolate and candied orange muffins the day before, our guests brought a lovely fruit, coffee and hot chocolate, and we were set.

Recipe (for 4)
8 eggs at room temperature
1 tablespoon of finely chopped parsley
1/2 tablespoon of chopped chives
1/4 teaspoon of dried oregano
1/2 lemon zest
1/4 cup of crumbled feta
3 spring onions, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
A small handful of arugula
Extra virgin olive oil
Squirt of lemon juice

Preheat your oven to 400F. In bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the parsley, chives, dried oregano and lemon zest. Stir gently. Fold in the feta and green onion. Season with salt and pepper. Place a cast iron (or any oven-proof pan) on medium heat and add a good drizzle of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the egg mixture and stir with a wooden spoon for 1 minute. Place the cast iron in the oven and cook for 5 minutes or until the egg has set.
In a bowl, add the arugula. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Serve frittata in the cast iron, topped with the arugula.