Easy Weekend Brunch

When I have friends over for brunch - or most meals for that matter - I like to keep it simple. No fuss, no looking up new recipes, no over-thinking it. I choose a couple dishes I'm very comfortable making, think up a quick menu with a mix of sweet and savory options and try to pick at least one dish I can make ahead of time. These few steps are my tips for eternal stress-free entertaining! As for table decor, I like to add a few fresh blooms in mismatched vases and display them around the table. All easy and inexpensive, these little touches add a welcome dose of whimsy to a weekend morning.

The brunch I made this weekend fit the bill. I first made yogurt parfaits (by mixing Greek yogurt with honey, and layering slices of fresh strawberries). I topped these with a few spoonfuls of good granola and served them family-style, in a couple of pretty bowls. I made these a couple hours before my guests arrived, popped them in the fridge and topped them with the granola at the last minute. Next of my list were creamy scrambled eggs with feta and chives, with a side of crispy bacon (no time for a photo unfortunately!). This was the only tricky dish - you have to make this right when you want to serve it, but it's worth it, and what brunch would be complete without some sort of egg concoction?

Then, there was an easy homemade bread pudding using sweet challah (I used my base recipe and added raisins and vanilla paste to the mix). I toasted the leftover challah bread and served it with a couple jams - a orange and lemon one, and a classic strawberry. We washed it all down with dark coffee and freshly pressed orange juice.

I'm looking forward to many more of these kinds of brunches this summer!

Quick Halloumi Salad

This weekend was in large spent getting our balcony ready for the summer months. Being lucky enough to have a pretty sizable outdoor space (by no means a terrace, but a pretty big balcony for Toronto standards!) we are growing tomatoes, and an array of herbs (chives, oregano and thyme are happily blossoming as we speak). Living in a crowded urban centre and working indoors most of the time, it's nice to set up a space that will help you spend as much time as possible outdoors. With a glass of fresh watermelon juice and a book (I'm currently reading Alyssa Shelasky's Apron Anxiety) we enjoyed our first real spring day of the year.

With less time to dedicate to the kitchen this weekend - shocking I know! - this halloumi salad was the quickest and most delicious substitute to a full-fledged meal. The salty, golden-brown halloumi mixed with an oozy egg and some peppery greens was exactly the dish that this newly discovered gardener was in the mood for!

Quick Halloumi Salad
Serves 2

6 1/4 inch thick slices of halloumi cheese
3 cups arugula
2 eggs
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Add slices of halloumi cheese to a warm non-stick pan on medium heat (with no added fat). Cook the halloumi for about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Set aside. Add vegetable oil to pan and crack the two eggs into the pan. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

In the meantime divide the arugula between two plates. In a small bowl whisk olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Drizzle over arugula and top with halloumi cheese and sunny-side-up egg.

The Easiest Chocolate and Pear Pudding

Before I give you the recipe for this deliciously easy chocolate pudding - some food news! As most of you know, I've been working in the food realm for a few years now and, as of a couple weeks ago, started a new position as a Food Specialist for Canadian Living. Canadians will know the magazine I'm sure, and for all my non-Canadian readers - I hope you take a few minutes to take a look at the magazine's website.

I will be sharing some of my daily experiences with you on this blog and talking about life in a professional Test Kitchen.I`m excited for this new chapter - nothing makes me happier than spending my work hours creating recipes, writing about food and talking about today's relevant food-related issues. I hope you will be joining me on this culinary journey!

For the time being, I wanted to share a recipe inspired by Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Pudding. I made a few changes to this basic pudding  and served it warm with a side of orange/mango sorbet. This was the easiest chocolate dessert and the perfect recipe to have on hand when you have a late night chocolate craving and not much in your fridge. It starts with plump canned pears - which help keep the pudding really moist. Although I usually prefer using fresh fruit, canned fruit really work here. They are plump and soft, and the extra juice they release gives the pudding a satisfying saucy consistency  This sure hits the spot!

Getting inspired in Paris

Every time I go home, I recharge, relax and get inspiration from what I can now say is the most beautiful city in the world. Sure, there are close seconds in my mind, but the beauty of Paris always finds its way to my heart. I always get inspired by the beauty of Parisian streets and the constant discovery of a new detail you hadn't noticed before. I usually come home with a slew of ideas for upcoming projects, and a paper-version of my Pinterest boards that I create by jotting detailed notes on small patterned notebooks. Although I grew up in Paris and have all my family still there, I find that I appreciate the city that much more now that I live away from it. I look at familiar streets with a new eye, and take the time to explore neighbourhoods that I sometimes took for granted when I had them surround me all year long.

I was in Paris last week and took a few hours to wander the Marche aux Puces of Sanit-Ouen. Walking through the small cobblestone streets with its vendors and old world aroma makes you feel like you, literally, just walked in to a scene in Midnight in Paris. You'll find everything here: from antique furniture, to period pieces to memorabilia of eras long gone. This time, I went looking for tableware inspiration and come back with a myriad of new ideas. I wanted to share some of my favourites with you, a virtual tour of my Paris, if you will.

Keep reading to see all of the photos from my trip...

Outdoor Accessories

I'm spending a few days at my parents' home in Paris for a short vacation, so I apologize for the lack of posts! I will soon be back with many photos to share and stories to tell. I've discovered new restaurants (it seems that everytime I come home there is a full list of new places to try) and taken the time to walk around a few neighbourhoods I don't usually spend too much time in. Although the weather hasn't been very nice since I've arrived here, I've been making up for it by preparing for the warmer months. These pretty outoor accessories are my favourites for 2012.

Which of these would make a nice addition to your patio, balcony or terrace? I'm loving the bright touches of reds and yellows, it makes me want to sit outside with a homemade fruit juice and a few tasty nibbles. Here is the list of where each of these are from if you want to track them down:

DIY Easter Egg Decor

With Easter being a handful of days away only, I thought I would share some of the DIY Easter egg ideas I prepared for Style at Home this year. After long work week, I can't think of many more relaxing activities than spending a few hours doing something creative. These eggs all use different simple decorating techniques (using paint, stickers, glitter and tape) and are perfect to make with children or to prepare as decorations for a fancy Easter dinner.

Seared Scallops with Lemony Parmesan Peas

Have I declared my love of seafood on this blog before? If not, I must! I absolutely love seafood - some of my favourite childhood food memories include my mother and I heading to our local neighborhood market in Paris and getting delicious shellfish that we would enjoy for Sunday lunches with homemade mayonnaise. Favourites were always 'bigorneaux' (a sea snail), lobster and shrimp. For some reason, seafood always feels like a celebratory meal for me - maybe because it's more expensive than meat or chicken - or maybe just because I don't have it that often. Delicious, fresh - and decently priced - seafood is not always easy to find!

For this dish, I used wild Nova Scotian sea scallops which I buy frozen. This makes it more affordable (usually) and the scallops still taste fresh and plump. Having these on hand in my freezer has helped make scallops a more regular meal in our house. This dish also includes microgreens - healthy edible plants with a lovely bite - but you could replace these with pea shoots or baby spinach, or omit them altogether.Now for the recipe..!