This brunch spread hosts some of the most perfect flavor combinations- we have spicy roasted ‘Greek Style’ potatoes wedges, portabello mushrooms topped with a baked egg and this gorgeously creamy and sweet tahini dip. If you haven’t noticed, my new secret weapon in the pantry is pomegranate molasses. It is tart but still delicately sweet in flavor, and matches perfectly with the slightly bitterness of the tahini. The flavors and buttery texture of the dip add depth when combined with the crispy, savorous spiced potato wedges. The sweetness of the paprika, aromatic thyme and pungent oregano on the wedges are so moreish, I always make extra of these to save them for the next morning… but they never actually last a full 24 hours in the fridge! Proceed with caution!
Read moreDark Chocolate & Raspberry Breakfast Bar
British berries are fantastic. A short walk through the woodlands and you will find many identifiable (as well as mysterious) berries growing on bushes.
It is a massive comfort in many ways, as I grew up spending my weekends and summers in Northern Ontario in Canada, surrounded by wilderness. Holding my childhood memories in nature, I realize how fortunate I am to even just have a deeper connection to where our food comes from.
These abundant forests, that I still consider my home, grew blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and even the stay black bear indulging on the same tart delicacies. Visiting my parents house, I can still walk around the property among deer, beavers, and loons and pick raspberries for a pie or cake.
Of course, wild raspberries are probably 1/10th the size of farm grown, and are packed with flavor like no other. We sometimes will pick them in late august (if the animals haven’t beat us to it) and freeze them for a later date. You can of course do this with farmed local berries when in season (as they taste better and hold more nutrients then off-season). It’s perfect for pies, or breakfast oat bars like this!
In this recipe, I’ve used my base for breakfast bars, which is gluten free oats, a ripe banana, coconut oil and maple syrup. You can add whatever you like to this, just follow the recipe and flavor accordingly!
Dark Chocolate & Raspberry Breakfast Bars
Serves 12
30 Minutes
Ingredients
-1 Cup Gluten Free Oats
-1 Ripe Banana
-1 Tbsp. Coconut Oil, melted (I use Lucy Bee, as it is fair trade and rated 1st in ethical coconut brands)
-3 Tbsp. Maple Syrup
-1 Tsp. Vanilla
-1/2 Cup Organic British Raspberries
-1/2 Bar Dark Chocolate (I use Montezuma 100%, but you can use anything over 75%)
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Mash your banana in a bowl, combine oats, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Let sit for 10 minutes.
3. Chop Dark Chocolate into chunks, and add to bowl with the raspberries and fold into oat ‘batter’ gently.
4. Bake 15-20 Minutes until golden. Cool completely and cut.
Keep covered for 2-3 days, in fridge for 5, or store in freezer for 1 month.
One Pan Pecan Granola
Easy, delicious, satisfying, quick, and good for children and adults alike. I really can’t put an end to the positive adjectives to this dish.
I am inherently lazy (partially the reason I left Michelin star kitchens) and am always looking for a short cut in the kitchen.
I love my oven, I really do, but for some reason actually putting something IN the oven makes the dish seem that much more work. Call me crazy! I can’t be the only one.
So, being lazy, not wanting to clean the excess dishes of a mixing bowl AND a tray AND a sticky spatula, I decided to venture into the world of non-oven granola.
I will admit it took a few tries (including making sure my pan was completely dry in between recipe tests and washes as my ‘granola’ quickly turned into ‘oatmeal’ - rooky mistake), but the final test was so beautiful and was so satisfying.
I will never again wait for granola in the oven. Yes, patience is a virtue, but really the best inventors are inpatient and lazy right? How else would we have self operating vacuums or lights that turn on by clapping your hands?
This idea of how to begin on this endeavor started with my time in kitchens as a pastry chef when I was making toffee pecans for a super extra banoffee dessert that included banana ice cream, salted chocolate crumble, and siphoned dolce de leche. I can safely say I gained a lot of weight there. The pecans were made with maple syrup, brown sugar, butter, butter, and more butter.
In my adaption of it, I obviously didn't want butter, or refined sugar so I went off the whim and it turned out SO WELL.
You can use this recipes on top of my Vanilla Poached Pears, on top of yogurt, an apple crumble topping, or wherever else you would use granola.
A word to the wise on this one:
Be very careful, and stay with the pan the entire time. The time in between a perfectly browned pecan and a burnt one is a matter of milliseconds. Don’t let this scare you, but just keep an eye on it and have your ingredients set up beforehand.
One Pan Pecan Granola
Serves 4
10 minutes
Ingredients
-1 Cup GF Oats
-1/2 Cup Pecans
-1/3 Cup Maple Syrup
-Option: Vanilla Extract or Bean
-1 tsp. Cinnamon
Method
Chop half of the pecans roughly, and leave the other half whole. Set aside.
In a pan on low heat, brown the oats slowly over the pan, continuously stirring while you add the pecans to brown slightly and immediately add maple syrup. Add the vanilla essence (if using) and cinnamon here. Continue stirring.
Pour onto a silicon mat and let cool. It will be hard once cool, but no worries! Break up the pieces and cut in a sterilized jar. Leave in a cool place or in the fridge for up 3-5 days.
Vanilla Poached Pears
Dessert Or breakfast these are A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. You can technically have breakfast for dessert… without any judgement (from me anyways).
I often make my vanilla poached pears for parties, family members, or my own lazy brunch morning with Rich and myself.
They seem luxurious, intricate, and impress everyone… little do they know, these took less than 40 minutes - most of which I was sitting reading my current novel “The Language of Kindness” by Christie Watson (I highly recommend).
I’m letting you in on my secret dessert dish which I ‘pretend’ are really complicated at dinner parties by explaining the dish with grandiose phrasing. What can I say, I’m a cancer and I just need positive attention.
I know, horrible, but I am making up for my deception by sharing these with you- and so that you can do the same with your friends and family!
The trick is staying coy. “No, no, it was so easy! Really, it's nothing!” and I swear it almost makes the dish taste SWEETER.
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Now that I have shown you my true colours (Oops!) I’m going to move on to the making behind the dish.
This dish can be made vegan, gluten free, and can also be done as nut free and paleo (without the pecan granola). It requires minimal cutting, is pretty much one step, and is incredibly delicious with delicate flavours. I made this the other morning for what was a healthy breakfast, made with only fruit and free sugars.
Oh, and the biggest plus was my kitchen smelled fabulous all day.
The poached pears are best served hot, immediately after plating, with a dollop of cultured yogurt (I use coconut collaborative, or goats milk yogurt), or a scoop of vanilla and/or salted caramel ice cream and topped with my one pan pecan granola, which can be found here. With all the components the dish is complete in both texture and flavour, but I encourage you to be creative and let me know what you made these with!
For breakfast as seen in the pictures, I added cultured goat yogurt, my one pan pecan granola, with a sprinkle of chia and honey!
LETS GET STARTED!!
Vanilla Poached Pears
Gluten Free, Vegan Option, Vegetarian, Paleo (without granola), Nut Free (without granola), Refined Sugar Free
Serves 1
5 Minutes Prep.
35 Minutes Cook
Ingredients
-1 Pear (of any kind; not overly ripe and still hard)
-1/4 Cup Honey/Maple Syrup
-1 tsp. Vanilla
-1 tsp. Cinnamon
Method
Cut the pear in half, and remove the core (with a knife or a melon baller).
Place the pear cut side up in a saucepan, and add your choice of sweetener (honey/maple syrup), vanilla and cinnamon. Fill with water until pears are completely covered with liquid (and then some (amount depends on your pot)
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Leave the pears to poach for 35 minutes for a soft, sweet and delicate treat.
Serve warm.