Pan con Tomate aka breakfasty/brunchy/lunchy tomato toast

Pan con Tomate

You know that whole “more than the sum of its parts” thing?

Well, this recipe is just that. It’s almost absurdly simple yet so stinking delicious, easily customizable to any tastes, and perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch, linner, or even a light dinner.

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Pan con Tomate (aka tomato toast)

Serves 2 to 4

4 thick slices ciabatta or sourdough
1 garlic clove, halved
2 large ripe tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher or flakey sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Toppings such as torn basil and/or oregano, anchovy fillets, crumbled cheese (feta, soft goat cheese, or pecorino would be nice), chili flakes, etc.

Lightly toast the bread until golden brown. As soon as the bread is toasted, rub the cut piece of garlic onto the hot toast. This will give subtle garlic flavour to the bread and make for some delicious toast. Set aside on two serving plates.

Using the large holes of your box or cheese grater, grate the cut side of the tomatoes over a bowl. The pulpy flesh of the tomatoes will grate into a fresh tomato sauce leaving the skins behind. Discard the skins.

Stir 1 tablespoon of the olive oil into the grated tomatoes and season well with kosher salt and black pepper. Spoon the saucy tomatoes over the toast and garnish with whatever toppings you’d like. Drizzle over the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, if needed, and serve immediately.

Classic Strawberry Shortcakes

Classic Strawberry Shortcakes

To me, nothing says “summer’s here!” quite like a short & sweet little biscuit filled with light & lofty whipped cream and bright berries!

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Classic Strawberry Shortcakes

Serves 5 to 6

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour*
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into pats
2/3–3/4 cup cold buttermilk
1 tablespoons whipping cream (or more buttermilk), for brushing the tops of the biscuits
2 teaspoons turbinado sugar, optional, for sprinkling on top of the biscuits

Preheat your oven to 450ºF and line an 8- or 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt to combine. Add in the cold butter and snap and rub the butter in with your fingertips just until the mixture is crumbly and the butter pieces are about the size of a pea. Make a well in the centre of the mixture and add in 2/3 cup of the cold buttermilk. Stir the mixture just until a very shaggy dough forms, adding more buttermilk if needed.

Lightly dust a work surface with some more flour. Turn the dough and any crumbly bits out onto the surface and lightly press and fold the mixture together until it holds its shape. Some remaining crumbly bits are ok - you just don’t want to over-work the dough as this will leave you with tough cakes. Press or roll the dough out into a 1-inch thick circle and, using a biscuit cutter or a wine glass, cut out 2- to 2 1/2-inch cakes. Gather and re-roll the dough up to another two times to cut out as many cakes as you can.

Transfer the cakes to the prepared cake pan so that they are all touching and brush the tops with the whipping cream or extra buttermilk. Sprinkle over the turbinado sugar and bake in your preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Allow the shortcakes to cool before splitting and topping with whipped cream and macerated strawberries (recipe follows).

Cream Cheese Whipped Cream

1/4 cup cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup whipping cream, cold from the fridge
2–3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the cream cheese with a whisk attachment until smooth. Add in about 1/4 cup of the whipping cream and beat just to combine. Add in the remaining whipping cream, powdered sugar to taste, and vanilla and whip just until stiff peaks form, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Use immediately or store in the fridge for up to two days.

Macerated Strawberries

454g strawberries, washed, trimmed, and quartered
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Gently stir together the quartered strawberries, sugar, and vanilla and set aside on the counter for 1 to 2 hours to allow the strawberries to become juicy and syrupy. If you’d like to make this in advance, feel free to mix everything up and place in the fridge for up to two days.

*Gluten-free all-purpose blends work really nicely in these shortcakes and, if you’re unable to find AP, cake & pastry will work well too.

Simple Baked Apples

Classic Baked Apples

One of my favourite speedy apple desserts, these little babies also regularly make an appearance on my breakfast table topped with a few spoonfuls of yogurt.

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Classic Baked Apple

Serves 4

 4 Red Prince or firm McIntosh apples
1 cup rolled oats
3–4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
3–4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 350ºF, line a square baking dish with aluminum foil, and give it a spritz with non-stick cooking spray.

Using a melon baller or a small spoon, remove the cores of the apples. Set aside.

In to bowl of a food processor, combine half of the oats with the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt and blitz until well combined and the oats are a floury consistency. Add in the remaining oats and melted butter and pulse once or twice to combine. Nestle the apples into the prepared baking pan and stuff the apples with the oat mixture. Sprinkle any remaining oat mixture on top of and around the apples and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the crumble mixture is browned and the apples have softened.

My Kitchen Go-To: Quick and Easy Shakshuka

Quick & Easy Shakshuka

This, right here, is what I like to make when I’m in a bit of a kitchen rut and have no idea what I want to eat for dinner… or breakfast… or lunch… or when I’m having people over for brunch… Really, it’s an anytime dish that is way too easy to make.

Quick and smokey shakshuka with feta and lemon-y, parsley-y couscous is as easy as chopping a few things, boiling water, heating some sauce, and poaching some eggs. A delish anytime meal, lickety-split.

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Quick and Easy Shakshuka

Serves 4 

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
½ teaspoon dried chili flakes
½ teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons white wine, optional
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 – 796ml (28oz) can of crushed tomatoes
4 tablespoons finely chopped parsley, divided
2 cups couscous
4 - 8 eggs, depending on how hungry you are
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Crumbled feta cheese, to taste
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and add the onions.  Season with a bit of salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, for about 6 minutes or until the onions start to soften.  Add the finely minced garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes or so just to cook off some of that raw garlic hit. Stir in the smoked paprika, chili flakes, and cumin and allow the spices to toast for about 1 minute or so. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, if using, or add two tablespoons of water.

Add the halved cherry tomatoes and continue to cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the tomatoes start to break down a bit.  Add the canned tomatoes and stir well to combine.  Cover the pan and lower the heat.  Allow the sauce to simmer away for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in 2 tablespoons of parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Meanwhile, set your kettle to boil and pour your couscous into a heatproof bowl.  When the water has boiled, pour 2 cups of boiling water onto the couscous, season with salt and pepper, stir, and cover tightly with plastic wrap.  Allow this to sit for about 8 to 10 minutes while you finish up your shakshuka.

Using a spoon, make slight wells in the tomato sauce and crack an egg into each.  Cover and cook the eggs over medium-low heat until the whites are firm and the yolks are just slightly cooked but still runny, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Fluff your couscous with a fork, stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and remaining parsley, and divide between four plates.  Top each plate with an egg or two plus a good dose of that sauce and scatter with crumbled feta cheese.

*Personally, I’m a big fan of leftover shakshuka for breakfast after a late night out with too much wine ♥