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Breakfast on the Go

I will call them Scrambled Tartlettes.  They’re packed with so much flavour I was dancing around my apartment this morning as I popped them in my mouth. The perfect bite sized breakfast for my Friday morning.

 It’s hard to tell from the picture but below the freshly scrambled egg is a mixture of sautéed shallot, cremini mushroom, roasted red pepper and feta cheese. And on top a colourful tendril of dill. Paired with the earthiness of the spelt tart shells – bam! We’ve got a winner here :)

 My inspiration for these mini tarts came from Chef Geremy Capone, culinary analyst at ELLICSR: Health, Wellness and Cancer Survivorship Centre located at Toronto General Hospital. Yesterday, I attended their bi-monthly Survivor’s Kitchen where Geremy led a live cooking demonstration using fresh, wholesome foods to make simple recipes, packed with flavor. It was an empowering demonstration as cancer survivors, family, hospital staff and volunteers shared questions, ingredient alternative and tips for easy food prep.

 All of these things combined got my creative juices flowing and I made my own version of Geremy’s tart shell late last night. I’m going to use the second half of the dough that’s chilling in my fridge to make Geremy’s mini spiced pear tarts (recipe to follow).

 Until then my friends, I hope your day is inviting and inspiring.

 xo

Roasted Red Peppers

Family tradition is what brings me to this next video. I’m quite fortunate to share many traditions with Stefan’s family, which are very similar to that of my family.

Labour Day weekend Stefan and I visited his mom and dad and we roasted a few bushels of sweet red peppers.  Slow roasting the red peppers over the barbeque’s dry heat results in a soft, sweet flesh with bits of charred skin leaving behind a most delicious flavor. With a little bit of teamwork, the bushels of peppers were cleaned, de-seeded, roasted and then prepped for freezer storage. Now, anytime I feel like having a roasted red pepper salad or some roasted red pepper hummus, or adding as a topping on fresh roast beef sandwiches, I reach in the fridge for an endless supply roasted red peppers.

If you’re making your way to a farmers market this weekend or you happen to find some left in the grocery stores, I assure you, the little effort it takes to make these roasted red peppers – is totally worth it!

Quinoa Pudding & Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

Posting this recipe has been on my to-do list for the past 2 weeks. Although our local rhubarb and strawberry season is close to being finished, I assure you the farmer’s markets I visited this past week were fully stocked with beautiful ripe rhubarb stalks and mountains of ruby red strawberries.

The other feature of this recipe is the quinoa pudding (courtesy of cannelle et vanille) which is a great recipe you can enjoy year round. Be creative and have fun with your toppings whether it’s fresh fruit, dried fruits, nuts, seeds or spices :)

Try out any of these combinations for topping your quinoa pudding:

~Raspberries, cream and chocolate shavings~
~Figs. honey and toasted pistachios~
~Apricots, almonds and toasted sesame seeds~
~Dates, coconut and hemp seeds~
~Homemade granola~

La Bamboche

Saturday morning, in the middle of thundershowers, Alexandra and I travelled to our favorite pâtisserie. Located at 4 Manor Road, just north of Yonge and Davisville, La Bamboche was just what we needed to lift our spirits.

Master pastry chef Stephen and two lovely young ladies behind the counter welcomed us and our iPhone cameras to a tasting of delectable treats. Our choice of two macarons would be the perfect pair to a creamy laté. French macarons -not to be confused with coconut macaroons- are almond meringue cookies. Crisp on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside, with flavored buttercream or chocolate ganache sandwiched in between. They make us swoon with each bite! If you’ve never tried a macaron, you must!

French Macaron Giveaway

Monday afternoon, Alexandra and I will draw the name of one person who has subscribed or posted a comment to Lemon & Citron.

Thanks for your love and support.

E&A.

Waldorf Salad

Ingredients

Salad
1 celery stalk
1 apple, sliced
1/2 fennel bulb, sliced
1/4 cup whole walnut pieces
1/4 cup hulled pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup dried pitted cherries

Dressing
1 tbsp honey
2 pinches dried mint leaves
1/4 cup yogurt

Combine salad ingredients in a bowl. stir together the salad dressing. pour dressing over the salad, mix and enjoy!

A quick recipe for a fresh salad :)

Poulet au Paprika

Recipe Ingredients adapted from: foodnetwork.ca

5 chicken drumsticks
1 pinch salt and pepper
1 tbsp oil
1 red pepper, julienned
1 onion, sliced
1 celery stock, chopped
1 tbsp paprika
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup, combination chicken broth & vinegar
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp sour cream / crème fraiche / yogurt
squeeze of lemon juice, to taste

Directions (Courtesy of Laura Calder, French Food at Home)

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the fat in a sauté pan and, working in batches, brown the meat on all sides. Remove. Drain off all but a tablespoon of fat from the pan. Lower the heat and add the julienned pepper, onion, fennel (if using), and paprika. Cook until soft, but not coloured, about 12 minutes, adding the garlic for the final minute. Deglaze the pan with chicken broth & vinegar, or wine. Add the tomatoes and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper. Put the chicken back in. Cover the pan, and cook, turning the meat occasionally, until tender, about 30 minutes.

2. Remove the chicken to a serving platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Turn up the heat under the sauce and boil down to sauce consistency. Turn off the heat, stir through the cream, check the seasonings (including the paprika, adding more if you like), then pour over the chicken, and serve.

Homemade Granola

Dedicated to Lena: a quick recipe for a mom on the go :)

Ingredients (Adapted from: marthastewart.com/​recipe/​early-bird-granola)

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, hulled
1 cup raw sunflower seeds, hulled
1 cup coconut flakes
1 1/4 cup raw almonds, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup apricots, chopped
3 Tbsp white sesame seeds
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Spread granola on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake @ 300 F for 45 minutes. Stir every 10 minutes.

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