Brunch at White Spot

Saturday was the first nice day that fell on a weekend in a long time, so my roommate and I decided to go for a hike.  But we wanted to eat first and opted to go to one of our go-to places for cheap but cheerful food: White Spot.

I have said here before that I love White Spot.  They do great burgers and milkshakes and they do a decent Eggs Benny.  Since it was brunch and I wanted something hearty, I went directly to the brunch menu, pretty sure that I would order the Eggs Benny.  But then something caught my eye: the Santa Fe Breakfast Burrito.  The menu indicated that this was a new item, and here is how it's described on the menu and web site:

Your choice of fresh chicken breast or tender Canadian pulled pork, scrambled Omega 3 eggs, cheese, sautéed tomatoes and green peppers wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla. Served with our trio of sauces – avocado salsa, tomato salsa, cilantro sour cream and red nugget Smashbrowns™.

You know what, I said to myself, let's try something different for once!  So I ordered the burrito and waited with anticipation.

When my plate came, I was underwhelmed by the appearance of the burrito.  Here it is:

 Granted this isn't the greatest shot in the world (the lighting in restaurants in general is suckage and often pics come out crappy-looking), but am I crazy or is this not the most un-exciting dish you've ever seen?  I thought it was very plain and colourless.  I had thought that perhaps there would be cheese and/or sauce ON TOP of the burrito, or something to bring a little life and colour to the dish.  There was not.

The flavour of the dish was also very underwhelming.  Though there were onions & peppers in the filling, the innards of the burrito were poorly seasoned and bland.  It could have used something like a bunch of chili powder, or something flavourful.  Instead, there were the veggies, the chicken strips, the scrambled eggs, a tiny bit of cheese (this whole dish needed way more cheese in general!)  The salsa on the side was a great help; I just wished there was salsa or something inside the burrito.  The corn & avocado salsa was just OK - I'm not a fan of corn off the cob.  But even the salsa didn't have enough kick to it and the sour cream was pretty useless.

I must also say that this is the second or third time I've had these newfandangled red nugget "smashbrowns."  They are not very good!  In fact, they are very boring!  I would much, much rather have had a traditional hashbrown.

So, this was a disappointing meal.  And I'm disappointed that I'm disappointed.  Usually, White Spot is a sure bet - which is why I keep going there - but taking the risk this time and having something new just didn't pay off.  I'll be back to Eggs Benny or a burger the next time I go for brunch.

BTW, my roommate T had the chipotle chicken wrap and she really enjoyed it.  It's one of her faves.  Here it is:

I kept wishing during my meal that I'd ordered the same!

Pancake Tuesday 2011

Tonight was one of my favourite nights on the calendar: Pancake Tuesday. AKA Shrove Tuesday, AKA Mardi Gras, AKA Fat Tuesday. As usual, I had a dinner, but this year it was only my dad and me. Because he likes things made with whole grains, I made whole wheat and oatmeal pancake recipe, and because I don't have a griddle or a frying pan of decent size, I turned these into waffles. My dad, as usual, supplied some locally-made sausages & bacon. In this case, they were buffalo English sausages, and the bacon was something a friend of his was experimenting with, but it was way too salty for my taste and it cooked up very strange, causing quick burning & a lot of smoke. There must have been something in the curing solution that made this happen. And of course there was tons of maple syrup!

The recipe for the pancakes/waffles is here, from the February 2008 issue of Gourmet Magazine. and also constitutes my third magazine recipe of the week! I am three for three! I'll be submitting this to Magazine Monday for sure! The recipe turned out great and I'd definitely make them again.

Happy Pancake Tuesday everyone! :)

Magazine Monday #61: Everyday Granola

I am really enjoying making my own granola. I can't remember the last time I purchased boxed cereal, and I kind of think that's a good thing. I have a few granola recipes I've amalgamated into something of my own, but I did take some time to make a new recipe that came out in the June 2010 issue of Bon Appetit.

A word about Bon Appetit. I used to subscribe to both it and Gourmet, but I let my subscription to BA slide because I didn't feel I was getting my money's worth from it, and I thought Gourmet was better bang for my buck. But, as you might know, Gourmet went belly up, and those of us with outstanding subscriptions to it had those subscriptions switched over to BA. I would rather have had a refund, personally, since I had cancelled BA for a reason. Now, my subscription is almost up and I have been bombarded with mail begging me to renew. I won't be. Although I have seen a marked improvement in the content of BA, I am over it and I don't want to spend my money on it anymore. I might, however, consider getting a subscription to the Food Network Magazine, but we'll see.

Anyway, the granola recipe I tried is here. I liked it, but I didn't love it. The spices were nice and it made a larger quantity than my other recipes, but it lacked punch and texture, and though it had nice flavourings in it, I found it a bit bland. I guess the other recipes I use are sweeter and contain a bit more oil, giving them that punchiness I think was missing here. Still, it filled the bill for me and with some yogurt it made a great breakfast, but I think I'll be sticking to my regular recipes.

Haz Waffles!

For Christmas, I asked for and received a lovely new waffle maker! It was a gift from my SIL's parents, C&R, who have always been very kind to me. The new gadget is a Cuisinart, and let me tell you, it makes awesome waffles! Very easy to use, with an alert that tells you when it's heated up, 5 darkness settings, and an alert that tells you when your waffle has been cooked to perfection! And it is truly non-stick. I love this thing so much I have been eating way too many waffles. For the time being, in order to use up stuff in my pantry, I have just been using pancake mixes, but the recipe book that came with the waffle maker contains some seriously amazing-looking stuff that I cannot wait to try!

Christmas Breakfast

So, as if were weren't full enough from the previous night's Christmas Eve feast! Because on Christmas morning, it's time to bring on the Benny!

Yep, we have Eggs Benny on Christmas morning, accompanied by bacon and sausage. Usually, Dad provides the bacon in the form of this double smoked stuff he got from a local butcher, but the butcher closed shop during this past year, so dad no longer had access to his favourite bacon! Well, we made do with regular bacon, and we also had traditional English sausages made by another local butcher (who doesn't smoke anything). The sauce is from a package. The eggs are poached by yours truly. We also had fried potatoes, mimosas, and special coffees with Kahlua!
And we had a great guest for breakfast on Christmas morning, too! His name is Crushy and he's my SIL's friend's dog! He was so great! He's half American Bull Dog, and 1/4 each Pit Bull and Blue Heeler. He was so happy and mushy and just great company!For other Christmas pet shots, go here!

Breakfasts of Champions

Just a light Friday post, featuring some recent breakfasts.

But first, remember that Magazine Monday is coming up this Monday, so if you have made a magazine recipe you'd like me to link to, please send you submissions in by Sunday evening. My email is wandering_coyoteATyahooDOTca. Thanks!

Now, breakfast.

1. Huckleberry Gruel.

Sounds Dickensian - sort of - doesn't it? I think this sounds slightly more interesting than huckleberry oatmeal. But I do have to say, I like my oatmeal a little thinner than most people, so even though it's not as watery as a gruel, it's definitely not the stick-to-your-ribs kind of oatmeal that is more popular. I had this bowl with some maple syrup and it was a great breakfast! I love the colour huckleberries turn everything.

2. Ah, left over Chinese food - the breakfast of champions! On Monday, I went out on a girls night to have dinner & see a movie. Since the big theatre is in Castlegar, we chose to go to Chopsticks for dinner. Because of my appetite issues, this was great for me because I had such a wide variety of things to choose from, and I made sure to get stuff that I could take home as decent leftovers, too. I love leftover Chinese food for breakfast, just like I love leftover pizza for breakfast! So, I got a Wor Won Ton (the best!), only ate half of it, and had the rest wrapped up, and I got a combination plate that included chow mein, deep fried prawns, sweet & sour pork, and beef with greens. Excellent! I ate half of it, too, and brought the rest home for breakfast. It was fabulous!

Breakfast at the Full Circle Cafe

Last Monday, after catching the 9:00am ferry from Crawford Bay to Balfour, my dad treated me, Jem, & Shan to a slap-up breakfast at a breakfast hot spot in Nelson. When I say "hot spot" I mean hot spot. We had to wait about 20 minutes for a table just after 10:00 in the morning. The place was packed. Luckily, the restaurant is located in a little mall, and there was somewhere inside to sit because the weather was totally ugly.

The breakfast menu at Full Circle is quite varied, with a few different types of Eggs Benny, lots of eggy dishes, and lots of other stuff. It's all reasonably priced, too.

I had the Canadian Omelette, which had bacon, cheddar, and portabella mushrooms in it, topped with Hollandaise. Served with sourdough and pan fries, and I had a side of Hollandaise since the little bit on th top of the omelette was inadequate for my tastes!

Shan had a dish called Spuds & Cheddar: kinda like an omelette, but with potatoes in it. It was served with pan fries & toast, & she also had a side of Hollandaise.

Dad & Jem both had the Kick Hash: eggs, buffalo sausage, potatoes, banana peppers, mozzarella cheese, and topped with a chipotle Hollandaise. Served with rye toast & pan fries.

It was one amazing breakfast! A great way to end a great weekend of camping and food.

Dad and I have also had lunch at the Full Circle and it was really good. So, this is another great place to eat in the Kootenay dining mecca of Nelson, BC.

Breakfast at the Sunshine Cafe

This morning I got together with three old friends from high school. T now lives in Vancouver, but she was in town this week to visit family. This morning was the only time the four of us could all get together for some girl time and gabbing. We chose to have breakfast at one of Rossland's well-known eateries, The Sunshine Cafe. I've previously reviewed the Sunshine here and here, and this was the first time I've had breakfast there. I'd heard only good things about it.



The menu is a la carte and each item is individually-priced. I had two eggs ($2), hashbrowns ($2), three bacon ($2), and toast ($2). The hashbrowns had sweet potatoes in them, which I don't like, and next time I wouldn't order them. The scrambled eggs were a little strange-looking but tasted good. For $10 it was a good amount of food and I came away satisfied.








P had two eggs basted, sausage, hash browns and toast.











T had two eggs over easy, bacon, and hashbrowns.












My most excellent friend, Budgirl, who has not blogged in eons, had something a bit different: the Western Denver, also with hashbrowns, and a side of tzadziki (huh???). Budgirl marches to the beat of her own drummer!





A good time was had by all, and once again The Sunshine Cafe delivered!

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes

I often feel guilty about eating pancakes - except on Pancake Tuesday - because they're such a junky meal. I don't eat them that often as a result. But, when I came across this recipe on a new food blog I discovered called Colleen's Recipes, I was wowed. Guilt-free pancakes! Who'd've thunk it?

The recipe can be found here.

The only substitution I made was an equal amount of maple syrup instead of the honey. I am low on honey and am hoarding it because it's expensive. Otherwise, these were great pancakes. Though a bit crumbly, they still managed to be light and cakey despite the whole grains.

Thanks Colleen!

Magazine Monday #27: Dutch Baby

Who can resist a name like this? I have no idea why this oven pancake is called Dutch Baby, and the Canadian Living web site gives no explanation whatsoever. I was intrigued, though, and decided to have this for dinner last night. I used to have a great recipe for Finnish Apple Pancake, which was similar, only used apples and was more fluffy...Alas I didn't get custody of that cookbook when I got divorced...Ah, well.

The recipe for Dutch Baby, which appears in the March 2009 issue of CL, can be found here. Making this was simple and fast, and it turned out great!

As I was making this and watching it bake - a fascinating process, actually - I was struck by how similar this is to Yorkshire Pudding. And, indeed, it actually tasted a lot like Yorkshire Pudding, too.

The serving suggestion involved icing sugar and lemon, but who are we kidding here? Is this a pancake or not? I served this with butter, maple syrup, and bacon!

Scrambled Egg Quesadilla

Why was I craving eggs the other day? Who knows. I actually wanted to make Huevos Rancheros but when I researched a few recipes, it seemed too complicated to do in a short period of time and I didn't want to have any more beans that what I'd been having recently. So, I decided to make a scrambled egg quesadilla using ingredients I had on hand. Here's what I did:

I fried up two slices of bacon and a bit of red onion. I scrambled two eggs and added a chopped sundried tomato to the egg mixture. I cooked the eggs as you would an omelette, but didn't flip it in half. I wanted the egg to come out the same size approximately as my tortillas. It was a tad tricky to flip, but worked out in the end. I slid the eggs onto one tortilla, then put the tortilla in the frying pan. I sprinkled on top of the eggs the bacon & onion mixture, which I totally forgot to add Mexican seasonings to! Ah well! I sprinkled grated cheddar on top of the whole thing and put on a second tortilla (whole wheat, no less!).

I fried the quesadilla on both sides until hot through and the cheese had melted, and I served it with salsa & sour cream.

It was pretty good, actually, and hit the spot with my egg craving! Next time I'll have to remember to add the seasonings, though I'm not complaining about this at all. This was kinda like an omelette between two tortillas instead.

Easy Homemade Granola

My mom used to make granola for us kids when we were young, a fact I never appreciated until I was much older. She had a good recipe that she passed on to my brother, who passed it on to me at some point, and then I lost it. When my copy of Baked: New Frontiers in Baking arrived, I was happy to see in its chapter on breakfast a recipe for homemade granola that looked really good. Yesterday I went out and bought the ingredients for it and made a batch.

Easy Homemade Granola, page 47 of Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

2 cups of rolled oats (I assumed it meant whole oats, so that's what I used)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp + 1 tsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup whole almonds
1/3 cup whole hazelnuts
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup dried cherries (I cannot for the life of me find these anywhere around here, so I substituted dried cranberries)

1. Preheat oven to 325F and line a baking sheet with parchment (or a silicone baking mat).

2. In a large bowl, toss together the oats, cinnamon and salt.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the honey, oil, vanilla, and sugar until completely combined.

4. Pour the honey mixture over the oat mixture. Use your hands to combine well (or use a spoon, as I did), making sure the oats are completely coated with the honey mixture.

5. Spread evenly onto baking sheet.

6. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from oven and flip with a spatula. Sprinkle on the almonds. Bake for 5 minutes, then remove from oven, flip, and sprinkle on the hazelnuts. Bake for a further 10 minutes, then remove from the oven.

7. Let cool completely. Sprinkle on raisins and cherries. Break up granola with hands and put into an airtight container. According to the recipe, it'll keep for a week.

This tastes amazing! Almost too amazing - it's almost like candy! In fact, it's almost like apple crumble topping, which of course is the best part of apple crumble. I doubt this will be sticking around these parts for a week!

Pancakes a la Nigella

About a year ago, I reviewed Nigella Express, and one of the gem recipes I keep going back to is her homemade pancake mix. I keep it in a small bucket in my pantry so when I get a pancake craving, as I did the other day, I can just whip up a batch in no time. These are quite honestly the nicest, lightest, fluffiest pancakes I've ever had.

Homemade Instant Pancake Mix by Nigella, p. 93 of Nigella Express

600g flour
3 tbsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
40g sugar or vanilla sugar

Whisk these together and store in an airtight container. When you're ready to make some pancakes proceed as follows:

For each 150g of mix, add and whisk together:
1 egg
250mL/1cup milk
1 tbsp melted butter

Heat a griddle or pan with no oil. Drop by 1 - 2 tablespoonfuls onto the hot griddle and when bubbles appear on the surface, flip them over to make them golden brown on both sides.

Viola!

Now, one of the drawbacks I mentioned in my review was the use of weights in the recipes, so you will need a scale. 150g of pancake mix comes out to just under 1 cup: more than 3/4 cup but less than 1 full cup. But, a scale is best.

To make my pancakes a little more interesting, I add 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder to the batter and you get a nice mocha flavour to your pancakes. I also add vanilla since I don't use the vanilla sugar mentioned above.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pudding: Breakfast of Champions!

I mentioned in yesterday's Thanksgiving post that I was inspired by my Pumpkin Bread Pudding to make pumpkin French toast, since the two dishes are very similar. So this morning I thought, why not have the Pumpkin Bread Pudding for breakfast?

So I did.

Man, this is dangerous stuff! It tasted better today than it did yesterday - the spices were brighter and the pumpkin flavour was more pronounced. It was amazing.

I have one breakfast-sized serving left!

Bacon and Cheese Strata

Funny how I'm the breakfast/brunch cook around here, yet this is the meal I have the least imagination for. I purchased a book over the summer to help me out called The Big Book of Breakfast, by Maryana Vollstedt. It has a lot of great recipes in it, and I made this one for a brunch one morning in August.

Bacon and Cheese Strata

4 slices day old white bread, crusts removed
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
6 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
2 drops of Tobasco sauce (or to taste)
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
3 tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded, and cut into rings

1. Arrange the bread slices, slightly overlapping, in a lightly sprayed or oiled 8x11.5" baking dish. Scatter the bacon over top.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and Tobasco. Fold in grated Cheddar and parsley. Pour the egg mixture over bread and bacon. Sprinkle with grated Monterey Jack. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 350F. Bring strata to room temperature before baking. Arrange bell peppers over top. Bake, uncovered, until set - about 45 - 5o minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.

Notes

- I used all Cheddar because we don't get Monterey Jack. The beauty of this recipe is you can really add whatever you want.

- This puffs up quite a bit, so make sure your pan is deep enough.

- This recipe makes multiples well. I made it for two dozen and this recipe is supposed to serve 4 - 6 people.

Here are some tips from the beginning of the strata chapter to help you along.

1. Use day old bread, or bread you've lightly toasted, or bread you've let air-dry. This is so the milk/egg mixture will soak up nicely into the bread.

2. Use whole milk, or half-and-half. Low fat milks don't provide enough structure.

3. Make the strata several hours ahead or the night before to allow the bread to absorb the custard. Press the bread down to be sure it is fully covered.

4. Bring the strata to room temperature before baking, or allow an extra 10 minutes of baking time (which is what I did).

5. If the strata becomes too brown on top, cover it with foil for the rest of the baking time.

6. Let the strata stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Bon Appetit!