Horchata Dutch Baby

When looking for a sweet component to my egg-centric brunch, I was lucky enough to come across Alisa's recipe for a wheat and dairy free dutch baby.  With some horchata in my fridge, my plan materialized: an horchata dutch baby with sauteed bananas and cajeta.

I followed Alisa's recipe for the dutch baby, using oat flour and vegan horchata as my milk alternative.  The recipe was easy enough, but I found it to be quite thick and heavier than the dutch babies I've had before.  (Something sounds wrong with that last sentence, but hopefully you realize I'm not eating children from the Netherlands.)  As the dutch baby is very lightly sweetened, bananas sauteed in a little coconut spread with 1-2T brown sugar and cajeta were the perfect accompaniments and a great ending to the brunch!



Horchata (Vegan)
adapted from Kelly

I was missing a couple of ingredients and apparently patience, as mine retained some texture.  I was fine with this as I was using it in cupcakes, but if you prefer a smooth drink make sure to strain it well.

3oz brown rice
2.5oz whole almonds (or blanched, if you have them)
1 cinnamon stick
1 1/4c hot tap water
1/2c evaporated cane juice (or granulated sugar)
1c almond milk
1t vanilla extract

Add rice, almonds, and cinnamon stick to a bowl.  Add hot tap water and set aside, letting it cool to room temperature.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Pour the mixture into a blender and add sugar, then blend on high for several minutes until the mixture is as smooth as possible.  Strain through a fine sieve, pressing out as much liquid as you can.  Cheesecloth works well here, if you don't mind the wait.  I was a little impatient and just strained it through a hand held strainer, which gave some heft to my horchata.  Your choice!

Add almond milk and vanilla, mix well.  Refrigerate a few hours.  Serve ice cold.




Are you a fan of the dutch baby pancake?  What's your favorite way to fill it?


This recipe was featured in my "EB Mine" menu, a brunch I hosted along with Eggland’s Best to raise awareness about the importance of a healthy diet to reduce the risk of heart disease. I have a sweet giveaway going on, where the winner will receive a swag bag full of my EB Goodies. Check out my EB Mine Brunch post to enter, today (Feb 29th) is the last day! 

Meyer Lemon Cranberry Scones

Tart and not too sweet, these scones paired seasonal meyer lemons with some cranberries stashed away in the freezer a few months ago to create a light treat for brunch.  In an effort to keep them cow-free, I tried out some coconut spread, and i've included some notes on how I think it affected the dough below. Whether you use butter, earth balance or coconut spread, these scones are definitely worth making!

Meyer Lemon Cranberry Scones
slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Only the zest of meyer lemons is used for this recipe, might I suggest freezing the juice for some meyer lemonade this summer??  You can thank me later.  Also, I changed this recipe to avoid the use of cow milk, but I've left the original ingredients as options for you if you choose.

1 1/2T meyer lemon zest
1c AP flour
1 1/2c white whole wheat flour
1/2c + 3T evaporated cane juice (or granulated sugar), divided
1T baking powder
1/2t salt
3oz coconut spread (or butter)
1 1/4c frozen cranberries
1 lg egg
1 egg yolk
1c goat milk (or cream)

Preheat the oven to 400deg.

Add flours, lemon zest, 1/2c sugar, baking powder, salt and coconut spread to the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until the mixture becomes a coarse meal and transfer to a large bowl.

Add the frozen cranberries and 3T sugar to the food processor and pulse until the cranberries are coarsely chopped.  Add to the flour mix.

In a small bowl, beat together the egg and egg yolk, then stir in milk.  Add to the flour mixture and then stir until just combined.

Now, the recipe calls for patting the dough into a 1" thick round circle on a well-floured surface, then cutting scones out with a 2" cutter.  I was able to do this with a few of them, but my dough was still pretty wet (probably from my substitutions).  They worked just as well as 'drop' scones, where I simply spooned a bit of the mixture onto a cookie sheet.

Place scones 1" apart on a baking sheet and bake 15-20min, until pale golden.  Serve warm.

Deb's also got instructions for freezing the scone dough, so you can have warm scones at a moment's notice!

This recipe was featured in my "EB Mine" menu, a brunch I hosted along with Eggland’s Best to raise awareness about the importance of a healthy diet to reduce the risk of heart disease. I have a sweet giveaway going on, where the winner will receive a swag bag full of my EB Goodies. Check out my EB Mine Brunch post to enter through February 29th!

Egg Roulade

I'm not the creative genius behind this recipe.  First it was Cara (tried her version with mushrooms and goat cheese, fabulous), then Joanne.  I knew I wanted to get on the bandwagon with my own twist.

It looks difficult, but trust me this is pretty easy!  If some of your egg mixture leaks below the parchment paper, like it did for me, it's not to worry either.  The sheet of cooked egg was still easy to roll up and the extra bits were perfect for taste-testing!

Egg Roulade [w/Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Goat Cheese and Black Bean Avocado Puree]
adapted from Cara's version

To come up with a name that encompassed each component is darn near impossible, so I'm keeping it simple.  As always you can play around with the filling here and come up with your own version!

For 1 roulade:
6 eggs
1/4c greek goat yogurt
2T almond milk
1/4t salt
freshly ground pepper

For the sweet potato mixture (will make enough for 2):
1lb sweet potatoes, roasted
1/4t salt
freshly ground black pepper
3.25oz goat cheese

For the black bean mixture (will make enough for 2):
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 ripe avocado
1/4t salt
1/4t cumin
2-4 roasted garlic cloves

Preheat the oven to 350deg.

Start by roasting the sweet potatoes and garlic (this can be done ahead of time).  Wash the sweet potatoes and poke all over with a fork, then wrap them in foil.  I find mine are usually done around the 1hr mark depending on the size.  For the garlic, I take off some of the outer papery layers and then cut the tips of the garlic cloves off.  Put in a small baking dish or foil, then add a little bit of olive oil to the exposed surface.  Bake until fragrant, ~30-45min.

Next step is to prepare the fillings (also easy to make ahead of time). I added the roasted sweet potatoes (along with the any juice that accumulates) to a blender along with the goat cheese, salt and pepper.  Blend until smooth and set aside.  You can remove the skins if you like, but there's alot of good nutrition in there if your blender can handle it!

For the black bean mixture I added the ingredients to the small bowl of a food processor and processed until well combined.  You may need a touch of liquid to get a smooth consistency, in which case I'd try a small bit of water, stock, or olive oil.

Raise the oven temperature to 375deg and make sure you have a rack in the middle of the oven.  Prepare a 9x13 pan (I used a stoneware baking sheet) by spraying with nonstick spray and lining with parchment paper (cut to the size of the pan, you don't want any overhanging).  Spray the top of parchment with nonstick spray.

Add the ingredients for the roulade (egg through pepper) to a blender and blend until smooth and frothy.  Pour into the prepared 9x13pan and bake for 12-15min, until the egg mixture is firm.  Remove and let cool a bit.  Spread an even layer of the black bean mixture to the egg sheet, followed by a layer of the sweet potato mixture.  Starting from the short side, roll tightly (but gently).  Sprinkle with cheese if desired, and bake another 8-10min, until the roulade is heated through.

Slice with a serrated knife and serve!

It's always fun to serve something that looks impressive but is easy to make.  This certainly fits the bill, and should be on the menu of your next brunch!

What would your filling for the roulade be??


This recipe was featured in my "EB Mine" menu, a brunch I hosted along with Eggland’s Best to raise awareness about the importance of a healthy diet to reduce the risk of heart disease. I have a sweet giveaway going on, where the winner will receive a swag bag full of my EB Goodies. Check out my EB Mine Brunch post to enter through February 29th!

EB Mine Brunch

Usually I like to teach by doing.  When I introduce new foods to my parents, I don't give them a lesson on why they should want to incorporate it into their diet or the health benefits of it.  Instead, I'll cook up something tasty, and if they enjoy it (which is often the case), they'll start to use it themselves.

Today's an exception.

Why, you might ask?  Well, Eggland's Best asked me if I'd be interested in hosting an "EB Mine" Brunch to help raise awareness for American Heart Month (that's February, folks).  Is my name Shannon?  Of course!  I love eggs!  I love my heart!  I love brunch!

So here it goes.  Heart disease is the leading cause of death among men and women in the US.  The easiest way to cut your odds of a heart attack?  Not smoking, daily exercise and proper nutrition.  This is where EB eggs come in.  A great lean protein source, EB eggs also contain more than double the amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids (heart healthy!) and Vitamin D, and ten times more Vitamin E (associated with reduced risk of heart disease!).

Who's going to say no to an egg-centric brunch now?  Especially when the menu touts an Egg Roulade (with Roasted Sweet Potato & Goat Cheese and Black Bean Avocado Puree), Meyer Lemon Cranberry Scones and an Horchata Dutch Baby with sauteed bananas and dulce de leche.

I didn't think so!  You'll have to wait for the recipes, but in the mean time...  check out Eggland's Best on Facebook for some other egg-cellent ideas ;)

B certainly enjoyed his egg!

In addition to providing me with an "EB Mine" Box, VIP coupons and $100 to host the brunch, Eggland's Best is going to give you a chance to win your own Box full of 2 FREE EB Dozen coupons, 1 FREE EB Hard Cooked & Peeled and a bunch of EB goodies (apron, spatula, whisk, cutting board, mixing bowl, scraper, coffee mug, tote bag, plush egg).  To enter, all you have to do is tell me, what heart healthy ingredient do you like to pair with EB eggs??    Contest ends Wed, Feb 29th!

Three for Thursday

1.  Maple Cream

Make this tonight.  And then use it to top Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls.  Perfect weekend treat!

2. White Bean Soup w/Crispy Proscuitto

Creamy and healthy, this is perfect to warm up with when there's a chill in the air!  P.S.- I didn't brush the proscuitto with oil and it still crisped up nicely.

3.  Broccoli, Apple & Peanut Soup

A bit of red curry paste and peanut butter kick up your traditional broccoli soup!

What good recipes have you tried from around the blogosphere??

Kale Basil Pesto

If you came here hoping for some Valentine's Day-inspired treats, I'm sorry to say I don't usually deliver.  I'm not so much for the commercial holiday.  Will you forgive me?  After you make this pesto, I hope you will!

Kale Basil Pesto

It doesn't happen often, but sometimes I get home with no plans for dinner.  Challenging myself to create something with what was already in my kitchen, this hearty pesto came together quite quickly.  Tossed with some whole wheat fusilli and dinner was served!

Kale Basil Avocado Pesto
Recipe by Shannon
Yield:  ~2c

I bet this could've taken a little acid, but I had no lemons, feel free to add the juice of half a lemon or a splash of cider vinegar if you'd like!  I also chose not to add nuts, but those would be a nice addition if you chose to do so.

1 avocado, pitted
1 1/2c packed basil
1 lg bunch of kale, de-stemmed
1/2t sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4c finely grated parmesan
2 small garlic cloves (or 1 large)
extra virgin olive oil (or your desired oil, I actually tried avocado oil with this)

Blanch kale 2-3 min in a large pot of boiling, salted water.  Transfer to an ice bath to stop the cooking, then drain and squeeze dry.

Add kale, basil, avocado, salt, pepper, parmesan, garlic, and 2T oil to a blender and process until well blended, adding extra oil if needed to reach your desired consistency.  Taste and adjust seasonings.

Luckily this made enough pesto to try a few new things.  One morning it got incorporated into some savory oats, topped with a sunny-side up egg.  Another evening had the pesto as pizza sauce!  The pesto got slathered on a partially cooked chickpea crust and then topped with sauteed onions and pears and a little goat cheese (inspirations here and here).   Earthy pesto, slightly sweet pears and a little tang from goat cheese, this was one delicious pizza.

What would you do with your kale basil avocado pesto?? 

Make-ahead Hash

Maybe I pushed too much for too long.  I got sick.  The kind of sick that had me doing nothing on the couch instead of doing little things around the house.  Instead of blogging I got hooked on Breaking Bad.  Oops.  Finally feeling a bit better, I wanted to share a way to get dinner on the table in 10min, with a little prep work ahead of time. #win.

Make-ahead Sweet Potato Kale Hash
Inspired by Emily and Ranjani

1 small onion, chopped

1 jalapeno, diced

2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2" cubes

1/4t smoked paprika

1t ground coriander

2-4T extra virgin olive oil

coarse sea salt

4-6c packed kale, de-ribbed and torn into pieces (~1 head)

Preheat oven to 400deg.

Add chopped onion, jalapeno and sweet potatoes to a large bowl along with spices.  Add a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of coarse salt.  Toss and roast 15-20min, until the sweet potatoes are almost tender.

While the first batch of veggies are roasting, wash and de-rib the kale.  Tear into pieces and add to the bowl (same one from the sweet potatoes, no need to wash).  Add a drizzle of olive oil, sprinkling of coarse slat and a few grinds of pepper.

When the sweet potatoes are almost done, add the kale and return to the oven for 10min.

Remove from the oven and let cool before transferring to microwave-safe containers.

When it's time for dinner, start cooking your eggs.  You can poach or pan-fry your egg, whichever you prefer.  I prepared mine sunny side up in a nonstick pan.  Once you get your egg(s) cooking, warm up a portion of the hash in the microwave.  To serve, top your hash with the egg(s)!

What's been your go-to quick meal recently??

Butternut Black Bean Enchiladas

I had my first enchilada a little over a year ago, and it opened up a whole new world...  so many options for fillings!  This version is a spin on the Pumpkin Black Bean Enchiladas that made a few appearances in my kitchen last winter, and it's a close call as to which one I like better ;)

Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas
Serves 4

For the roasted butternut squash:
7c cubed butternut squash cubes
1t cumin
1/2t chili powder
coarse sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:
2c roasted butternut squash
2 1/2c water
2 lg garlic cloves
1t salt
1/4t pepper

For the black bean mixture:
1c black beans
1 chipotle, optional
1/2c greek yogurt
1t salt (use 1/2t if using canned beans)
3 chopped scallions

For the enchiladas:
black bean mixture, above
1c black beans
1c roasted butternut squash
1c chopped kale
2-3oz goat cheese
10 corn tortillas

Preheat the oven to 400deg.

Begin by roasting the squash (this can be done ahead of time).  Add butternut squash to a bowl along with a drizzle of olive oil (~1T) and spice, salt and pepper.  Toss, spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until soft and starting to caramelize around the edges, about 20min or so.

Add 2c of the roasted squash to a blender along with the rest of the ingredients for the sauce.  Blend until smooth and set aside.

To prepare the black bean mixture, add black beans through scallions to a food processor and blend until well combined.  Transfer to a bowl and combine with 1c black beans, 1c roasted squash and kale, mix well.

Spead a 9x13 pan (or two smaller square pans) with a layer of butternut squash sauce and then assemble the enchiladas.  Wrap corn tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave fo ~1min to soften.  Mound 3-4T filling on each tortilla, roll up and place seam side down in the baking dish.  Pour butternut squash sauce over the enchiladas and crumble goat cheese over the top.  Bake at 400deg for 20-30min, until the enchiladas are warmed through and the sauce is bubbly.

Let cool a few minutes, and then serve, garnished with chopped scallions, cilantro or parsley, if desired.

For tips on freezing these enchiladas, check out this post.