SUNDRIED TOMATO AND BROCCOLI QUICHE (GF, Keto, Paleo)

sundried tomato and broccoli quiche in almond flour crust

Hi everyone!

As you know I love eggs and there’s no shortage of recipes with eggs on my IG feed @cakebrain & on my food blog 𝐂𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧.

I’m so excited to share with you a quiche recipe I developed for @BCEgg, a non-profit organization that regulates BC's egg farms.  The recipe can also be found on the Vancouver Sun site.

I’m hoping that you’ll vote for my recipe by clicking right here! 

I’ve entered my quiche recipe in their contest and would be grateful if you show me some love by voting for me!  You have to be 18+ and living in BC, Canada to vote and you can vote once every day until the end of the contest on May 17, 2019.  There is no purchase necessary, but you have to fill out a form on the above link proving residency in BC. 

free range eggs from Rabbit River Farms

I'm small potatoes in this contest as many of the other contestants have thousands of IG followers and are professional "influencers"; but I'm hoping y'all appreciate all the recipes I've freely shared on my blog over the past 12 years and give me your vote!  or give me your vote every day until May 17 lol!

I'm sharing a gluten free tart crust recipe for the quiche because some of my readers are Celiac/gluten intolerant, paleo, keto or low carb. I used free range Omega3 eggs from Rabbit River Farms, a local ethically run, organic egg producer. I'm simply in love with their golden yolks! #sponsored #ad #BCEgg

golden yolk love!

prebaked tarts filled with egg custard filling; ready for the oven

baked tart! 

𝗦𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗢 & 𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗖𝗖𝗢𝗟𝗜 𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗖𝗛𝗘

Special equip: FOUR 4 ½-INCH tart pans w/ removable bottoms.

Makes 4 tarts

𝗔𝗟𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗗 𝗙𝗟𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗖𝗥𝗨𝗦𝗧

(GF, Paleo, Low Carb)

1 ½ cups almond flour

2 tablespoons melted butter (avocado oil, or coconut oil)

½ tsp Pink Himilayan salt

1 cold large egg, free range

𝐀𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐂𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Combine almond flour, butter, salt & egg in a bowl. 

3. Equally portion tart dough among 4 tart pans

4. Using fingers, press firmly dough up sides & press evenly across bottom. Prick crust bottom with fork

5. Place on baking sheet & bake for 15-20 min, until lightly golden. 

6. Set aside while you prepare filling

𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗖𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚

6 large eggs, free range

¼ cup heavy cream

¼ cup chopped broccoli florets

¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil (drained); chopped

¼ cup shredded cheese (feta, cheddar or mozzarella)

¼ tsp fresh thyme leaves (optional)

salt & pepper to taste 

𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐨 & 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐢 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐞

1. Combine eggs & cream in a bowl & lightly beat together; season with salt & pepper

2. Add chopped broccoli florets, chopped sun-dried tomato & shredded cheese to mixture & stir to combine.

3. Equally portion out quiche filling among 4 cooked tart shells, which are on a sheet pan.

4. Bake in 350°F oven for 20-25 min; or until just set

JAPANESE SOUFFLE PANCAKES

Summer's almost here!

I can feel the anticipation in the air!

I've been madly testing Japanese Cheesecake recipes the last few weeks and tweaking my recipe for both Matcha and Londog Fog flavoured Japanese cheesecake.  During all this time I haven't actually tasted the Uncle Tetsu cheesecakes that have been selling like crazy (limit of one per customer!) because of the crazy 2 hour lineups.  

SUNDAY BRUNCH: CRANBERRY SCONES and YEASTED WAFFLES

Hands up…who loves Sunday Brunch? 

EBLESKIVER STUFFED WITH BANANAS (GF)

Pronounced "able-skeevers", this Danish treat is a cross between a pancake and a popover.   They are cute and fun to eat.  You can stuff them with anything.  Today I stuffed mine with ripe banana chunks and served them with a dusting of confectioners' sugar, maple syrup and whipped cream.

MARULILU CAFE

Iced White Chocolate Matcha Latte.


What a gorgeous drink! It was cool, creamy and refreshing on a hot summer day.  I liked the soft sweet white chocolate flavour combined with the slightly astringent and grassy matcha.  Yum!




Mango Smoothie. 


Icy and frothy with mango flavour.  The kiddies loved this one and it was healthier than a slurpee!


Belgian Waffle…for dinner!   Yee-Hah!  Yes, I’m a mommy that lets my kids eat breakfast for dinner!  This looked beautiful with the huge swirls of whipped cream…both chocolate and plain on the side.  The waffle itself was light and tender; crispy on the outside.  It was an excellent waffle.

Katsu Don.  This was a homey sort of dish for me.  It was a pork cutlet on rice with egg and onions with a light dashi/soy broth.  It was good and filling.

Stomach ordered the Rice Burger.  We didn’t know what we were going to get.  It sounded intriguing.  It turns out it’s two rice balls grilled; with a filling of pork and kimchi.  He liked it. 

It also came with a miso soup and salad on the side.

Bib ordered the ham and eggs breakfast.   This was a good portion and we all shared it with her.

This Ham and Cheese sandwich was way bigger than Bebe thought it would be.  It came on Ciabatta with plenty of veggies (she pulled all of those out of course) and she said it was very yummy.

I thought the Marulilu Cafe was a sweet little spot to grab a bite.  It’s kind of down-home Japanese and kind of breakfast-y.  The quality of the ingredients is very good and they do take care with the preparation of the dishes.  

With the neat Japanese-Canadian menu, I think we’ll be back because there’s something for everyone at this little eatery.  Marulilu Cafe serves breakfast all day, home-cooked Japanese fare, espressos, teas and cafe drinks, some sweets and sandwiches.

REDISCOVERING STEEL-CUT OATMEAL

Steel-cut oats with apples, cinnamon and brown sugar brulee

I’m a breakfast person.   I was never much into instant oatmeal though…the kind you pour out of  individual packages and add water.  My kids love the Peaches ‘n Cream instant oatmeal but it just doesn’t turn me on.

I spotted a huge box of steel-cut oatmeal at Costco last week and became all excited at the prospect of eating something I only faintly remember from early childhood.  I was about 5 years old and my mother had made oatmeal that tasted quite unlike the kind of oatmeal we have today.  It was warming, creamy and had a bit of chew.   Mind you, when I was 5, milk was also delivered by truck to your door by the milkman and if you beat everyone else to the new bottle of whole milk, you could be the lucky one to pop off the paper tab and lick the cream stuck to it.

Gosh. Am I aging myself here?  Today, we can still buy milk in those nostalgic glass bottles but you pay a premium for this…but boy is it good!  Or is it?   Does the milk taste any different?  I dunno.  To me, taste is all wrapped up with kinaesthetic experiences.

To me, pouring milk from those old milk bottles is quite like drinking an ice-cold Coke from a glass bottle…no straw please. 

My vivid memory of drinking a Coke from a bottle occurred during elementary school growing up on the East Side.   There was a mom and pop grocery store located across the street from my school.  Children could go there at lunch and buy candies for a penny.  Back then, there was a thing such as Penny Candy.  Chips were 25cents a bag.   

If you were lucky you had enough for a pop after school.  On a sunny day in June with the sound of children  playing ringing in your ears in the schoolyard after school, you head across the street with your friends to the corner store.   You open the Coke bottle’s cap using the built-in opener situated on the front of the banged-up Soda Fridge: pshhhh! clink!   You walk out of the corner grocery store; the bell attached to the door jingling merrily as you allow it to slam shut as you leave.   You cross the busy street back towards your elementary school, walking all the way home with the cold bottle in your hands--the condensation slowly rendering your hands moist.  The experience of the cold, clear bottle opening on your lips is like no other.  As you tilt the bottle to drink, you accidentally bump your teeth against the glass as you walk and send a singular shot of pain up that nerve in your front tooth.  But oh the stinging joy of that first stream of Cola!  Sweet and cold, burning bubbles beautiful!

I don’t drink much Coke anymore, but I do love my bubbly water.  I make my own club soda with my Penguin Soda Maker.  I must confess, I drink tap-water turned club soda instead of plain ol’ water.  I like bubbles.  I don't like to drink sugar anymore.

Drinking Coke from a bottle, pouring milk from a milk bottle and eating steel-cut oatmeal...these are things that people should experience in childhood.



My mother’s steel-cut oatmeal was a rare treat for breakfast.  She always served it runny with lots of milk and sugar to taste.   Now I know why she rarely made it.   It takes 30 minutes to prepare on the stovetop.  That’s precious time for mothers getting their kids ready for school.

However, today I’m going to share with you a fantastic way to have your steel-cut oats in short order.  There are even instructions on the back of the box of steel-cut oats telling you to do this.  You simply soak the oats overnight in hot water.  Then it takes you only 10 minutes in the morning to finish cooking it off to your desired consistency on the stovetop.  I go a further step and portion out 1/2 cup servings in tupperware containers in the fridge for heating up in the microwave over the course of the week.    I keep all my fruits and flavourings clear of the plain oatmeal because I like to add that at the last minute.  This gives me a myriad of options for flavouring at my whim each day.   Other people have used rice cookers or crock pots to make big batches ahead of time.  The stove-top method without soaking will take you about 30 minutes.  Either way, after you have portioned everything out, in the morning you simply stir in a little milk of water to loosen it up (as the oatmeal would have congealed into a thick mass), add your flavourings and microwave to heat.  It’s so fast.  I’ll never go back to quick oats again. 



Steel-cut oats have a chewy, nutty, creamy consistency.  I love the texture.  I particularly like the creaminess that you can achieve without adding any cream. 

My favourite addition to steel-cut oatmeal is apple.  I don’t  make a  pureed applesauce because I like the chunky texture of chopped apples.  In a separate pot, I add chopped up apples, a dot of butter and a sprinkling of cinnamon.  Granny Smiths are great for this…and if you want, you can add a spoonful of brown sugar.  It is totally unnecessary to add sugar though if you have a sweet apple.  Cook down the apples until they are tender.  Store in a sealed glass container in the fridge until you need it.  Serve it like a condiment with your oatmeal.  I add 2 spoonfuls of apples to my oatmeal before I microwave it.   If you’re feeling special, sprinkle brown sugar on top and brulee until golden brown.  It’s so good.  It tastes like apple pie in a bowl.



STEEL-CUT OATMEAL (OVERNIGHT METHOD)

• 1 1/2 cups steel-cut oats
• 6 cups water

1. Bring water to a boil in a large saucepot.   Turn off heat.  Stir in the steel-cut oats.
2. Cover the pot with a lid.  Allow to sit covered overnight.
3. Refrigerate until morning.
4. In the morning, uncover the pot.  Heat the oatmeal over medium heat, stirring constantly, until desired texture is achieved, about 10 minutes.  You may add additional water or milk to loosen the oatmeal if you wish.
5. Serve with flavouring options and sweetener. 
6. Leftovers can be refrigerated:  Portion individual 1/2 cup servings of oatmeal in sealed containers in the refrigerator.   Warm in a microwave-safe bowl (2-3 minutes) with a little milk; stir to bring back consistency.  Serve with flavourings.   Pull out your torch and brulee some sugar on top.
7. If you want to make a smaller batch, the ratio is 4:1 of water to oatmeal.

Flavour Additions for Steel-Cut Oatmeal:

• Cooked apples, butter, brown sugar and cinnamon
• Chopped peaches and cream/milk
• Sauteed chopped pears
• Fresh raspberries, any berries and cream/milk
• Sliced bananas & walnuts
• Milk, sugar/brown sugar & cinnamon
• Ground flax, hemp, buckwheat, wheat germ
• Pineapple and coconut
• Chopped fresh mango & cream/milk

Optional Sweeteners for Steel-Cut Oatmeal:

• Brown sugar
• Agave nectar
• Manuka honey or any wildflower honey
• Granulated Sugar

MINI VANILLA BEAN CRANBERRY ENGLISH SCONES

vanilla bean cranberry english scones

cold cubed butter is vital to a flaky scone
dried cranberries are a deliciously slightly tart addition to this scone mixture

the scone dough looks good enough to eat raw!

I made some delightful scones the other day to go with the huge batch of strawberry jam I have. I used Yard's recipe for traditional English scones. I concur with Yard about the size of scones. In North America, they're obscenely huge and taste kind of dry and doughy. I like them small and with clotted cream (if you can get it) and homemade preserves. I adapted her recipe and added vanilla bean seeds to the dough and kicked it up with some dried cranberries.

I'm kind of pressed for time, so I won't post the recipe today. If there's significant interest out there, just leave a comment and I'll do it.

*****

Today is Day 1 of my challenge to complete Bebe's 5th birthday cake.

I foolishly opened my big trap and promised her I'd bake her any kind of cake she wants.

Bebe, in her princess stage still, asked for the Cover Page cake on the Wilton 2008 magazine we saw at Michaels. My mouth dropped. I offered to make her one of those character-shaped cakes instead.

She shook her head and said I could do it. She was adamant that I make her the Romantic Castle Cake. She wanted the cake itself to be chocolate and she wanted some pink in it too. So I used as many coupons as I could over the course of 2 months preparing for this day. I purchased the cake kit with the coupon, bought fondant premade because the cake itself was daunting enough without having to make fondant too, and started collecting all the elements I would need to complete this humongous 2-tiered behemoth of a kiddie cake.

I wanted to do much of the decorative elements in advance and so, with one week to go, I will be starting the over 285 mini fondant flowers that I have to make by hand. Yup. you read right: 285 PLUS additional in case of breakage. I'm sure breakage will happen...at 11pm with my eyes crossed, hair covered in confectioners' sugar, fingers crusted with the sticky fondant and my whole kitchen a mess of dirty bowls stained with pink, green and blue food colouring.

I may try to take pictures tonight of those flowers...we'll see what kind of a mood I'm in. I really can't start making any of these things until both kids are asleep. So I'll start some time after 8pm I think.

**********

August 8, 2008 update

This is for Kassandra:

As requested, I'm posting the recipe I used for these mini scones!

MINI VANILLA BEAN CRANBERRY ENGLISH SCONES

(adapted from Yard's "Traditional English Scones" in Desserts by the Yard

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling (optional)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 oz (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 tablespoon grated orange zest [i omitted this from my recipe]

1 vanilla bean pod: scrape out seeds and set pod aside for alternate use (vanilla sugar!) [Yard doesn't use vanilla at all]

1 large egg

1/2 cup heavy cream, or more as needed [Yard uses half cream and half milk]

1/3 cup dried cranberries (craisins) [Yard uses raisins...I don't like raisins but craisins are great!]

milk for brushing

1. Place racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two 12 x 17 inch half sheet pans with parchment paper.
2. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and zest if using and vanilla seeds and mix on low speed for 1 minute, until the butter and flour are broken down into pieces the size of walnut meats. Use your thumb and forefinger to flatten the "walnuts". Then take up the mixture and rub briskly between your hands.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and cream. Add to the flour mixture along with the craisins and blend at low speed just until the dough comes together, about 10 seconds. If it seems dry, add a bit more cream, a tablespoon at a time
4. Line your work surface with parchment, dust the parchment with flour, and scrape out the dough. Shape into an 8-inch square, about 1 inch thick. You can use a rolling pin for this. Cut the dough into 2-inch squares. If making triangles, cut the squares in half on the diagonal. [in my recipe i cut 32 mini triangles] Flip the scones over and place on the parchment-lined pans. Brush with milk (or cream) and sprinkle with sugar if desired.
5. Bake for approximately 15 minutes, until dark golden brown and puffed.

BREAKFAST STRATA

(serves 4-6)
½ loaf supermarket French or Italian bread (8 oz), sliced ½ inch thick
4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing dish
4 shallots, minced
1 (10 oz) package chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
Salt and pepper
½ cup dry white wine
6 oz Gruyere cheese, shredded (1 ½ cups)
6 large eggs
1 ¾ cups half-and-half

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 225 degrees. Spread bread over a large baking sheet and bake until dry and crisp on both sides, about 20 min per side. (Alternatively, leave the slides out overnight to dry) Spread 2 tablespoons of the butter over one side of the dried bread slices.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the spinach, ½ teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper and cook until the spinach is heated through, about 2 minutes. Transfer the spinach to a medium bowl. Add the wine to the skillet and simmer over medium-high heat until it measures ¼ cup, about 3 minutes; set aside to cool.

Grease 8 inch square baking dish with butter. Arrange half of bread, buttered-side up, in single layer in the dish and sprinkle with half of the spinach mixture and ½ cup of the Gruyere. Repeat to form a second layer with the remaining bread, spinach, and another ½ cup of the gruyere. Whisk together the eggs, reduced, wine, half-and-half, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper until smooth, then pour evenly over the top. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and weigh it down. (with cans or sugar etc) Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

Adjust oven to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Meanwhile, allow strata to stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. Remove the weights, uncover the strata, and sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup gruyere. Bake until both the edges and the center are puffed and the edges have pulled away slightly from the sides of the dish, 50 to 55 minutes. Cool on a wire rack 5 minutes before serving.

VARIATION: BREAKFAST STRATA WITH SAUSAGE, MUSHROOMS, AND MONTERY JACK
Omit the spinach and substitute 1 ½ cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese for the Gruyere. Brown breakfast sausage, about 4 minutes. Stir in the shallots and cook until soft. Stir in 8 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced, and continue to cook until mushrooms no longer release any liquid, about 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to medium bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Return the skillet to medium heat, add the wine, and continue to simmer as directed in step 2. Substitute the sausage mixture for the spinach mixture when assembling the strata.

FRENCH CREPES

2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/3 cup water
1 cup flour
2 T sugar
2 T butter, melted

• Blend all ingredients in a blender
• Let rest in refrigerator for 1/2 hour
• Heat and grease crepe pan or nonstick pan. Swirl crepe batter thinly in pan; allow to lightly brown on first side; flip and let other side dry.

Serve with nutella!

ALMOND TARTS (PITHIVIERS TARTS)

This is cakebrain's rendition of Ikea's almond tarts. They go so well with tea. After tasting them I knew I could duplicate them at home. After experimenting, I found this one to taste most like the one from Ikea.

12 frozen tart shells
4 oz butter, unsalted
1/3 cup (2 1/2 oz) powdered sugar
1 egg
5 oz ground almonds
2 t all purpose flour
1 t vanilla
1 t almond extract

Icing Glaze
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar & a few teaspoons skim milk mixed to form a glaze to top the tarts

• Cream the sugar and the butter well.


• Mix in the egg; beat well.


• Add the rest of the ingredients to mix and spoon into tart shells


• Smooth filling


• Bake 325F for 15-20 minutes


• Glaze the cooled tarts with the icing.