Baklava For Breakfast?

Well, almost. Baklava is a rich dessert of nuts and spices, sandwiched by thin sheets of phyllo and finished off with a lemony syrup.

Who would imagine having such a decadent dessert for breakfast? Why, it would be Elly of Elly Says OPA!

Elly is much like myself, a first-generation Greek who grew up outside of Greece but held onto her culture, religion and cuisine.

It was only yesterday that Elly posted her take on a breakfast baklava. She incorporated the fundamental flavours of baklava into a French Toast.

Here in Canada, it's a long weekend and we're celebrating Victoria Day, a testament to this country's Anglo beginnings. What does one do when you have an extra day off?

Make a decadent breakfast!

Breakfast Baklava French Toast
(for 2)

4 slices of bread, crusts trimmed off
3 large eggs
splash of orange juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
splash of vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. of honey
splash of milk
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
butter
Maple Syrup

Baklava filling
1 handful of nuts (I used walnuts)
1 tsp. of ground clove
1 tsp. of honey

1. Using your food processor, add the nuts and ground cloves and pulse until you get a granular consistency (like that of coarse salt. Remove contents and add to a bowl and and mix in the honey with a spoon and reserve.
2. In a bowl large enough to hold your slices of bread, add the eggs, orange juice, honey, milk, vanilla and cinnamon and whisk until incorporated.
3. Pre-heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Place some baklava filling in between two slices of bread to form a sandwich (reserve some filling for garnish).
5. Carefully dunk the both sides of your "sandwich" into the egg mixture and make sure enough liquid has penetrated the bread (this makes for a moister French toast).
6. Add some butter to your skillet and when it starts to sizzle, place your French toast in the skillet and fry each side for a couple of minutes or until golden-brown. Keep warm and fry off your remaining French toasts in batches.
7. Carefully cut your French toast diagonally in half (this emulates the usual diamond shape of a piece of baklava). Plate your French toast, finish with some reserved baklava filling, good Maple Syrup, a sprinkle of cinnamon and icing sugar and some lemon peel for garnish.
   

Death By Guilt, Courtesy of Mom

Last year, I took it upon myself to make my mother Eggs Benedict, delivered to her bedside.

Instead of "thenk-you, Pee'rre...you thaught-fal, kind son", I got..."I know, you feed me reech food, fool aaf butter breakfast too geeve me haart-attack. You want to keel me aaf, get rid of me? Niiice Mother's Day prresent....ZOAN (animal)"!

For those that are Greek, you'll know that any kind gesture towards you're mom will be answered by a healthy dose of Greek Guilt. I serve her eggs benedict, I get grief and the urge to drink...alot!

All kidding aside, I wish all the moms, mothers, grand mothers (and soon to be moms) a wonderful Mother's Day...milk the day for all you can...you'll probably get everything you ask for!

Eggs Benedict are one of my favourite breakfasts/brunches. It is a rich meal but having it from time to time won't kill you but I found, whisking the Hollandaise Sauce over the double-boiler will!

How boring is it to sit over and whisk egg yolks for 10-15 minutes? I don't have that kind of patience in the morning and timing the English muffins, warm ham/bacon, poached eggs AND getting the perfect Hollandaise Sauce is just too much stress for someone who's just woken up.

Here's a shortcut method to poaching eggs and making a great Hollandaise Sauce. Around these parts, Eggs Benedict consists of one English Muffin, halved and toasted, 2 poached eggs (little runny), a side of home fries and the crowning Hollandaise Sauce in all it's glory.

(Notes taken from the Alberta Egg Producers)

Eggs Benedict
(for 2)

2 English muffins, toasted
4 eggs, poached
slices of ham, bacon or peameal bacon slices
2 potatoes, par-boiled and then skillet-fried (non-stick)
water
white vinegar

Hollandaise Sauce
1/2 cup of butter
3 eggs yolks
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
pinch of salt
dash of Tabasco Sauce
sweet paprika (garnish)
chopped fresh chives (garnish)

1. Add about 3 inches of water into a medium pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer and add a few dashes of white vinegar.
2. Break the cold eggs, one at a time into a small bowl. Give your water a swirl and drop your eggs in, one at a time. Cook in the barely simmering water for 3-5 minutes.
3. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on the end piece of your loaf of slice bread (no one eats it anyway) to absorb the excess water.
   

Tips

• A shallow saucepan with large surface area is best for poaching eggs.

• For poached eggs with a compact oval shape, use the freshest eggs available. Rapid boiling will cause egg to break up as it cooks.
• A few drops of vinegar will keep poached eggs compact.
• Poached eggs can be made ahead of time and held for up to two days.Undercook them slightly so that the yolks remain runny when reheated.
• Refrigerate, covered, or store in ice water, deep enough to cover eggs, until ready to use. To complete cooking, immerse in barely simmering water for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Eggs can be poached in dry white wine, chicken broth or tomato juice.
  

Here are two ways to make your Hollandaise Sauce quickly and without having a morning heart attack stressing over it:

Stove Top

1. Melt the butter until bubbly but not browned and remove from the heat. Place yolks, lemon juice, salt and tabasco in a blender container and start blending on high. Remove the lid and start pouring the melted butter in a slow but steady stream.
   
2. Blend for another 30 seconds and serve warm over your poached eggs.

Microwave

1. In a microwave-safe measuring glass, nuke the butter on high for 1 -2 minutes or until the butter's melted. Meanwhile, in another glass measuring cup, whisk the eggs, lemon juice, salt and Tabasco. Gradually whisk the melted butter into the egg yolk mixture, beating constantly.
2. Microwave on medium (50%) for 30 seconds, whisk for a bit and then microwave again for another 30 seconds until smooth, creamy. Serve Warm over your poached eggs.

Tips

Curdling may occur due to over beating or adding butter too quickly. To rescue a curdled sauce, try one of the following:

• Beat another egg yolk in a small bowl. With a whisk or fork, gradually beat the curdled Hollandaise Sauce.
• Place 15 mL (1 tbsp) water in a small bowl. With a whisk or fork, beat in a small amount of separated sauce until it becomes smooth. Keep adding sauce slowly, while continuing to beat vigorously.
• Hollandaise Sauce may be frozen. To use, thaw in refrigerator. Warm in a double boiler over hot (not boiling) water, stirring constantly. If sauce should separate, use procedure outlined above.
  

Good Morning Sunshine

Female : Wasn't last night just fantastic? Look! It's sunny and mild outside.

Male: What's your name again?

Female: You don't remember? You were whispering it in my ear all night...take a guess!

Male: Sorry, I had a little too much to drink.

Female: So...just yake a wild guess 'hun.

Male: Delores?

Female: NO!

Male: Doris?

Female: NO!

Female: IT'S MARIA YOU DUMBASS, how could you forget a name like Maria?

Male: Hmmm, there are alot of Marias in this world.

Female: How many have you slept with?

Male: I'm not sure but something tells me I'm going to remember THIS Maria!


The above interaction was pure fiction and intended for entertainment purposes only. Any resemblance to real people or real scenarios is purely by chance (and my apologies to all the Marias).

I thank my lucky stars that I've never had to encounter such an uncomfortable moment in my life but I have known of guys who have been through similar scenarios.

There's nothing better than waking up to see the person who you love, laying right there beside you. Even Scott Baio seems to have come to that realization and his womanizing ways appear to have ceased.

I'm done with commentary but next time you wake up before your wife, husband, lover, boy/girlfriend do, be nice and bring breakfast in bed...the payoff is tenfold!

Blueberry Pancakes
(makes 8 thick pancakes)

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup of whole milk
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
blueberries (fresh or frozen)
butter
Maple Syrup

1. In a large bowl, mix the first four ingredients. In a smaller bowl, beat the egg slightly and stir in the milk and the vegetable oil.
2. Add to the flour mixture and stir until the flour is just moistened.
3. Heat your skillet or griddle ove medium-high heat and treat lightly with vegetable oil or margarine.
4. Pour the batter on to the griddle, making a few pancakes at a time. Place your blueberries on top of each pancake. Flip each pancake once it's turned a nice golden-brown.
5. Store your made pancakes in a warm oven.
6. Serve with butter and maple syrup.
   

Baked Omelet

If you like the flavours of a western omelet, then you'll surely enjoy Ina Garten's omelet for two. Despite it's title, I think the recipe is ample enough to feed four.

I liked this omelet more than the classic western because it combines potato in it and it didn't give me the usual heartburn I get from burnt onions or greasy pork product.

It's an easy dish, comes together quickly and the aroma will surely awaken your S.O. or other family members still in their deep sleep slumber.

One final note, Ina uses jalapeno peppers in the recipe and despite my love of heat and spicy foods, I substituted jalapeno with a fine dice of green bell pepper.

In my rule book, spicy foods appear after noon time. It's breakfast/brunch time...plenty of hours in the day to take in spicy foods.