Category: Breakfast or Brunch

Rustic Peach and Apple Tart

I have been on a bit of an apple kick – but, I also recently bought some peaches when I was at the grocery store, so I thought that I’d do something with the peaches and one of the apples that I had on hand. Originally, I thought about a traditional pie – but, decided to do a rustic tart, instead.

In addition to the peaches and the apples, I had some delicious peach jam that I decided to use in this recipe – just 2 tablespoons, but it made such a huge impact in the flavor!

I started by slicing up the peaches and the apples (pretty thinly) and then tossing them with the cinnamon, sugar and corn starch. I set the mixture aside, to let it macerate while I prepped the rest of the tart.

I heated up the peach jam, in the microwave, just to thin it out a bit.

After rolling out the pie crust (you’ll want to let it get about to room temperature, to make it easier to work with), I added a bit of the peach jam to the bottom, then piled on the fruit mixture, topped with the remaining peach jam (it’s thin enough to just pour over, after microwaving for a few seconds) turning the edges of the pie crust up over the fruit. As a finishing touch, I applied an egg wash (just a whisked egg, with a bit of water) to the edges of the tart and topped with about 1 tbsp sugar – spreading the sugar over the edges of the tart and the exposed fruit.

I baked the tart in a 400 degree oven, for about 30 minutes – or until the pie crust was golden brown.

Rustic Peach and Apple Tart

3 peaches, sliced
1 large granny smith apple, sliced
1 refrigerated pie crust, let sit out until it is at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar (+ 1 tbsp for top of tart)
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tbsp corn starch
2 tbsp peach jam
Egg wash

  • Slice peaches and apple
  • Add 1/4 cup sugar, corn starch and cinnamon to a bowl, with the fruit and stir well – sit aside
  • Heat up peach jam in microwave, just to thin it out a bit
  • Roll out pie crust, on baking pan (I put it on some parchment paper for easier clean up)
  • Put a little of the thinned peach jam in the middle of the pie crust (leaving about 2 inches on outside of crust) – keep remainder!
  • Pile fruit into the center of the pie crust, keeping the same 2 inches on outside of crust
  • Pour remaining
  • Fold up the edges of the pie crust, around the fruit
  • Apply egg wash to folded up edges, and sprinkle sugar over entire tart
  • Bake in 400 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until pie crust is golden brown
  • Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting into the tart
by Michelle

Sweet Potato Hash and Eggs

I really love sweet potatoes, but don’t eat them nearly as much as I’d like. I planned to remedy that, Sunday morning, when I decided to have some for breakfast/brunch.

I decided to do a quick sweet potato hash, using sweet potatoes, bacon, onion and maple syrup.

I started by dicing the sweet potatoes and onions (make sure your sweet potatoes aren’t too big, or it will take too long to cook them!). You can peel the sweet potatoes if you want, but I didn’t – there are so many nutrients in the peel! I also cut up 4 slices of thick cut bacon.

I cooked the bacon first. After it was done, I removed it from the pan as I didn’t want it to get too crisp.

Then I added the onions and sweet potatoes (sprinkled with a pinch of salt and pepper) and allowed them to cook, until the sweet potatoes were softened (this took around 10 minutes, given the size I cut my potatoes).

I added the bacon back in and added in 1 tbsp of pure maple syrup. I used Anderson’s, but any would do. Unless you really don’t like maple syrup – don’t skip this part, it makes it perfect!

I turned off the burner, covered the pan and let it sit while I cooked my fried egg. Just do your egg however you would normally fry an egg (or eat with scrambled eggs – or just make the hash as a side dish!).

Finally, dish up the hash and top with your egg. Delicious!!

I like the egg to be a little runny – it makes this dish perfect, for my tastes!

Sweet Potato Hash (2 servings)

2 medium sweet potatoes, diced (I didn’t peel the potatoes – just washed them really well)
1 onion, diced finely
4 slices of thick bacon, cut into pieces
salt / pepper to taste
1 tbsp pure maple syrup

  • Prep the vegetables and set aside
  • Cut the bacon and then cook in a hot skillet – once done, remove
  • Add in onions and potatoes
  • Salt / Pepper to taste
  • Allow the vegetables to sit for a bit, to get some color – then stir around in pan and allow them to finish cooking (about 10 minutes)
  • Add the bacon back in and mix
  • Finish with 1 tbsp maple syrup

If desired, top with a fried egg – or serve the sweet potato hash as a side dish!

by Michelle

Apple Pancakes

Continuing with the apple kick – we had apple pancakes for breakfast / brunch on Sunday. I can’t seem to get enough apples, these days! I’m already thinking of other things – and planning to buy more apples, this week.

The apple pancakes started pretty much the same as the banana pancakes that I’ve posted, before, but with some quick, and delicious, apple compote as part of the mixture and on top of the pancakes!

Apple Pancakes

Batter
2 eggs
1 cup milk
3 tbsp melted butter
1 1/2 cup self rising flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup cooked apple mixture

Apple Compote
4 small apples, chopped
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

  • Prepare apple compote over medium – low heat, by combining ingredients and allowing to simmer, covered, 5-10 minutes
  • Prepare batter by mixing wet ingredients (eggs, milk and butter) – then add in the dry ingredients (flour, sugar and cinnamon), mixing well
  • Fold in the 3/4 cup of the apple compote
  • Cook on hot griddle (or pan) that has been lightly oiled – 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake
  • Remove pancakes, when bottom is golden brown
  • Top with apple mixture and enjoy!

by Michelle

Oven Baked Apple and Cinnamon Rice Pudding

I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but every now and again, I do. I thought I would do a small rice pudding to see if that satisfied the sweet craing I was having. I didn’t have any raisins, but I did have some honeycrisp apples, so I decided to do an apple rice pudding.

I used basic ingredients, with the addition of the apple.

In a large bowl, I whisked the eggs, milk, cinnamon, salt, sugar and vanilla together.

After that, I stirred in the rice and apples.

The mixture was added to a 5×5, buttered, baking dish and placed in a water bath and cooked in a, preheated, 350 degree oven for 1 hour.

When the rice pudding was one, I removed it from the oven and stirred it up to ensure that the apples were well distributed.

Oven Baked Apple and Cinnamon Rice Pudding

1 – 1 1/2 cup cooked rice (depending on how wet/dry you like your rice pudding)
3/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 small honeycrisp apple, diced

  • In bowl, whisk eggs, milk, cinnamon, salt, sugar and vanilla extract
  • Add in Rice and apples and mix
  • Butter small baking dish (I used a 5X5 baking dish)
  • Pour mixture into baking dish
  • Bake for 1 hours, in a water bath, at 350 degrees
  • Fluff rice pudding when it comes out of the oven, add a little more cinnamon to each serving if you like
by Michelle

Banana Pancakes

I’m not a huge pancake person, but my family loves them. We had some bananas that needed to be used, so I thought ‘banana pancakes’ (well, actually, I thought ‘banana pancakes or banana waffles?’ and decided on pancakes.).

Only a handful of ingredients are needed for these pancakes: a banana, 2 eggs, flour, sugar, milk, butter and cinnamon.

Prep started by whisking the eggs and adding in the other wet ingredients and mixing with everything but the flour and bananas.

I, then, mixed in the flour. After the mixture is well incorporated, I whisked in the bananas, making sure to not over mix.

I used a hot griddle and poured the pancake batter out in 1/4 cup portions. I flipped them, once the batter started to bubble and once the bottoms are golden brown, your pancakes are done.

** Note: the extra sugar from the bananas will result in a more golden pancake.

Banana Pancakes

1 ripe banana, mashed
2 eggs
1 cup milk
3 tbsp melted butter
1 1/2 cup self rising flour
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
Oil for griddle

  • Mash banana in small bowl
  • In large bowl, whisk eggs
  • Add milk, butter cinnamon, sugar and cinnamon to bowl and mix well
  • Add in the bananas and mix well
  • On a hot griddle, pour 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake
  • Flip pancake when the batter starts to bubble
  • Remove pancake, when bottom is golden brown.
by Michelle