Cat Skinner Club

Which Came First? – Part Two

souffle

Last time I shared some recipes, I rolled out my favourite chicken recipes from Epicurious. Today, I give you our favourite egg recipes, mostly from Daddy’s collection, and it seems he’s been holding out on me!

Bread Pudding Soufflé with Whiskey Sauce

What the what? This sounds ridcu-awesome, and I want to eat it right now. This is definitely not gluten-free, and really heavy on the booze, New Orleans’ style.

Lemon Curd Mousse Cake

Here’s another one that I need to taste. I think the crust would be relatively easy to make gluten-free, and this recipe looks easy and delicious!

Lemon Crème Brûlée with Fresh Berries

This is a delicious and simple crème brûlée, and you won’t be disappointed.

Ginger and Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée 

I first tasted this at the end of a painstakingly-prepared Thai meal. It is hands down the best crème brûlée I’ve ever tasted.

Quiche au Fromage

Quiche is always a crowd pleaser, and makes for a fantastic, simple week night meal. Our kids love it, and we can send it for lunch the next day.

Scrambled Eggs with Leeks and Fava Beans

We served this fresh and delicious dish at our Spring Equinox brunch, and I’m glad I kept a little dish for leftovers because it was devoured. Despite the fancy additions, the kids devoured it. I think it was because of the crusty parmesan dusting on top.

Curried Pea Frittata with Fresh Tomato Chutney

I’m so glad I found this one again because I’m totally going to make it next week using peas and tomatoes from my garden. It’s mild and simple and perfect with a few dashes of siracha sauce.

Dutch Baby

This is so simple and the variations are endless. We’ve made sweet (and you can add vanilla or cinnamon or nutmeg) and savory versions, and they are always so yum.

For a small-medium (8-10″) cast iron pan or baking dish:

4 eggs
1/2 C flour
1/2 C milk
2Tb butter
pinch of salt
 
For a 12″ pan, use 1.5 x these ingredients:
 
6 eggs
3/4 C flour
3/4 C milk
3Tb butter
bigger pinch of salt 
 
Preheat oven to 425, heat pan, melt butter, put batter in (we blend it in our Blentec first), bake for 20-25 until puffed and brown. Take to table quickly for maximum effect!
 This recipe is easy to scale up for bigger pans. Cast iron isn’t necessary but it’s best for brown even crust. 
 
Topping ideas are many, of course, but the traditional German version (Dutch probably comes from the word Deutsche)  is lemon and icing sugar.

I hope you like these! Do let me know if you come up with any delicious variations!

Which Came First? – Part One

whatcamefirst

Darlings, because I’m a busy Mommy this week, I thought I’d amuse you by sharing some of our favourite Epicurious recipes. I hope you know Epicurious – it’s a fabulous online database of recipes, and the first of it’s kind that I ever used. Users review the recipes on the site (I always read the reviews before attempting a new recipe, because the information here is often indispensable) and I’ve found their ratings system to be quite accurate.

Today, I give you our favourite Chicken Recipes.

Perfect Pan Roasted Chicken Thighs
This is not a low-fat option because the skin is essential to the awesomeness of this very easy recipe for pan-roasted chicken thighs. I’m drooling as I type this. I followed one reader’s recommendation for this glaze, but served the glaze as a sauce so the crispy skin didn’t get rubbery:

Reserve 2 tbsp of the drippings in the skillet, add 1 tbsp of Sriracha, 2 tbsp of brown sugar, about 1 tbsp minced cilantro, and the juice to half a lime. Whisk and bring to a boil until the brown sugar has dissolved or until it thickens and becomes a nice glaze.

Chicken Pot Pie
This recipe is a true labor of love where EVERYTHING is made from scratch, including the stock. Consider spending a rainy weekend cooking this for the people you love. They will weep tears of gratitude because it’s the best chicken potpie I’ve ever tasted.

My Favorite Simple Roast Chicken
Looking for a foolproof recipe for a basic roast chicken? Look no further. I think even the most inexperienced chef could nail this one. If there are more than five people in your family, consider roasting two chickens at a time.

Quick Coq Au Vin
This is a wonderfully simplified version of a classic French country recipe. Plus, it pairs two things I absolutely love – coq and vin.

Chicken with Tarragon Caper Sauce
Here’s a go-to for a quick and easy weeknight meal. The sauce is also delicious on grilled chicken, if you’re ambitious enough to tackle the BBQ. I would halve the amount of shallots used, I find it a bit overpowering otherwise.

Chicken Thighs with Creole Mustard Orange Sauce
This recipe is so easy, and it’s delicious. I usually pair it with sweet potato and roasted kale chips, or another leafy dark green veggie. The kids love this one too.

From Daddy

Coriander Chicken Tostadas with Refried Beans and Grilled Fennel
This is so, so good, we were making it on a weekly basis for a while! Be warned that the whole coriander seeds can get quite smoky, so make sure your kitchen is well ventilated.

Mama S’ Specialty

Orange Braised Chicken Thighs with Green Olives
This was one of the first meals Mama S cooked for me, and the combo of orange and green olive is delicious! We need to make this one again very soon!

What are some of your favorite chicken recipes, from Epicurious or elsewhere? Share the love, and stay tuned next week for part two of ‘Which Came First?’ featuring my favorite egg recipes!

Chocolate Fuelled Work Day


This morning Noah and I got up very early and ran away to Grandmere’s so I could have a working day. I’m hoping to be extra productive because I won’t have this opportunity next week. I’m pleased to tell you that I’ll be taking a 20-hour in-class crash course in driver’s ed.

Country life is beautiful, but I had a little city girl meltdown at the beginning of the week when I started to feel a little housebound and stir crazy. I’ve been studying the driver’s handbook, and will have my G1 in a week. We have a graduated licensing system here, and by my calculations this means I’ll be able to get my full license by next spring. Finally!

My mother’s house is so comfortable, and something about being here always makes me want to eat! Maybe it’s that cozy feeling of being in the house I grew up in? Today I’m craving a warm tray of Betty Crocker brownies and a cold glass of milk. Instead, I think I’ll make a high-fiber, sugar-free, gluten-free alternative that I think you’ll love.

Playboy Mommy’s Reform School Brownies

1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained (or the equivalent of dried beans, pre-soaked and pre-cooked)
4 eggs
3 Tbsp coconut oil (vegetable oil will also work)
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup white sugar, Splenda or other sucralose sweetener or 1 Tbsp powdered stevia
1 tsp instant coffee (optional, but highly recommended)
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8×8 square baking dish.
Combine the black beans, eggs, oil, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract, sugar, and instant coffee in a blender; blend until smooth; pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top of the mixture.
Bake in the preheated oven until the top is dry and the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes.