get your egg cred here: apple cheddar omelette

Look at that photo! I made this breakfast a few weeks ago and when I look back to this photo, I think, damn, I've got some serious style here! Sure, I can make a mean oatmeal or scone but the eggs that come out of my kitchen aren't that photogenic. But now, I'm a believer. I gots skillz. Or maybe it's just that I bought a fancy (but inexpensive) Benriner Japanese Mandolin Slicer. Whatever it is, I feel like a pro.

The idea for the apple omelette comes from Crave, a local Vancouver restaurant. I've been there twice for brunch and both times I had their omelette with goat cheese and apples. It was some serious love at first bite but I never tried to recreate it until I had my hands on the mandoline. If you don't have a mandoline, fear not, just use very thin slices of apples instead or julienne it with a knife. I used cheddar since it's what I had on hand and it was delicious...but using goat cheese will create some serious love. I also had a bit of prosciutto and added it in, but you could skip it if you wanted to keep things vegetarian. This weekend, try something different and put your autumn apples to good use. And why not wander over to the Food Network Canada blog, Eating Well and read my post on Seed Saving at the UBC Farm.

apple cheddar omelette
4 eggs
2 T milk
1 T olive oil or butter
salt & pepper
1/2 c grated cheddar cheese
2 T diced prosciutto
1 Granny Smith apple, julienned

Add butter or olive oil into a large cast iron pan and toss in the diced prosciutto, letting it get crispy. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, milk and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly pour the egg mixture over the prosciutto and into the hot pan, tilting to spread the eggs evenly. Let eggs firm up a little, sloshing the mixture away from the sides and into the middle. Use your spatula to allow the remaining liquid to then flow into the undersides of the cooked eggs while still keeping the egg mixture even.

Continue to cook for another minute or so until the egg mixture holds together. While the middle is still a little runny, add grated cheese and then top with the julienned apples. Fold the omelette in half with your spatula. Cut in half and serve on a plate. Use any reserved matchstick apples as garnish. Serve with buttered toast and coffee while trying not to get a big head cuz dammit you just made a pretty spectacular omelette!

a great side: cheesy cornbread

I'm not a huge fan of cornbread. It can be dry or too moist or even greasy. But sometimes cornbread can be perfect, especially when served with a really spicy vegetarian chili or a colourful black bean salad. For me, it's something that doesn't stand up too well on its own, but it sure makes a great accompaniment.

This cornbread isn't too sweet or heavy. Its got a nice bit of texture from the frozen corn and the cheese is always a nice touch! Plus, it's super quick to whip up a batch in time for dinner. Don't have buttermilk, just use milk plus a teaspoon of vinegar for the same effect (or mix a little plain yogurt into the milk). Leftovers can be eaten cold from the fridge, but I like it best heated up in the oven for a bit just so the sides can get nice and crisp.

cheesy cornbread
1 c all purpose flour
1 c yellow cornmeal
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
3/4 c + 1/4 c grated cheddar cheese
1 1/4 c buttermilk
1/2 c frozen corn
1/4 c maple syrup
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 c canola oil

Preheat oven to 400. Mix together the first 6 ingredients, flour to 3/4 cup of cheese, reserving the rest of the cheese as a topping. In another bowl, combine the wet ingredients, buttermilk to oil and pour into dry mixture, careful not to over mix. Pour batter into a greased 9x12 pan and top with remaining cheese. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until tester comes out clean.

uhh, shortest post ever? apple cheddar yogurt muffins

I made muffins on the weekend and they were freakin' amazing. Apple and cheddar? What's not to love. Go and make them already!


apple cheddar yogurt muffins
3 apples, grated (I don't bother peeling them)
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c plain or vanilla yogurt
1 egg
1/2 c oil
1 1/4 c flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 t cinnamon
pinch each of ground cardamon & nutmeg
1/2 c grated old cheddar cheese + extra for tops

1. Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients and blend well. In a second bowl, mix together the dry ingredients and the grated cheese. Add the dry to the wet and be careful to not overmix.

2. Add batter to a muffin tin lined with paper cups or grease your pan well. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. For me, this made 16 muffins but it will depend on the size of your pan. Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.