berry berry french toast

it was all smiles at the breakfast table. berries, vanilla yogurt & fresh sourdough – wouldn’t that make you happy, too? :)

french toast was the name of the game for weekend brunch. the taste & texture of sourdough bread is perfect for french toast — soaking up the egg and complementing the flavourful toppings. i love the locally-made, artisan sourdough from sidewalk citizen bakery. there’s something really comforting about aviv’s artisan bread. pair that with some lovely greek yogurt and fresh berries and you’ve got some pretty stellar ingredients for a delish french toast!

prep the toast:
- whisk 2 small eggs w/ ground cinnamon in prep bowl
- soak 2 thick slices of artisan sourdough bread (on both sides, until egg mixture is absorbed into bread)

the filling:
- 2 tbsp strawberry greek yogurt (sandwiched in between toasted sourdough slices)
- 1/2 cup fresh strawberries (hulled & sliced, sandwiched in between, reserve some strawberries for garnish)

- melt 2 tsp of unsalted butter in large saucepan
- add sourdough slices to pan for 1-2 min on each side, or until egg-soaked bread is toasted golden brown.

(tip: if you have any leftover egg mixture in the prep bowl, feel free to pour it over the bread in pan at start of cooking.)

- double ingredient quantities above for 2 servings

pistachio lamb burgers

there’s nothing quite like a fantastic piece of marinated meat on the grill. one of the many important lessons i’ve learned from my dad (love you, xo!). in honour of father’s day today, i thought this meaty, delish bbq recipe would be a great way to celebrate.

i picked up some lean ground new zealand spring lamb at the grocery store in the frozen foods section, at a surprisingly reasonable price — under $9, if you can believe it. i took it as a sign to embark on a meaty culinary experiment! and besides, how can you say ‘no’ to a really good burger? ;)

burger prep:
combine the following ingredients in large prep bowl:
- 500g lean ground new zealand spring lamb
- drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil (evoo)
- 3 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander seed
- 2 tbsp crushed pistachios (shelled, crushed in mortar & pestle)
- dash of sea salt
- season w/ ground black peppercorns
- 2 cloves garlic (peeled, diced)

(tip: fold & combine ingredients until well-incorporated. best to use your hands to combine ingredients in prep bowl. remember that you’re handling uncooked meat here, so be sure to wash your hands before handling the veggies.)

patty ‘em up:
- roll lamb mixture into 2 large meatballs (approx 2.5- to 3-inches in diameter)

(tip: a bit larger than the size of a golf ball, but definitely smaller than a tennis ball.)

- arrange meatballs approx 3 inches apart on a plate
- use the palm of your hand to flatten each meatball into a burger patty

(tip: you’ll likely have leftover lamb mixture after making 2 patties. you could make extra patties, or regular-sized meatballs for another meal. i used the extra mixture to make lamb meatballs for another dish — stay tuned for that recipe in another post!)

strawberry cinnamon french toast

fresh strawberries! one of my fave things about summertime are the crates and crates of fresh strawberries at the farmers’ market. mouthwatering goodness. and it seems to inspire strawberry-infused everything — strawberries for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, bevvies, or just on their own. check out this easypeasy, strawberry-infused brunch that incorporates both fresh ingredients and some pantry basics…

unlike the savory & sweet french toast recipe from a few weeks ago, i used more traditional sweet flavours this time around. cinnamon. strawberries. maple syrup. sourdough. how can you go wrong? :)

the taste & texture of sourdough bread is perfect for french toast — soaking up the egg and complementing the flavourful toppings. i love the locally-made, artisan sourdough from sidewalk citizen bakery. there’s something really comforting about aviv’s artisan bread and it’s inspiring to see someone so passionate and community-minded about food.

prep the toast:
- whisk 1 large egg in medium prep bowl
- soak 2 thick slices of artisan sourdough bread (on both sides, until egg mixture is absorbed into bread)

- melt 2 tsp of light margarine in large saucepan
- add sourdough slices to pan for 1-2 min on each side, or until egg-soaked bread is toasted golden brown.

(tip: if you have any leftover egg mixture in the prep bowl, feel free to pour it over the bread in pan at start of cooking.)

the filling:
- 1/4 cup light cottage cheese (sandwiched in between toasted sourdough slices, reserve some cheese for topping)
- 1 cup fresh strawberries (hulled & sliced, sandwiched in between, reserve some strawberries for garnish)
- drizzle organic maple syrup over toast sandwich