cinnamon bacon chevre french toast

so i’m on a bit of a bacon kick these days… thanks to the noble efforts and enthusiasm of my good friend krysta who hosted baconpalooza this weekend! what’s baconpalooza, you ask? well, it was a fabulous soiree celebrating all things bacon… candied bacon, chocolate-covered bacon, stuffed bacon jalapenos, bacon & fig dip, bacon crackers, bacon caesars — everything bacon!

this morning, i figured i’d keep the bacon frenzy alive… and infuse a little bacon into one of my fave brunch standards — french toast! mmmm… bacon…

the bacon:
– heat up 2-3 tbsp water in large saucepan on medium heat
– add 4 strips of country-style bacon to pan
– lightly sprinkle 1 tsp ground cinnamon over bacon
– fry bacon in pan for a few min until slightly crispy on both sides (optional: sprinkle a bit more cinnamon after flipping the bacon.)
– remove from heat & set aside bacon on plate to cool
– pat bacon w/ papertowels to remove excess fat & oil
– reserve bacon fat in pan for cooking the egg-soaked bread (optional) 

i like to use wholewheat sourdough when i make french toast. the taste & texture of sourdough is perfect for this dish — soaking up the egg and complementing the flavourful toppings. my fave bread is the locally-made, artisan sourdough from sidewalk citizen bakery. (if you are in the calgary area, aviv’s artisan bread is a must-try!)

prep the toast:
– whisk 1 large egg & 1 tsp ground cinnamon 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 unsalted butter in large saucepan

(tip: no need to add butter to the pan, if you still have the leftover bacon fat in the pan.)

Advertisement

honey ham & grilled cheese sammy

sandwiches don’t have to be boring. this honey ham & grilled cheese sammy just oozes with flavour and personality. the perfect (non-boring) companion for a tall glass of milk. yummers.

and what’s even better is that it’s a simple recipe for leftover redux. still not sure what to do that leftover ham from the holidays that’s still sitting in your freezer? check this out…

prep the ingredients:
– defrost slices of leftover honey ham
– cut a few slices of appenzeller cheese (gouda or gruyere would melt well, too.)
– cut thick slices of wholewheat sourdough bread

i love the locally-made, artisan sourdough from sidewalk citizen bakery. there’s something really comforting about aviv’s artisan bread — perfect for grilled cheese sammies!

grillin’ the sammy:
– melt 1.5 tbsp unsalted butter in pan on medium heat
– on the inside of the sourdough slices, spread horseradish dijon mustard on each slice
– place slices of appenzeller cheese on inside of each slice

– pile on the sliced honey ham on one of the sourdough slices
– lightly drizzle honey on the ham
– sandwich together the slices of sourdough
– press sandwiches firmly w/ kitchen spatula
– grill in pan on medium heat for 2-3min (flip sides) until toasted brown & cheese is melted
– remove from heat & set aside to cool slightly

chocolate protein smoothie

chocolate for breakfast? hello! :)

a good friend recently introduced me to chocolate protein smoothies. i typically stick to organic fruit smoothies, but i thought i’d try adding a little (chocolatey!) protein boost to my morning bevvie this time around. so i guess you can have chocolate for breakfast after all!

smoothies make for a fantastic breakfast on-the-go — and better yet, you can prepare it the night before. it’s become part of my evening routine when i’m packing lunch for the next day. just make sure you don’t leave the smoothie in the blender overnight… pour the smoothie into a cup with a tight lid and pop it in the fridge. voila! breakfast will be waiting for you at sunrise. :)

blend well:
– 1 scoop chocolate protein powder
– 1 scoop meal replacement powder
– 1 tbsp flaxseed meal (ground)
– 1 tbsp coffee grinds (optional)
– 1 cup water
– 5-6 large ice cubes

for an extra little pick-me-up, you can also add some coffee grinds to the mix.

(tip: if you’re still looking to add some fruit here, try adding 1/2 banana — peeled & sliced — to make it a chocolate banana smoothie! yummers.)