Sunday, January 17, 2016

Turkey, mushroom and pepper strata

Let me just say, I did this blog post a huge disservice, visually speaking, by sprinkling Guiness-flavoured cheddar on top of my dish. Most cheese turns a nice golden colour under the broiler. Cheese that's already brown ends up looking like shiny black worms... Let's move on.

I took my ham-and-pesto strata recipe, stripped it down to the essentials - bread, eggs, cheese and milk, then built it back up with new ingredients: turkey scallopini, portobello mushrooms, diced tomatoes, peppers. The peppery sharpness of whole grain mustard lent a nice savoury touch to the dish, as did a stronger cheese.

For the uninitiated, here's how wikipedia defines strata: "[...] brunch dish, similar to a quiche or frittata, made from a mixture which mainly consists of breadeggs and cheese. It may also include meat or vegetables. The usual preparation requires the bread to be layered with the filling in order to produce layers (strata)."

xx

To make, pat dry approximately 500 g of turkey breast scallopini. Dredge in flour seasoned with salt and pepper, then shake off excess. Heat 1T oil in a hot pan and sauté turkey for 1 minute per side, until browned. If the turkey is still a little pink in the middle, don't worry as it will finish cooking in the oven. Remove the turkey and set aside. Lower heat slightly, and add more oil to pan. Sauté four portobello mushrooms, three red or yellow peppers, and 1/2 small onion all cut into 1/2" dice, plus 2 cloves minced garlic, for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat.

Slice a day-old whole grain baguette into slices 1" thick. Spread whole grain mustard on half the slices and canned diced tomatoes on the other half. Top the tomato slices with the turkey and vegetables, then add the mustard slices to make mini sandwiches. Line the bottom of a 9x12" baking dish with the sandwiches placed on their sides. Sprinkle about 1 cup grated cheddar on top (I used a Guiness-flavoured cheddar). In a bowl, whisk 5 eggs with 2-1/4 cups of milk, and pour this on top of the cheddar. Cover the baking dish and place in fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight, to let the bread absorb the eggy milk mixture. Sprinkle a little more cheddar on top, then bake at 350°F for 35 minutes.


{a more appetizing photo}


Monday, January 11, 2016

Slope style

All this image is missing is the dancing flames of a crackling fireplace and a steaming mug of cocoa. I'd also take a mountain full of fresh powder...

I did get to wear this for a equally wintry pursuit: a New Year's Eve get-together at a log home, nestled on a rural property filled with snow-capped trees. In Great White North tradition, we played flip cup in the garage. Our clunky winter boots were lined up on our feet and - because our friends are getting to that age - the baby monitors were lined up on the workbench, ready for one parent or another to slip away.

I was 13 weeks along in this photo and my bump was just starting to protude :) I can see these fleecy leggings (a $7 Winners find) and this adjustable top being in frequent rotation over the next few months!

xx

 

 




Top - Charlie via Laura
Leggings - Winners
Scarf - Halogen via Nordstrom
Socks - Brand unknown
Earrings - Hand-me-down

Monday, January 04, 2016

Some news from a second glance

Hope you all had a fun and festive holiday, filled with good food, warmth and laughter. Ours was extra-special this year. I'm happy to announce that
 B and I have a little one on the way in 2016 
We are over the moon with happiness. 


I could have renamed my last post 'trying to pass for a non-pregnant person at work'. Even though my wardrobe options are getting more limited, I'm looking forward to styling my growing bump!

xx