Helen's Grill

As I'm sure you've guessed by now, I love brunch.  There's something so warm and comforting about breakfast food.  Add to that the treat of going out and enjoying it...it's just the funnest weekend outing! 

A couple weeks ago, my brunching partner in crime and I decided to get out of our regular brunching routine and check out Helen's Grill on Main Street.  I thoroughly enjoyed it!  A diner that hasn't updated a thing since the day it opened, employees who are real, thoughtful and friendly, down to earth local patrons, and a reasonably priced menu with classic breakfast meals...I felt like I'd time travelled into a small town where I could relax and enjoy my meal.  It was great.  That being said, I'm not going to lie, if you're looking for a fancy breakfast in a trendy restaurant, this is probably not the place for you.  But if you're looking for a solid breakfast at a decent price, check Helen's Grill out.

My brunching partner in crime's two eggs, over easy, bacon, hashbrowns and toast.  ($7.95)

My two eggs, scrambled, sausage, toast and hashbrowns.  Yummy in my tummy!  Also, word to the wise, you can substitute your hashbrowns for fried tomatoes or fresh tomatoes at no additional charge.  I'm definitely going to take this offer up next time!  ($7.95)

The view from our table.

The X that marks the spot.

 

http://helensgrill.ca/

@helensgrill

A Looneyspoons Brunch

I recently had a lovely family brunch and visit at my Aunt and Uncle's.  There's nothing like catching up over a yummy meal!  When I discovered that two of the yummy in my tummy recipes came from the Looneyspoons cookbook, I couldn't resist including them here.  Since I didn't make them myself, I don't have a "my version" of the recipes, but have included links to the recipes below.

The spread!  Oh so yummy.  Interesting fact: orange juice mixed with a bit of Perrier makes one heck of a non-alcoholic mimosa for all of you DD's and preggers out there.

Looneyspoons' Erik Eggstrata.  Delicious!  I'd definitely make this one for guests in the future.  For the recipe, see this link: http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipes/recipe.html?dishid=9078.

 

Looneyspoons' Banaberry Bombs.  I was so busy eating these yummy goodies that I forgot to take a photo but, trust me, these puppies are worth trying.  Imagine the yummy goodness of banana bread crossed with a blueberry muffin.  Greatest surprise ever when you bite into them!  http://janetandgreta.com/recipe/bananaberry-bombs/

One heck of a fruit plate...complete with figs fresh off the tree!

http://janetandgreta.com/cookbooks/

@janetpodleski

@gretapodleski

Gourmet Camping

I can't describe the food on my camping trip to Manning Park as anything but gourmet.  Okay, so maybe the Costco size tub of sour keys doesn't count as gourmet, but the actual meals definitely did!  I thought I'd toss a couple of the meal plans up here in case anyone is going camping on September long and looking for ideas.  Take my word for it, you can't go wrong with any of these!

Breakfast #1 - Corned Beef and Hash (this one was for you Sach!).  Ingredients: packaged hashbrowns (the country medley in this case), tinned corned beef, a bit of oil, eggs.  Start up your campstove, put a bit of oil in, then add the hashbrowns.  Cook until almost done.  Add the corned beef and make sure it's close to the skillet so it crisps a bit.  Mix well.  Serve with an over easy egg on top.  Heavenly!  Other options: sauté onions and peppers in the oil before adding the hashbrowns for some extra flavour.  Note: use one tin of corned beef for every four people.

 

Dinner #2 - Salmon with rice and fresh veggies.  2 campstoves required.  On one campstove, prepare the rice.  On the second campstove pan fry your salmon with lemon slices for flavour.  (Note: a campstove burner will most definitely burn through tinfoil.  Just for reference.)  Stir fry the frozen veggies lickety split.  This is why I love car camping!  (Note: the $6.99 Styrofoam cooler from IGA may not be environmentally friendly, but it does kick some serious butt!  It kept a bag of ice in ice form for over 60 hours...our other trusty coolers didn't last half that long.)

 

Breakfast #2: Scrambled eggs with peppers, cherry tomatoes, cheddar cheese, hashbrowns, back bacon and fresh fruit.  Amazing!!  And self explanatory.

Not a meal, but I couldn't resist putting in a pic from our hike.  Looking at Lightning Lake from the Lightning Lake Loop.  Fabulous way to spend an afternoon!

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/ecmanning/

http://www.costco.ca/

Roundel Cafe with a side of Vancouver

Roundel Cafe is officially at the top of my favourite brunch places and up until last weekend I didn't even know it existed!  I went for a hike (good old Dog Mountain on Seymour) with two of my favourite fitness companions and after working up a solid appetite, we decided that the only logical way to reward ourselves was with brunch!  One of the ladies suggested the Roundel Cafe based on a google search, and we're sure glad that we decided to try something new.

The Roundel Cafe is absolutely lovely!  The diner itself has been around for years and still has the original counter, stools, booths...you name it.  However, it doesn't feel like a greasy spoon diner.  It feels like you stepped back fifty years in time to your Grandma's kitchen.  The servers are laid-back, efficient and real.  The food is homemade (no store bought sauces here!) and there are no fried foods.  Add to that that the food is delicious and the prices are normal, you can't go wrong! 

My spinach and tomato and feta benny.  Two free range poached eggs topped with homemade dill hollandaise, roasted potatoes and yams and salad.  ($13)  Heavenly!  I had to consciously stop myself from making happy eating noises.

Fitness friend number one's smoked salmon and cream cheese benny, served with roasted potatoes and yams, and salad.  ($12)

Fitness friend number two's ham and cheddar omelette, served with roasted potatoes and yams, and salad.  (Price unknown)

 

The view during our 30 second wait for our table. 

 

Fortune cookies with our bill?  I love it!

The X that marks the spot.

 

 

Views of the city from the lookout during our Dog Mountain hike at Seymour.  Gorgeous! 

 

http://www.roundelcafe.com/

The Dream Café

Our first stop when we got into Penticton was The Dream Café for brunch.  This was a cute little spot with a nice patio, and good food at a decent price.  Just what the doctor ordered at 11am on a Saturday!  I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking.

2 Eggs: poached with slice of toast & salad instead of roasted potato.  ($6.95)

One Egg Benny: egg served on an English muffin with your choice of ham or veggie and hollandaise, potatoes, tomato, and fruit garnish.  ($7.95)

Mango Chicken Breast Panini: mango chicken breast, rosemary foccacia baked daily at Walla Artisan Bakery, topped with greens, cucumber & tomatoes and served with salad.  ($10.95)

The Dream Café patio!

 

http://www.thedreamcafe.ca/

Twitter: @DreamCafeMusic

The Bench Market

If you haven't guessed yet, this week's posts are dedicated to the fabulous city of Penticton.  Not only do they have gorgeous weather, amazing scenery, and taste bud tantalizing wine, but they also have some amazing restaurants!  My favourite discovery so far?  The Bench Market.

Homemade yummy goodness to eat in or take-out, indoor seating, outdoor seating, gluten-free options, sunshine and they cater to the bike community (bike racks galore)...what more could you ask for?  We enjoyed breakfast there on two occasions and I've included the yummy photos from both below.  Definitely a must visit if you're ever in Penticton.  Thanks for the good eats Bench Market!

The Breakfast Plate: 1.5 hardboiled eggs, amazing brie cheese, 2 slices of bacon, homemade cranberry bread and a bowl of fruit.  ($10.95)  The cheese sold me on this meal initially and then it melted me into putty while eating it.  Amazing!

 

 Homemade granola with yogurt and a side of fruit.  (Approximately $9)  This was just what the doctor ordered.  So fresh and flavourful!  I loved that they had mint in the fruit salad.

 

My freshly pressed apple juice!  Being an Okanagan girl, my heart skipped a beat when I noticed this on the menu during our second visit.  Lots of apple goodness in this glass!  ($2.50) 

The outdoor patio.

Our view during breakfast.

 http://www.thebenchmarket.com/

Twitter: @TheBenchMarket

Lemon Waffles

I recently headed out to Calgary for a family visit and was lucky enough to be treated to my cousin's (okay, technically my second cousin's) world famous lemon waffles.  I was ecstatic when she said that she was going to be making waffles, then when she started making a homemade lemon sauce my taste buds started doing a happy dance!  The waffles were dense, yummy and filling and the lemon sauce was so light and refreshing in comparison to maple syrup.  I'd definitely recommend adding this yummy goodness to your weekend breakfast repertoire! 

 

Lemon Sauce

• 15 mL cornstarch
• 125 mL sugar
• 1 mL salt
• 60 mL lemon juice
• 250 mL boiling water
• 15 mL butter
• 5 mL grated lemon rind

Mix the cornstarch, sugar and salt together.  Stir to a smooth paste with a very small amount of cold water.  Add the boiling water, stirring constantly over direct heat until the sauce thickens and is clear.  Remove from heat and add the butter.  Set aside and prepare the waffles.

The infamous lemon sauce.

 

Waffles

• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup milk
• 3 eggs separated
• Pinch of salt
• Twist of lemon

Sift the dry ingredients together.  Add the egg yolks and milk, and mix thoroughly.  In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they're relatively stiff.  Stir half of the egg whites into the batter.  Fold the second half of the egg whites into the batter.  Add the melted butter and lemon and mix until smooth.  Cook the batter using a waffle iron and then spoon the lemon sauce over top.

Action shot!  The folding technique.

 

Making some waffles.

Turkey bacon: the perfect side.

Breakfast!

Brinner

Brinner: the fabulous idea of brunch for dinner...one of my all-time favourite meals!!!

I was recently given a food processor as a gift (best gift ever!!!) and have fallen in love with the shredding function.  What used to take me fifteen minutes, sweat, tears and the fear that my nails were going to get shredded along with the food, now takes a minute...it's brilliant!!  The most exciting part of this fabulous shredding function?  I can now make shredded hashbrowns at home!  A simple pleasure, I know, but shredded hashbrowns have always been one of my favourite parts of brunch and now I don't even have to leave my house to have them.

Ingredients

• 1 potato per person
• 1 tbsp olive oil per potato
• Salt
• Pepper
• Seasoning of your desire

Clean the potatoes and then shred them (skin and all) using your handy dandy food processor.  Scoop them out into a strainer and rinse with cold water until all of the starch is removed and the water runs clear.  Pat the shredded potatoes dry with a hand towel.  Heat the olive oil in a large pan at medium heat.  Once warm, add the shredded potatoes and seasoning.  Cook, stirring regularly, until hashbrowns are to your desired crunchy level (probably about 10 minutes).  You could also add onions and bell peppers for added fun.  Enjoy!

The hashbrowns cooking away.

Brinner!  Home-made shredded hashbrowns, scrambled eggs with dill and feta, and a nectarine.

Yolk's

I have been dying to try Yolk's food truck for quite some time.  What could be better than brunch from a food truck?  Well...to be honest, nothing.  The options were great, the service made me chuckle, the food was ready quickly, and the meal was delicious!  If you're looking for a fun outdoor brunch option on a warm, sunny day, definitely head down to Yolk's.

Things to note: (1) They are located at the corner of Beatty and Dunsmuir.  (2) They accept VISA.  (3) Their juice is not freshly squeezed but is still very yummy, and (4) There's a lovely grassy area right across the street to eat your food.

The truck! So cute.

 

The menu.

Specials of the day.

Yolk's Special Juice ($3.25) and a Cold Pressed Iced Latté ($4).  I have no idea what was in Yolk's Special Juice, but it was delightful.

My single free-range egg sandwich with double smoked bacon, arugula, hollandaise sauce and english muffin with a truffle-lemon hashbrown skewer.  ($9.70)  Absolutely delightful!  The most gourmet and messiest breakfast sandwich I've ever had (they soft poach the eggs), and the potatoes were delightful...especially with their specialty spicy ketchup.

Polderside Farms Fried Chicken and Waffles. ($9.50)  When my brunching partner in crime ordered this, I thought they were a wee bit off their rocker.  I have never found the thought of fried chicken and waffles appetizing.  However, this partner in crime was not taking no for an answer when they offered me a tasted, so I tried it....I may have found my new food weakness folks!  The crunchy saltiness of the fried chicken with the sweetness of the waffles and syrup...unreal!  

Our gorgeous brunch view.

 

http://yolks.ca/

Twitter: @YolksBreakfast

 

Asparagus Frittata

This is one of my all-time favourite breakfast dishes.  It's scrumptious, easy and is perfect for when you have people visiting.  The original recipe comes from Canadian Living's Make It Tonight cookbook, but I've included my version below.  All you have to do is get cracking!  (pun intended)
 
Ingredients

• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 green onions, sliced thin
• 3/4 of a bunch of asparagus, woody ends removed and sliced into inch long pieces
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 3 dashes salt
• 3-4 grinds of pepper
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup of ricotta cheese
• 1/2 - 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese
• 1 small handful of parsley leaves, chopped well

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Melt the butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat.  Add the green onions, asparagus, thyme, salt, pepper and garlic.  Cook, stirring regularly, until the asparagus starts to get a golden brown tinge on the outside.  In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs together.  Add the ricotta cheese and mix gently.  Add the parsley and mix gently.  Add the cheddar cheese and mix gently.  Add the egg mixture to the sauce pan, spreading the egg mixture out so the top is relatively flat and even.  Pop the saucepan into the oven for 20 minutes.  When the frittata is done, the middle should be a little puffed up, and you should be able to stick a toothpick in the middle and have it come out clean.  Once cooked, remove from oven and let sit for five minutes.  Scrape the edges of the frittata to make sure they don't stick, then flip the frittata onto a plate.  You'll probably want to do another plate to plate flip, to make sure the top is on the top.  Serves 3 if served on its own, 4 if served with toast and fruit.
 
Tip: if you snap the end of an asparagus stalk off, it will automatically snap at the point the woodiness ends.

Breakfast!

http://www.amazon.ca/Make-It-Tonight-Simple-Healthy/dp/0973835567

Easter in Kelowna - an early Harvest

I spent this past weekend in Kelowna visiting family and friends, eating to my heart's content and basking in the sun...which led to a high of 24C!  Seriously, how often do you get to sit out on the deck pre-Easter dinner?  Needless to say, I was a happy camper.

On Easter Sunday, we decided to go to The Harvest for brunch.  It was great!  Didn't come close to comparing to my Mom's cooking over the weekend, but it hit the spot nonetheless.  For those of you who haven't been to The Harvest, it's lovely.  18 hole golf course, beautiful views of the city, very nice restaurant and a great patio in the summer.  You really can't go wrong!  I'll let the food do the rest of the talking.

Grandpa's Lobster Grilled Cheese: Atlantic lobster, onion marmalade, double cream brie, tomatillo chili jam, French loaf.  ($14.50)  There wasn't a crumb left on his plate when he was done, so I'm pretty sure he thoroughly enjoyed it, but he did say that the lobster got a little lost in amongst the rest of the flavours.

Grandma's half order Traditional Eggs Benny with tomato and avocado, served with home fried potatoes.  ($9)  I definitely didn't hear any complaints coming from that side of the table!

Dad's Harvest Par Breakfast: two eggs over medium, sausage butterflied, served with home fried potatoes, toast and preserves.  ($9.75)  Thoroughly enjoyed!

Mom's Tomato and Basil Scramble: two eggs scrambled, local field and heirloom tomatoes, fresh torn basil from the garden, mozzarella, served with home fried potatoes, toast and preserves.  ($11)  This looked amazing and Mom definitely enjoyed it.

My sister and her Three Egg Omelet: ham, mixed mushrooms, red and green peppers, field tomato and aged cheddar cheese, served with home fried potatoes, and a fruit cup instead of toast and preserves.  ($12)  Definitely no complaints here.  And, for all of you wondering, yes, it's hereditary. 

My Prime Rib Hash: smoked corn, red and green peppers, onion and home fried potatoes topped with two poached eggs and hollandaise sauce, served with toast and preserves.  ($15).  Very nice.

One of the highlights of the meal?  They brought easter egg chocolates for us with our bill!  For all hand model recruiters, please take note of my sister's unbelievable skill in this department.

 

(http://harvestgolf.com/ )

 

On our way home from brunch, we stopped off at Father Pandosy Mission.  I hadn't been here in years and it was neat to meander again.  So, if you're ever in Kelowna and are looking for something historic to check out, I highly recommend it.  It's pretty much at Benvoulin and Casorso. 

 

(http://www.okanaganhistoricalsociety.org/pandosy_mission.html)

Yet another gorgeous sunset in the Okanagan.  Location: a secret...mwah ha ha ha!