Easy Bakes - Maple Pecan Breakfast Pinwheels

Sometimes the lure of being a domestic goddess is just too much to ignore.  That kickass double chooclate babka on pinterest, or those super cute rainbow bagels you saw on Buzzfeed, they look doable.  That is until you read the instructions, look at your watch and realise aint nobody got time for that, before pulling out a tube of ready made cookie dough from the back of the fridge and eating it raw.  

What if I can tell you there's a way to fake it?  Like these maple pecan breakfast pastries, they look pretty complex right? Wrong! They are the easiest, tastiest morsels ever and you can totally pretend to be the ultimate domestic goddess, drowning in compliments while you gush about your handmade pastries. Nobody needs to know they only took you ten minutes to whip up with ingredients you probably already have on hand.  

I'll always recommend you use all butter puff pastry for everything, it just tastes better, and even better if you buy it in ready rolled sheets. Lazy girls unite!

There's no end to the wonderful concoctions you can whip up with just a sheet of puff pastry and a few other ingredients.  I've been in suffocating breakfast luxury for weeks.  I'll be sure to share some more of my creations with you guys soon.

Maple Pecan Pinwheels

Ingredients

• 1 Sheet of ready rolled all butter puff pastry
• 150g Pecan nuts
• 100g Dark brown suagr
• 3tbsp Maple syrup
• 25g Unsalted butter, melted
• 1 Large egg, beaten with a little milk
• 50g Apricot jam
• 200g Icing sugar
• 3tbsp Water
• 1/2tsp Vanilla extract

Cooking Directions

1. In a food processor pulse the pecans until finely chopped, you can also do this by hand just ensure the pieces are nice and fine. Pour the nuts into a bowl and mix with the maple syrup and melted butter, set aside while you prepare your pastry.
2. Preheat the oven to 175C and line two baking trays with baking parchment.
3. Unroll your chilled pastry and cut into six equal squares. Transfer your squares to the baking sheets, leaving room between each square. To shape the pinwheels cut a line from each corner of the square to almost the middle, leaving around a 3cm space uncut. Put a tablespoon of the pecan mixture into the center of each square before folding alternate corners into the middle of the pastry and pressing down. Make sure you work quickly as the dough becomes harder to work with the warmer it gets, the best way to combat this is to keep one tray in the fridge while working on the other.
4. Brush each pastry with the beaten egg and bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Allow to cool slightly.
5. While cooling make your glaze. In a small saucepan heat the apricot jam with 2tbsp of water until runny. Combine the icing sugar and water until smooth and transfer to a piping bag, snip the end to make a small hole. Brush each pastry with the sticky glaze before drizzling with the icing.

SHARE:

Bloody Halloween Cocktails

A friend recently said to me 'Katie, in your house every day is Halloween.' She wasn't wrong! We're big fans of October 31st in this household and this year we'll be handing out candy, watching my favorite psycopath stalk his innocent camp councellors and sipping on these bloody beauties.  It'll be a graveyard smash!

A delicious mix of vodka, chamboard and pomegrannet juice these babies will have you in the Halloween spirit in no time.  You'll be itching to get out and party with those skelletons.

Bloody Halloween Cocktails

Ingredients

• 100ml Vodka
• 50ml Chamboard
• 250ml Pomegranate Juice
• 4 Tinned Lychees
• 4 Blueberries

Cooking Directions

1. To make the eyeballs simply pop a blueberry into the hollow of a tinned lychee and skewer two eyeballs onto a cocktail stick.
2. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, shake together the vodka, Chamboard and pomegranate juice.
3. Strain into two ice filled glasses (top up with any remaining pomegranate juice)
4. and garnish with your gruesome eyeballs. Enjoy.

SHARE:

Spicy Tofu Ramen

There is nothing more comforting than a big bowl of steaming hot ramen on a cold day.  Granted we're still waiting for that beloved Autumn chill up in Newcastle, but that won't stop me willing the leaves to turn amber and the nights to draw in dark.  I long for hats, jumpers and cosy mittens. Long walks in the brisk Autumn air and settling down in front of an old movie with a huge bowl of spicy tofu ramen.

Since our household became mostly meat free (I still sneak some animal into my portions from time to time), I've really came to enjoy tofu.  Almost to the point where I don't miss the meat in most of our favorite meals.  I actually prefer these little cubes of beancurd in fajitas to chicken these days, I never thought I'd say that!  

While I am enjoying eating tofu, preparing it is a bit of a ball-ache. Pressing out  the excess liquid is a task I can do without after a hard day at work.  That's where Cauldron* marinated tofu pieces come in. Pre-squeezed, pre-chopped and pre-marinated, they're my little lifesaver.

There's one thing you simply must not skip when making this ramen, and that is the soft boiled egg.  Yes, peeling a soft boiled egg is as close to hell as you can get but I promise it's worth the effort.  I'll even go as far as to say it's my favorite part of the whole meal.

Spicy Tofu Ramen
Adapted from Pinch of Yum 
 

Ingredients

• For the Ramen:
• 1 Onion
• 1tbsp Red miso paste or powder disolved in 125ml boiling water
• 1tbsp White miso paste or powder disolved in 125ml boiling water
• 3tbsp Sambal Oelek - chilli paste found in Asian supermarkets
• 6 Garlic cloves
• 2" Piece of ginger
• 3tbsp Mirin
• 2tbsp Olive oil
• 1tbsp Sesame oil 
• For the Broth:
• 1 pack Cauldron marinated tofu pieces
• 1tbsp Olive oil
• 4 Large eggs
• 150g Chestnut mushrooms
• 1ltr Vegetable stock
• 350ml Unsweetened soy milk
• 200g Ramen noodles - Thin egg noodles
• 4 Spring onions

Cooking Directions

1. Put all of the miso paste ingredients and pulse until it forms a thick, spicy paste. You'll only need around half of the mixture so pop the rest in a tupperware box and freeze for a later date.
2. Heat 1tbsp olive oil in a large, deep frying pan and brown the tofu until crispy. Add 3tbsp of the miso paste and stir to coat the tofu. Fry for another minute then tip it out on a plate for later.
3. For the broth, tip the sliced mushrooms into the tofu pan and fry until brown. Add 1tbsp of the miso paste and fry for another minute. Add in the soy milk and stock and bring the broth to a simmer. Place the remaining spicy miso paste in a metal sieve and lower it into the broth. Using a spoon stir the paste around the sieve, pushing the juicy bits through until most of it has dissolved. Discard whatever remains. Don't just tip the paste right into the broth as this will make the soup lumpy and thick, eww! Give the broth a little taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
4. Bring two pans of water to the boil. In one pan cook your ramen noodles to the packets instructions. Pop the 4 large eggs in the other pan, boil for 7 minutes before removing from the pan and running under cold water to stop the cooking process. Peel the eggs carefully and set aside.(I usually do this under running water as the shell comes away a little easier)
5. Divide the cooked noodles between four bowls and top up with the mushroom broth. Top each bowl with a handful of tofu, some chopped spring onions and a boiled egg cut in half. Drizzle with a little sesame oil and enjoy. 

*Not sponsored, just really like the product :)

SHARE:

Apple Pie Granola

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, it's something you hear countless times during your life. Despite having this drilled into me, I'm still guilty of throwing down a couple of Jammy Dodgers with a cuppa while staring at the laptop. Or even skipping the meal altogether in the hope I'll save a few calories. Very bad adulting!

In a effort to kick my bad habits I like to make a batch of homemade granola on a Sunday to last me the week.  Granted, my good intentions usually only last till Tuesday but it doesn't stop this granola from being some of the tastiest I've ever made.  If anything has the capacity to get me eating breakfast, it's this.

I like to add mixed dried fruit to all of my granola but feel free to leave it out if you're not a fan, I just love the little pops of colour.

Looking for more breakfast inspiration? How about giving this Pumpkin Spice Granola a whirl, or for something a bit naughtier this Chocolate and Coconut Granola is simply delicious.

Apple Pie Granola

Ingredients

• 350g Rolled oats
• 100g Coconut oil, melted
• 1tsp Salt
• 1tsp Cinnamon
• 1/2tsp Ginger
• 1/4tsp Mixed Spice
• 1/8tsp Nutmeg
• 50g Brown sugar
• 100g Apple sauce
• 50g Honey
• 150g Dried apples, chopped
• 75g Pecans, chopped
• 100g Mixed dried fruit (optional but delicious)

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 175C and line a large baking tray with grease proof paper.
2. In a large bowl mix the oats, salt, spices, apples and nuts together and set aside. In a pan over a medium heat melt together the coconut oil, brown sugar, honey and apple sauce. Pour the wet ingredients over the oat mixture and mix until fully combined.
3. Spread the oaty mixture over your prepared baking tray and bake for 30 minutes, stirring the granola every 10 minutes to prevent burning.
4. Let the granola cool before mixing in the dried fruit and transferring to a large jar ready for the week ahead.

SHARE:

Shakshuka

I have a bit of a thing for baked eggs, they're a weekday staple in my house and always go down a treat.  I usually reserve eggs for a lazy morning; lounging around the living room in pajamas, listening to Beetles vinyls or reading the papers.  Nothing beats those mornings. 

Shakshuka is a whole new level of baked eggs.  A meal not just reserved for lazy mornings but a hearty dinner served with lashings of bread and butter.  The ingredients for this meal rarely differ, eggs baked in tomatoes, onions and peppers with a few spices thrown in for good measure.  My version however incorporates feta cheese and a nice helping of fresh chili.  What can I say, I like a kick.

Did I mention this dish is completely one pot!  Yep, minimal washing up, as if it can get any better.

Shakshuka is a traditional dish served all over the Middle East, originating in Israel.  It is made up of eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce.  The best thing is you probably have all the ingredients needed in your cupboards as we speak.  I know right, I don't need to sell this bad boy to you any more.  What on earth are your waiting for?!

As always, I love to see your creations so please make sure you tag me in your Instagrams.  You can find me right here!

Shakshuka - Israeli Baked Eggs

Ingredients

• 1 medium sized red onion
• 1 red bell pepper
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1-2 red chili peppers, depending on how spicy you like it
• 1tsp paprika
• 1tsp ground cumin
• 1/2tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tins of chopped tomatoes
• 100g feta, crumbled
• 4 medium, free range eggs
• coriander for serving

Cooking Directions

1. Heat two tablespoons of oilve oil in a large skillet or frying pan over a medium to low flame. Slice your onion and pepper into thin strips and fry for around 20 minutes until really soft and caramelized, stirring regularly. Once soft add the garlic and chillies and fry for 2-3 minutes, add the spices and fry for another minute. Pour in the chopped tomatoes, season with a pinch of salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes until thickened.
2. Stir in the feta cheese, reserving a little handful, and make 4 little holes in the sauce. Carefully crack the eggs into the holes. Sprinkle over the remaining feta and cover the pan with a tightly fitting lid. Simmer for 7-10 minutes depending on how you like your eggs. Sprinkle over the chopped coriander and serve straight from the pan with loads of bread for dipping.

SHARE: