Banana, Date & Cinnamon Muffins (GF)

Quite possibly the best gluten free banana muffins you're ever going to eat!

And perhaps some of the healthiest ones too!!

These gluten free banana, date and cinnamon muffins tick all the boxes...

  Delicious
  Gluten Free
  Simple to make
  Filled with real ingredients
  Low in sugar/salt/processed foods
  Kid friendly (and approved by Madeleine!!)

Gordon Ramsay's Home Made Baked Beans

Its been a while since I've posted a Gordon Ramsay recipe, so on this particularly grim British day, I thought I'd warm you up with Gordon's home made baked beans. 

This really should be a guest post from my Husband, but, since he'd much rather be a passive participant, he has graciously allowed me to write the post on his behalf. 

There's something very endearing about a man cooking breakfast, and certainly something I encourage. 

While Pete is definitely in his element alongside the BBQ, he also does a mean Sunday brekkie. 

Hash Brown Cups

Finding out that I am gluten intolerant a year ago has been an interesting ride. I have said farewell to fresh white fluffy bread (the GF alternatives are fine as toast but thus far have failed to measure up on the freshness aspect) and goodbye to my beloved donuts (but I am going to start trying to make some GF donuts soon!!). But, with many goodbyes has also been lots of new discoveries and new ways of cooking. 

And sometimes, that means potato, a thousand ways! I try not to eat too many heavy and starchy carbs, but instead of bread, sometimes (and particularly at breakfast time) potato will be the only thing that will do! So coming up with new ways to enjoy it has been kind of fun. 

I had the one giant hash brown under eggs benedict, and that was wonderful for a group brunch, but not always ideal just for the two of us. 

Hash Brown Cups Hash Brown Cups Hash Brown Cups Hash Brown Cups 

So these hash brown cups are perfect to make when there's just the two of us, and actually use much less potato than a regular hash brown! 

To make the Hash Browns, grate one large (russet) potato and microwave for about 4 minutes, until the potato is soft, but not overcooked and stuck together. Then add a little GF flour, about two tablespoons, and mix through with your hands. 

Spread some melted butter into muffin tins to ensure the hash browns don't stick.

Then press the shredded potatoes into each muffin hole.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. The potato is effectively pre-cooked in the microwave, so it is just a case of crisping them up!!

When they are crisped and slightly brown, you can then crack an egg into each one and bake for a further 7 minutes. I used a cupcake tin, so the cases were a little small for a full size egg, so next time I am going to use quails eggs!!

We had our hash brown cups with baked eggs served with home made baked beans (recipe will come soon I promise) which was just heavenly. 

I love how different and fun these cups are, and love finding new ways of enjoying my favourite dishes. I think they look great and would make a fun brunch with friends, as you can prepare so much of them ahead of time! 

Psst!! If you are looking for a little more meg-made, I'd LOVE for you to follow along!

Shakshuka Recipe for the Fast Diet

Goodness me I feel like I have been hiding stuck under a rock somewhere because I only just "discovered" Shakshuka. Have you had Shakshuka? Do you love Shakshuka? Have you trekked from miles around to have Shakshuka at NOPI? Or am I speaking an entirely foreign language to you too and Shakshuka sounds more like something you wrap around your hair to keep it neat in the wind?! 

Well, whether you know and love Shakshuka (and scroll straight past this highly irrelevant post) or have never heard of it before, I can't sing its' praises enough. 

Shakshuka Shakshuka Shakshuka Shakshuka Shakshuka Shakshuka Shakshuka Shakshuka Shakshuka 

When I first stumbled across a recipe for it in the Fast Diet Recipe Book I thought it sounded great! I then included it briefly in a Lose Day Tuesday post and have had friends/readers very casually mention that it was nice to see that I tried Shakshuka, as though its something everyone secretly goes home and makes every weekend but never mentions it to a soul. Oh yes and I think if I type it more, I will be able to stumble less when saying it! Shakshuka shakshuka shakshuka. 

Yotam Ottolenghi's restaurant NOPI is apparently famous for their Shakshuka, which I can't wait to go and sample for myself, and being so low calorie, it makes for an awesome Fast Day dinner (or breakfast if you structure your calories to be top-heavy).

Ingredients (for two)

1 1/2 tsp olive oil

1/2 medium onion, diced

1 garlic clove, crushed

400g tin of chopped tomatoes

1 medium red pepper, chopped

1 tbsp tomato puree

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

pinch of cayenne pepper

salt and pepper

2 eggs (I did three, one for Husband and two for me)

1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Method:

1. Heat oil and sauté onion for a few minutes until they have softened slightly. 

2. Add garlic and red pepper and cook for 5 minutes.

3. Stir in the tomatoes and tomato puree, along with the spices and simmer for another 5 minutes. 

4. Season and then crack the eggs directly over the tomato mix and cover with foil. 

5. Cook for about 7 minutes (I did mine for the suggested 10 and one egg was far too overcooked. All you need is for the whites to be solid, so check it a few times, you really want the yolks runny!

6. Garnish with chopped parsley and enjoy hot! 

PMI

Plus = Healthy, low calorie, spicy, filling, delicious
Minus = Overcooking the eggs is very easy to do!
Interesting = the egg tastes almost sweet in this dish (which I happen to love)

I will definitely report back when I find my way to NOPI and let you know how their Shakshuka compares!!



Psst!! If you are looking for a little more meg-made, I'd LOVE for you to follow along!

Meg(a) Hash Brown Baked Eggs Benedict (gluten free)

Eggs benedict have always always been a firm favourite of mine. My friend Saraidy and I used to rate  the eggs benedict wherever we ate so that we could find the ultimate hollandaise in Brisbane! And it seems this quest is still going strong, as it's seems I've been ordering it around the world a lot lately too... there was Sarabeth's, Granger & Co, Gramercy Terrace, just to name a few!

I made it my goal about 10 years ago to learn and perfect a homemade hollandaise sauce, and ever since then, we've had Egg's Benedict every other weekend! 

I wrote a post on my old blog two years ago about my "Meggs Benedict" but have been experimenting in the past few months with some new types of Benedict, and I do believe I have come up with the ultimate Meg(a) Hash Brown Eggs Benedict!! 

Whether you  have avocado or don't, whether you prefer ham or smoked salmon, or even if you like wilted spinach or don't; THE single most important component of a good benedict is the hollandaise. 

If it's rubbish, the whole thing will be ruined. I like mine to be buttery, thick, creamy, not too tangy and definitely lots of it!! I don't know if anyone would be interested in knowing how I make mine or not, but I wanted to share my recent brunch trial which was a bit of a shake up of the old Benedict. 

Firstly, as I can't eat gluten I don't get to enjoy a toasted bagel or muffin I'd rather not have any bread at all. I've been making mini potato hash browns (potato cakes) to use as the base, but recently tried a few new ways, and then I discovered that my favourite way, is also Gordon's way.

Yes yes yes, I am Gordon Ramsay obsessed right now, but seriously we are so much in sync right now it's scary!!! So much so that the other day my Husband said to me "you and Gordon are two peas in a time-displaced pod". He is definitely the chef I most resonate with and aspire to be like, and who cooks so many meals that I adore! I was excited to see him making one giant hash brown too, as the basis for baked eggs, but more excited that he left it there, and allowed me to elevate it to the next level and make Benedict out of it!

I Instagrammed a photo of this huge hash brown that I made in my Le Creuset Casserole dish, which I then used as the base for brunch with some friends recently. 

It was so much easier to make breakfast like this for a group, no fiddling around with 8 small hash browns, and it looked far more impressive (for half the effort) too!!

To make the Giant Hash Brown (Gluten Free):

Grate 3 large potatoes and then squeeze out all of the water. Microwave for about 4 minutes until the potato is partially cooked. Then add a some salt and little gluten-free flour so that the potato is less sticky and easier to handle (no more than half a cup). Then put some oil and butter in a non-stick pan and cook until browned on both sides. 

Then arrange the ham on top of the hash brown in a ring formation to form a bit of hollow for the eggs to go. Crack your eggs and then place in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs (although always until the whites are cooked through). 

Cover with your creamy and buttery Hollandaise, and I like mine served with avo, but to each their own!! It was so so good and everyone enjoyed every last mouthful!

This was the brunch that we then served up the Brunch Dessert for, as we were all feeling a little on the heavy side after this feast!!!! 

PMI

Plus = gluten free, creative take on eggs benedict, filling, delicious, easy to make for entertaining

Minus = was pretty heavy and I overbaked the eggs a little, I need to practice baking eggs more!

Interesting = You are limited by your pan, so generally can't fit as many eggs as you'd normally have

I am really getting into Brunch these days, we are finding it to be the perfect social catch ups with a toddler! So I'll apologise now if you are getting a bit sick of seeing Brunch ideas here, but also, warn you that there are many, many more to come!!!

Psst!! If you are looking for a little more meg-made, I'd LOVE for you to follow along!

Brunch Dessert: Pear with Prosciutto & yoghurt

Dessert for Brunch, yes I went there! 

I love Brunch. 

When we had friends over for Brunch recently I said to my Husband that I wanted to make dessert as well... To which he exclaimed with equal parts disbelief and hope "Dessert....for breakfast?!". Yes sir!

I will post the main course soon (which I tormented you with on Instagram that morning), but I wanted to share this tiny little sweet palate cleanser firstly! 

It is so simple but really worked. I wasn't convinced after my first mouthful, but it really grew on me. The combination of flavours provides a refreshing lightness after a slightly very heavy breakfast. 

Simply cook some prosciutto quickly in a hot pan for about two minutes. Meanwhile, slice thinly some pear (skin on), and mix together 1 teaspoon of grated parmesan cheese into a few tablespoons of Greek yoghurt. Layer the pear, proscuitto and yoghurt and then drizzle with a little honey to finish. 

The delicate end to a robust Brunch! 

Wishing you a happy weekend! Anyone have any Brunch plans? I love Brunch!



Psst!! If you are looking for a little more meg-made, I'd LOVE for you to follow along!

meg-made it to Sarabeth's NYC (review)

When spending an entire summer in New York City, you get some time to explore lots of hidden gems (well there are probably millions, but with a baby, we did pretty well to get to "lots" of them!!). 

Sarabeth's was one on my list, being a New York brunch institution (which I may or may not have known about primarily through Sex And The City), and as Brunch is still our favourite meal of the day, we decided to head to the best of best before leaving NYC.

Sarabeth's started over 30 years ago from humble beginnings of selling homemade Orange-Apricot Marmalade and is now one of the most popular breakfast locale's in NYC. We got a booking only because it was a Friday, the weekend spots were booked up two weeks in advance (in all five locations!).

One of the first things (of many) that impressed me about Sarabeth's was the sheer range of options!! I know we used to have heaps of options in Melbourne, but its been so long that I'd forgotten that we could order more than crepes or a Full English Breakfast.

I think we sat reading our menu's for about 15 minutes, there were just so many awesome sounding options, it was hard to choose. It wasn't especially gluten-friendly, so I just had to choose something that was gluten-kind and put up with a bit of a bloated belly for the rest of the day. I went with the Short Rib Hash, but Husband couldn't go past the Pumpkin Waffles!

The Braised Short Rib Has was tender and salty and as with most portions in the USA, it was huge!! (although, ahem, I finished every mouthful). It came with an amazing tomatillo sauce that had just enough spice to balance the ribs & potato, and the eggs were perfectly cooked. If I had to compare though, I think I preferred the Corned Beef Hash I had at Daylesford Organics, which had a little more zing and a little less hash!

Pumpkin Waffles. Yeah okay. If I could eat anything in the world I would probably have chosen them too. I had half a forkful, just for curiosity purposes (and I figured if I was having a bit of gluten anyway, I may as well get a teeny tiny taste too) and oh heavens was it good! It was spicy and sweet and warm. I wasn't offered any more, but the speed with which it was consumed told me that every forkful was as good as that one. 

One element of our brunch that made for a wonderful outing was how accommodating they were of us bringing a toddler. Compared to the small and pokey little cafe's that we frequent in London, this place was gigantic and rather than crammed with tables, there was space between each. SPACE! So we had our pram, our neighbouring table had theirs, and waiter's could walk between us without scowling or anything! Amazing!!  

They even have a super sweet little kids menu.

To which we promptly ignored in favour for bread. Lots of bread! I'm so glad we're through that fussy phase!

Not that she had much time for anything else though... She was enjoying being the centre of attention WAY too much for simple things like eating and smiling!

I feel like it is one of those reliable restaurants to eat at, in which you know you'll be getting a good and filling meal, and whilst its not the cheapest brunch spot by any means, it certainly isn't exorbitant!!

We thoroughly enjoyed our casual Friday morning Brunch and will definitely be heading back there, when next we are in New York (again soon please Husband!!).

Psst!! If you are looking for a little more meg-made, I'd LOVE for you to follow along!