Breakfast Egg Strudels

I make these for Christmas breakfast. And I never remember to take a photo. But they are good all year round, lounging luxuriously in the freezer, so next time I make some, I'll try to have my camera handy.

Edited to add: (photo taken December 2011) These make very neat little parcels that turn into a delicious melange of crunchy pastry and creamy filling once you attack them with a fork and knife. I cut into this one so that you could see the filling.

Another edit (December 2016) An updated photo, and below, four photos that show the steps to folding these little packets.

Egg Strudels

2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Melt the butter, add the flour, then stir in the milk. Whisk until bubbly and thick, then stir in the the salt and cheese and stir until melted. Set aside while you prepare the eggs.

6 eggs, beaten lightly with a fork
2 Tablespoons minced parsley
2 Tablespoons minced green onion or chives
1 cup diced smoked ham (optional)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
pepper and salt
1 Tablespoon butter

Melt the butter in a skillet. Add the eggs and scramble until set but still moist. Stir in the remaining ingredients and add to the cheese sauce. Let cool slightly.

8-10 sheets phyllo pastry
1/4 cup butter, melted

Place one sheet of phyllo on work surface. Cover remainder with towels to prevent drying out. Brush sheet lightly with butter. Fold in half, brush with butter. Spoon about 1/3 cup of egg mixture along narrow end of phyllo, leaving a 1-2 inch border. Fold sides over to enclose filling. Roll up. Brush top with butter.

Now, you can either bake them or freeze them. To freeze them, I place the rolls on a baking sheet lined with waxed or parchment paper, set the pan in the freezer until the strudels are frozen, then place them into a ziploc bag.

To bake before freezing, bake at 375 degrees 15-18 minutes.
To bake after freezing, do not thaw, but bake at 375 degrees 35-40 minutes.

These are so good with fresh fruit on the side and some cinnamon buns.

Apple Streusel Muffins

Why is it that tiny things taste so much better than big things? The cuteness factor of mini muffins makes them more fun to eat than regular sized ones, in my opinion. Big or small, these muffins are perfect for breakfast, coffee, or as a snack.

Apple Streusel Muffins

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable cooking oil
3/4 cup grated apple, peeled or not (I didn't peel mine)

In mixing bowl stir together flours, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl beat egg, milk and cooking oil to blend. Stir in apple. Pour into flour mixture and stir just until moistened. Fill muffin cups (I made 3 dozen mini ones - or 12 regular sized) Sprinkle with streusel topping (below) and bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. (15 minutes for the minis)

Topping
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour (I used whole wheat)
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Rub all ingredients together until crumbly.

ENJOY!

Mini Meatloaves with Blue Cheese Filling

This recipe is taken from the Thrifty Foods flyer - slightly adapted.

1 1/4 pounds extra lean ground beef

2 Tablespoons milk

1 large egg

1/4 cup bread crumbs (I used dry ones since the recipe didn't specify)

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary (chopped fine)

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

4-6 chunks of blue cheese, about 1 inch square

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine all the ingredients except the blue cheese, in a bowl. Mix well, but lightly. Divide the mixture into 4-6 balls (I made 6). Flatten each slightly, place a square of blue cheese on the meat, then bring up meat around it to enclose completely. Shape into a mini meatloaf. Roast for 30 minutes, or until entirely cooked through (160 degrees on a meat thermometer.

I also made a sauce to go over the meatloaves. No real recipe - sauteed a few onions in a bit of olive oil, added some cream and crumbled blue cheese and stirred until melted.

Ginger Snaps

The ginger in these is noticeable. I think they are wonderful, with a snap and a crunch, but not too crispy. I used to make them before going on a long trip - I think they helped keep the motion sickness to a minimum.

These cookies are from an old recipe book - The Mennonite Treasury of Recipes. My mom has a copy, and I got one when I married 30 plus years ago. I don't use the recipes very often, but there are some old standbys, such as this one, submitted by Mrs. Mary Enns from Ste. Elizabeth, Manitoba. Mrs. Mary Enns, you make good cookies.

2 cups flour
1 Tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses

sugar

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg and molasses. Sift in dry ingredients, blend well. Form small balls and roll in sugar. Bake 2 inches apart in 350 degree oven for 12 - 15 minutes. Cool on rack. They will flatten during baking. Makes 4 dozen or so, depending on the size.

Oven Yam Fries

I've made these yam fries several times this fall. They are wonderful with almost everything - chicken, fish, even hot dogs! And they are very easy to make. Mix a little minced chipotle pepper with some mayonnaise and/or sour cream and you've got a dip with a bit of fire that complements the sweetness of the yams perfectly.

Oven Yam Fries

Yams - however many you think you'll eat - for the two of us I do two medium-sized yams, or one humongous one
olive oil
salt

Peel the yams. If you rinse them after peeling, dry them off well. Cut them into sticks about 1/2 inch square. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle them liberally with olive oil. I would say I use about 2 Tablespoons for a panfull. With your hands, toss the yam sticks and the oil together until well coated. Don't be stingy with the oil. Salt them to taste.

Bake at 450 degrees for about 15 minutes, then remove from oven and turn with a metal lifter. This is when you will know if you used enough oil or not. They shouldn't stick to the pan. Return to the oven for 15 minutes more, or until tender and beginning to caramelize around the edges.

Serve hot.

Thyme Creamed Tomatoes

Oh, these were good. Definitely a keeper recipe. We are still using tomatoes from our summer garden. I've had a huge platter on my kitchen countertop since August. Today I put the remainders in a small bowl. Sigh. I do love homegrown tomatoes.

Back to this dish. It's creamy, sweet, savory and rich but not cloying. I served it with a roasted chicken, lemon spinach couscous and steamed broccoli. Ashley said it was like eating candy. There wasn't a scrap left at the end of the meal.

I found the recipe in French Taste, a cookbook by Laura Calder, one of Canada's Food Television stars. The book is from the library, but it might have to go onto my Christmas list because there are so many recipes I want to try.

Thyme Creamed Tomatoes

2 Tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped (optional)
4 medium tomatoes, halved horizontally (I had smaller ones and just cut up enough of them to fill my pan)
a generous handful of chopped fresh thyme
salt and pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream (I used less, probably 1/4 cup)

Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Saute the onion, if using. Add the tomatoes, cut side down. Poke them a few times with a knife to prevent the skins from bursting. Cook 10 minutes. Flip, scatter with the thyme and cook 5-10 minutes more on the other side, until soft. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the cream, and reduce to a thick sauce around the tomatoes, about 5 minutes. It will brown a bit and swirl together with the tomato juice. Serve.

I cooked mine longer and at a medium to low temperature. The onions caramelized, the cream turned a lovely shade of brown, and the tomatoes slumped in the creamy bath. Definitely delicious!

Bavarian Apple Tart

This is one of my favorite desserts. It's easy to make and tastes like it came from a bake shop. I tinkered with the original recipe yesterday and here's what I came up with. It's creamy, sweet, tart, crunchy and buttery all at once. I like it plain, but some I know, prefer it with a little whipped cream or a small scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Bavarian Apple Tart

Crust:

1/2 cup butter

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla

1 cup flour

Place all ingredients into food processor and pulse until crumbs start to cling together. Press into a 9 inch tart shell with a removable bottom. (Or use a 9 inch springform pan.)

Filling:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

Combine all filling ingredients in food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Pour into lined tart pan.

Apple Layer:

Apples, peeled, cored and cut into thick slices - you will need enough to lay in a single layer on the filling. I would guess 3-4 medium sized apples

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 Tablespoons butter

Melt the butter in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat. Add the apples and toss gently to coat with the butter. Let cook 3-4 minutes or until just beginning to soften. Add sugar and stir gently, being careful not to break the apples. Cook for another 5 minutes or so. Apples should be just starting to soften - you don't want them to break apart.

With a thin spatula or a fork, gently arrange the apples in a single layer over the cream cheese mixture around the outside of the tart. Fill in the center with another circle of apples.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. Then add the following topping and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes or until the apples are tender and the filling set. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers (if any) in the fridge.

Topping:

1/2 - 1 cup chopped almonds

2 Tablespoons melted butter

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon