It seems that the hotter it gets here in Montreal, the less we feel like writing about all the great food we’re making at home. And I’m afraid that problem won’t be solved in the near future…we are soon off to visit Iles-de-la-Madeleine, about to stuff our face with lobster, mussels, scallops and clams. We haven’t left on a vacation in a few years, and haven’t smelled the ocean air in even longer, so this is an exiting adventure we’re really looking forward to. We’ll come back with plenty of lobster tales (pun so obviously intended!).

But for now, here’s a quick breakfast Soli whipped up one day. If you have the makings for a traditional eggs ‘n bacon breakfast, as well as some puff pastry, then this is a snap to make, and is amazingly good. A good breakfast tart is a wonderful thing to wake up to!

For this breakfast tart, we used some quality bacon, fiddleheads, mushroom, cheese and eggs. The end result was perfectly cooked eggs, slightly bitter fiddleheads, creamy goat cheese and sauteed mushrooms atop a flaky puff pastry crust. This recipe is extremely versatile though; substitute any ingredient with your own preference.

Could breakfast get any better? Oh! Yes, it can. Drizzle with maple syrup when you’re done and it’s ready to eat.

Breakfast Tart with Fiddleheads, Mushrooms, Bacon and Cheese
adapted from Yum Sugar

1 sheet puff pastry dough
1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tsp. water
4 oz. cheese (we used a decadent goat cheese)
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
8 bacon slices, cooked until crisp
4 eggs
1 tbsp butter
1 cup fiddleheads
1 cup sliced mushrooms

1. Thaw the puff pastry dough according to the package instructions.

2. Preheat an oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

3. On lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to 1/4-inch thickness and cut into a 10-by-8-inch rectangle. Place the pastry on the prepared baking sheet. Using a paring knife, score a border 1/2 inch in from the edge of the pastry. Using a fork, prick the center of the pastry. Brush the border with the egg wash and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

4. Saute fiddleheads and mushrooms in the butter until soft.

5. Place the toppings (bacon, fiddleheads, mushrooms, goat cheese) on the tart crust. Bake the tart for 14 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking.

6. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place it on a level heatproof surface. Using a fork, prick any large air pockets in the pastry. Crack the eggs onto the tart, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake until the egg whites are set and the yolks are still soft, 7 to 10 minutes.

6. Transfer the tart to a platter and serve immediately.

I love caramel popcorn. I like it sweet, buttery and rich. Until now, I’ve been making savory versions of popcorn, but finally tried my hand at making caramel popcorn.

This recipe is easy, sweet and delicious. The original asks for instant popcorn, but it’s cheaper and healthier just to pop your own, which I did. After the corn’s all popped up, make the caramel and pour it over the popcorn in a big bowl. Make sure you’re using a big enough bowl so that you can thoroughly cover all the popcorn!

I popped more corn kernels than a bag of instant popcorn would yield, and the amount of caramel was fine. I popped about 3/4 cup kernels and I ended up with a great batch of sweet caramel corn. However, next time, I’ll double the amount of caramel, as I like my popcorn drenched with caramel!

Caramel Popcorn
adapted from Life Frosted

1. Make popcorn. Here’s a great recipe for the perfectly popped popcorn!

2. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter with 1 1/2 cups of sugar over medium heat until it becomes a nice golden color

3. Take the butter/sugar mixture off the heat and add 1/2 a heaping tsp of baking soda (it will froth up so make sure you use a big enough saucepan). Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and stir.

5. Quickly pour the mixture over the popcorn and using a non-stick spatula, mix the popcorn around in the caramel sauce.

6. Pour the popcorn onto the baking sheet and separate into small pieces.

We have a bit of a surplus of frozen greens crammed inside our little freezer, so I’ve started looking for ways to get through it. I came across this recipe and it sounded so creamy and cheesy, so I instantly went to work.

It’s fairly easy to put together, though cooking the brown rice will take some time. I made some changes to the original recipe, such as adding some roasted corn, upping the amount of spinach and switching up the cheese I used. The end result was a really nice, risotto-like rice dish. It reminded me of those rice casseroles people make out of condensed soup, only better-tasting. It’s definitely cheesy, the corn adds a really great sweetness and I like the chew of the brown rice. I wouldn’t say this dish is outstanding, but I think it would be a great side with chicken or something to bring to a potluck.

Cheesy Brown Rice with Spinach and Corn Bake
adapted from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice

1 yellow onion, sliced thin
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and black Pepper
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup milk
14 ounces of chicken or vegetable broth (1 + 3/4 cup)
2 cups cheese (I used some Camembert and cheddar, but the original recipe asks for smoked gouda) shredded
2 cups frozen spinach, partially thawed
3 cups long-grain brown rice, cooked
fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
parmesan cheese, grated, for serving

1. Heat oil in a large, heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium-low heat, add onion, sugar and season with salt and pepper. Saute 15-20 minutes, adding more oil if it begins to stick to the pan. Add garlic and saute until fragrant. Remove from pan and set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.

3. In the same pan the onions were sauteed in melt butter and whisk in flour. Cook for two to three minutes, whisking. Slowly whisk in milk and chicken broth. Add nutmeg. Bring to a simmer, whisking often. Stir in cheese. Add spinach and onion mixture. Turn off heat. Whisk well and break apart any clumps of spinach.

3. Stir in cooked rice. Pour into greased 9×13 casserole/baking pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes until bubbly. Let set for ten minutes before serving. Garnish with parsley and serve with Parmesan if desired.