It wasn’t until later in life that I began to be a romantic about how I was raised. I say romantic in the very best of ways; memories of time spent with my family, recognizing how my personality was molded and shaped began to mean so much to me as entered my late 20s. Perhaps it was because I had met my future-husband and we often sat and tried to imagine what our lives would look like over the next 70 years together.
For both of us, our storytelling often included memories of time in the kitchen with our Mums. We were raised by foodies who enjoyed having us in the kitchen with them and our memories are intertwined with the taste, touch and smells of the kitchen. For us food is love.
One of my first memories is of my Mum standing behind me as I stood upon a vinyl kitchen chair against the stove. She encouraged me in her loving British accent, instructing me how to move the big wooden spoon around the pan to make fluffy scrambled eggs. This was the very first meal I learned to make and I’m sure my family tired of scrambled eggs on toast as I insisted on making them daily.
Between this simple dish and the billions of fried eggs, poached eggs and soldiers dipped into a soft boiled yolk during my years….I am truly a fan of eggs! We eat eggs daily, my girls are going to have the same kind of memories I do which makes me oh-so happy.
Recently I was invited by Egg Farmers of Canada to attend the #SummerSideUP lunch with one of my favourite TV personalities, Chef Lynn Crawford at her restaurant Ruby Watchco. The focus of the event was upon including eggs in your Summer entertaining. Well if this wasn’t a perfect fit for me!
The event had that homey feel which I love, the harvest table simply drew me in and encouraged the family-style meal that Chef Lynn is know for. Around the room we were welcomed with little touches of wild flowers and eggs in farm-style wire baskets.
As we walked in we were greeted by warm smiles from Chef Lynn, her team and our friends at Egg Farmers of Canada. This feeling of warmth carried through the entire event where we shared our own egg memories, the versatility of eggs and their nutritional benefits. Eggs aren’t just delicious you know…they also happen to contain 6 grams of protein, 50% of the daily requirement of B12 and only 70 calories.
The menu for the lunch was of course EGG-tastic! Thankfully Chef Lynn and Egg Farmers of Canada provide us with the recipes to share with you all!
Nova Scotia Lobster and Egg Rolls
We began with Nova Scotia Lobster and Egg Rolls which is a recipe Chef Lynn developed. While I don’t personally enjoy lobster, my fellow attendees were simply in heaven with the first bite. We all agreed it was a combination of 2 proteins which people wouldn’t often choose and yet ended up being a delicious combination. See below for the full recipe.
Black Bean & Egg Tostadas
The next course was one that I didn’t think I’d enjoy to be honest…and as usual I was wrong. Chef Lynn put together ingredients that I had NO idea would create a dish that left me wanting more. Who knew black beans could be scrumptous? Ok you may have but I would have argued intensly if you’d told me they could be included in a fav dish of mine. The full recipe is at the bottom friends, go on and give it a try at home…I know I will be.
Chocolate Brownie S’mores
Finally we were served dessert…aka a wee slice of heaven. These Chocolate Brownie S’mores were simply TO DIE FOR! Oh man how they melted in my mouth; the burst of fruit flavours combined with a toasted marshmallow and rich chocolate…yup I am a fan. I’m posting the recipe below and you can thank me later.
Experiencing this lunch, at a table of glorious food wasn’t just about the food. We sat and truly enjoyed one another, laughing and sharing of ourselves. This IS what entertaining should be about…the food should compliment the experience. Including eggs with our memory-making meals will be a regular thing at our home and I suspect our girls will find their future gatherings include eggs as well.
For fantatic Egg Recipes and information, follow Egg Farmers of Canada on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
The Egg-Tastic Recipes:
INGREDIENTS:
- 375 g lobsters (3/4 lb), cooked and shelled, chilled, and cut into bite-size pieces
- 6 large hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup (250 mL)mayonnaise
- 1 tsp (5 mL)lemon juice
- 1 stalk celery, finely diced
- 1/4 cup (60 mL)chopped celery leaves
- 2 tbsp (30 mL)chopped tarragon or dill
- 1 tbsp (15 mL)capers, chopped
- 1/4 tsp (1.25 mL)salt
- 1/8 tsp (0.5 mL)pepper
- 8 small dinner rolls, split on top
- 1 tbsp (15 mL)unsalted butter, melted
- 1 head butter lettuce (optional)
PREPARATION:
- STEP 1 In a bowl, combine the lobster meat, eggs, mayonnaise, lemon juice, celery, celery leaves, tarragon, and capers. Fold together gently to mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
- STEP 2 Butter the dinner rolls and toast until golden and warmed through. Transfer the rolls to a serving plate. Put some lettuce (if using) in each roll and divide the egg-lobster mixture among the rolls.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp (30 mL)fresh lime juice
- 1/4 tsp (1.25 mL)salt
- 1 tbsp (15 mL)olive oil, for frying
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp (1.25 mL)ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp (1.25 mL)chili powder
- 1 can black beans (540 mL), rinsed and drained
- 6 small eggs
- 6 corn tostadas
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 3 small radishes, thinly sliced
- 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup (125 mL)crumbled queso fresco
- For garnish, fresh cilantro leaves and sliced limes
PREPARATION:
- STEP 1 In a small non-reactive bowl, combine red onion, lime juice, and salt. Set aside.
- STEP 2 In a saucepan over medium heat, add oil and gently sauté garlic. Add cumin, chili powder, and black beans, and warm through. If desired, lightly mash beans with a fork. Set aside.
- STEP 3 In a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat, add oil and fry eggs sunny side up, in batches if necessary.
- STEP 4 To assemble: For each serving, spoon warm black beans over tostada. Top with avocado, then fried eggs. Garnish with red onion, radishes, jalapeño, queso fresco and cilantro leaves. Serve with sliced limes.
INGREDIENTS:
Graham Cracker Base
- 1 3/4 cups (440 mL)graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup (125 mL)butter, melted
- 1/4 cup (60 mL)sugar
Brownies
- 12 oz (345 g)dark chocolate, chopped
- 1¼ cups unsalted butter
- 1¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (75 mL)cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL)salt
- 2 1/2 cups (625 mL)granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 4 tsp (20 mL)vanilla
- 1 cup (250 mL)milk chocolate chips
Marshmallow Topping
- 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 cup (250 mL)granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL)cream of tartar
- 1/8 tsp (0.5 mL)fine salt
- 1 tsp (5 mL)vanilla extract
Garnish
- 3 cups (750 mL)fresh strawberries, sliced
- 1 tbsp (15 mL)sugar
PREPARATION:
- STEP 1 Preheat oven to 350F (180°C).
- STEP 2 Line a 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) cake pan with parchment paper.
Instructions For Graham Cracker Base
- STEP 1 In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and sugar. Mix well and press evenly into bottom of cake pan.
Instructions For Brownies
- STEP 1 In medium heatproof bowl, set over a small pot of simmering water, melt dark chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool.
- STEP 2 In another medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder and salt.
- STEP 3 In large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, and vanilla until sugar has completely dissolved. Stir in cooled chocolate mixture until well combined. Stir in flour mixture until combined, then fold in chocolate chips.
- STEP 4 Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick in the centre comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let brownies cool completely before cutting into squares.
Instructions For Marshmallow Topping
- STEP 1 In a very clean stand mixer bowl, combine egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and salt. Whisk by hand to combine. Set bowl over a small pot of simmering water, making sure bottom of bowl is not touching water. Whisk constantly until mixture is hot and sugar is dissolved (about 120°F/49°C on an instant-read thermometer), about 6 minutes.
- STEP 2 Immediately transfer the bowl to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium power for 1 minute. Increase to high and whisk until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 5 minutes more. Add the vanilla and whisk until just incorporated, about 1 minute. Use immediately.
Serving Instructions
- STEP 1 In a medium bowl, combine 3 cups (700 mL) sliced strawberries with 1 tbsp (15 mL) sugar. Gently toss to dissolve sugar. Let stand 5 minutes for berries to release juices.
- STEP 2 Arrange cut brownie squares on serving plates. Spoon over a few berries and their juices. Pipe or spoon a generous amount of Marshmallow Topping over. Lightly torch Marshmallow Topping with a small kitchen blowtorch for an extra special touch.
Disclosure: I am participating in the Egg Farmers of Canada campaign managed by SJ Consulting. I received compensation in exchange for my participation in this campaign. The opinions on this blog are my own.
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