Category: breakfast

Bread & Jam for Frances

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Bread & Jam for Frances

Add : 1/701 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn (Enter via Linda Crescent or through Readings)

Tel : 03 9819 2122

Website : http://www.breadandjamforfrances.com.au/

Happy Monday everyone! Hope you all had a fantastic weekend! Just want to share a new place we tried last weekend with the mr’s family (:

Whenever the Mr has weightlifting competitions at the Hawthorn Weightlifting club, we would drive past this small little cafe that has the cutest logo. It has been about 7-8 times that we drove past the place and as many times that I told myself that we have to give it a try. But cause the Mr had a strict routine he adheres to during competitions, we never got a chance to have it till recently when his family was here. YAY! (:

We were really lucky to head there a few minutes earlier than the crowd and didn’t need to wait for a table! Although there wasn’t any small tables left, fortunately there was still the communion table. The cafe, though small, was really cosy and everyone was really friendly. As it used to be an old dance hall, the ceilings were really high which allowed light to shine through making the whole place very welcoming. I couldn’t wait to order and have my brunch! (:

Not long after we ordered, our drinks were served. I ordered my usual favourite (and comfort) – chai soy latte. And what’s best about it is that they serve my favourite Bonsoy! Whee! Also, I love cafes that use chai leaves to brew their chai lattes. This was just spot on, and definitely a great start to the weekend.

The mr ordered his usual latte as well. and he said the coffee was really good. so coffee lovers out there, this is a place to try out! (:

My sis-in-law ordered the hot chocolate. It was quite a theme going. haha We all ordered our usual hot cuppa that morning and we were all very happy with what we had. By this time, I really couldn’t wait to have our food.

But let me first tell you a little about Bread & Jam for Frances. They are not only a place for brunch, but you could also head there to buy freshly baked artisan bread which they are known for! Their first home “Dench Bakers” was famous for their artisan breads and sandwiches. So of course their bread is something you would want have when you’re at Bread & Jam for Frances!

I browsed the menu and what caught my eye was this : avocado and feta with sweet chilli on toast, topped with salad. So I definitely wanted to have it. It was super good. With fresh toasted bread that was crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle, the rich avocado went so well with the saltiness and creaminess of the feta. BRAVO! My smile just got wider with every bite. I think I’ve found my new favourite combination. haha And what’s better than starting the day with something healthy? Or I would like to think! haha

My sister-in-law ordered the classic dish :  scrambled eggs on toast with a side of bacon. Everyone was ooh-ing and aah-ing when the dish arrived because it looked absolutely delicious and the portion size was huge! The eggs were so creamy and cooked perfectly. And nothing could be better than crispy bacon. She was one happy (and full) girl. hehe

My in-laws shared a ham, cheese and tomato croissant and a scone (that I didn’t get to snap, sorry!). Layers of crispy buttery goodness which my in-laws really enjoyed! I have to say, I too enjoy having ham & cheese croissant once in a while! There’s just something about the whole combination. First you have the crunch, then u have the melted oozy cheese! Mmmm! Feel like having one now! hehe

With the yummy food and friendly service, it is definitely save to say we will be coming back especially since the mr didn’t have anything to eat that day. The next time I’m back, I’m definitely going to try the cakes that they have to offer and buy a loaf of walnut bread! heh

Have a good week ahead and here’s to more good food to come! (:

Bread & Jam For Frances on Urbanspoon

Baked Eggs With Homemade Baked Beans

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Really sorry for the inactivity for the past two weeks! We had my mr’s family over for a holiday and I took the chance to have a break and just spend quality time with the family. (: But I’m back and this time with a brunch recipe as a form of my apology to share with everyone!

So it’s the weekend! One thing we love to do is have brunch. Be it having it out or home. A dish that I love to order when I head out for brunch with the mr is no doubt baked eggs. The best thing about it is when the yolk is still runny and combines with the tomatoey baked beans to become the perfect sauce for me to dip my bread into it and enjoy every single bite. mmmm! So I decided to try and make it for the mr (and more recently, his family) for brunch at home.

And to be a little over indulgent (as I always like to go all out with my meals haha) I love topping the baked eggs with some sauteed chanterelles, with a side of buttery croissant and some crispy bacon! PERFECT! (: I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. Although I have to say, I always tend to get the eggs a bit overdone and only got it done perfectly once! So I have alot of respect for the cafes that always get it spot on! *bows*

I also got a bit adventurous and decided to make my own baked beans from scratch and it turned out easier than I thought! And trust me, once you try making them from scratch, you won’t really buy the tin ones anymore. Definitely worth the extra 20 mins! Also, you can layer your baked eggs with your favourite ingredients. The first time I made it, I added capsicum. The second time I made it, I added corn and spinach!

I found these beautiful baking dish that was perfect for making individual portions of baked eggs! But of course, you could always just bake them in any suitable baking dish. I used a 10″ quiche baking dish for the family and it looked really pretty too! (: So regardless of the size, I’m sure it will still satisfy your tummy! hehe

So here’s the basic recipe of the baked beans as well as the baked eggs. I will be sharing the recipe that will fill a 10″ quiche baking dish. For big eaters like the mr and I, we could polish that off quite quickly, but it could comfortable feed 3-4 people as well! Do remember that the recipe is really versatile, so you could add your favourite ingredients and it will be super yums!

Baked Eggs with Homemade Baked Beans (a FoodMadeWithLove original recipe)

For the baked beans :

50g speck, diced into cubes (or bacon)

1/2 large onion, finely diced

1 tin diced tomatoes

1 tbs tomato paste

1 tin cannellini beans, drained

1 tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)

1 ts olive oil

1/2 tsp sugar

salt & pepper, season

For baked eggs :

4 eggs

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

3 tbs shaved parmesan

1 tsp dried parsley, for garnish

For the chanterelles : 

5g dried chanterelles*

10g salted butter

50ml hot water

1 tsp thickened cream

Garlic salt  & pepper, to season

Steps :

1) Place the chanterelles in a small bowl, and pour the hot water over it allowing it to re-hydrate while cooking the baked beans.

2) For the baked beans : In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil on medium heat and fry the speck till all sides are golden brown. Add the onions and fry till fragrant, continuously stirring it. Add the tomato paste and stir till combined with the onions. Add the tin diced tomatoes and allow it to come to a boil. Lower the heat to low and allow it to simmer for 10 mins. Add the cannellini beans, sugar and chilli flakes. Stir and allow it to simmer for another 5 mins. Pour the beans into the baking dish and set aside.

3) For the chanterelles (garnish) : Drain the chanterelles, reserving the water. Squeeze the chanterelles to make sure it’s dry. In another small saucepan, melt the butter and add the chanterelles. Fry till fragrant, then add the reserved water and thickened cream and allow it to simmer for 10 minutes, or until all the water has evaporated. Season with a pinch of salt (or garlic salt) and pepper.

4) For the baked eggs : Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius. Create 4 holes in the baked beans using a wooden spoon, and crack an egg into each of them. Top the eggs with shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese and bake for 10 mins, or until the egg white is cooked, remembering you would want the egg yolk to be runny!

5) Garnish with dried parsley and the chanterelles. Served with toast.

ENJOY! Have a great weekend!

*Note : Chanterelles could be purchased at Woolsworth in the fresh mushroom section! Of course, you could use other dried mushrooms, or the mixed forest mushrooms that you can purchase from specialty stores. 

Remember  to always cook with love (:

Won’t Be Crying Over This… Spilt Milk

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Ever since we moved, we have been trying to look for a brunch/breakfast place that is nearer to our house. So going through my super long list, I realise there is one that is relatively nearby and has the cutest name : Spilt Milk !

Spilt Milk is a boutique cafe specialising in coffee that newly opened in May this year. It’s a super cosy place and when you walk through the doors, you are greeted by the friendliest people ever! While we were there, many people came in just to take away their coffees, even when it was pouring outside! So it definitely says alot of good things about their coffee aye? hehe *SLURPS*

Love all the wooden decors in the cafe with shelves of baked goods and sandwiches! Everything just looks so good!

When we were all comfortably seated, we ordered some hot drinks to warm our tummies up while deciding what we want to eat. The dishes were named after animals! So interesting and cute! I couldn’t really decide what I wanted to have. hehe

I was so happy that they had bonsoy and their chai is made from powder. Not those syrup things. hehe So I just had to order it! The mr had a long black that morning because he had a competition in the afternoon and was trying to make sure he would make his weight category. So he decided to skip the milk that morning. hehe He’s a funny one (:

We decided on three animals that morning :

Kong Seng ordered the Sheep – Baked free range eggs served in a pan with sundried tomatoes, spinach, fetta on sour dough and chilli jam. He was given the choice of runny yolks and of course he took it! hehe

I ordered the Zebra because I was craving for some avocado hehe it includes  two slices of olive sourdough smeared with avocado and ricotto with onion jam and baked bacon

The mr order the Donkey – Poached eggs om sourdough, bacon, spinach and spiced capsicum aioli. He requested for them to leave the bread out (trying to reduce the amount of carbs he takes for comp! haha) but they forgot about it and it came with bread. Half way through the meal, they came to apologise for their mistake but we were totally fine with it! hehe Kong Seng had the bread for the mr in the end. hehe so all good! Besides, it would look quite funny without the bread don’t you think? hehe much prettier with. hehe But it was really nice of them!

To our surprise and delight, a plate of yummy brownies were placed on our table and it was on the house! AWESOME! hehe and of course, these brownies had an animal name too : Squirrel ! hehe How cute! They were super fudgy, just the way I love my brownies! and every mouthful were full of walnuts. Yummos!

So with awesome coffee, great food, super cute names of dishes and the friendliest service, do head there the next time you are around Carnegie! (: We will definitely be back for more (the lunch menu is super tempting! hehe)

Happy midweek everyone! (: Just 3 more days till the weekend!

Spilt Milk on Urbanspoon

Chocolate Brioche French Toast with Caramelised Banana

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So it’s the weekend! And weekends only mean one thing for the mr and I – BRUNCH! It’s something we both look forward to every week. On some weekends, I try to make something for brunch instead of heading out. So I thought you might too! (:

I of course couldn’t wait till the weekend to make this. My nut, Alicia, was here on a holiday and living with us, so I really wanted to make something nice for her for brekkie. Something sweet. I guess nothing beats having a dessert for brekkie does it? Something sweet to start the day going! (:

We were at Queen Victoria Market the Tuesday that just passed and we bought a chocolate brioche from one of the bakeries in the market. The only thing that came to mind when thinking of how to utilise the brioche was french toast! Just imagine the chocolate in between the dough will be melted and be molten when you bite into it. Mmmmm. Just like spreading nutella on bread!

I don’t know about you, but I absolutely adore caramelised bananas. I could have them on my pancakes, crepes and of course on my french toasts! The caramelised bananas acted as a sauce so that the dish won’t feel too dry. It was really easy to make it as well! Just 4 simple ingredients and viola! Caramelised bananas in no time!

Nothing is more comforting than a crispy layer of french toast and a warm, pillowy middle. That’s the way I like my french toast, how bout you? Share with me how you like your french toast! hehe

Chocolate Brioche French Toast With Caramelised Banana (Adapted from Steamy Kitchen)

Caramelised Banana

113g unsalted butter

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

2 tbs water

2 ripe bananas, sliced in an angle

Steps :

1) In a saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat until it has completely melted. Add the dark brown sugar and stir until the sugar has completely melted into the butter.

2) Add the water and whisk till smoothly and well combined. Cover and set aside.

3) When the french toast is ready, add the bananas into the sauce and cook over low heat for 3 minutes. Don’t cook it for more than that as the bananas will go all soft and lose their bite.

Chocolate Brioche French Toast

1 loaf chocolate brioche, sliced thickly (could use any kind of brioche or challah will work too)

3 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

1/2 whole milk

1/4 cup thickened cream

1 tsp vanilla paste

1 tbs caster sugar

2 tsp unsalted butter

Steps :

1) Whisk the eggs and egg yolks in a large bowl, add the milk, cream, vanilla paste and caster sugar and whisk till well combined and all the sugar have dissolved.

2) Dip the bread and turn it a few times to make sure the bread slices are well coated and soaked until they have been completely moistened by the custard.

3) Heat a non-stick pan on medium and melt a tsp of unsalted butter. Work in batches (I fried 4 at a time), cook each side of the bread until it’s golden brown. This will take about 3-4 minutes per side. Add the other tsp of butter when needed between batches.

4) To plate : Place and stack the french toast (mine was 2 layers, and 2 in each layer) then top each stack with the caramelised bananas and the sauce.

ENJOY! Have a great weekend! (:

Corn & Okra Fritters with Smoked Salmon

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Corn fritters. Who doesn’t like them? Whenever I go for brunch, I will first look out for corn fritters on the menu and if there isn’t any then I will venture out to try something else! That’s how much I like corn fritters. Nothing better than having something crispy on the outside and soft on the inside with corn kernels bursting in your mouth with every bite! mmmm.

Corn fritters at Replete Providore sparked my obsession with fritters (:

The best corn fritters I had was at Replete Providore in Hawthorn and I couldn’t get enough of it after that! I can proudly say Replete Providore sparked my addiction to corn fritters (yes, it was THAT good!)! They serve theirs with bacon, sour cream and tomato-chilli relish which was sweet and tangy which I love!

But cause I made these on a Friday, and it’s meatless Friday. I had to use something else besides bacon. So opening the drawers in the fridge, I found my last packet of smoked salmon! The first was used to make the tomato and cream smoked salmon pasta a week ago! *PHEW* Lucky I had a packet left, as I was sure the saltiness of the smoked salmon would be perfect with these fritters!

 Instead of layering it with sour cream and the tomato-chilli relish, I thought I made it less sinful (just a tad bit) by mixing plain greek yogurt with the aubergine (eggplant) and chilli pickle I bought from a little store at Mount Dandenong a while back.

It was perfect! Creamy-sourish-spicy and added just a little touch of sweetness with some sweet chilli sauce as garnish.

These fritters were crispy and I added cheese to it so it was cheesy in the center. Everything you would want in your breakfast. The addition of okra was surprisingly good because it added an extra crunch. Just love different textures in my dishes! hehe So if you’re a corn fritter lover like me and wanna try whipping this up, here is the recipe! (: I’m very sure you will love it! Cos the mr and I both did!

Corn & Okra Fritters with Smoked Salmon (makes 5 relatively large fritters, serves 2)

 12 pieces of okra, sliced

1/2 cup of corn kernels, roasted in the oven and cooled down

1/2 cup + 2 tbs plain flour

1/2 cup chredded tasty cheese

4 mini bocconcini, sliced thinly

2 tbs grated parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/3 cup whole milk

1 egg

freshly ground black pepper, to season

fresh coriander, for garnish

2 tbs sweet chilli sauce, for garnish (1 tbs for each stack)

vegetable oil, for frying

aubergine & chilli pickle yogurt dressing (optional, recipe to follow)

100g smoked salmon

Steps :

1) Heat the vegetable oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat while preparing the fritter batter.

2) In a large mixing bowl, combined the okra, corn kernels, the cheeses, salt and pepper and mix it well. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon/spatula. Add the milk and egg and mix until there are no dry flour left in the bowl.

3) Once the oil is hot enough (test this by dropping a little of the batter into the oil, it should bubble vigorously), drop 2 heap tablespoons of batter into the oil and flatten it with a wooden spoon. Make sure it’s not too thick, or else the middle might be raw after being pan-fried.

4) Fry the batter one at a time, or at most 2. Fry each side for 2-3 minutes or until each side is a beautiful golden brown. Remove and place on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.

5) Serve with alternate layers of fritters, yogurt dressing and smoked salmon in a stack and top with a tablespoon of sweet chilli sauce for each stack and fresh coriander. Make sure you serve the fritters warm/hot!

Aubergine & Chilli Pickle Yogurt Dressing

2-3 heap tbs of aubergine & chilli pickle (or any relish you have in your pantry)

4-5 tbs plain greek yogurt

Step :

Just mix the pickled relish and the greek yogurt together till well combined. Chill in the fridge till ready to be used!

oh yes, if you don’t have the aubergine and chilli pickle, you can use any relish you want and use plain greek yogurt or sour cream instead! The beauty of making your own breakkie at home – use what you have at home and let your creativity run wild!

Enjoy! (:

{Quick & Easy} Breakfast

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Ever woke up in the morning and just feel like something quick and yummy for breakfast? Boy do I have a quick fix for you! Something naughty and nice (or good, but nice sounds better haha) (:

Baked eggs! Bacon and eggs with a touch of cheese. haha Knowing me, it’s not really a touch. It’s more like an overdose of cheese. But well, that is entirely up to you! You can change the amount of cheese you want, and also change what you want in your baked eggs. And the nice (or good) part – avocado on toast! Wish I had some feta. Would be awesome! (: Anyways. Here is the recipe, hopefully you will get your quick fix at home this weekend!

Have a great weekend ahead everyone! xo

PS : I’ve got mixed reviews on the recipe cards, especially the last one I used. I’ve change the font and made it clearer (I hope!) so let me know if this is better! I will be mixing it around, and the recipe cards will only be used for short and quick recipes! (: Enjoy!

Homemade Granola

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Breakfast is definitely the most important meal of the day. With a full breakie, I usually don’t even feel hungry for lunch. Not that I will skip lunch, just don’t have to eat much for lunch. (:

It has become a routine for me to wake up and have a bowl of yogurt with granola with a cup of green tea with lemongrass and lemon.  I feel happy when I eat it. hehe I was reading a post by Laureen and I was inspired to make my own granola! So I got down to doing it today.

Yummy Granola (Adapted from Eat And Be Happy)

1 1/2 cups of old fashion rolled oats

1/2 cup silvered raw almonds

1/2 cup mixed nuts (sunflower seeds, pine nuts & pumpkin seeds)

1/2 cup roasted hazelnuts (roughly chopped)

3 tbs packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp salt

2 tbs olive oil/ vegetable oil

4 tbs honey

1 cup of dried mixed fruit (sultanas, cranberries and other fruits you like)

For the hazelnuts, I put it in my mortar and pestle and lightly pound it till most of them is broken into smaller pieces. This mortar and pestle is the best investment ever and I bought it at a steal of $2.50! haha

Steps :

1) Preheat the oven to 150C. Line the baking tray with baking paper and set aside.

2) Mix all the dry ingredients (except the dried fruits) together in a large bowl. Combine the honey and oil in a saucepan over low heat until smooth. Stir the honey mixture into the dry ingredients and mix till well combined.

3) Spread the granola on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden, stirring every 10 minutes.

4) Remove the tray from the oven. Let the granola cool completely before stirring in the dried fruits. Store granola in an airtight container.

And the only two ways to eat it is to have it in handfuls or with yogurt of course! (:

ENJOY! (:

A Perfect Combination.

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How do you like your eggs done? Sunny side up? Poached? Baked? Scrambled? I personally LOVE poached eggs. Everyone who knows me well, knows how much I love my eggs benedict! Poached eggs on english muffins topped with a big dollop of Hollandaise sauce. Just typing the description out is making me crave for some now at 5pm in the evening.

My next favourite is baked eggs. And that’s exactly what I made for baby today for breakie.

As our oven was due for cleaning, I just cooked this over the stove which was great! (: I found the recipe while reading OK! magazine, and it was a small little booklet which consists of a few recipes from different chefs! This particular recipe is from Pete Evans! I saw it, and I knew my baby would love it.

Pete Evans made his on the barbecue, but cause we didnt have one and the oven was down, I did mine all on the stove! I didn’t need to put much seasoning cause the chorizo used in this recipe did all the seasoning for me!

So here’s the recipe adapted from Pete Evans’ My Grill.

Ingredients :

4 tomatoes, halved

1 chorizo, cut into slices

1 small tablespoon of chopped chives

5 eggs

pinch of hot paprka

1 cup of cheddar cheese

Steps :

1. Cook the tomatoes on a non-stick pan till they are tender and cut into chunky pieces.

2. Place the chorizo into a cast-iron pan and fry it till it’s golden on each side. Place the tomatoes in with the chorizo, with the chives and just a little salt and pepper.

3. Make some holes in the mix to crack the eggs into. Sprinkle the paprika and cheddar cheese. Cover the pan with aluminium foil and cook it on low for 10-15 mins until the whites are cooked and the yolks are still runny. Serve with toast!

a close up! (:

The egg whites were cooked but the yolks were still runny which combined with the tomatoes made a really good dip for toast!

and you know what’s better? Having this with a nice cup of hot chocolate, and watching Karate Kid.

BLISS.

So what is your perfect combination with eggs? Share! I would love to hear it!

Most Important Meal of The Day : Breakfast

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what is your favourite meal of the day? Breakfast, lunch, dinner or supper? Tea maybe? hehe without a doubt, mine is breakfast. Especially having breakfast with my loved ones. We could sit there for an hour or two just enjoying our food, coffee (probably a chai latte) and talking about everything that is happening around us.

my favourite kind of breakfast? Anything that has fruits and eggs and toast! Combine them together, I would say my favourite thing to have for breakfast is French toast or pancakes! hehe But I wouldn’t say I will turn down a good eggs benedict either! haha (:

we went to Safeway a couple of days back and we saw this loaf of bread that I just couldn’t resist. Scones is a big favourite of me and my mum’s and when I saw scones toast, I had to get my hands on them! hehe and the only thing I want to make with them, is french toast! hehe and I did today (:

the thickness of the toast was just right and the fresh bananas complimented the sweetness of everything. Absolutely loved how it turned out! A perfect piece of toast for this dish!

French Toast with Fresh Bananas and Golden Syrup

Ingredients :

4 pieces of bread

3 eggs

1 cup of milk

2 tbs brown sugar

butter for pan

Fruits (any of your favourites)

Maple syrup or Golden syrup

Steps :

1. Beat the eggs, milk and sugar till it’s well combined.

2. Dip bread into the mixture and cook it on a hot pan.

3. Serve with fruits and syrup. EAT UP! (:

Yummy breakfast that didn’t cost the normal $10 I would pay for it outside! (: