Brunch Menu: 3 Delicious Recipes From Canadian Celebrity Chefs

Hail to the humble, protein-packed egg. Level up your next brunch with these easy-to-prepare recipes from leading chefs Dale MacKay, Lynn Crawford and Minh Phat.

Chef Dale MacKay’s Leek, Bacon and Cheese Mini Frittatas

 

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 12

These mini frittatas by celebrity chef and TV personality Dale Mackay (Iron Chef Gauntlet, Fire Masters, Wall of Chefs and Top Chef) are flavourful and easy-to-make, leaving more time to spend with friends and family while entertaining. Filled with smoky bacon, tender leeks, and gooey cheese, they are the perfect bite-sized brunch dish.

Ingredients:

⅓ cup (75 ml) bacon, chopped
1 cup (250 ml) leeks (or onion), finely diced
1 cup (250 ml) white cheddar cheese, finely grated

Egg Mix:

2 whole eggs
4 egg yolks
½ tbsp (7.5 ml) dill, finely chopped
¼ tsp (1.2 ml) black pepper
⅛ tsp (0.62 ml) salt
⅛ tsp (0.62 ml) smoked paprika

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). In a medium pot, fry the bacon on medium heat until almost crispy. 
2. Add finely diced leeks (or onion) to the pot and cook until translucent (approximately 3 minutes). Set mixture aside to cool. 
3. Very lightly spray mini muffin tray with baking spray. Slowly pour the ingredients evenly into the mini muffin tin. 
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and egg yolks, season with black pepper, salt and smoked paprika and fill the mini muffin tin ⅔ of the way full. 
5. Spread finely grated white cheddar cheese evenly over mixture within the muffin tins. 
6. Bake for approximately 8 – 10 minutes. Once complete, garnish with a spring of fresh dill.

Serve warm or let cool and reheat later at 300 F (176 C) for 3 – 4 minutes. These frittatas can also be served at room temperature. 

Chef Tip: Make use of your leftover egg whites by making a delicious pavlova or crunchy meringues

 

Chef Lynn Crawford’s Jammy Egg Toasts with Herb Cream Cheese

 

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2

A tasty twist on everyone’s favourite — jammy eggs! This recipe uses easy-to-find ingredients, including fresh, local Canadian eggs. Quick to prepare, this dish by Food Network celebrity chef and bestselling author, chef Lynn Crawford is a go-to dish for brunch (and lunch and dinner, for that matter!)

Ingredients:

4 eggs
4 thick slices country bread, toasted

Cream Cheese Mixture:

6 ounces (170 ml) plain cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tbsp (30 ml) chopped fresh dill
1 tsp (5 ml) fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Shallot Mixture:

2 tbsp (30 ml) white wine vinegar
1 small shallot, finely chopped
½ cup (125 ml) quartered cherry tomatoes
½ tsp (2.5 ml) thyme leaves
1 tbsp (15 ml) chopped parsley
1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
2 tsp (10 ml) whole-grain mustard
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, dill, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread the cream cheese mixture on the toast slices, dividing it evenly.
2. In a small bowl, combine vinegar, shallot, tomatoes, thyme, and season with salt and freshly-ground pepper. Stir oil, mustard, and parsley into shallot mixture and set aside.
3. Bring a medium-sized saucepan of water to a boil. Separately, fill a medium bowl with ice water and set aside. Reduce heat, allowing the water to come to a rapid simmer, gently add eggs and simmer for 6 minutes. Immediately transfer eggs to ice water to stop cooking. Drain and peel eggs.
4. Coarsely chop eggs and arrange on top of bread.
5. Spoon shallot vinaigrette over top and sprinkle with more thyme, parsley and freshly-ground pepper if desired.

 

Chef Minh Phat’s Savoury Egg Casserole with Mushroom, Bacon and Kimchi

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 25 min
Serves: 4

Bring some cheer to your brunch table with this delicious Asian-fusion egg casserole packed with flavourful mushrooms, bacon and kimchi from celebrated Montreal chef Minh Phat. 

 

Ingredients:

5 thick slices of bacon
1 cup (250 ml) kimchi
1 Spanish onion
½ cup (125 ml) white button mushrooms
1 cup (250 ml) tomato, diced
1 tbsp (15 ml) garlic, chopped
2 cups (500 ml) baby spinach
2 tbsp (30 ml) light soy sauce
2 tbsp (30 ml) maple syrup
1 tbsp (15 ml ) gochujang (red chili paste)
4 eggs
1 baguette or 4 slices of toast

Instructions:

1. Using a sharp knife, slice the bacon into small pieces, approximately 0.2 inches (0.5 cm) in size.
2. Finely chop the kimchi, Spanish onion and mushrooms into small pieces and dice tomatoes. 
3. In an 8-inch (20-cm) cast iron skillet or frying pan, fry the bacon at medium heat until crisp.
4. Add the chopped garlic, onion and mushrooms to the skillet and sauté for 2 minutes.
5. Add the baby spinach to the skillet.
6. Add the diced tomatoes, kimchi, light soy sauce, maple syrup and gochujang to the skillet and cook for 15 minutes over medium-low heat.
7. Transfer to an 8-inch (20-cm) baking dish. Omit this step if using a cast iron skillet. 
8. Crack the eggs on top of the stew and finish cooking in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes at 350 F (180 C) until the egg whites are cooked through.
9. Serve with toast or baguette slices.

 

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