Lunch and Light Meals – Audrey's 74 A blog by Giulia Doyle Tue, 31 Jan 2017 21:28:05 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.1.16 Egg on Puffpastry with Ham, Cheese, Butternut Squash and Bok Choy /2016/01/18/egg-on-puffpastry-with-ham-cheese-butternut-squash-and-bok-choy/ Mon, 18 Jan 2016 18:19:11 +0000 http://www.audrey74.com/?p=3984 Egg Giulia DoyleEggs! what glorious food. Eggs for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner – there are countless recipes that require eggs or where egg is the star. I find anything with a fried egg on top just delicious and it can make a tangle of leftovers shine as a nutritious lunch. This past weekend I decided to play a little with frozen puff pastry, leftover vegetables and an egg. Here is the delicious result.
Egg on Puffpastry with Ham, Cheese, Butternut Squash and Bok-Choy

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed
  • chopped vegetables of choice (I used cubed roasted butternut squash and sautéed baby bok-choy)
  • Shredded cheese
  • Eggs
  • Salt, pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400F. Unroll thawed puff pastry sheet and place on parchment lined cookie sheet. Cut into 6 rectangles. In each rectangle, cut four lines to define an edge, in that rectangle pierce the pastry with a fork a few times.
  2. Sprinkle a table spoon or so of grated cheese on each rectangle, mostly keeping the cheese within the border of the cut edge. Add a couple of cubes of squash to each rectangle of pastry and a couple of leaves of bok-choy. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes until pastry is golden and cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
  4. During baking/cooling fry six eggs until whites are well cooked, edges are crispy but yolks are still runny. Season with salt and pepper. Distribute one egg onto each baked puff pastry square and enjoy.

Notes

Use any vegetable leftovers you have for this. Anything that needs a long cooking time should be cooked ahead, but things like peas, corn or thin shreds of onion could be added raw.

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Egg Giulia Doyle

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Citrus Salad /2016/01/01/citrus-salad/ Fri, 01 Jan 2016 13:38:42 +0000 http://www.audrey74.com/?p=3965 Citrus Salad Giulia DoyleHappy New Year and here’s to healthy but yummy resolutions! I don’t usually set a goal to eat only healthful once the New Year sets in, but after weeks of cookies, cakes, stuffing and gravy my body seems to crave something fresh and full of vitamins. Citrus is always a welcome reprieve from all the heavy options we’ve been consuming in the past few weeks.

This salad is simple, colourful and can be made ahead. No real recipe required; just choose a nice selection of citrus fruit (oranges, clementines, mandarins, grapefruit), peel and slice them, arrange on a platter and sprinkle with cinnamon and slivers of mint if you wish. Eat this at a brunch, for breakfast or with some protein, such as ham or chicken for lunch.Citrus Salad Giulia Doyle

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Roast Chicken Sandwich /2015/09/27/roast-chicken-sandwich/ Sun, 27 Sep 2015 18:47:04 +0000 http://www.audrey74.com/?p=3852 Chicken Sandwich Giulia DoyleAbout 15 years ago there was a cafe I’d have lunch at every so often and they had a chicken sandwich that was really great. Since then I’ve been making a similar sandwich when at home, altering some of the flavours from time to time. It’s the perfect small lunch to throw together when you have left-over roast chicken or even a grilled chicken breast. This time I made it with horseradish mayo, but normally I’d make it with tartar sauce, storebought or this Jamie Oliver recipe. I think I prefer the tartar version.

Chicken Sandwich

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Yield: 1 sandwich - can easily be adapted for multiple sandwiches

Ingredients

  • Fresh baguette, cut to size and sliced lengthwise
  • 1 tablespoon of tartar sauce
  • 1/2 grilled chicken breast or white meat of a roasted chicken
  • Lettuce leaves
  • Shaved carrots
  • Sweet chili thai sauce

Instructions

  1. Spread tartar sauce on bottom half of baguette.
  2. Add lettuce leaves and chicken.
  3. Drizzle with sweet chili sauce and top with carrots and second half of baguette.
  4. Eat immediately.
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Cantaloupe with Prosciutto /2015/08/28/cantaloupe-with-prosciutto/ Fri, 28 Aug 2015 21:36:58 +0000 http://www.audrey74.com/?p=3830 Cantaloupe and Prosciutto Giulia DoyleSummer is nearly over with school starting next week, but we’re still enjoying the weather, time spent outdoors and meals that don’t require a recipe. While I love a good cookbook and time spent in the kitchen, I also love this no-cook season, indulging in all the great fruits and vegetables from our CSA and the grocery store. Not much beats a perfectly ripe cantaloupe, dressed in good quality salty prosciutto, seasoned with some pepper and maybe a drizzle of good quality olive oil. No recipe needed, no kitchen needed – just a good knife!

Enjoy the fleeting days of this most wonderful season.

 

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Roasted Tomatoes with Arugula, Feta and Pinenuts /2015/08/16/roasted-tomatoes-with-arugula-feta-and-pinenuts/ Sun, 16 Aug 2015 16:20:56 +0000 http://www.audrey74.com/?p=3822 Roasted Tomato with Arugula, Feta and Pinenuts Giulia DoyleHave you started harvesting any tomatoes yet? Or is your grocery store filled to the brim with local fruit? This is the time of the year to indulge in them before they turn bland and just accompany a sandwich for colour.

I like to keep things simple in the summer and with good quality ingredients there isn’t much fussing needed. Just a hot BBQ, some fresh produce, good quality feta and a sprinkle of pine nuts. People loved this salad at our Midsummer Party earlier this year. It’s the perfect accompaniment for your grilled burgers or sausages.

Roasted Tomatoes with Arugula, Feta and Pinenuts

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup of arugula
  • 1 cup of baby spinach
  • 1/3 cup of cubed feta
  • 3 tablespoons of pine nuts
  • handful of torn basil (optional)
  • salt and pepper
  • olive oil
  • lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Heat BBQ and place tomatoes in a heat safe grilling pan. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in BBQ until skins start blistering, about 10 minutes. Take off heat.
  2. In the meantime, arrange arugula an spinach on a platter, top with tomatoes, sprinkle with feta, pine nuts and basil. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with a little more oil and a good squeeze of lemon juice. Serve immediately.
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Roasted Tomatoes with Arugula, Feta and Pinenuts, giulia doyle

 

 

 

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Mushy Peas on Toast with a Fried Egg /2015/06/06/mushy-peas-on-toast-with-a-fried-egg/ Sat, 06 Jun 2015 20:00:39 +0000 http://www.audrey74.com/?p=3717 Mushy Peas Giulia Doyle

Jordana was in town for work and we met up for dinner. It’s nice to hang out with blogger friends in real life. We had a lot to catch up and did so we some great drinks and food!

We ordered a mushy pea toast with a poached egg to start. Sounds a little strange, right? While we liked the combination of flavours, it lacked salt and the sous-vide egg was a little bland and seemed forced, so we decided to re-create it at home. It’s easy to make and we liked our home-made versions better than the restaurant one. Enjoy!

Mushy Peas on Toast with Egg

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 1 toast

Ingredients

  • 1 piece of sourdough bread, toasted
  • 1 egg, fried with soft yolk
  • 1/2 cup of peas
  • 1 pat of butter
  • salt, pepper
  • paprika
  • 1 tablespoon of crumbly goat cheese

Instructions

  1. Melt butter in a small sauce pan, add peas and sautee until soft. Season with salt, pepper and paprika. Mush with food processor or large spoon.
  2. Spoon peas on toasted bread, top with fried egg, season with salt and pepper and top with crumbly goat cheese. Serve immediately while egg is hot and peas are warm.
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Mushy Peas Giulia DoyleMushy Peas Giulia Doyle

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Basil Pesto Beef Sliders /2015/05/26/basil-pesto-beef-sliders/ Tue, 26 May 2015 12:29:25 +0000 http://www.audrey74.com/?p=3704 Basil Pesto Beef Sliders Giulia DoyleMay gave us some warm days around here and we’ve been using our grill a lot. I wasn’t really intending to blog about these sliders, but decided that they were so good I had to share them now at the beginning of the season, rather than make them again later for the blog. It feels like summer after all.

The recipe for this is based on a favourite meatball recipe which I adapted for these sliders. I’d normally serve them with fresh, soft mozzarella to get extra milky stringiness – but I had used all of mine earlier in the week, so I defaulted to shredded hard mozzarella, which was also good, but does not photograph as nicely.

Watch the grill on these ones – the oil from the pesto will drip down into the flames and you have to watch them like a hawk so they don’t go up in flames. But it’s worth it – trust me.

PS: Did you notice that my blog got a little face lift? I simplified the look, changed the font, removed some colour , streamlined sharing buttons, added a featured posts section in the sidebar and most importantly fixed the subscription feature. Feel free to sign-up and you’ll be notified of all new posts. My portfolio site also got a little revamp and now both the blog and site feel like they are part of the same family.

Basil Pesto Beef Sliders

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: About 8-12 depending on how thick you make them

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup of plain bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup of milk
  • 700 grams or so of ground beef
  • 1/3 cup of pesto (homemade or store bought)
  • 1/4 cup of chopped flat leaf parsley
  • salt and pepper
  • sliced tomato
  • torn basil leaves
  • sliced fresh mozzarella or shredded mozzarella
  • slider buns
  • butter

Instructions

  1. Add breadcrumbs to a large bowl. Cover with milk and let sit a couple of minutes until soaked into breadcrumbs. Add meat, pesto and parsley to breadcrumb mixture and season with salt and pepper. Combine well until smooth. Use 1/4 cup measure to shape slider sized patties (about the size of a small palm)
  2. Heat BBQ to about 400F. Grill patties on each side for 2 minutes or so (keep an eye on the flames) until crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. Add cheese towards the end of cooking so it has time to melt slightly.
  3. Serve on buttered slider buns with a slice of tomato on a torn basil leaf.
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Basil Pesto Beef Sliders Giulia Doyle

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Crunchy Chicken Salad for Cup of Jo /2015/05/19/asian-chicken-salad-for-cup-of-jo/ Tue, 19 May 2015 13:04:45 +0000 http://www.audrey74.com/?p=3677 Asian Chicken Salad Giulia Doyle Last week I had the honour to share this salad recipe with Cup of Jo readers. It’s always fun to contribute to other blogs.

This is a delicious salad, something you won’t find on every menu. The dressing adds brightness and the chicken and nuts provide you with some filling protein. This salad also keeps really well, so feel free to make it ahead for a potluck or Sunday lunch or even take it to work. I hope you try this…it’s a great recipe for weeks of sunshine and summer eating.

Asian Chicken Salad for Cup of Jo

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 4 servings as main course

Ingredients

  • 3 cups of shredded Chinese cabbage
  • 3 cups of shredded red cabbage
  • 1 cup of shredded carrots (lengthwise to get soft curls)
  • 1 cup of unsalted cashews
  • 1/4 of chopped chives (try cutting with scissors)
  • 1 cup of roughly chopped mint leaves
  • 1 cup of torn cilantro leaves
  • 4 small red thai chillies, seeds removed and finely sliced (optional if you don't like spice)
  • 4 chicken breasts, cooked in pan and cut into slices
  • Coconut Lime Dressing:
  • 1 cup of coconut milk
  • 2 tablespoons of fish sauce
  • 4 tablespoons of lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons of coconut sugar

Instructions

  1. Combine cabbage, carrot, cashews, chives, mint, cilantro and chicken in a large bowl and toss gently to combine.
  2. Combine coconut milk, fish sauce, lime juice and sugar in a measuring cup and stir well to combine. Pour half the dressing over the salad and gently toss to combine. Divide between plates and top with chillies. Add more dressing to taste.

Notes

I like to make a lot of dressing and keep some in fridge to dip veggies in or pour over rice. Beware of the chillies, they are very spicy. After slicing them, wash you hands very well and don't touch your eyes or nose. If you prefer a little less spice, sprinkle finished salad with dried pepper flakes instead. Adapted from Donna Hay.

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Asian Chicken Salad Giulia DoyleAsian Chicken Salad Giulia Doyle

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Pizza Baguette /2015/05/05/pizza-baguette/ Tue, 05 May 2015 12:38:49 +0000 http://www.audrey74.com/?p=3668 Pizza Baguette Giulia DoyleAs a kid, my parents used to buy frozen pizza baguettes – a quick and easy meal you could pop in the oven. I loved those pizzas – crunchy, gooey and easy to hold in your hands. Maybe they have them here in the freezer isle as well? I’m not sure. This past weekend we decided to make some of our own for lunch. Grabbed a baguette, cut it lengthwise, added  toppings of choice and popped it under the broiler for 4 minutes. Done. Add whatever you like to make it your favourite. Enjoy!

Pizza Baguette

Ingredients

  • Baguette into six inch pieces and split in half.
  • Tomato pesto
  • Tomato sauce
  • Ham, sliced
  • Pepperoni
  • Mushrooms, sliced
  • Yellow pepper, chopped small
  • Grated mozzarella cheese
  • Dried Italian herbs

Instructions

  1. Preheat broiler. Add one teaspoon of store bought tomato pesto to each slice and spread it around. Add one tablespoon of store-bought or left-over tomato sauce on each slice and distribute evenly.
  2. Cover with toppings of choice (we made meat ones with ham and pepperoni and veggie ones with peppers and mushrooms). Cover each piece with one to two tablespoons of grated mozzarella. Sprinkle with dried herbs.
  3. Pop under broiler for 3-5 minutes. Keep your eyes on them so they don't burn. Eat while warm.

Notes

Adding pesto is optional, but I think it gives the pizzas a bit more depth in flavour.

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Pizza Baguette Giulia Doyle

 

 

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Birchermüesli /2015/03/26/birchermuesli/ Thu, 26 Mar 2015 23:07:04 +0000 http://www.audrey74.com/?p=3625 birchermüesli giulia doyleBirchermüesli is hearty, nourishing and if prepared the night before a really quick breakfast. It’s readily available in Swiss bakeries and is often eaten on the go for lunch as well. There are many recipes out there, but the ones I am partial to are the overnight ones. Those few hours allow the flavours to soak into the oats and give the Birchermüesli a very specific consistency. The difference to oatmeal is that Birchermüesli doesn’t need any cooking and is served cold – definitely a plus for me.

Birchermüesli

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 2-4 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons of oats
  • 3 tablespoons of granola (optional). I like the added crunch
  • 1 apple, cored and sliced thinly, peel left on
  • Handful of grapes,cut in half
  • 1/4 of golden raisins
  • 1 heaping tablespoons of fruit greek yogurt (flavour of your choice)
  • 3 heaping tablespoons of plain greek yogurt
  • 2-3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon of chopped hazelnuts

Instructions

  1. The night before, put the oats, granola, fruit, raisins and yogurt into a bowl or container. Combine well and add the orange juice in stages until everything is mixed well. Cover and pop into the fridge overnight. Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts before serving.

Notes

You have a lot of options with flavours here. Add berries instead of grapes, a pear instead of apples, leave out the granola and add some pumpkin seeds. Add dried cranberries instead of raisins. Make it more decadent with a tablespoon of heavy cream. Top with sliced bananas if you want. Some places in Switzerland serve it topped with whipped cream.

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birchermüesli giulia doylebirchermüesli giulia doyle

 

 

 

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