The Annex Kitchen: Presenting 3 Guiltless Brunch Recipes Perfect for Spring
If the first day of spring brings dreams of patio brunches, pretty pastel Easter spreads and some good ol’ day drinking, we’re with you. But since the first day of spring also brings a reminder of bikini season, you might be weary of going full HAM at said event. Enter today’s batch of ultra healthy, super tasty brunch recipes courtesy of former FASHION editor turned food blogger and chef Jordan Porter, whose Nola Bars are taking the Paleo market by storm (and are now available for shipping to Canada).
Without further ado, 3 guiltless treats perfect for brunch and beyond.
Grain-free Lemon Ginger Loaf
Stop and drop the Mini Eggs! I know, I know, they’re calling your name, but I promise you’ll be all like “mini who?” after one little slice of this lemony heaven. It’s low-carb, dairy-free and has no refined sugar or the dreaded crash and burn—not to mention tummy ache—that always follows a Cadbury binge.
Ingredients:
Zest of one organic lemon
1/2 cup coconut flour
½ cup almond flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup erythritol* or alternate
1/3 cup coconut palm sugar
2 tsp real vanilla
1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
1/2 cup unsweetened full fat coconut milk
juice of one organic lemon
4 eggs beaten
*I find this to be the best of the sugar alcohols, it doesn’t bloat, there’s no after-taste and doesn’t raise your blood sugar or insulin levels. You can read more here…
Method:
Preheat oven to 350. Mix all wet ingredients in one bowl, all dry in another (I like to add the lemon zest to dry). Mix together until smooth. Grease or line an 8×8 loaf pan—these would work well as muffins too—and pour the batter, shake the pan a bit until you get an even top. Bake for approx. 45-55 minutes until spongy to the touch. Let cool and serve with a side of whipped butter and raspberry preserves.
Cast-Iron Frittata with Asparagus, Tomato and Goat’s Cheddar
Frittatas are one of those no-fail dishes that never fail to impress, and if you’ve got one, a cast-iron pan gives it bonus farm-to-table presentation factor. This simple egg dish is easy to make, a breeze to clean up and can be broiled right before serving so no need to stress about perfect timing. And if any of these ingredients aren’t your thing, feel free to make substitutions—the frittata isn’t picky and plays well with others;)
Ingredients:
10 large pastured eggs, beaten. *pastured farm-fresh eggs make all the difference if you can find ‘em, if not, try for free-range organic.
⅓ cup unsweetened milk or cream (I used almond milk)
¼ tsp fresh cracked pepper
¾ tsp kosher or Himalayan sea salt
½ large sweet onion, sliced
2 cloves of fresh garlic, minced
½ bunch of fresh asparagus, snapped at their natural breaking point and chopped into ¾ inch pieces
½ heirloom or organic tomato
½ pack of uncured, nitrate-free bacon
3 ounces of goat cheddar or cheese of your choice *I used raw goat’s cheddar, but any sheep or goat’s milk cheese will be much easier to digest than cow dairy.
Method:
Preheat your broiler to 500. In a medium to large cast-iron pan (you can use a regular fry pan, as long as you’re able to put in the oven), fry your bacon on medium heat until crispy. Set aside on a paper towel. Discard the majority of the bacon fat but leave a tablespoon in there for sautéing your veggies and keeping the pan nice and seasoned. Turn the heat down to low and add sliced onions and asparagus followed by the garlic once the pan has cooled a bit, making sure not to burn the garlic. Sautee until tender. In a large bowl, whisk your eggs, almond milk and freshly cracked pepper and sea salt. Add mixture to your veggies and quickly stir to make sure veggies are evenly distributed. Chop your cooked bacon into ½ pieces and add to top of egg mixture, letting sink a bit. Top with thinly sliced tomatoes and shredded cheese and let simmer on medium-low for 10-15 minutes or until eggs are nearly set. Before ready to serve, pop under the broiler for 2-4 minutes or until top is starting to brown, remove and serve in slices right out of the pan.
*Serves 5-6 as part of a bigger brunch.
Coconut Whip with Toasted Macadamia & Fresh Field berries
You’re lucky you’re seeing a picture of this. You see that whisk? It’s a weapon to keep away those who can’t control themselves. But honestly, I don’t blame them… it’s just too damn delicious for patience. It’s also dairy-free, sugar-free and filled with incredibly healthy fats—ones that go directly to your liver to be used as energy instead of being stored in your body a.k.a your thighs. You could whip this up in individual ramekins or serve in one big bowl with toppings to add at each guest’s pleasure.
Ingredients:
2-3 cans of full-fat Ingredients:
2-3 cans of full-fat coconut milk, chilled in the refrigerator overnight.
1 tsp of real vanilla
2 tbsp of erythritol* or alternate unrefined sweetener of your choice
⅔ cup lightly toasted macadamia nuts
Dash of cinnamon
2 pints of fresh field berries of your choice (or any fruit at all really).
Method:
Open the cans of coconut milk and scoop the solid parts out into a chilled metal bowl. Save the liquid for smoothies. Add vanilla and sweetener and whip with a hand blender on high for 2 minutes. Serve with toasted macadamia nuts, berries and a sprinkle of cinnamon. You can make this beforehand and simply refrigerate until ready, fluffing with a whisk again before serving.
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Without further ado, 3 guiltless treats perfect for brunch and beyond.
Grain-free Lemon Ginger Loaf
Stop and drop the Mini Eggs! I know, I know, they’re calling your name, but I promise you’ll be all like “mini who?” after one little slice of this lemony heaven. It’s low-carb, dairy-free and has no refined sugar or the dreaded crash and burn—not to mention tummy ache—that always follows a Cadbury binge.
Ingredients:
Zest of one organic lemon
1/2 cup coconut flour
½ cup almond flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup erythritol* or alternate
1/3 cup coconut palm sugar
2 tsp real vanilla
1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
1/2 cup unsweetened full fat coconut milk
juice of one organic lemon
4 eggs beaten
*I find this to be the best of the sugar alcohols, it doesn’t bloat, there’s no after-taste and doesn’t raise your blood sugar or insulin levels. You can read more here...
Method:
Preheat oven to 350. Mix all wet ingredients in one bowl, all dry in another (I like to add the lemon zest to dry). Mix together until smooth. Grease or line an 8x8 loaf pan—these would work well as muffins too—and pour the batter, shake the pan a bit until you get an even top. Bake for approx. 45-55 minutes until spongy to the touch. Let cool and serve with a side of whipped butter and raspberry preserves.
Cast-Iron Frittata with Asparagus, Tomato and Goat’s Cheddar
Frittatas are one of those no-fail dishes that never fail to impress, and if you’ve got one, a cast-iron pan gives it bonus farm-to-table presentation factor. This simple egg dish is easy to make, a breeze to clean up and can be broiled right before serving so no need to stress about perfect timing. And if any of these ingredients aren’t your thing, feel free to make substitutions—the frittata isn’t picky and plays well with others;)
Ingredients:
10 large pastured eggs, beaten. *pastured farm-fresh eggs make all the difference if you can find ‘em, if not, try for free-range organic.
⅓ cup unsweetened milk or cream (I used almond milk)
¼ tsp fresh cracked pepper
¾ tsp kosher or Himalayan sea salt
½ large sweet onion, sliced
2 cloves of fresh garlic, minced
½ bunch of fresh asparagus, snapped at their natural breaking point and chopped into ¾ inch pieces
½ heirloom or organic tomato
½ pack of uncured, nitrate-free bacon
3 ounces of goat cheddar or cheese of your choice *I used raw goat’s cheddar, but any sheep or goat’s milk cheese will be much easier to digest than cow dairy.
Method:
Preheat your broiler to 500. In a medium to large cast-iron pan (you can use a regular fry pan, as long as you’re able to put in the oven), fry your bacon on medium heat until crispy. Set aside on a paper towel. Discard the majority of the bacon fat but leave a tablespoon in there for sautéing your veggies and keeping the pan nice and seasoned. Turn the heat down to low and add sliced onions and asparagus followed by the garlic once the pan has cooled a bit, making sure not to burn the garlic. Sautee until tender. In a large bowl, whisk your eggs, almond milk and freshly cracked pepper and sea salt. Add mixture to your veggies and quickly stir to make sure veggies are evenly distributed. Chop your cooked bacon into ½ pieces and add to top of egg mixture, letting sink a bit. Top with thinly sliced tomatoes and shredded cheese and let simmer on medium-low for 10-15 minutes or until eggs are nearly set. Before ready to serve, pop under the broiler for 2-4 minutes or until top is starting to brown, remove and serve in slices right out of the pan.
*Serves 5-6 as part of a bigger brunch.
Coconut Whip with Toasted Macadamia & Fresh Field berries
You’re lucky you’re seeing a picture of this. You see that whisk? It’s a weapon to keep away those who can’t control themselves. But honestly, I don’t blame them… it’s just too damn delicious for patience. It’s also dairy-free, sugar-free and filled with incredibly healthy fats—ones that go directly to your liver to be used as energy instead of being stored in your body a.k.a your thighs. You could whip this up in individual ramekins or serve in one big bowl with toppings to add at each guest’s pleasure.
Ingredients:
2-3 cans of full-fat Ingredients:
2-3 cans of full-fat coconut milk, chilled in the refrigerator overnight.
1 tsp of real vanilla
2 tbsp of erythritol* or alternate unrefined sweetener of your choice
⅔ cup lightly toasted macadamia nuts
Dash of cinnamon
2 pints of fresh field berries of your choice (or any fruit at all really).
Method:
Open the cans of coconut milk and scoop the solid parts out into a chilled metal bowl. Save the liquid for smoothies. Add vanilla and sweetener and whip with a hand blender on high for 2 minutes. Serve with toasted macadamia nuts, berries and a sprinkle of cinnamon. You can make this beforehand and simply refrigerate until ready, fluffing with a whisk again before serving.){kind=link}