Category: Breakfast

No. 491Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Victoria Tray Cake

Victoria Tray Cake | Bijouxs Little Jewels

While going through my cookbook collection I remembered a recipe for a “sheet” cake by Nigel Slater that I had wanted to try. Off work for a day I made Nigel’s Victoria Cake, with of course some minor revisions. A simple, straightforward cake easy to prepare–Victoria Tray Cake, a little jewel from the kitchen.

COOK VS CHEF

The past 10 years of my blog, Bijouxs Little Jewels from the Kitchen, I have honed my skills in food photography and cookbook design, working solo to create a brand of food style and books I am proud to call my own. I am not a chef, however I am a skilled, experienced cook, specializing in home cooking as a private chef for clients and my own family. I adore Nigel Slater’s Cookbooks and his writing.  So honest and talented he has influenced many recipe ideas into my work as a private chef, and also cooking in my home for family and friends. 

CLASSIC CAKE

The Victoria Tray Cake comes from this book, which I highly recommend. This is the kind of cookbook you pick up from time to time and read more from his seasonal kitchen diary, loaded with recipes.  What a marvelous idea to begin a kitchen journal. I have my little jewel collection file with hundreds of my favorite recipes, many of which I have shared with you on the blog. At this time, 490 recipes are all free on my website so grab them while you can.

I love simple baking as my skills lean towards cooking, which for me is a much more flexible kitchen experience. This cake therefore is very simple. A sheet cake that is prepared with on hand pantry ingredients and utilizes frozen fruit, perfect. Great for snacking, packing for lunches or alongside a cup of afternoon tea.

Victoria Tray Cake-another little jewel from the Bijouxs Kitchen.

No. 458Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

Pan Cone Tomate (Tomato with Toast)

Pan Cone Tomate (Tomato with Toast) | Bijouxs Little Jewels

What could be better than crispy toast, fresh summer tomatoes, prosciutto and cheese? Nothing. That’s why the simplicity of rustic cooking always is a little jewel in the Bijouxs Kitchen–Pan Cone Tomate (Tomato with Toast). Let’s eat. Continue reading Pan Cone Tomate (Tomato with Toast)

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Roasted Strawberries Parfait

Roasted Strawberries Parfait | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Strawberry season is here! I now live in strawberry fields along on the California Coast, which means I receive many baskets of berries dropped off by friends.  Here is a great way to preserve the ripe fruit and provide a lovely fruit compote that tops just about any dessert. Roasted Strawberries Parfait is a jewel of a recipe.

ROASTING FRUIT

Roasting makes almost anything taste better, and believe it or not, even fruit is becomes more  joyful when roasted. I have shared recipes featuring roasted pineapple, apples, grapes and of course strawberries. This simple yogurt parfait is layered with spiced roasted berries, vanilla yogurt and a crunchy layer of granola.

Roasted Strawberries Parfait | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Roasted Strawberries Parfait | Bijouxs Little Jewels

 

OTTOLENGHI RESATURANT AND RECIPES

I adapted a roasted fruit recipe from Ottolenghi Simple to create the parfait. I have collected everyone of their cookbooks. I even have their very first cookbook, printed in England with recipes in metrics. The store and restaurant really embraces my mantra “beautiful food by design.” My parfait is an anytime treat as serves as breakfast, a snack or dessert. This makes it a little jewel recipe. 

Roasted Strawberries Parfait | Bijouxs Little Jewels

SUMAC SPICE ROAD

Exploring new spices is a great way to ramp up your cooking game. Sumac is a spice that you may not know about, but it is a little jewel. Once again, Ottolenghi introduces us to this Middle Eastern spice. Sumac are red berries that grow in areas of the Mediterranean which are dried and ground into a powder. It features a sweet and sour taste, quite vibrant with undertones of lemon.

BIJOUXS LITTLE JEWELS FROM THE KITCHEN

Wow! Soon celebrating 10 years of Bijouxs! I began the blog in the “golden age of food blogs”, with a great group of LA food bloggers.  That is when it easy easy to have loyal followers with lots of comments on the recipes, but now food is a VERY crowded space. ALMOST every website has a “recipe” section. For those of us who worked as chefs, the food world has really changed. Please don’t forget to sign up for my recipe newsletter – just the recipes please:) Thank you for your support.

 

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Brioche Toast with Goat Cheddar & Apple Mostarda

Brioche Toast with Goat Cheddar & Apple Mostarda | Bijouxs Little Jewels

A grilled cheese sandwich remains a classic little jewel in the kitchen, but a thick slice of brioche toast with melting cheddar cheese, topped with a sweet-savory apple mostarda is a new little jewel to savor.

TOAST RECIPES

There are many ‘toast’ recipes out there, you know the avocado kind. This toast version takes the favorite grilled cheese in a new direction. The inspiration for the flavors of this sandwich comes from apple pie topped with cheddar cheese, a classic. Here a buttery slice of brioche bread is topped with a tart goat cheddar, put under the broiler, then topped with sweet-savory apple mostarda, think chutney. A buttery-rich sandwich to love.

Brioche Toast with Goat Cheddar & Apple Mostarda |Bijouxs Little Jewels

MOSTARDA

Mostarda is a typical condiment of Northern Italy, usually made by caramelizing fruit with sugar and mustard. These condiments are great accompanying roasts and on the cheese plate. The most famous mostarda recipe is the one from Cremona, made with figs and pears known as Mostarda di Mele, which is widely available online, and also combined with many types of fruits. I discovered a mostarda recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks and restaurants in L.A. Apples and rosemary lead the flavor profile, since I was gifted a bounty of apples a mostarda made sense. This condiment is delicious, versatile and simple to prepare.

Brioche Toast with Goat Cheddar & Apple Mostarda |Bijouxs Little Jewels

Brioche Toast with Goat Cheddar & Apple Mostarda | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Brioche Toast with Goat Cheddar & Apple Mostarda |Bijouxs Little Jewels

BRIOCHE & CHEDDAR CHEESE

After discovering I could make a wonderful tea sandwich loaf via the pro Nancy Silverton, I though I’d try her brioche, also in a favorite cookbook. I baked the brioche in my pullman pan that I used to bake her Tea Sandwich Loaf. The bread was lovely, although my oven has hot spots and uneven heating which makes it a challenge not to over-bake.

Brioche Toast with Goat Cheddar & Apple Mostarda | Bijouxs Little Jewels

 

Whether you bake your own bread or pick up a wonderful loaf from the bakery, this sandwich topped with the Apple Mostarda is a little jewel. Stay well.

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