Brussel Sprout, Cauliflower & Mushroom Hash

 

Can I let you in on a little secret? I’m a little bit obsessed with brussel sprouts. These little cabbage-like balls of goodness are so tasty and so surprisingly versatile. As soon as brussel sprouts are in season, I pounce. Brussel sprouts tend to appear at the local markets sometime in November and I totally dance a little jig when I see that bucket at my favorite market stand for the first time in the seaons. And sometimes, during the fall and winter holidays, I get all silly and buy them on the stalk. Because I am fancy like that. But really, on most days, I toss them with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper and just let them roast. But not this time. I went all out with my brussel sprouts.

A lunch with my mom this past fall inspired this dish. We went to this funky pub near her hotel where I had a simple brussel sprout hash with eggs and creme fraiche. The lunch was a perfect treat, and its’ simplicity made me really happy. I knew I had to create a dinner inspired by this dish. I knew that cauliflower would work well with brussel sprouts. And well, mushrooms, because mushrooms. I always add mushrooms to everything. Or so it seems.

I started by caramelizing some diced onion and garlic while I shredded up the brussel sprouts. I like buying my brussel sprouts whole and chopping myself, but I wouldn’t hold it against you if you picked up a bag of already shredded brussel sprouts over at Trader Joe’s.

Once the onions were done, I added the shredded sprouts to my cast iron skillet. I let those cook a bit while I chopped up my cauliflower. If you wanted a shortcut here, you could also use a bag of that riced cauliflower. I quickly chopped half a head of cauliflower – stalks and crowns. I added that to the pan and let that cook a few minutes before adding in the chopped mushrooms. I continued to let it cook in the skillet for another 7-10 minutes or so, stirring every so often.

I served this brussel sprout hash over some baby spinach and then topped it with a gloriously fried egg. You can also go for a poached egg, if fried isn’t your style. If you’re vegan or just not in the mood for an egg, you can certainly leave it out. It’s all good. This was dinner in our house, but I could totally see this being served again as breakfast, brunch or lunch as well.

Enjoy!


Brussel Sprout, Cauliflower & Mushroom Hash
 
Author:
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil or butter
  • 1 onion, dice
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil or butter (additional)
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1.5 pounds of brussel sprouts, washed and trimmed
  • 4 cups chopped or riced cauliflower
  • 8 oz. cremini or baby bella mushrooms, diced
  • Additional salt and pepper to taste
  • Eggs (optional)
  • Butter for frying the eggs
Instructions
  1. Heat up the oil or butter in a large, deep skillet. I like using my cast iron pan for this.
  2. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add in the onion and garlic let it soften and caramelize.
  3. While the onion cooks, shred the brussel sprouts by halving and slicing thinly.
  4. Add the salt and pepper to the onions.
  5. After about 7 minutes, add in the brussel sprouts. Stir a bit and turn the heat to medium.
  6. Let the brussel sprouts cook down for 3-5 minutes and then stir in the cauliflower and chopped mushrooms.
  7. Mix everything well and let the mixture cook for about 10 minutes.
  8. Taste and adjust seasoning.
  9. Fry up some eggs, sunny side up if you like.
  10. Serve the hash with some fried eggs or salad, or even with some meat - if that's your speed.
  11. Enjoy!

 

 

Summer Squash & Caramelized Onion Frittata

summer-squash-frittataToday is the day after CSA day. A kind of day where I’m still getting down from that high of checking out all the amazing farm-fresh goodness that came from my weekly share. If you follow along on Facebook or instagram, you know all about my weekly CSA share posts. So you may already know about the abundance of summer squash I’ve been getting the past few weeks. It’s amazing. I love supporting a local farm through the CSA and also love knowing that all the vegetables and eggs that I’m eating came from less than an hour away from  me.

So back to the summer squash. What’s not to love about it? It’s a mild-tasting and very versatile vegetable. Like a zucchini, you can do a lot with it. Add it to salad, chop it up and stir-fry it. The list goes on.

I love the way summer squash looks and I love highlighting the yellow skin when possible. I thought a frittata would be a great way to give this vegetable a lead role. Pairing it with some caramelized onions and some freshly picked basil leaves is a great way to let the summer squash shine.

I sliced up some onions and let them caramelize with some garlic. I then added most of the squash abd let them soften a bit. I poured in some beaten eggs and then added some basil, goat cheese, salt and pepper. I added some more thinly sliced summer squash on top.

I then placed in the oven until set.

The combination of all the flavors is perfect. Knowing that every item came from the farm makes the meal that much tastier. Well the basil didn’t come from the farm. I grew that on my fire escape. Do I get bonus points for that kind of commitment?




Summer Squash & Caramelized Onion Frittata
 
Author:
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 medium onions, sliced thinly
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 summer squash, sliced in thin rounds
  • 10 cage-free large eggs
  • 8 basil leaves, chiffonade slice
  • ½ cup goat cheese, crumbled (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400.
  2. Heat oil in a large oven-safe pan.
  3. Add onions and garlic to pan and saute on medium low until the onions begin to caramelize. This should take about 20 minutes.
  4. Add salt, pepper and most of the squash rounds to the pan. Leave a handful of the squash to the side for later.
  5. Turn the heat to medium high and let the squash cook for about 5-7 minutes.
  6. Beat the eggs in a bowl and add them to the pan.
  7. Chiffonade cut the basil leaves and add them to the pan.
  8. Place the squash rounds and crumbled goat cheese over the eggs.
  9. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake in the oven until the eggs are set. Should take around 15-20 minutes.
  10. Cool a few minutes before slicing and eating.
  11. Enjoy!

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Portabella and Kale Breakfast Muffins

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Breakfast is the toughest meal for me. I know I need to eat a morning meal, but I am usually out the door and on my way to work before I can even contemplate ingesting anything beyond a mega-cup of coffee. I need a morning shot of protein, but the best time for me to eat it is probably 8:30am, when I’ve already been in my office for about an hour. What do you do for breakfast on the go?

I love egg and cheese sandwiches, but those aren’t particularly healthy on a daily basis and the amount of gluten in those rolls tend to put me to sleep. I often throw a container of Greek yogurt in my bag, but I love the idea of having a warm breakfast.

I decided to try something new. I recently started getting some wonderful local cage-free eggs from a farm through my CSA. I get a dozen eggs each week and decided to put some of these eggs to good use. I chose to prep some gluten free egg muffins that I could freeze for later use. These egg muffins came together quickly. I sautéed some chopped kale lightly with some salt, pepper, and garlic. I placed a little bit of kale at the bottom of each muffin cup. I then added a couple pieces of diced shallot, along with a few pieces of diced portabella mushroom cap. I whisked up the eggs with some salt and pepper. I then poured the egg mixture in to each muffin cup and sprinkled a little bit of cheese over. I baked the muffins until the egg was set. And then that was it! Can you believe it? Super easy to make.

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I made a couple dozen and threw them in a ziploc bag. The next day, I grabbed a couple out and put them in a container to bring to work. I heated them up in my work microwave. They were perfect. It was like a stroke of genius! I’m totally doing this again. I’m also looking forward to playing with flavors. You can swap out any of the vegetables for whatever you prefer!


Portabella and Kale Breakfast Muffins
 
Author:
Ingredients
  • ½ tbsp. olive oil
  • 3 cups chopped kale
  • 1 portabella mushroom cap, cleaned and chopped
  • 1 small shallot, chopped
  • 12 eggs
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. pepper
  • grated cheese, optional
  • oil spray
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350
  2. Spray muffin tins with oil spray
  3. Lightly saute kale in olive oil with some salt and pepper to soften a bit. You don't need to cook it, you just want to take the edge off a bit.
  4. Place about a tablespoon of kale at the bottom of each muffin cup. Next, layer some chopped mushrooms and shallots.
  5. Whisk the eggs with salt and pepper in a small bowl.
  6. Pour eggs in to muffin cups.
  7. Sprinkle on some cheese.
  8. Bake in oven for about 20 minutes, or until egg has completely set.
  9. Let cool a bit and then use a knife to loosen egg muffins from the baking pan.
  10. Eat or freeze for later use.
  11. Enjoy!

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Tomatillo Quiche

tomatillo-quiched-baked

I joined an organic co-op this year, and I’ve been loving all of the wonderful fruits and vegetables I am getting. It forces me to get more creative and try new ideas.

Last week, I got a bunch of tomatillos in my vegetable share. In the past, I’ve turned them in to salsa verde for enchiladas. I wanted to try something different this time.

tomatillo

Like other nights, I looked to my pantry and fridge for ideas. I seemed to have a surplus of organic eggs from my co-op, and I also had some cheese on hand. I knew I could turn this in to a quiche in no time.

I washed and sliced the tomatillos along with some bell pepper, onion, garlic and cilantro. I then sauteed the mixture.

saute-tomatillo

I happened to have some pie crusts in the freezer. I added the cheese to the bottom of the pie crust, then added the veggie mixture, then poured over the egg mixture. In to the oven it went.

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It came out perfectly.

I love the bite of the tomatillo. It has a strong, slightly acidic flavor. It works well with the other flavors in the quiche. I highly recommend this for your next dinner.

sliced-quiche

 

Tomatillo Quiche
 
Author:
Recipe type: Brunch, Dinner, Breakfast
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp. oilve oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 6 tomatillos, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 3 tsp. salt
  • 2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 9" Deep Dish Pie Crust
  • ¾ cup shredded cheese (I used a mixture of cheddar and monterey jack)
  • additional salt and pepper as needed
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375.
  2. Heat up the oil in a large saute pan. Saute the chopped veggies and spices for about 7 minutes, until softened.
  3. Beat the eggs with the half and half in a small mixing bowl.
  4. Sprinkle the shredded cheese in the bottom of the pie crust.
  5. Place the veggie mixture over the cheese.
  6. Pour over the egg mixture.
  7. Place the pie tin on a baking sheet and place in oven. Bake for around 35-40 minutes, until the egg has completely set.
  8. Cool for about 5-10 minutes before serving.
  9. Slice and enjoy!

tomatillo-quiched-baked

Kale and Mushroom Frittata

kale-and-mushroom-frittata

Have I ever told you how much I love the summer’s bounty of fresh greens? Between my CSA and my local farmer’s market, I am able to get some amazing fresh and local goodies. It really pushes me to do more with what I have on hand. It also prevents me from reaching for easy and quick processed foods. I love finding new ways to cook with fresh ingredients. I’ve been having some great results.

My mom taught me about frittatas on a visit when I first became a mother. She showed me how a frittata could be the answer to a fast and easy dinner. It comes together quickly and it’s a pretty forgiving dish – allowing you flexibility with ingredients.

I picked up some amazingly fresh kale at the market and I knew I wanted it to be used for a main dish. I didn’t want it relegated for a simple roasted side dish. I settled on this frittata which did not disappoint.

I chopped up some shallots and garlic and sautéed in olive oil along with some salt, red pepper flakes and fresh ground pepper. I then added some kale and cooked for another few minutes.

Kale and Mushroom Frittata

Next, I added some cut up baby bella mushrooms to the pan and sauteed a few more minutes.

Kale and Mushroom Frittata

I didn’t want to cook the greens and mushrooms too much. I wanted there to be some bite in the finished dish. I beat some eggs with some milk, salt and pepper in a small bowl and then added it to the pan.

kale-with-eggs

I let the eggs set a little bit and then added spoons of goat cheese around the pan.

Kale and Mushroom Frittata

I then transferred the pan to the oven and broiled for a few minutes until set.

I served the frittata with a simple green salad. Delicious! This is perfect for any meal of the day!

frittata-sliced

Kale and Mushroom Frittata
 
Author:
Recipe type: Brunch, Main Dish
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 tsp. sea salt
  • 2 tsp. ground pepper
  • 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 2 shallots, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 3 cups chopped kale
  • 8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, quartered
  • 6 eggs
  • ¾ cup milk
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • 1 tsp. ground pepper
  • 4 tbsp. goat cheese
Instructions
  1. Heat olive oil in a large, oven-proof saute pan
  2. Saute the garlic and shallots for a few minutes
  3. Add in the chopped kale and cook for a few minutes.
  4. Add in the mushrooms and cook another 2 minutes.
  5. Mix up the eggs with the milk in a small bowl. Add in the spices.
  6. Pour the egg mixture in to the kale mixture and let set a bit.
  7. Spoon in the goat cheese around the frittata.
  8. Transfer the pan to the oven and broil for about 4-5 minutes, until completely set and the edges have browned a bit.
  9. Slice in to wedges and serve. Enjoy!

 

Passover Breakfast Muffins

Our Passover morning changed one year for the better. I can’t pin point exactly what year it was, but it was the year that my mom’s close friend Phyllis started to bring us muffins. Until that year, we were stuck with matzoh for breakfast  – or those eggy popovers. That magical year though, Phyllis brought us an amazing assortment of muffins. They tasted so good that we questioned whether or not they were actually kosher for passover.

openmuffin

Over the past few years that I have been making Passover in my own home, those muffins have been a staple. My kids depend on them. We have experimented with different add-ins, but the base has stayed the same. They mix up pretty quickly and everyone is happy.



Passover Blueberry Muffins (recipe from our good friend, Phyllis C.)
Recipe makes almost 2 dozen muffins

Ingredients:

2/3 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup potato starch
1 cup cake meal
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2/3 cup plain yogurt
2 cups blueberries or other mix-ins (we also love strawberry, raspberry chocolate chip, banana chocolate chip)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 for a standard oven and 375 for a convection oven.

Sift together the dry ingredients in small bowl – the potato starch, cake meal, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.

In a mixer, cream the softened butter with the sugar.

Add 2 teaspoons vanilla

Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Scrape the bowl as you go.

Slowly mix the  dry ingredients in to the eggs/sugar mixture. Fold in the  2/3 cup yogurt.

Let stand in fridge for 15 minutes.

Line muffin tins with paper muffin liners.

Place a tablespoon of muffin batter into each cup.

Mix you mix-in in to the remaining batter.  Fill the muffin cups 2/3 full with blueberry batter.

muffinbatter

Bake at 400 degrees in a preheated, conventional oven or 375 in convection oven for 20-25 minutes, or until done.

lotsofmuffins

The Muffins freeze well. Makes 20 to 24 muffins.

muffin

*If you are looking for something gluten free or non-gebrokts for Passover, I highly recommend these muffins over at My Wife the Chef.

Meatless Monday: Blueberry Oatmeal Pancakes

I am horrible about eating breakfast. As I run out the door each morning, I should be grabbing something nutritious. Instead, I start my day with a double dose of iced coffee. That’s it. By lunch time, I’m starving. Once in a blue moon, I will have a bagel.

Of course I do crave a good breakfast. You know the kind. The kind that you get in a diner. Where they serve you a heaping plate of pancakes and the butter is melting down the side. There is a sticky jar of maple syrup waiting to be poured. That or eggs and a big crispy plate of hash browns. I haven’t had a breakfast like that in ages.

That is what was on my mind as I stepped in my sauna-like house this evening. A normal person would turn around and throw the kids in the car and then head to IHOP. Not me, though. I grabbed the flour off the shelf and set out to make some good old flapjacks.

I didn’t want to make the boxed kind, when it’s easy enough to make from scratch. These blueberry oatmeal pancakes were a big hit in this house. Super filling.

Blueberry Oatmeal Pancakes
Ingredients:

1 cup flour
3/4 cup quick oats
2.5 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1.5 cups milk
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup blueberries
1 tbsp. vegetable oil

Whisk everything together slowly in a large mixing bowl.

Heat a large griddle.

Pour batter on to lightly greased griddle 1/2 cup at a time.

Flip over when side is done.

Serve with more blueberries, butter and maple syrup.

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Meatless Monday: Shakshuka

Sometimes I crave eggs. Just my body’s way of telling me that I need some protein. On some nights, I will just throw together a quick and painless omelet to go with a quick salad. Other times, I want something a bit more substantial – a bit more flavorful. On nights like that, I turn to Shakshuka. Shakshuka is Israeli comfort food. It’s a dish of eggs, poached in a rich, tomato based sauce. For this shakshuka, I added some chickpeas and mushrooms for extra protein and texture.

Shakshuka
Ingredients:

 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 tsp. cumin
1 tbsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. paprika
salt
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 package of mushrooms, sliced
1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes with peppers and onions (RoTel would also work)
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 can of chickpeas
5 eggs
feta cheese
scallions for garnish

In a large, deep cast iron skillet or other oven-safe pan, saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil. Saute until soft/

Add in the spices and the chopped green pepper. Cook a few minutes.

Add in the chickpeas aand mushrooms. Cook two more minutes.

Add in the two cans of tomatoes and the tomato paste. Stir everything together. Cook a few more minutes.

Set your oven to broil.

Use your spoon to make indentations where you want your eggs to go.

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Crack each egg in to each spot.

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Cook eggs for just a minute or so.

Sprinkle on some feta.

Transfer the pan to the oven. Cook for another 4 minutes, or until the eggs are done to your preference. I like my eggs a little runny. Garnish with the chopped scallions.

Serve shakshuka with some pita and a green salad.

IMG_1179

Enjoy!

Vegetarian Eggs Benedict

Why didn’t anyone tell me that it was so easy to make Hollandaise sauce? It took all of a 3 minutes and while it isn’t something I would ever eat frequently – it’s really good.

Back in my waitressing days, I remember serving up Eggs Benedict at Perkins. It was a popular Saturday/Sunday morning indulgence. At that time I was a vegetarian, and it never occurred to me to try and convince the cooks to adapt it for me.

A few years later, while visiting home, my parents took me out to Good Day Cafe in Minneapolis. They told me it was one of those “must-go-to” places for breakfast. Long lines, good food, etc.  They instructed me to get the Wild Mushroom Benedict there. “You must taste this, Hindy,” they said. My mom and I split it. Totally worth the calorie splurge. At Good Day, the sauce they lay over is more of a gravy, but it had the same consistency of a Hollandaise, and probably just as healthy.

Ten or so years later, I decided to try a Benedict at home. I decided to go the traditional route with the Hollandaise and leave out the Canadian bacon of course. I chose to substitute the bacon with sauteed spinach and mushrooms. I think the hardest part about making something like this is that there are several cooked components. Each component in and of itself is pretty easy.

Recipes for each of the components are below.



Spinach Mushroom Mixture
Ingredients3 cloves of garlic
Chopped fresh spring garlic (two shoots)
1 shallot, chopped
1/2 pound of spinach
5 oz. of sliced mushrooms
salt
pepper
olive oil

Saute the onion and garlic for a few minutes in some olive oil. Add the mushrooms. Cook for two minutes. Add the spinach. Stir and cook for a couple more minutes. Season with salt, pepper. I also used some lemon pepper. Keep warm while you do everything else.

Poached Eggs
Ingredients

eggs – 1 for each muffin half
water
vinegar

Boil some water in a shallow sauce pan.

Crack the egg in to a small cup or ramekin.

Turn the water down to a simmer.

Add a drop of vinegar to the water.

Swirl the water around quickly with a spoon.

While the water is still swirling, slide the egg in to the water with the cup. With a slotted spoon, push the white in to the yolk so it cooks neatly.

You could also try using one of those silicone egg poaching eggs. I found that the egg came out better directly in the water bath. You may have better luck than me with a cup though. If you are using the poaching cup method, you need to cover the pot while the eggs cook.

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Cook for 4-5 minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon.

I like this step-by-step tutorial on Simply Recipes.

Hollandaise Sauce
recipe by Julia Child

Ingredients

3 egg yolks
1 stick of butter
1-2 tbsp lemon juice (depending on how lemony you like it)
salt
pepper
Cayenne Pepper (optional)

Place the egg yolks, salt, pepper, lemon juice and cayenne in a blender. Beat it for 3 seconds.

Microwave your butter until frothy.

With the blender running, slowly pour in the butter. Blend for another 30 seconds or so. The sauce will be thick.

Discard the butter solids at the bottom of the bowl.

Take a taste of the sauce with a finger or spoon. Season further to taste.

While you wait for everything else to be ready, place the blender in a bowl of warm water to keep warm and saucy.

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As a gluten free alternative, I would recommend an arepa for the bottom bread like piece. Toast your English Muffin or arepa. I hope you can manage that without a recipe.

Now it’s time to plate up your Eggs Benedict!

To assemble:
Lay out your English Muffin or halved arepa. Spoon on some spinach mixture. Carefully place the poached egg on to each round. Top with some Hollandaise and a sprinkling of cayenne. Yum!

IMG_1173

I served this with some herb roasted potatoes and a salad.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

One of the first cakes I ever made, that didn’t come from a box, was a coffee cake. It was snowing in New Jersey and we were stuck indoors. We decided to warm up the house with some baking. Being a non-baker, I had none of the ingredients. I crawled my way through the snow to the store at the foot of our housing development. I picked up whatever was needed and headed home to bake. That cake was awesome! Ten-and-a-half years later, and I still don’t bake too many cakes. I can handle cookies and brownies, but not cakes.

I had some plain yogurt that needed to be used up. I decided to pull out that wrinkled coffee cake recipe and adapt for what I had on hand. While I am not a cake fan, I love coffee cake. The cinnamon-sugar middle and topping…yum! I decided to up that yum factor with some chocolate chips. You can’t go wrong with chocolate!

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

Cake Ingredients:
1 stick of butter
1 cup of sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup plain yogurt (can also use sour cream)
2 tbsp. half and half
2 cups of flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp. cinnamon

Topping Ingredients:
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup chocolate chips




Preheat the oven to 350.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and eggs. Add in the vanilla, half and half and the yogurt.

In a smaller bowl, mix up the dry ingredients.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix well.

In a small bowl, mix the topping ingredients.

Spray a 9×13 baking pan and dust with flour.  
Spread half of the batter in to the pan. 
Sprinkle half of the topping ingredients over the batter.
Spread the rest of the batter over this.
Add the rest of the topping ingredients.
Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 or until done.
Cool for 30-45 minutes. Slice and serve.
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Enjoy!

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