brunch Archives - Parsley and Icing

an overview of an egg frittata with ground cinnamon next to it and parsley and white plates and forks next to it and a knife

Add color and flavor to your breakfast, brunch or dinner table with this easy, delicious Moroccan Chicken Frittata! Inspired by one of my favorite and one of the most famous Moroccan dishes B’stilla Bil Djaj, or Chicken Bstilla, this frittata is full of fresh flavor and warm spices.

In my opinion, Chicken Bstilla should be on every food lover’s bucket list! It starts with a whole chicken cooked with onion, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, and saffron, parsley and cilantro. The chicken gets shredded and beaten eggs are added to the sauce.

The chicken mixture is spread on layers of filo dough that is slathered with butter and sprinkled with fried, chopped almonds, powdered sugar and ground cinnamon! AMAZING!!

I made Chicken Bstilla once when my cousin visited me in Boston. She asked for the recipe and asked if it was easy to make. I gave her the recipe, but had to tell her it was pretty time consuming. Also, the layers of butter, sadly, are not the healthiest! This Moroccan Chicken Frittata is my way of bringing these flavors to our tables in an easier-to-prepare, healthier form!

cubed chicken breast in a pan with olive oil

Since one of the main ingredients in Chicken Bstilla is eggs, I thought a healthier, less time-consuming version of this famous dish could be in the form of a frittata. To reduce the cooking time, I went with boneless skinless chicken breast cut into small pieces.

The eggs can be cooked as a frittata or even as scrambled eggs. I like the frittata style especially if you’re serving it for company. It’s best enjoyed right away, but can also be served at room temperature.

If you want to go for an even more authentic taste, add a pinch of saffron and/or some ground almonds.

As mentioned, this frittata works for any meal. It’s super tasty with some crusty bread and a green salad. For more savory, traditional Moroccan recipes, try my Creamy Garlic Potato Fritters and the brunch favorite- Shakshuka!

Chicken Frittata

Author: Natalie
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Category: Dinner, breakfast, brunch
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Moroccan

Description

Add color and flavor to your breakfast, brunch or dinner table with this easy, delicious Moroccan Chicken Frittata!

Scale

Ingredients

FOR THE CHICKEN

3 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 onion, grated
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons each parsley and cilantro, chopped
1 cinnamon stick
2 tablespoons lemon juice
salt and pepper

FOR THE EGG MIXTURE

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
5 eggs
salt and pepper

Instructions

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and chop into cubes. Heat the oil or butter in a deep skillet on medium heat and cook the chicken for 2-3 minutes. Add the onion, salt, pepper, ginger, turmeric, and ground cinnamon and cook on medium high heat, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the water and cinnamon stick, parsley and cilantro, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes (until chicken is cooked and sauce has reduced by half). Adjust seasoning if necessary. Stir in the lemon juice and remove the cinnamon stick.
Spoon 3-4 tablespoons of the sauce into a medium-sized bowl and allow to cool for a few minutes. Whisk the eggs in with the cooled sauce then pour egg mixture over the chicken. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until the eggs are cooked. Serve immediately.

Notes

It’s delicious served with crusty bread and a green salad!

Keywords: frittata, eggs, breakfast, dinner

Embracing apple season with this Apple Cinnamon Bread. Made with fresh apples, warming cinnamon, seasonal nutmeg and topped with an incredibly delicious maple walnut crumble topping and a sweet, simple icing, this bread is super moist and incredibly delicious! It makes a perfect breakfast, brunch, or dessert.

A delicious loaf of apple cinnamon bread topped with streusel and icing.

ABOUT THIS APPLE CINNAMON BREAD

If you’re looking for a delicious way to use some fresh autumn apples, this recipe is definitely it. It’s delicious year round and the cinnamon and nutmeg will make you feel like it’s October no matter what month it is. It’s so good with coffee for breakfast and is also a super satisfying snack or dessert.

Freshly baked apple bread on a wooden board with a knife and icing next to it.

To make this Apple Cinnamon Bread even more of a treat, it’s topped with the tastiest maple walnut crumble! It’s buttery, sweet, spiced with cinnamon and sweetened with both granulated and brown sugar. It’s made more amazing with homemade maple glazed walnuts!

A thick slice of apple bread topped with a delicious maple walnut crumble.

BAKING WITH APPLES

I love baking with apples! Here are a few reasons why:

They are a natural sweetener: You’ll still need to add sugar, but I love their subtle, natural sweetness. Speaking of fruit adding natural sweetness, definitely try my recipe for The Best Banana Bread!
They add lots of moisture: Like zucchini, apples add lots of moisture when used in baking. My Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread is also super moist!
Flavor: Apples are delicious as is. Whether you bake or cook with them or just toss some in a salad, I love the flavor they add.
Tart-Sweet: Apples are not as tart as lemons and how tart they are varies depending on the type of apple, but I love how apples are both tart and sweet.

A close up of a loaf of apple cinnamon bread with a knife in front of it.

WHAT TYPE OF APPLES SHOULD I BAKE WITH?

It’s fine to use just one type of apple in this bread, but my preference is to use two or three different types. Using more than one type will add more flavor. My favorite trio to bake with is McIntosh, Granny Smith, and Honey Crisp.

ABOUT THE CRUMBLE TOPPING

Before getting baked, this bread is topped with a delicious crumb topping that features maple glazed walnuts.

MAPLE GLAZED WALNUTS

Making maple glazed walnuts only take a few minutes to make and are such a treat. If walnuts aren’t your thing, go ahead and substitute them with almonds or pecans. You can also substitute the nuts and maple syrup for 1/4 cup quick cooking oats and an extra half a tablespoon of brown sugar.

walnuts in a pan with maple syrup in it.

To make the nuts, toss them with a little salt and cinnamon then add them to a hot skillet over medium high heat. Add the maple syrup and stir until the nuts have toasted and are coated in the syrup. The syrup will caramelize after 3-4 minutes.

Do yourself a favor and double the maple walnut recipe so that you end up with some extras! You can enjoy them as a sweet snack or add them to salads or cheese boards.

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST CRUMBLE TOPPING?

To make this Apple Cinnamon Bread even more delicious, it’s sprinkled with the tastiest maple walnut crumble! I use the same crumble recipe that I use in my Pumpkin Bread with Maple Walnut Streusel. It’s full of additional fall flavor, crunch and sweetness!

The first thing you’ll want to do is make the maple glazed walnuts. Once the walnuts have cooled, continue with the crumb topping first before making the cake batter. Since we’re making it with melted butter, it needs a few minutes to chill and become the right consistency in the fridge.

To make the topping, just mix the melted butter, flour, granulated and brown sugar, cinnamon and maple glazed walnuts together. It’ll seem a bit wet at first, but it’ll thicken up in the fridge.

Crumbly buttery brown sugar maple walnut crumble in a white bowl.

Once the batter has been mixed and poured into the pan, remove the crumble from the fridge. If needed, use your hands or a fork to break it up a bit so that the pieces are somewhat similar in size. It’s not possible to get them all the same size and the walnut pieces will be a little bit bigger than other pieces, but try to get them somewhat uniform.

A stack of three thick, delicious slices of apple bread on a stack of three small plates.

TOP IT WITH ICING

This Apple Cinnamon Bread is definitely special enough as is, but for an extra sweet treat, add some icing!

Here’s to baking with apples! This Apple Cinnamon Bread is moist, flavorful and the perfect fall treat! My favorite way to enjoy this bread is with coffee in the morning preferably while looking out at some colorful changing leaves! That said, it’s delicious and will give you all the cozy, warm fall feels no matter the time of day or year it’s enjoyed! 🙂

A slice of apple bread with a thick crumble and icing on top on a light blue plate.

Apple Cinnamon Bread

Author: Natalie
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Yield: 1 loaf 1x
Category: Baking, Quick Breads
Cuisine: American

Description

Tart, sweet apples make this Apple Cinnamon Bread recipe moist, dense and delicious. It’s perfect for breakfast or dessert.

Scale

Ingredients

FOR THE MAPLE GLAZED WALNUTS

1/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon maple syrup

FOR THE CRUMBLE

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup maple glazed walnuts, cooled and chopped (recipe above)

FOR THE BREAD

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
3 medium apples, peeled (grate 1 1/2 cups of apple and chop the rest)

FOR THE ICING (OPTIONAL)

- 3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tablespoon milk or heavy cream (plus more if icing is too thick)
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

FOR THE MAPLE GLAZED WALNUTS

In a small bowl, toss the walnuts with 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon and a small pinch of salt. Add them to a dry skillet on medium-high heat. Add the maple syrup and stir to coat the walnuts. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon for 3-4 minutes until the nuts are toasted.
Turn nuts out onto a sheet of parchment paper. Spread the nuts out (they’ll be hot and sticking together, so you’ll want to use two forks to unclump them instead of your hands). Allow nuts to cool and dry for about five minutes and then lightly chop them.

FOR THE CRUMBLE

Combine the butter, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and prepared maple walnuts in a bowl butter in a small bowl. Set aside in the fridge to chill while you prepare the batter.

FOR THE BREAD

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Leave excess paper along two sides to make it easier to remove the bread once baked.
Sift together the dry ingredients and set aside.
In a large bowl or in the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk to combine the sugar and vegetable oil. (Use a stand or hand mixer or whisk by hand).
Beat the eggs in one at a time followed by the vanilla. Whisk in the sour cream or yogurt followed by the dry ingredients. Gently fold in the grated and chopped apples just until combined. Spread batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle sprinkle the crumble evenly on top of the batter.
Bake for 50- 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center. Allow cake to cool in pan for ten minutes and then turn it out to cool on a rack. Once completely cool, drizzle with icing if desired.

FOR THE ICING

In a medium sized bowl, sift the powdered sugar. Add the milk and vanilla and use a whisk or spoon to combine.

Notes

For the apples: McIntosh, Granny Smith, and/or Honey Crisp are recommended

Keywords: apples, quick bread, apple coffee cake, icing, dessert, breakfast, walnuts, maple