This weekend my parents drove into town for a very short visit (28 hours of driving for 24 hour visit!) to deliver two spectacular pieces of furniture my father made for us. I have to upload and organize those photos once the camera charges a bit, so in the meantime, some recent delicious noshes:
I made this for Saturday morning breakfast. My dad declared it to be
The best breakfast dish I have ever had.
but he is given to hyperbole when it comes to my accomplishments.
Luke called it
The first time you have ever made breakfast.
BREAKFAST STRATA WITH SPINACH AND GRUYERE*
from The Best Make-Ahead Recipe
*my cheese of the month
16-20 (1/2 inch) slices supermarket French or Italian bread
7 T butter
2 large shallots, minced
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup dry white wine or vermouth
12 ounces Gruyere, shredded (~ 3 cups)
12 large eggs
3.5 cups half and half
1. Adjust 2 oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 325. Spread the bread out over two baking sheets and bake until dry and light golden brown, about 25 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool completely and spread one side with butter, using 4 T of the butter.
2. Meanwhile, melt remaining 3 T over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until softened, 3 minutes. Stir in the spinach and cook until warm, 2 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add wine to the skillet and simmer over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. Butter a 9x13 and place half of the bread tightly in the dish, buttered side up, into a single layer. Sprinkle half the spinach mixture, then 1 cup of cheese. Repeat with remaining bread slices, spinach and 1 more cup of cheese.
4. Whisk the eggs until combined, then whisk in reduced wine, half and half, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread layers and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of cheese.
5. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic flush to the surface of the strata. Weigh it down with bags of rice, powdered sugar, etc and refrigerate 8-24 hours.
6. With rack in middle position, heat oven to 325. Unwrap strata and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Bake uncovered until puffed and strata pulls away from the edges, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve.
This was delicious (the bread just dissolves) and filling. I started with stale bread and skipped most of the first step, and it worked great. This is calorically dense, very satisfying and very good at staving off the elevenses. I am usually hungry by then, but not this morning. (It reheats well).
On Sunday night I made this, mostly because I could not believe that pumpkin-cheese-tomato could be a tasty combination. I was pleased to find out that not only does the pumpkin reduce the fat/calories (by reducing the amount of cheese required) and add fiber, it adds sort of an unplaceable savoriness. I don't think I would have guessed pumpkin.
Pumpkin-Ricotta stuffed shells, Country Living
But the real winner was this dessert from the November Cooking Light. I haven't read that magazine in a long time but I really like the new layout and vastly improved food photography.
Peanut butter and dark chocolate fudge
Delicious! The sweetened condensed milk is ultra-viscous and hard to measure; I think half the can for the bottom layer and half for the top was approximately how it worked out. You'll have to let me know after YOU MAKE THEM IMMEDIATELY.
I made this for Saturday morning breakfast. My dad declared it to be
The best breakfast dish I have ever had.
but he is given to hyperbole when it comes to my accomplishments.
Luke called it
The first time you have ever made breakfast.
BREAKFAST STRATA WITH SPINACH AND GRUYERE*
from The Best Make-Ahead Recipe
*my cheese of the month
16-20 (1/2 inch) slices supermarket French or Italian bread
7 T butter
2 large shallots, minced
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup dry white wine or vermouth
12 ounces Gruyere, shredded (~ 3 cups)
12 large eggs
3.5 cups half and half
1. Adjust 2 oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 325. Spread the bread out over two baking sheets and bake until dry and light golden brown, about 25 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool completely and spread one side with butter, using 4 T of the butter.
2. Meanwhile, melt remaining 3 T over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until softened, 3 minutes. Stir in the spinach and cook until warm, 2 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add wine to the skillet and simmer over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. Butter a 9x13 and place half of the bread tightly in the dish, buttered side up, into a single layer. Sprinkle half the spinach mixture, then 1 cup of cheese. Repeat with remaining bread slices, spinach and 1 more cup of cheese.
4. Whisk the eggs until combined, then whisk in reduced wine, half and half, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread layers and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of cheese.
5. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic flush to the surface of the strata. Weigh it down with bags of rice, powdered sugar, etc and refrigerate 8-24 hours.
6. With rack in middle position, heat oven to 325. Unwrap strata and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Bake uncovered until puffed and strata pulls away from the edges, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve.
This was delicious (the bread just dissolves) and filling. I started with stale bread and skipped most of the first step, and it worked great. This is calorically dense, very satisfying and very good at staving off the elevenses. I am usually hungry by then, but not this morning. (It reheats well).
On Sunday night I made this, mostly because I could not believe that pumpkin-cheese-tomato could be a tasty combination. I was pleased to find out that not only does the pumpkin reduce the fat/calories (by reducing the amount of cheese required) and add fiber, it adds sort of an unplaceable savoriness. I don't think I would have guessed pumpkin.
Pumpkin-Ricotta stuffed shells, Country Living
But the real winner was this dessert from the November Cooking Light. I haven't read that magazine in a long time but I really like the new layout and vastly improved food photography.
Peanut butter and dark chocolate fudge
Delicious! The sweetened condensed milk is ultra-viscous and hard to measure; I think half the can for the bottom layer and half for the top was approximately how it worked out. You'll have to let me know after YOU MAKE THEM IMMEDIATELY.
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