Vegetable Strata (Breakfast Casserole)

Have you seen The Family Stone with Sarah Jessica Parker? There is a scene involving the preparation of, and unfortunate disaster involving a Christmas strata. Ever since seeing the movie a few years back I have always wanted to make one. But, since I am not a huge breakfast eater, I never got around to making one. This past weekend I decided to make brunch and finally decided to give the strata a chance. 

A strata typically involves two key ingredients: eggs and bread. You can add meats, cheeses and vegetables, but a strata is not a strata without eggs and bread. In a casserole dish I layered sauteed vegetables with cheese and cubed french bread. Then, I poured an egg mixture over the whole thing. The casserole goes into the fridge overnight and bakes up the next morning. The result reminded me of a savory bread pudding. This version includes a variety of vegetables, herbed chèvre (goat cheese) and parmesan cheese. For a less family-style presentation, try baking individual portions in ramekins. 

Vegetable Breakfast Strata

(Printable Recipe)

Adapted from Taste of Home Healthy Cooking

1 cup baby bella mushrooms, sliced

1 zucchini, chopped

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

1 red onion, finely chopped

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

2 cups, fresh baby spinach

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

10 ounces herbed chèvre (goat cheese)

1-3/4 cups Parmesan cheese, grated

1 loaf day-old* french bread, cubed

6 eggs

2 cups milk

1/4 teaspoon, ground nutmeg

Saute mushrooms, zucchini, red pepper and onion in olive oil over medium heat until tender. Add in the spinach, garlic cloves, dried thyme, salt and pepper. Saute another 3 to 4 minutes or until the spinach is wilted. Coat a 13x9 glass baking dish with cooking spray. Layer half of the vegetable mixture with half of the cubed bread, goat cheese and Parmesan cheese. Repeat. Whisk together the eggs, milk and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Pour over the casserole. Cover and refrigerate overnight. About 30 minutes before baking, remove the strata from the fridge. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until set. Serve warm.

*If, like me, you bought the bread the day of, here's a tip. Cube the bread, place on a cookie sheet and place in a 200 degree oven for 20 minutes or so. It will help to "stale" the bread.

Hearty Minestrone Soup

As the temperature starts to gradually cool down for the fall season, all I can think about is making soup. My all-time favorite is Minestrone. My family always enjoyed sitting down to this hearty soup, loaded with Italian sausage, beans and pasta. I can never serve this without homemade focaccia bread on the side.

  

Hearty Minestrone Soup

(Printable Recipe)

1 pound mild Italian sausage

6 cups beef broth

2 onions chopped

2 large carrot, sliced

2 large celery stalks, diced

1 can (28 oz.) tomatoes, pureed

2 cans (8 oz each) tomato sauce

1 tablespoons parsley

1/2 teaspoon basil

1 teaspoon oregano

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 clove garlic chopped and cooked in 2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 can garbanzo beans drained

1 can Italian green beans drained

1 cup uncooked Farfalline (small bowtie) pasta 

Parmesan cheese, grated (for serving)

Brown sausage in saute pan. Drain. Transfer sausage to a large pot and add broth, onions, carrots, celery, tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic, parsley and seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1-1/2 hours.  Add garbanzo beans, green beans and pasta. Simmer until noodles are al dente. Top with grated Parmesan cheese. Serve with focaccia bread.

Honey Cornbread Muffins

So I was making bean soup and wanted a corn muffin to accompany the soup for dinner.  I didn't really have a corn muffin recipe that I was particularly attached to until now. 

These Honey Cornbread Muffins will be added to my recipe box.  The muffins are simple and slightly sweet, not too light and not too dense.  I love it when I try something new that can become a staple recipe.  I only made one adjustment to the recipe and that was buttermilk in place of the whole milk.  I am sure the muffins will be equally good with whole milk. If you try the recipe and think your corn muffins are better, please let me know. 

Honey Cornbread Muffins

Recipe from The Neelys

(Printable Recipe)

• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk 
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 stick butter, melted
• 1/4 cup honey
• Special equipment: paper muffin cups and a 12-cup muffin tin

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Into a large bowl, mix the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the whole milk, eggs, butter, and honey. Add the wet to the dry ingredients and stir until just mixed.

Place muffin paper liners in a 12-cup muffin tin. Evenly divide the cornbread mixture into the papers. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden.

Apple Cinnamon Crumble Pie

I am terrible at making decisions, especially when it comes to desserts. This recipe saves me the 10, 15 or 20 minutes it would take me to decide what to do with the half-dozen apples lounging around my kitchen. Crisps, crumbles, pies, tarts, slumps, the list just goes on and on. I love pie for the buttery crust, but enjoy the textural difference that a crumble feels against baked apples. But an apple pie with a crumble top gives me everything I want in one big sensibly portioned slice. You have my permission to add the cold, creamy element to the list by topping it with vanilla bean ice cream or whipped cream. You know, only if you want. 

Apple Cinnamon Crumble Pie

(Printable Recipe)

Adapted from Bon Appetit

For the Crust: 

1 pie crust, (Your favorite from-scratch recipe, or a prepared crust)

For the Filling

3-3/4 pounds Granny Smith and Golden Delicious apples (I used 3 of each)

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the Cinnamon Crumble:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Roll out the pie dough and press it into a pie plate. Trim the edges and crimp according to preference. For the cinnamon crumble, combine the first 5 ingredients in a bowl. Using a pastry blender or a fork, add the butter and mix until the mixture resembles wet sand and is crumbly. Keep in fridge until ready to use. Peel, core and slice the apples. Combine in a bowl with the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter. Place the apple mixture in the pie crust. Top with the cinnamon crumble and evenly distribute to cover the apples. Bake for 45 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake 45 minutes more. Cover with foil if browning too quickly. Remove from oven when edges begins to bubble. Place on a cooling rack for 1 hour before serving.

Buttermilk Apple Muffins

Fall is officially here and I am thinking about apples, pumpkins, homemade bread and soup.  This morning I decided to have these hearty, healthy muffins full of apples waiting for the children when they awoke.

Buttermilk Apple Muffins
(Printable Recipe)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup  all-purpose flour

1/2 cup oat bran
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 cup Smart Balance buttery spread
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups peeled, diced apples

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Prepare muffin cups with grease and flour or muffin liners and set aside.

Mix together the flours, oat bran, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, and set aside. In a separate bowl, cream the buttery spread and add the sugars. Beat until fluffy. Add the egg and mix well, scraping sides as needed.  Mix in the buttermilk gently. Stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the apple chunks.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups.  Bake for 10 minutes. Lower heat to 400°F, and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean). Cool the muffins.  Remove from pan and serve. Makes 15.

Fried Doughboys

Leftover yeast dough can be stored overnight in the refrigerator and fried the next day in olive oil for an indulgent and quick breakfast bread. While visiting with a friend at a home in Rhode Island as a teenager, the grandma, who was originally from Greece, made these for breakfast. She used olive oil to fry them, which gave the flavor a more fruity taste. My kids loved these when they were little, and it has a fun name to boot!

Fried Doughboys

(Printable Recipe)

Leftover bread dough

1 cup olive oil

Suggested toppings: whipped honey butter, powdered sugar, maple syrup, jam

Roll out dough till 1/2 inch thick.  Cut circles with a biscuit cutter. Heat olive oil in a heavy bottomed skillet. Lightly stretch cut out dough circles and gently place into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels or brown paper.

Tips from the Kitchen: Baking Edition

If you're not already a baking machine, the holiday season (that is just around the corner) will most likely have you cranking out candies, cookies and pies before you know it. Here are some baking tips from previous posts that can be of help!

If you can still get your hands on seasonal summer fruit, try this genius pie mold trick.

When a pie recipe calls for "blind baking", you can use dried beans as do-it-yourself pie weights.

Cookies make a great holiday gift. Did you know that paying careful attention to how you cream the cookie dough can make a big difference? 

Cloverleaf rolls are elegant on the holiday table. Here's a trick to make sure they all come out the same size.

Adding too much flour when rolling out baked goods can dry them out and make them dense. Here's how to avoid it.

Don't hold out on us. What are some of your baking tips and tricks?

Pumpkin "Potpourri" Pie

If you read my last post, then you know about the contest addiction I have with one particular event at the Tennessee Valley Fair. Yesterday was the competition and I am happy to report that I pulled out a 3rd place victory! I really like this pie and even if it hadn't won over the judge's palette, I would still make it again. If you love pumpkin pie, this one is over the top. One of my favorite pies I make is a date-nut pumpkin pie, which I decided to take to a new level. It worked for me and fortunately, the judges too. My husband picked out the name and at first it wasn't meant to be a compliment. I won't bore you with the details of that story, however his pie name and my recipe were somewhat successful. Fall officially begins next week and this recipe would be a great addition to a Thanksgiving menu for those pumpkin pie lovers out there.  

Pumpkin Potpourri Pie

(Printable Recipe)

Crust: 

1 package Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts (or you can make your own crust.)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roll one pie crust to fit pie plate (if needed). Place pie crust into 9-inch pie plate and crimp edges. Place in refrigerator. 

Potpourri Layer:

1 - 8 oz. pkg pitted, chopped dates

2/3 cup warm water

Zest of 1 orange (save orange for pumpkin filling)

1/3 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons butter

½ cup chopped pecans

½ teaspoon cinnamon

In small saucepan, combine dates, water and orange zest.  Cook on medium heat until mixture comes to a boil and dates have softened.  Add brown sugar and butter.  Stir.  Remove from heat and add pecans and cinnamon.  Set aside to cool.

Pumpkin Filling:

2 eggs

1-15 ounce can cooked pumpkin

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup brown sugar

3/4 cup evaporated milk

Juice of 1 orange

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cloves

In mixer bowl, combine eggs and pumpkin. Add sugars, milk, juice, salt and spices.  Mix well to blend ingredients. Spoon potpourri mixture into unbaked pie shell and spread evenly across bottom. Slowly spoon pumpkin filling on top of potpourri layer. Bake in oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 F and bake an additional 45-50 minutes or until center is set. Cool.

Orange Cream:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

¼ cup sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 pint whipping cream

In mixer bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Add the orange zest and juice. Mix to combine. Slowly add 1 pint whipping cream beating until soft peaks form. After pie has cooled, spread orange cream on top of the pumpkin pie. Garnish with ¼ cup chopped pecans and an orange slice in the middle. Chill several hours. Serve.

"Best of Show" Lemon Curd Cupcakes

I have a tradition of entering the Tennessee Valley Fair every year.  It was just a random event in 1999 - the Pillsbury Pie Crusts: Pie Baking Championship.  I won second place with a Cran-Apple Nut pie and I have been creating pies for the contest nearly every year since 1999.  The challenge of trying to win has sucked me in and now I look forward to the adrenaline rush of creating a pie at the last minute. I have met other contest junkies like myself that I enjoy seeing each year also. Last week, the Tennessee Valley Fair opened.  

Occasionally, I enter an item or two in the baked goods contests. This year I decided to bake and bake and bake and see how my cookies, breads, cupcakes and candy would fair.  It was a miserable day to drop off baked goods for a contest this past Saturday....torrential rain!  Baked goods are to be on plates in gallon storage bags sealed. As I stacked plates of baked goods and trudged through the rain, some of the baked items probably lost some presentation points. Needless to say, I left all my items to be judged.  

One of the items I made was a lemon cupcake. I made a vanilla cupcake batter with the addition of citrus zest, coned out the top of the cooked cupcake and placed a small spoonful of lemon curd in the hole. I  topped the whole thing with a lemon frosting. This wasn't exactly planned. I just started baking cupcakes and this is where it ended.  I only knew I wanted to use the yummy lemon frosting I recently discovered. To my surprise, the cupcake won "Best of Show".  Because I only made six of these cupcakes for the contest, I was left with one cupcake, half iced to take home and taste. So, I went home and cut it in half to see how it looked inside and then shared it with my family.  I'm not crazy about cupcakes but it seems to be a pretty good cupcake.  I managed to compile the recipe as  best I could remember making it late last Friday night.  This is the poor half of a cupcake that lost half the frosting (the best part) in travel:

"Best of Show" Lemon Curd Cupcakes

(Printable Recipe)

For the Cupcakes:

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon orange zest

1/2 teaspoon lime zest

2-1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-2/3 cup sugar

3 large egg whites, at room temperature

Prepared lemon curd

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Insert liners into cupcake pan. In large bowl, cream butter until fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add milk, vanilla extract, lemon extract and zests.

In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Sift three times.  Add the sugar and flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until incorporated.  Turn up mixer and beat for 2 minutes.  Add egg whites.  Beat 2 more minutes.  

Fill cupcake liners three-quarters full.  Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool and remove.  

Cone out middle of cupcakes about the size of a quarter. Spoon lemon curd in hole. Decorate with lemon frosting (below). Makes 18.

For the Lemon Frosting:

Adapted from Sprinkles

2 sticks unsalted butter, firm but not cold

Zest of 1 lemon

1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1/8 teaspoon salt

3-3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2-1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter, zest and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Reduce the speed to low, gradually add the confectioner's sugar and beat until thoroughly blended.  Add the vanilla and lemon juice and beat until smooth.  Do not overmix, or the frosting will incorporate too much air.  It should be creamy.  Add milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, if frosting does not have a spreadable consistency.

Vermont White Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese

In my opinion, there is no other cheese for macaroni and cheese than sharp white Vermont cheddar. It just might be because of the fond memories I have as a child living in Vermont. My mother would send me off to the corner market to purchase the local cheese which we enjoyed that evening in our family's favorite casserole.  

Vermont White Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese

(Printable Recipe)

16 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked according to package directions

6 tablespoons flour

4 cups shredded Cabot sharp white cheddar cheese

4 cups milk, heated

1 sleeve saltine crackers

10 tablespoons unsalted butter 

Paprika 

Preheat oven for 350 degrees. In medium  saucepan make a roux by whisking together flour with 6 tablespoons of the butter. Cook and stir with a wire wisk over medium heat until mixture boils; simmer 1 minute stirring constantly with a wire wisk gradually add milk. Gradually mix in cheese. Stir over low heat until cheese is melted. Add pasta and mix together lightly.  Pour into a 4-quart buttered casserole dish.

Combine 4 tablespoons of melted butter with the crackers. Season with paprika, for color. Top noodles with cracker crumbs. 

Bake 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and crisp on top.