Breakfast Bread Pudding

My company has three fully staffed offices which I visit regularly, but I seem to get much more done when I work from my home office, so no one was surprised when I asked if we could hold our biweekly Directors’ Meeting at my home.  It’s a little further of a drive for most so I promised a treat.  Since we meet early in the morning, I offered to make “Breakfast Bread Pudding” which is always a favorite. 

There is a wonderful artisan restaurant in nearby East Nashville which I frequent often, especially for breakfast.  They serve the most delicious brioche bread made in house daily.  I can’t seem to leave the restaurant without taking a loaf or two home.  I carefully wrap and place the unsliced loaf into the freezer and save it just for an occasion like this.  Bread pudding, whether sweet or savory, is something I make when I have stale bread and most breads work well; but if I have a choice, for sweet bread pudding I prefer brioche, challah, Hawaiian Bread or plain white bread.  For savory bread pudding I typically use a baguette, Italian bread or plain white bread.

Ingredients:

§     1 large loaf of brioche, challah or Hawaiian bread cut or torn into 2 inch cubes

§     6 extra-large eggs at room temperature

§     1 cup sugar

§     2 cups of whole milk

§     2 cup half and half

§     2 teaspoons pure vanilla

§     6 tablespoons unsalted butter

§     1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

§     warm maple syrup, for serving

Optional Ingredients:

§     golden raisins

§     dried cranberries

§     chopped pecans

§     orange zest with a splash of orange juice

§     bananas with brown sugar

§     chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, milk, half and half, vanilla and salt and set aside.  In most bread pudding recipes I add 4 whole eggs, 2 egg yolks and reduce the amount of liquid, but I prefer my breakfast bread pudding to be more moist and fluffy.

Spray the casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray to keep the bread pudding from sticking and dot the bottom of the dish with butter to add flavor. 

Tear or cut the bread into cubes and distribute evenly in the baking dish. 

Pour the custard mixture over the bread and allow to soak for 10 minutes, pressing down gently.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. 

Uncover and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until the pudding puffs up and the center is set. 

Remove from the oven and serve with warm maple syrup.  If you are not serving maple syrup, you may want to increase the amount of sugar to 1 1/2 cups.

For a printer friendly copy of this recipe, go to Breakfast Bread Pudding. Enjoy!

Lasagna Roll-Ups

When I offered to prepare something for Darlene’s birthday party, one of the items requested was lasagna.  I love to make lasagna and I love to eat lasagna, but I always feel like it’s awkward to serve at a buffet dinner.  If the lasagna is warm and the cheese is gooey, you carefully cut a piece and the lasagna begins to ooze and run.  If you wait until it sets, it’s barely warm enough to eat.  So several years ago, I came up with the idea of Lasagna Roll-Ups. 

I use the same ingredients as in my lasagna, but I create individual portions for easy plating.

Ingredients:

§     2 jars store bought or 8 cups of homemade tomato sauce

§     1 16-ounce box lasagna noodles

§     4 cups ricotta cheese

§     1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

§     3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

§     2 large eggs

§     1 teaspoon dry oregano

§     1 teaspoon garlic powder

§     salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a medium sized bowl, mix the ricotta, 1/4 cup of the parmesan, 1 1/2 cups of the mozzarella, eggs, oregano, garlic powder and salt and set aside.

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the lasagna noodles and cook until al dente stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Fill a bowl with salted ice water.  Remove the pasta from the boiling water and transfer to the ice water to stop the cooking. 

Drain the pasta and spread on a clean towel or cutting board in a single layer.  Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.   Coat the bottom of the baking dish with a ladle or two of sauce.  Spread 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the cheese filling down the center of each lasagna sheet and loosely roll up.  Transfer to the baking dish and repeat with the remaining noodles.  

Cover with 2 to 3 cups of sauce and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.  Bake uncovered until the lasagna rolls are heated through. 

Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese over the rolls and return to the oven for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. 

Serve with a bowl of warm sauce. For a printer friendly copy of this recipe, go to Lasagna Roll-Ups. Enjoy!

Sweet and Spicy Chocolate Truffles

I love foods with multiple flavors.  My caramel is always sweet and salty and my chocolate truffles are always sweet and spicy.  I don't need a holiday to make these delicious chocolates and I don't remember a time when I didn't have them in my refrigerator or freezer, but I patiently waited until Valentine's Day to share this recipe with you. I realize that not everyone likes heat, especially with chocolate, so feel free to leave out the cayenne pepper, but if you try this recipe as written, you may just discover a new pleasure.  Surprise your significant other with a little unexpected spice for Valentine's Day.

Your truffles will only taste as good as the chocolate you begin with, so make sure you use a good chocolate like Ghirardelli or Lindt.

Using a sharp knife, chop the chocolates as finely as possible to help melt the chocolate quickly and evenly.  Place the chopped chocolate into a medium glass bowl.  Glass retains heat, so the chocolate will stay melted longer.

Ingredients

§  1/2 pound bittersweet chocolate  

§  1/2 pound semisweet chocolate
§  1 cup heavy cream
§  1 tablespoon Grand Marnier (optional)
§  1 tablespoon hot prepared coffee
§  1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
§  1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
§  Unsweetened cocoa powder 

Directions

To make the ganache, heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until bubbles form around the edge.

  

Pour the hot cream into the bowl with chocolate through a fine-meshed sieve to trap any skin that may have formed and let sit for 20- 30 seconds.

With a wire whisk, slowly stir the cream and chocolates together until the chocolate is completely melted.

Whisk in the Grand Marnier, coffee, vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper.  Taste the mixture.  I typically add a little more cayenne pepper.  Will other peppers, you immediately feel the heat on your tongue.  With cayenne, you won't feel the heat until you swallow where it leaves warmth in the back of your throat.  If you like, add another bit of cayenne until you get the heat you like.  This mixture will not get spicier as it sits, so this is the perfect time to test for your desired heat. 

Cover the ganache with plastic wrap making sure the plastic rests directly onto the surface of the ganache to prevent a skin for forming.  Place the warm ganache into the refrigerator for 1-3 hours, until mixture is firm.  I poured the warm ganache into a casserole dish to cool quicker.

With 2 teaspoons or a small ice cream scoop, drop small mounds of the ganache onto a baking sheet lined with a silpat or parchment paper.

Place in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes until firm enough to roll into round balls.  

Pour the cocoa powder onto a deep plate or shallow bowl.  Drop the truffles onto the plate and roll between 2 forks to completely coat with cocoa powder.  Then use the forks to carefully transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper.  Return to refrigerator until ready to eat.  These truffles will keep in the refrigerator for two weeks and in the freezer for several months.  When ready to serve, remove from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes as truffles taste best when eaten at room temperature.

For Valentine's Day, I have decided to coat my truffles with chocolate. I'll be serving them to company and coated chocolates are a bit fancier.

Using a sharp knife, chop chocolate as finely as possible to help melt the chocolate quickly and evenly.  Place the chocolate into a medium glass bowl.  Melt in the microwave at 50 percent power until soft, about 1 minute.  Remove from microwave and stir.  If not completely melted, return to microwave for another 30 seconds being careful not to overheat the chocolate.

Dip each ball in the melted chocolate.  Two forks make it easier to fish out the dipped chocolate balls.  Place truffles on a wire rack over parchment lined tray to dry.  I had some leftover chocolate which I drizzled over the truffles in the photo.  Allow the truffles to set for at least 15 minutes. 

These will keep refrigerated for two weeks and in the freezer for several months, but serve at room temperature. For a printer friendly copy of this recipe visit Sweet and Spicy Truffles.  Enjoy! 

Sweet and Savory Baked Beans

Today we’re celebrating the 90^th birthday of Frances Oliver, the matriarch of the family who took me in as one of their own almost 20 years ago when I moved to Nashville. We are honored to host her birthday celebration in our home. When asked what she would like on the menu, she didn’t hesitate for a minute before listing all of her favorites; Tennessee Barbecue, Potato Salad, Cole Slaw, Baked Beans and Corn Casserole.  

Where I grew up, we had the best pizza places on every street corner so I never felt the need to make homemade pizza.  That’s how I feel about barbecue in Tennessee.  In Nashville there are so many award winning barbecue restaurants, I see no reason to compete, so I’ll spend my time making the sides. 

Miss Frances requested buns, but I may surprise her with homemade hoe cakes, corn bread fried like pancakes. According to early American food history, hoe cakes are so-called because they were baked on the blade of a gardening hoe by slaves in the fields. 

This is the second time this week that someone has asked me to make my Sweet and Savory Baked Beans, so I thought I would share that recipe with you.

Ingredients:

§     1 onion, finely chopped
§     1 red pepper (or a combination of red, yellow and orange), finely chopped
§     2 tablespoons vegetable oil
§     2 28 ounce cans of beans (vegetarian or pork and beans)
§     1/4 cup maple syrup
§     1/4 cup light brown sugar
§     1/4 cup ketchup
§     3 tablespoons yellow mustard
§     1 tablespoon lemon juice
§     1 teaspoon salt
§     1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan and add finely chopped onions.  Sauté the onions until translucent but not brown and then add the chopped peppers. 

Sauté the peppers and onions for one or two minutes and remove from the flame. 

In a large bowl, mix together the beans, maple syrup, brown sugar, ketchup, mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  

Add the onion and pepper mixture and combine well. 

Pour into a casserole dish and bake uncovered for approximately 30 - 40 minutes until the mixture bubbles and thickens slightly.  For a printer friendly copy of this recipe, go to Sweet and Savory Baked Beans. Enjoy!

Smoked Salmon Mousse

The refrigerator is free from holiday leftovers and the house is clean.  There is no sign of holidays past and I just got a call from dear friends who want to stop by to deliver holiday gifts.  I had no idea I would be entertaining this evening nor am I prepared for company, but after a quick scan of my pantry and refrigerator, I know I can turn to an old faithful. 

My friend Ilene gave this recipe for Smoked Salmon Mousse to me 30 years ago and I still turn to it when I need a quick hors d’oeuvre or addition to my brunch buffet. I still can't figure out why it's called Smoked Salmon Mousse.  It's not made with smoked salmon and it's not a mousse, but who am I to rename someone else's recipe.  Since it tastes best served at room temperature, it makes a good contribution to a 'pot luck' New Year's Eve party or you may want to have it on hand if you are expecting guests over the holiday weekend.  Wishing you all a very Happy New Year!

Ingredients:

§     2 6 or 7 ounce cans of skinless and boneless salmon
§     1 8-ounce package of cream cheese
§     1 tablespoon lemon juice
§     2 teaspoons finely chopped onion (optional)
§     1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
§     1/4 teaspoon salt
§     1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

In a medium sized bowl, mix all ingredients and serve with crackers. 

If possible, I prefer to make this at least a day ahead so the flavors have time to meld, but last minute, this will still be a hit.  For a hors d’oeuvre, I sometimes fill hollowed out cherry tomatoes with this smoked salmon mousse to create an “Amuse Bouch,” a single bite to delight while enjoying a cocktail before a meal, but I most often serve this in a bowl surrounded by crackers. 

If I have some left over, I eat it for breakfast/brunch spread on a toasted bagel topped with a slice of tomato, chopped onion and capers. 

For a printer friendly copy of this recipe, go to Smoked Salmon Mousse. Enjoy!