Individual Bread Puddings

Bread pudding is the perfect way to use up leftovers, whether it’s vegetables from last night’s dinner, bacon from yesterday’s breakfast (who has leftover bacon?!), or bits of cheese after that party. The important thing is to have some flavorings like onions, garlic, and herbs along with cheese and eggs to soak into day old bread and bake up into a lovely custardy breakfast. I like to make them in single servings or in cupcake pans so that I can take them with me on busy mornings. They also freeze well and you can heat straight from the freezer in single servings.

Individual Bread Puddings

5 eggs

1 cup milk

2 cups day old bread, cubed (small if making individual servings, they have to fit in the muffin cups)

1/2 cup grated cheddar

1/2 cup grated asiago

1/2 onion, minced (or leftover)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup spinach, chopped (or leftover)

1 cup mushrooms, sliced (or leftover)

1 cup white wine

2 tablespoons sage, minced

Parmesan cheese for grating

Saute the onion, garlic,sage,  and mushrooms in a couple tablespoons olive oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the spinach and allow to wilt. Add the white wine and allow the alcohol to cook off, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool.

Meanwhile, in another bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper, and add in the cheddar and asiago. Add in the bread along with the vegetable mixture. Make sure the bread soaks up a lot of the liquid before cooking. Pour into lined muffin pans, individual ramekins, or a large baking dish. Top with grated parmesan and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes if using muffin pans and up to 45 minutes if using a baking dish. Make sure they have started to brown and puff up, to know they are done.

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Roasted Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese

We survived the hurricane without any damage beyond getting a little stir-crazy, so I have to feel pretty grateful. We didn’t lose power or have any terrible flooding, but all we could do for days was watch the damage on TV. Of course, one of my first plans of action was to get to work on hurricane food.

Naturally, my first inclination was for mac & cheese, which was so delicious that it was gone before I could take pictures. For those curious, my mac & cheese is basically my tuna noodle casserole without the tuna. Next up, tomato soup and grilled cheese. I had some cherry tomatoes that were ready to be roasted, and combined them with some canned tomatoes to round out the soup. Perfect cold, rainy weather food. And it’s always a good time for a grilled cheese.

Roasted Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese

1 pint cherry tomatoes

4 tablespoons olive oil

12 sprigs thyme

1/2 can San Marzano tomatoes, crushed or pureed

1 cup red wine

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 slices whole grain bread

3 ounces sharp cheddar cheese

thin slices apple, a tablespoon apricot or fig jam, etc (optional)

Roast the cherry tomatoes with half the olive oil and half the thyme at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, saute the onion and garlic in the remaining olive oil for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the tomato paste and allow to rust for another minute or two. Add the roasted tomatoes, canned tomatoes, sugar, and wine. Allow to cook together for 10-15 minutes while you prepare the grilled cheese. You may choose to puree the soup with a stick blender, but we wanted it chunky this time.

Toast the bread in a pan with olive oil or in a toaster until light brown. Add the cheese and any toppings you may like. Cook in a saute pan with a little olive oil or butter until the cheese melts and the bread is toasted. Make sure to flip halfway through and a lid can sometimes help the cheese to melt. Use medium heat so that the bread does not burn before the cheese has finish melting. Allow to cool a few minutes before cutting, so that the cheese does not run out.

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Olive Oil Poached Bluefish Crostini

Bluefish is a very oily, delicious fish but it sometimes is challenging to cook because it is so strongly flavored. My favorite is smoked bluefish, but until we have a smoker (and a backyard to put it in), I have to find other ways to make it. These crostini are excellent and the pickled salad on top really cuts through the richness.

Olive Oil Poached Bluefish Crostini

1 8-ounce fillet of bluefish, skinned and cut into 1″ pieces

6-8 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (or enough to cover the fish)

4 cloves garlic

1 sprig rosemary

3 tablespoons chopped gherkins, pickled onions, and/or pickles (homemade or store-bought)

1/2 cup baby greens of your choice

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

red pepper flakes (optional)

lemon wedges

6 baguette slices, toasted (or as much as needed for your fish)

Choose a baking dish that just holds the fish in a single layer. Add the garlic and rosemary to the dish and cover everything with olive oil. (As long as you use a small dish, it shouldn’t take too much olive oil. Leftover oil is great just drizzled on crusty bread).

Bake the fish at 350 degrees for 15 minutes covered with foil. Meanwhile, combine the pickles, greens, vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes in a bowl and stir to combine. It will come together while the fish cooks.

Place some fish on each baguette slice and drizzle with some of the olive oil. Top with some of the pickled salad and squirt with a lemon wedge.

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Mozzarella in Carrozza

Mozzarella in carrozza is basically an Italian grilled cheese, or the Italian version of a croque monsieur without the ham. There are different variations on it, and it doesn’t usually have tomatoes but I like a little freshness in my sandwich. The cheese makes gooey, delicious strings as you bite into it, and the marinara dipping sauce gives the right zesty topping.

Mozzarella in Carrozza

2 slices of your favorite bread (traditionally, it’s plain white bread with the crust sliced off)

2 slices of fresh mozzarella 1/2 inch thick

3 cherry tomatoes, sliced

1 egg, beaten

2 tablespoons flour

1/4 cup marinara sauce (homemade or your favorite bottled kind)

2 tablespoons chopped roasted red peppers (bottled, or roast a red pepper until soft and then peel off the skin)

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Layer the mozzarella and tomatoes on the bread and cover with the other slice. Carefully flour both sides of the sandwich and then dip in the egg mixture. Fry in a little butter or olive oil, making sure the side that’s down gets nicely browned and crisp before flipping. Once the outside is crispy and browned and the mozzarella has gotten weepy, it’s ready.

Meanwhile, combine the marinara, peppers, and red pepper flakes over low heat to warm through. Pour into dipping container and serve with the sandwich.

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Roasted Garlic Crostini

Roasted garlic is so easy and useful in many ways. It can be spread on bread to make a simple crostini, or it can be an ingredient in pizzas, pastas, chicken, vegetables– the list is endless. It makes the garlic taste sweeter and more flavorful, and removes the bitter bite garlic can sometimes have.

Roasted Garlic Crostini

1 head of garlic, sliced horizontally

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 sprig rosemary (optional)

Combine the ingredients in some foil and wrap into a pouch. Roast at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour, until the garlic is soft. Squeeze it out and spread on toasted bread or add to your favorite recipes!

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Wild Mushroom Crostini

I love mushrooms. Except for shitakes and button mushrooms. More often than not, I pair them with marsala and thyme or rosemary. They just go so well together and give everything a nice meaty, earthy flavor.

Occasionally I treat myself to some beautiful varieties at the farmers market, and this week I got some hen of the woods, oyster, and crimini mushrooms. Since I’m trying to keep from eating pasta this week, which would be my natural go-to with such lovely mushrooms, I decided to make some crostini. The bread was from the bread-making class I took at Le Pain Quotidien last week, and it was airy and delicious. A perfect little appetizer.

Wild Mushroom Crostini

1 pound assorted mushrooms

1 shallot, sliced thinly

2 garlic cloves, sliced

1/2 cup sherry or marsala wine

1 tablespoon minced rosemary

baguette slices (toasted or untoasted, your choice)

extra virgin olive oil or truffle oil for drizzling

Saute the shallot in a little olive oil for a few minutes until softened and add the mushrooms. Allow them to caramelize and develop some color before moving them. Once they are cooked through, add the garlic, rosemary, and marsala. Let the liquid cook off and them spoon over baguette slices. Drizzle with olive oil or truffle oil and enjoy!

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Grilled Cheese with Bacon Jam and Apples

There’s nothing I like more than a grilled cheese. I like every kind, from the traditional diner cheddar on white bread to the fanciest, wild mushroom truffled grilled cheese. When I saw a recipe for bacon jam, I immediately thought that would make a great grilled cheese– everything’s better with bacon and this jam has a nice sweetness from the caramelized onions. You can use it as a condiment for many things, I’m already thinking about eggs and of course, egg sandwiches. I planned to make this with sliced peaches when they are in season, but for now I’m using apples.

Grilled Cheese with Peaches (Apples) and Bacon Jam

2 1/2-3/4 inch slices (extra thick) of good pullman loaf or brioche

2 tablespoons room temperature unsalted butter

2 half inch thick pieces of Taleggio or other semi-soft cheese

4 quarter-inch thick slices fresh peach (or apple out of peach season)

Handful of spinach or arugula leaves

2 tablespoons bacon jam (below)

Butter both sides of each slice of bread and lightly toast on a grill or griddle for 2-3 minutes until it just starts to develop color. Spread the bacon jam on one slice and layer the peach or apple slices and the cheese slices on top. Top with the other slice.

Grill for 5 minutes on each side (depending on grill heat) until the cheese starts to melt and the peaches are warmed through. Add the spinach or arugula after you remove from the heat.

Bacon Jam

1/2 pound thick cut appplewood smoked bacon, chopped into 1/4 inch slices

1 onion, minced

3 garlic gloves, minced

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons bourbon

3 tablespoons coffee, freshly brewed

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 cup water, as needed

salt and pepper to taste

Render the bacon until most of the fat has been rendered and can be drained off. Remove to a paper towel, leaving a tablespoon of bacon fat. Saute the onions in the bacon fat until they have caramelized, about 12-15 minutes. Add the garlic and stir through. (Garlic is added later so that it doesn’t burn) Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer on low heat for about an hour, adding water as necessary.

 

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Pappa Al Pomodoro

 

Pappa al pomodoro is an Italian tomato soup that uses up old bread to thicken it. I usually make it vegetarian, but you can add in some bacon or pancetta if you want something heartier. This was a special request for the blog a long time ago, I just haven’t made it in about a year. It’s great with a grilled cheese or just on it’s own for lunch on a rainy day. I keep my leftover parmesan rinds in the freezer, but if you don’t have any, you can just sprinkle some grated parmesan over the top.

Pappa Al Pomodoro

1 can San Marzano tomatoes

1/2 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 slices bacon or pancetta, diced (optional)

1/2 cup white or red wine or water

1 cup cubed bread

2 leftover parmesan rinds

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon sugar

Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil and the bacon if you’re using it. Once it has softened, add the wine or water to deglaze and then add the tomatoes. Add the bread, rinds, and sugar and let simmer for 20 minutes until the bread disintegrates. If you are having trouble getting the bread to break up, whisk it for a minute and that should do it. Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on top.

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Stuffing and Turkey Roulade

Well, it’s time for the pre-Thanksgiving round-up. After several lovely meals for the holiday, I can say I’m done with turkey until next year. Not including turkey sandwiches or ground turkey. But the whole bird…I’ve had enough for a while.

I thought we were getting a de-boned and butterflied turkey breast from the butcher, but it turned out there were bones. Hmmm. So, I set about to deboning. It actually wasn’t that bad, I just cut out the backbone and started from one end of the chest cavity. It took about 20 minutes, but I got those things out of there. They immediately went into a pot for some turkey stock, which simmered for about an hour with some water.

I butterflied the breast and then salted the skin and let it sit in the fridge to dry out for a couple hours. Then the bird got stuffed and rolled and roasted for a while. We served the extra stuffing on the side along with some roasted brussels sprouts, homemade butternut squash ravioli and cranberry sauce. And of course, a delicious apple pie.

Gareth’s Stuffing

1/2 loaf crusty Italian bread, cubed and toasted in the oven

1 onion, chopped

10 sage leaves, chopped

1 apple, diced

1 cup almonds

1 cup beer (we used Dale’s Pale Ale, but any tasty beer would work)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Saute the onion in the olive oil until softened. Meanwhile, blanch the almonds in boiling water for a minute and drain into a towel to rub off the almond skins. Saute the almonds in a teaspoon of olive oil for a few minutes until starting to brown.

Add the sage and apple to the onion and saute together for a couple minutes. Add the bread and toss. Add the almonds and remove to a baking dish. Pour the beer over and bake for 30-40 minutes, until browned on top.

Turkey Roulade

1 deboned and butterflied turkey breast, skin on

1 cup Gareth’s Stuffing (before it’s baked)

2 tablespoons olive oil

kitchen twine

Lay the turkey out skin side down. Season with lots of salt and pepper. Spread the stuffing out in the center, making sure to keep it from the edges since it will spread out as you roll. Starting at one end, roll like a jelly roll making sure to tuck in any loose pieces. Tie with several pieces of twine to keep it as uniform in width as possible. The skin that gets rolled into the center will virtually baste it from the inside out. Place on a baking sheet or roasting pan and drizzle with the olive oil.

Roast at 425 degrees for 30 minutes, then lower to 350 degrees for another hour or until the center reads 165 degrees on a thermometer. Let rest 20-30 minutes before slicing. The skin should be nice and crisp, if it’s not crisping up while roasting, turn the temp back up to 425 degrees until it does. You can use the pan drippings to make gravy, just deglaze with a little wine turkey stock and whisk in some flour. Cook a few minutes to get the flour taste out and it’s ready to serve when it has thickened a bit. If it’s too thick, add some leftover turkey stock.

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Arancini (Rice Balls)

Arancini are a traditional bar snack in Italy and they are usually made earlier in the day and sit at room temperature on the bar until they are eaten. I usually don’t get around to making them because I rarely have leftover risotto. In fact, for my party I made a whole batch of risotto just to make these. Be warned, they do take a bit of work and I probably won’t make them in such a large batch again but they are great. With some homemade marinara, they’re a perfect, filling snack.

Arancini

1/2 onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 pinch saffron

2 cups arborio rice

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup white wine

1 cup pecorino, grated

2 eggs

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup olive oil

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and saute the onion, garlic, and saffron for a minute. Add the rice and toss in the oil to coat and toast for a few seconds. Add the wine and reduce. Add the chicken stock as the liquid gets reduced in stages. Season to taste. Once the rice is al dente, let the risotto chill until cold. Add an egg and the pecorino and mix together. Roll into small balls and refrigerate at least an hour. In separate bowls, place the flour, 1 egg beaten with a splash of water, and the panko. Dip the balls into the flour, then the egg, then the panko. They should be kept in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook. Put the rest of the olive oil in a pan and fry the balls, rotating them on each side as they brown. They are cooked already, so you really just need to brown them.

Marinara

1 onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 carrot, grated

1 can San Marzano tomatoes

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup red wine

2 tablespoons olive oil

Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil for a couple minutes. Add the oregano and carrot and cook for a couple minutes. Season with salt. Add the rest of the ingredients and let cook for 15-20 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender if you wish.

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