Tag Archives: featured

Bread and Cheese Pudding

May 18, 2015 Stephen 1 Comment

Bread pudding is most commonly seen as a dessert, with sugary sweet or liquor-based sauces, served at the end of a meal.

My first encounter with a savory bread pudding, designed to be an entree, was in The Mediterranean Slow Cooker, a cookbook by Michele Scicolone. The recipe for Mozzarella, Sausage and Sun-dried Tomato Bread Pudding is a knockout (check it out here on Google Books: Mediterranean Slow Cooker p 58).

We have had it for dinner a couple of times, we like to jazz it up by changing the seasonings and making different sauces. A Tomato Basil Cream Sauce goes very well with it, as does a rich Marinara-style sauce.

In the previous post we discussed John Thorne’s Outlaw Cook and his essay on the Plowman’s Lunch, so we’d like to share the results of an experiment we did with one of the recipes in Thorne’s book: Bread and Cheese Pudding.

The recipe is ridiculously simple, as are the techniques involved. Even if you have never made a bread pudding you can’t mess this up.

Since this was an experiment I cut down the recipe a bit, you can scale it up as needed. This makes enough for two.

4 slices of Gluten-free bread, lightly toasted (I use the Glutino Multigrain)
4 ounces of Aged Cheddar, grated
1 Egg
1 small Onion, (1 cup) chopped fine
6 ounces of beer (I used Anchor Stout)
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper
2 tablespoons Butter

Your Mise

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees.

Mix the egg, beer and cheese in a large bowl. Add the salt, pepper, cayenne and onions. Stir well to distribute the yolk and the seasonings.

Cut the bread into 3/4 inch squares and stir them in to the liquid. Let it set for a few minutes to soak up the beer.

Use the butter to grease a baking pan, I made this batch into a mini-muffin tin. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the size and shape of your pan, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

These took 35 minutes.

Eat them while still hot!

Toppings

While this savory bread pudding was delicious on its own, crispy on the outside and creamy inside, we tried a few topping and condiments.

Here they are cut in half, topped with a small slice of the aged cheddar and a teaspoon of Sweet Onion Compote:

Delicious. We also tried them with Stone Ground Mustard, Gulden’s Spicy Brown Mustard, and French’s Yellow Mustard. This particular combo was best with the Stone Ground.

Final Thoughts

We will definitely be making this again, with some small changes, depending on the rest of the meal we are putting together. I’d like to try it in a bread-pan, about 2 inches deep, so I can cut it into slices and make an open-faced sandwich with Ham and Cheddar. Or change the bread to Rye and top with Pastrami and Swiss.

So many possibilities!

Recipes

Experimental Recipe – Scallops Poached in Champagne

November 12, 2014 Stephen Leave a comment

Pretty much the entire month of October was taken up by preparations for a little gaming convention this past weekend, so I have been busy painting little soldiers instead of cooking and blogging…

Tuesday was my first full day off since then and I decided to have some fun with some scallops. Because I am a bit of a planner I wrote out a menu for the night’s festivities, something to give me a foundation to build upon.

At least one Twitter follower thought it was “meticulous”. It’s just the way I do things.

Gathering the Mise

Scallops, preferably large dry sea scallops
Champagne, I used Freixenet
Radicchio
Arugula
Balsamic vinegar
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
Green Onion Aioli
Red Onion
Green Onion
Artichoke Hearts
Red or Yellow Sweet Bell Pepper
Shallot
Paprika
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Preparation

First I started to marinate the Red Bell Pepper, some Green Onion and Red Onion in the Lemon Juice with some fresh-ground Black Pepper and a Teaspoon of EVOO.

(Do this part first so the vegetables have time to absorb that Lemony goodness)

Next I put about 1/4 cup of the Balsamic Vinegar with the sliced Shallot in a pan over medium heat to reduce a little.

Poaching the Scallops themselves only takes a short time, so we save that step for last. The next thing I did was start to assemble the salad ingredients on the plate. Since the Scallops and the Balsamic reduction were going to be sweet I wanted there to be some bitterness to contrast that flavor, with the acid of the Lemon juice bringing all of the pieces together.

Cut out a thin slice of the Radicchio, this will be the base of the salad. I also roughly chopped some more for a garnish, alongside Green Onions cut on a bias and the Artichoke Hearts (the kind that come in a jar, packed in oil – drain them but do not rinse). I also gave the plate a dusting of Paprika and a few drops of the EVOO.

When the Balsamic was where I like it I took it off the heat and put it in the fridge to chill. I put another sautee pan on the heat and poured in a cup or so of the Champagne, turning up the heat too.

Time to finish building the salad. Pile some of the Arugula atop the Radicchio slice, add the marinated vegetables:

Finally, add your Scallops to the boiling Champagne and cook them to your desired level of doneness. I like mine firm, perhaps a little underdone. Place the Scallops on top of your salad, then drizzle with the Balsamic Reduction and Green Onion Aioli.

And Voila!

Recipes

I Feel Like an Omelette Today

September 10, 2014 Stephen Leave a comment

On Saturday, wonder of wonders, I had the day off! So the Lovely Bride and I went to the movies (we don’t do that very often).

This movie was so wonderful, and not just the parts about the cooking!

We laughed, we got teary-eyed. Simply a beautiful story of hard work, of love, of family and determination.

I have been thinking about it for days now, and this morning it made me feel like making an Omelette. I had some stuff that I wanted to use and thought it would work nicely together:

Andouille Sausage – cooked whole, then chopped
Chopped Red Bell Pepper
Coarsely chopped fresh White Mushrooms
Grated Smoked Cheddar
1 Garlic clove, minced
1 slice of Onion, chopped
and a Green Onion for garnish

(this makes enough filling for two omelettes)

Melt some butter in a saute pan and cook the Onion and Pepper until they start to get tender. Add Mushrooms and Sausage, continue to cook for about two more minutes, then add the Garlic.

When the Garlic starts to caramelize remove the mixture from the heat and reserve in a bowl. Return the pan to the heat.

saute-veggies-and-sausage — Don’t burn the garlic!

For each omelette get a mixing bowl – combine 3 eggs with a 1/4 cup of Milk, a dash of Salt & Pepper and a pinch of Paprika. Whisk assertively for 30 seconds and pour into the pan.

Let the egg mixture on the edges of the pan set, then use a spatula to slide under the edge, allowing uncooked egg mixture to flow beneath and cook. Take your time and be gentle.

When most of the egg is cooked, add the cheese, scattering it all over the surface of the omelette. Next, add the filling mix to the pan, in a line across the omelette:

Voila!

omelette with cheese and sausage — Yum! You can garnish with Green Onion, Sour Cream, Salsa… you name it!

Recipes

Snails, Beets and Cream in Puff Pastry

August 28, 2014 Stephen Leave a comment

Last week, at the Leb Farmer’s Market, I was able to get my hands on some delightful fresh beets. It also happened to be my day off, so I decided to get funky and try something really different.

Earlier in August we had been shopping at a specialty food shop and picked up some Escargot dishes, so snails were on my mind and in my pantry. I wanted to do something a little more imaginative and “fun” than just cooking some snails in garlic butter.

The result was much more fun and satisfying:

beets-cream-snails-puff-pastry — I was on my second bite when my Lovely Bride asked if I’d taken a pic!

Wow, was this ever delicious!

The preparation is quite simple and straightforward, the shopping list inexpensive. You can probably make this in about 40 minutes, start-to-finish.

Shopping List

Carrot (1 large)
Beets (2 small)
Fennel (1 head)
Shallot (2 medium sized)
Green Onion (1)
Butter (3 Tbsp)
Olive Oil (3 Tbsp, Medium, for frying)
Dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc) (1/2 Cup)
Heavy Cream (1/2 Cup)
Snails (1 can)
Puff Pastry sheets

Preparing the Puff Pastry

First I pre-heated the oven to 375 degrees, then I buttered the phyllo dough sheets and layered them in a muffin-tin:

Phyllo dough "purses" for the Snails and Cream — Phyllo dough “purses” for the Snails and Cream

Count out 6 or 7 snails into each “purse”

Top the snails with a pinch of salt and finely-chopped Fennel fronds.

Beet Cream Filling

Brunoise 1/4 Cup of each:
- Carrot
- Beet
- Fennel Stalk (the white part)
- Shallot

Melt the 3 tablespoons of butter in a non-stick saute pan on medium heat, add the Carrot, Beet and Fennel. Cook until tender, about 4-5 minutes.

Add the Shallot and cook for 2 more minutes.

Add the wine and cream, lower the heat, and reduce to a very thick sauce. Stir frequently to avoid scorching. When the sauce is thick enough, remove from heat and reserve until you are ready to bake the Puff Pastry purses.

When you are ready, add two tablespoons of the sauce on top of the snails in each purse. Crimp and gently twist the purses closed and bake in the oven until golden (about 8-10 minutes).

Prepare the Garnish

Julienne the second Shallot and set aside
Cut the second Beet into slices, about 1/8 inch thick, set aside
Chop the Green Onion finely, on a bias
Heat the Olive Oil in the saute pan and fry the Beet slices until they are crisp
Fry the Shallot until caramelized to a nice golden brown
Drain the fried garnish in a paper towel

To serve, line your plate with fried Beet chips, place the purse on top, then sprinkle with fried Shallots and Chopped Green Onions.

Enjoy with a glass of the Sauvignon Blanc.

Recipes

“Peacemaker”-style Fish Tacos

February 4, 2014 Stephen 2 Comments

When I lived in New Orleans one of my favorite sandwiches was the Peacemaker, a fried oyster po’boy with cole slaw, cheddar and bacon (the best one was at a Streetcar-themed restaurant up around the corner from the Riverbend area).

fried oyster sandwich — via NOLA.com: “The fried oyster loaf – otherwise known as an oyster po-boy or peacemaker – has become the subject of debate. This one is from 2007 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.”

You can read some history of the sandwich at NOLA.com:

“When the New Orleans man returns from making a night of it ‘with the boys’ he provides himself with what is called a peacemaker and carries it home under his arm. The peacemaker is also known as an oyster loaf.”

It appears to be quite controversial!

In any case, while we were grocery shopping this week I spotted some “bacon and dill encrusted” flounder fillets in the fish case, and they reminded of this delicious sandwich. I asked the Lovely Bride what she thought about the idea of a flounder Peacemaker, and she suggested putting it into a tortilla for a fish taco (yes, she has been all about the tortillas this week!).

Grocery List for Southwestern Fish Tacos

“Southwestern” Tartar Sauce

Make this the day before you wish to make the tacos, to give the flavors a chance to come out fully.

1 rounded tablespoon of Sweet Relish
1 rounded tablespoon of Mayonnaise
1 rounded tablespoon of Sour Cream
1/4 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1/4 teaspoon Weber “Bold n Spicy Chipotle”

Mix well, cover and refrigerate until needed.

Pickled Salsa

Make your salsa a couple of hours before you want to eat it, so the yummy flavors can marry. The Lovely Bride and I like the bright, acidic taste of the pickled vegetables.

1 small Yellow Onion
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Green Bell Pepper
1/2 Red Onion
2 cloves Garlic
1 Shallot
2 Green Onions
1 medium Tomato
1/4 cup chopped fresh Cilantro
1 tablespoon Cumin
1 tablespoon Taco Seasoning
3 tablespoons Texas Pete Hot Sauce
Juice of one Lime
? Red Wine Vinegar

Chop all of the vegetables and herbs into 1/4 inch pieces, combine in a bowl, add Cumin and taco seasoning, Lime juice, hot sauce and enough vinegar to submerge all of the mixture.

Cover and put the salsa in the fridge for an hour or so.

Shortly before serving drain the salsa through a fine strainer. Add more hot sauce and salt & pepper to taste.

Peacemaker-style Fish Tacos

Cut two slices from a Red Onion
Cut two slices from a Yellow Onion, drizzle with the juice of 1/2 Lemon and 1/2 Lime

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook bacon at Medium Heat in a non-stick pan to your desired level of done-ness. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towel.
Sprinkle Mexican blend shredded cheese on the tortillas, then add some Taco Seasoning to your level of taste. Put Sharp Cheddar on one-half of the tortilla.
After removing the bacon, add enough Olive Oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Turn stove to Medium High heat.
Put the tortillas in the oven on the center rack to melt the cheese.
Fry the fish fillets in the oil/bacon fat, about 2 minutes on each side, until crispy. As soon as the fish is done, remove the tortillas from the oven and put on a plate.

Build the tacos by placing the fish fillets on the cheddar side of the tortilla, add bacon on top of the fish, then spoon on some Cole Slaw, finally add rings of Red and Marinated Yellow Onion.

Add your salsa and southwestern tartar to taste (dipping is a great choice!).

Enjoy!

Recipes

Tequila – Ranch Chicken Thighs

February 2, 2014 Stephen 1 Comment

Tequila-Ranch Chicken in a Tortilla

Makes two to four servings, depending on the size of the tortillas/portions. Prep and cooking time is about one hour, depending on how organized you are and how much you have had to drink.

Good side dishes include Yellow Rice, Spanish Rice or anything with a similar Southwestern, Spanish or Mexican theme.

Link to Grocery List

Marinate 4 Boneless Chicken Thighs that have been cut into finger-sized strips for one hour –

1/4 cup Creamy Ranch Dressing
1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 oz Tequila
1/2 cup Margarita Mix
1 Tablespoon Taco Seasoning
2 cloves of Garlic – crushed through a garlic press
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dry Cilantro

While the chicken is marinating, make your sauce –

1 tablespoon Creamy Ranch Dressing
1 tablespoon (Weber) “Bold n Spicy Chipotle Seasoning” (or something similar with chipotle)
2 rounded tablespoons Sour Cream
Juice from 1/4 of a lime
1/2 of an Avocado, crushed with a large fork

Stir together and set aside for later.

For your garnish/topping –
Chop 2 Green Onions
Cut a couple of slices off a Red Onion and chop finely, enough for 2 tablespoons

Set aside for later.

(At this point I started the heat on a package of Spanish Rice, everything should be ready about 30 minutes from now.)

Prep the following to saute with the chicken –
Using a carrot peeler, shave down one small carrot
Cut 6 thin slices from a Red Bell Pepper
Cut 6 thin slices from a Green Bell Pepper
Cut 4 thicker slices from a Yellow Onion
1/4 cup canned Mushroom Slices
1/4 cup Fresh Cilantro leaves

Turn on the oven to pre-heat to 350 degrees.

Saute the vegetables –
Put 1 tablespoon of butter in a non-stick pan and caramelize the onions, once they start to get that nice, golden color add the carrot shavings, Red and Green Pepper slices, Mushrooms and about 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil. Turn down the heat and cover the pan.

Strain the marinade from the chicken strips through a colander, then add chicken to the pan, combine well and cover.

Warm the Tortillas and melt the cheese
Sprinkle shredded Cheddar Cheese (or Mexican/Taco blend, whatever you like) onto your tortillas, along with the chopped Green Onion and chopped Red Onion, distribute fairly evenly. Place the tortillas in the oven on the center rack.

Uncover the pan and stir the chicken, it should be getting nice and firm. Add the chopped fresh Cilantro, stir.

When the cheese on the tortillas is melted take them out of the oven and start plating up –
Spoon the chicken and vegetables onto the tortillas and add sauce to taste.

You may wish to add some Black Olives, chopped Lettuce, diced Tomatoes or whatever to this.

Enjoy!

Product Review

NutriBullet Review – Whipping Your Food into a Froth

January 6, 2014 Stephen 1 Comment

My sister-in-law gave me this thing for Christmas. She uses her own religiously, whipping all sorts of things into healthy, flavorful “shakes”.

I started making some of the veggie shakes recommended in the booklet that comes with the machine:

Lettuce
Carrot
Apple
Sunflower Seeds
Avocado

Pour in some water and blend for about fifteen seconds. The result? A light, frothy-tasting salad-flavored drink. The problem is that it needed some acid, so I squeezed in some lemon juice and a little Italian salad dressing. Yum!

Now, I have a gluten intolerance (not full-on celiac) and I have to mention that I did not eat any bread during the three days that I was using the ‘bullet to blend my breakfast. In any case, the “nutrient extraction” going on caused some symptoms similar to those I get when I do eat bread. I am not sure if my system wasn’t prepared for the “richness” of what I was eating or what. Let’s just say that my lower GI prefers a protein-rich breakfast, like meat or eggs, so it can function in a more efficient manner.

Over the past two weeks we have been using the ‘bullet to make breakfast shakes with bananas, pears and milk (I add a 1/4-cup of unsalted peanuts to mine). These drinks have been very tasty and do not seem to have the same effect as the blended veggies.

Does it work to make you healthier and lose weight? The jury is out on that. The booklet does include some recipes and a journal for tracking your food/diet, but I’m not using it.

The Verdict

This NutriBullet is a very effective, powerful blender. If you need a blender it will work quite well for you. Personally, I’ll probably use it more for making juices and sauces.

Book Review

Cookbook Review – Polpo

January 2, 2014 Stephen Leave a comment

A Venetian cookbook (of sorts) by Russell Norman (and gorgeous photography by Jenny Zarins)

“What interested me were glimpses of tiny wine bars in alleys where locals would stand at the counter, a luminous orange drink in one hand and a small snack in the other. You could tell they were locals because they wore dark clothes or market traders’ overalls and shouted at each other in dialect…

Once I found the courage to enter one of these places, point at the bright orange drink, jab a finger at the pre-made snacks in a glass cabinet on the bar and attempt to work out what the hell was going on, I was hooked. There was no going back.”

the book – Norman is a wonderful storyteller, and he has a story for every recipe that he has collected for this book. Nearly as much a travelogue as a cookbook, I am enthralled by the vignettes that accompany each menu creation.

In addition the full-color photography throughout will make your mouth water if the description of the food is not enough!

Scallops with Lemon and Peppermint

Olive Oil, Lemon Juice, Lemon Wheels, Minced Garlic and Mint Leaves

Mise for the Scallops

The common denominator of the recipes in this book is that they are simple. As Norman says, “We have a rule that a dish is ready to put on the menu only when we have taken out as many ingredients as possible.”

This recipe is nearly the epitome of simple fare. Of course, I had to complicate things because, 1 – you can’t get Pilgrim Scallops in New Hampshire in January, and 2 – I wanted to make a little more substantial meal while keeping it light and fresh.

So I made a salad:

the salad – arugula, red oak lettuce and frisee – bitter greens that were quite wonderful with the scallops’ lemon and mint sauce as a dressing.

That is it, just a quick saute of the scallops on moderate heat until they are as done as you like them.

You can order this delightful cookbook from Amazon, via my affiliate link here ( I get a small percentage commission at no extra cost for you! ):

Knife and Mise

Tag Archives: featured

Bread and Cheese Pudding

Your Mise

Toppings

Final Thoughts

Experimental Recipe – Scallops Poached in Champagne

Gathering the Mise

Preparation

I Feel Like an Omelette Today

Snails, Beets and Cream in Puff Pastry

Shopping List

Preparing the Puff Pastry

Beet Cream Filling

Prepare the Garnish

“Peacemaker”-style Fish Tacos

Tequila – Ranch Chicken Thighs

Tequila-Ranch Chicken in a Tortilla

NutriBullet Review – Whipping Your Food into a Froth

The Verdict

Cookbook Review – Polpo

Scallops with Lemon and Peppermint

Mise for the Scallops

On Food, Cooking, and the Culinary Life