French Toast with Warm Blueberry Sauce

Do Produce Stands and Roadside Markets beckon to you?  They do me.  I can’t drive by one of them without stopping to have a look around.  Some may think this nosey, but I consider it to be one of the precious joys of summer.  The bright colors of fresh produce, the crisp, fresh fragrance of newly picked berries and herbs, the varied shapes and textures, all of this is nature’s edible art.  This week blueberries called my name.  I bought three very large containers of them, much to the dismay of my overcrowded fridge, and am now using them in as many ways as possible.  What delicious fun! This morning I made a quick French toast topped with warm blueberry sauce.  Having previously made a loaf of ABM Challah, this delicious dish came together fast.  While the bread was soaking, the sauce was simmering on the stove.  Dust with powdered sugar, if desired, either way this is an easy and elegant breakfast.

French Toast with Warm Blueberry Sauce

3 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon orange zest

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 (1-lb) challah loaf, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices

3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Whisk together eggs, milk, juice, syrup, vanilla, zest, and salt until blended. Pour into a large baking pan and soak bread slices in 1 layer for 4 minutes, flip over and soak for another 4 minutes.

Heat half of the butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet or griddle over moderately high heat until foam subsides. Transfer 4 soaked bread slices to skillet and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Cook remaining bread in 2 batches, adding more butter as needed. Transfer slices as cooked to a large shallow baking pan and, when all are browned, bake in middle of oven until hot, about 5 minutes.  Serve with Warm Blueberry Sauce.

Warm Blueberry Sauce

2 tablespoons water

½ teaspoon cornstarch

3 ½ cups blueberries

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon lemon zest

In 1-quart saucepan, combine water, cornstarch, blueberries, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice.  Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Boil 1 to 2 minutes or until berries burst. Remove from heat; serve. 

This post is linked to:

Inspire Me Tuesday

Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Try a New Recipe Tuesday

Tasty Tuesdays

Blueberry & Hearts of Palm Salad with Creamy Basil Dressing

If late summer had a fragrance, surely it would be the peppery scent of fresh basil. It is one, I confess, that I find irresistible. There is just nothing like growing and harvesting your own small plot (or, as in my case, pot) of basil, to be able to use it at is freshest best. It is wonderful in pesto, of course, but equally delicious when added to salads, light soups, wrap sandwiches, chicken salad, Caprese salads, deviled eggs, you name it!  There are so many ways to use this wonderful herb, and I thought I knew them all.  Then I wandered over to Annie's Eats blog and spotted her Creamy Basil Dressing. Oh, my!  This must be what they serve in basil heaven.

Fresh, flavorful, and with the spicy kick that only fresh basil can provide, this will excite any salad that you throw at it. Me?  I'm a simple salad fan. A few carefully chosen ingredients, and a dynamite dressing and I am a happy camper. Nothing is easier, or more refreshing on a warm summer day.

Blueberry & Hearts of Palm Salad

with Creamy Basil Dressing

1 head Romaine lettuce, cleaned and torn into medium pieces

1/2 pint fresh blueberries, washed and stemmed

2-3 stalks Melissa's Hearts of Palm, cut into coins

Arrange lettuce on individual serving plates.  Top with blueberries and hearts of palm.  Drizzle with Creamy Basil Dressing and serve immediately.

Creamy Basil Dressing

From Annies-Eats.com

1/2 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt

1/3 cup packed fresh basil leaves

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons buttermilk

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until thoroughly blended. Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use.

This post is linked to:

Metamorphosis Monday 

Amaze Me Monday

Inspire Me Tuesday

Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Try a New Recipe Tuesday

Tasty Tuesdays

Foodie Friday

Baked Spaghetti

Once the kids start back to school, I can't help but think about fall. Don't get me wrong, I am loving this most unusual, temperate summer, but fall is on the horizon and I like to be prepared. It seems that once September hits the plans and parties start coming at such a rapid pace that there is no looking back. Advance preparation is the only thing that keeps me relatively sane during the onset of what will ultimately be a very busy season.

Part of this preparedness involves stocking the freezer with meals in the form of soups, stews, and casseroles, in serving sizes that range from individual (for those lovely evenings alone), to two, four, or even eight. Being able to pop a casserole (or pie) into the oven makes an impromptu dinner so much easier and enjoyable.  

To get you prepared for what's ahead, from now until year's end I am going to have a “Casserole of the Month.” Something crowd pleasing, that freezes beautifully, and requires nothing more than reheating (or baking) to give you a wonderful meal.

This recipe is a favorite of mine. It's from a lovely volume by Phyllis Hoffman called Gracious Tables, a book full of great recipes, pretty table settings, and party ideas. This recipe takes a bit of work to get it all together, but once you do it will provide you with 8 generous servings to be divided up however you see fit. (I made mine in oval au gratin dishes, and got four servings for two.) A salad and crusty roll is all you need and dinner is served!

Baked Spaghetti

(Adapted from Gracious Tables by Phyllis Hoffman)

1 pound ground chuck

1 pound bulk Italian sausage

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 8-ounce can tomato sauce

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil leaves

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

8 ounces uncooked linguine

1 16-ounce container sour cream

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup chopped green onion

2 cups shredded Colby-Jack cheese blend

In a Dutch oven or large stock pot, brown ground chuck, sausage, garlic, bell pepper, and onion over medium-high heat, until meat crumbles and vegetables are tender; drain fat.

Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, basil and sugar.  Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.

Cook pasta according to package directions, draining well.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Place pasta in individual baking dishes or a 13x9x2-inch baking dish.

In a small bowl, combine sour cream, cream cheese, and green onions. Spread evenly over hot pasta. Top with meat sauce.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until heated through. Sprinkle with cheese, and bake an additional 5-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

This post is linked to:

Show and Tell Friday 

Friday Unfolded
Fridays Flash Blog

Simple and Sweet Fridays

What To Do Weekend 
The Weekend re-Treat

Cereal Killer Cookies

If you have been reading my blog over the years, or have taken a look at my mystery jewelry shop, then you know that I love mysteries. You may also know, if you've read carefully, that I have a specific liking for culinary mysteries, particularly those with recipes in the back. Previously I have shared Mysterious Cinnamon Rolls, Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins, and Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal, all of which I've found while enjoying a good mystery. Today's recipe is another of that ilk, this one from Diane Mott Davidson's book The Cereal Murders, #3 in the series of Goldy Bear culinary mysteries.

Largely I'm a fan of a thick, dense, crispy cookie, but these chewy gems turned out to be positively addicting. I had cut the recipe in half (as I often do when trying a new one), and was immediately sorry that I did, as was Mr. O-P who expressed his concerns through a mouth full of cookies. The brickle bits really take these over the top. They are not the prettiest cookie on the plate, but they are simultaneously crunchy and chewy, and bursting with toffee flavor; you will not be able to stop at just one. Why you'll love these is no mystery.

Cereal Killer Cookies

From The Cereal Murders by Diane Mott Davidson

2¼ cups old fashioned rolled oats
2 6-ounce packages almond brickle chips (Bits O’ Brickle)
1 2/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

In a medium mixing bowl, mix the oats with the brickle chips; set aside. In another medium mixing bowl sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together; set aside. In a food processor mix the sugars until blended, then gradually add butter. Continue to process until creamy and smooth. Add eggs and vanilla and process until blended. Add the flour mixture and process just until combined. Pour this mixture over the oats and brickle chips and stir until well combined. Using a 2-tablespoon measure, measure out scoops of dough and place at least 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on racks. Makes 4-5 dozen

This post is linked to:

The Scoop

Wow Us Wednesday
Work It Wednesday

What’s It Wednesday

Thursday Favorite Things

Full Plate Thursday

\Create It Thursday 

Brandied Mushroom Sauce

“Meat with the burnt top,” is how my oldest son, then ten, used to refer to one of his favorite meals. It was my simple version of Salisbury Steak that was, essentially, seasoned ground chuck, formed into patties, and lightly breaded using an egg wash and Italian breadcrumbs. From there I would sear them on each side for about five minutes until the breading got very crisp, and then partially cover the pan with a lid to allow them to cook through. The topping would be a simple gravy, usually leftover from a previous night's roast beef dinner that I would pull from the freezer, thaw and heat.

This young man turns 31 today (Happy Birthday, Christopher!), so in his honor I give you a more sophisticated version with this elegant but easy Brandied Mushroom Sauce as the topper. The recently picky Mr. O-P declared it delicious, and he was right. It has been years since I last made this dish, and I was struck by how tasty it was and how quickly it came together.

Both patties and sauce can be made the day ahead. In fact I find the patties benefit from being in the fridge for 30-60 minutes prior to cooking anyway. They'll sizzle when you first drop them into the hot pan (in which you have melted a tablespoon each of butter and olive oil), but the advance chilling allows them to hold onto their breading and their shape.

The sauce is a combination of various recipes I've tried over the years and I think this is perfection. Any cut of beef will benefit from this lovely addition.

Brandied Mushroom Sauce

1 slice lean bacon

1 medium clove garlic, finely minced

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

6-8 large button mushrooms, sliced

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons Brandy

2 tablespoons water

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon Jameson beef soup base

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely minced

In small sauté pan, cook bacon until crispy.  Remove bacon, crumble, and set aside.

Add butter and garlic to skillet with drippings.  Sauté for one minute, stirring constantly to prevent the garlic from burning..  

Add mushrooms and pepper, and simmer until mushroom liquid begins to evaporate.  Add brandy and continue simmering until almost evaporated.  Stir in water, lemon juice, Worcestershire, and soup base, and boil until thickened slightly.  Pour in cream and stir to blend.  Add reserved bacon and parsley.  Serve atop your favorite slice of beef.

This post is linked to:

Metamorphosis Monday 
Melt In Your Mouth 
Amaze Me Monday

Inspire Me Tuesday

Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Try a New Recipe Tuesday

Tasty Tuesdays

Foodie Friday