Coming Soon...

Sorry for being so lax about posting lately.  We've had quite a bit of traveling going on, so it's been a little difficult to focus on posting the recipes.  I do have lots of pictures and recipes to share (some super quick and easy granola bars, some deliciously quick breakfast sandwiches, and some ideas for making a packed lunch a little more enjoyable- for kids and grown-ups alike.)

See you next week!

Challah French Toast Breakfast Bake

With Easter around the corner, I thought I'd share one of my yummy Sunday brunch concoctions. I had a loaf of challah bread that I'd pretty much forgotten about, and Ky was in the mood for french toast, so I decided to whip together a caramel-sauced, challah bread breakfast bake.

You can make this the night before if you want to just wake up and pop it in the oven.

Challah French Toast Breakfast Bake with Caramel Sauce

serves 5-6 (or 4 ridiculously hungry people)

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf challah bread (I prefer the kind without raisins, but get whatever you like.)
• 2 cups milk (I used skim, but you can use whatever you like)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 4 eggs
• 2 Tb sugar
• 4Tb sugar (set aside for carmel sauce.)

Directions:

• Place a small saucepan on medium-low heat.
• Put the 4Tb of sugar in the small saucepan with 3Tb water.
• Allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until golden.
• Once golden, turn off heat. (by the time the caramel is done, the prep for the challah should be done and it should be ready to be poured on.)
• Preheat your oven to 350- degrees
• Slice the challah bread into thick slices.
• Place in a 9x11 or 9x13 rectangular cake pan.
• Whisk all of the ingredients together and pour over the bread. 
• If you aren't making it the night before, allow the mixture to soak into the bread for at least ten minutes.
• Pour the caramel sauce onto the bread.  It may get hard.  Don't worry about that, it'll be yummy and gooey when you take it out of the oven.
• Put the bake in the oven and cook for twenty minutes, or until your challah is a nice golden brown (and your house smells like heaven!) *trust your nose.  If it smells done, it usually is.

As I've said before, holidays are about spending time with your family- not about losing your mind trying to prepare something amazing, while missing out on family time.  Enjoy your holiday!  (and impress them with this super easy meal at the same time!)

*I don't think this is a bacon necessary meal.  HOWEVER, some might.  If you do feel that way, you can bake the bacon at the same time as the bake, and it will all come out ready at about the same time (depending on how you like your bacon).  Cooking both in the oven at the same time will save you time and clean up.

A Ridiculously Fast, Ridiculously Good Ragu!

It's cold.  It's gloomy.  It's time to make a rapid ragu!

I got this recipe from the fabulous Nigella Lawson's cookbook, Nigella Express.  It's nothing short of amazing.  Beef?  Check.  Bacon?  Check.  Cheese?  Oh just give me my heart attack and be done with it!

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons garlic oil
• 1 cup cubed pancetta (or bacon if you don't have pancetta handy)
• 1 pound ground lamb (I used a meatloaf mix)
• 1/4 cup caramelized onions *available at gourmet and specialty stores as Onion Confit, or recipe follows
• 1/3 cup Marsala
• 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1/3 cup green lentils
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup grated red Leicester or Cheddar, optional

Directions:

• Heat the oil in a wide, medium-sized saucepan, and fry the pancetta until beginning to crisp.
• Add the lamb breaking it up with a fork in the bacony pan as it browns.
• Tip in the caramelized onions, Marsala, tomatoes, lentils and water and bring the pan to the boil.
• Simmer the ragu for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Sprinkle over the cheese before serving, if using.

Caramelized Onions:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups sliced onions (about 2 medium size onions)

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until the onions are a deep golden brown and soft, about 25 to 30 minutes. Make sure to use a gentle heat and cook the onions slowly so they don't burn. Onions will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week

 

I served this over angel hair, and Kyle ate the leftovers sans pasta for lunch the following day.  I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

Snow White for Emma!

It's amazing how fast children grow.  My best friend, Xana's little girl, Emma is turning three!  It's wild!  I remember when she was this tiny little ball of cuteness with a huge grin and mischievous eyes, and now, here she is, a three year old big girl, with the same eyes, cuteness and grin, but with legs for days and the patience of a grown up.  We always talk about what our kids, and our friends' kids will be like, but actually watching them grow up, and getting to know what they're like, is just so special.

When Emma told me she wanted a Snow White cake this year, I knew I had to do something special.  This is what I came up with:

The best part?  When I showed Emma her cake, she said "WOW!  Can I eat it?!"  Kids are the best.  There's no filter, so when they like something, you really know it. 

The only bummer about this cake was that I couldn't find a set of the seven dwarves anywhere.  Regardless, the cake and cupcakes were a total hit!  And the kids had a super fun, icing stuffed time!

Happy 3rd Birthday Emmacakes!  We love you oodles!

Nigella's Caramel Croissant Pudding

I don't know about you, but I absolutely love breakfast.  When I came across this Nigella's Express recipe with stale croissants, caramel and custard, well, I have to say I swooned.  While I'm not normally a sweets person, especially not for breakfast, I love caramel, and I just knew Kyle and Laela would really enjoy it.  After all, does Nigella ever share bad recipes?  I think not.

I'm going to warn you.  This is one seriously decadent breakfast, and I'm pretty sure it's in NO way healthy.  But it's totally worth the indulgence.

Nigella's Caramel Croissant Pudding

Ingredients:

• 2 stale croissants
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 tablespoons bourbon
• 2 eggs, beaten

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 350- degrees.
• Tear the croissants into pieces and put ina  small gratin dish; I use a cast-iron oval one with a capacity of about 2 cups for this.
• Put the sugar and water into a saucepan, and swirl around to help desolve teh sugar before putting the saucepan on the burner over medium high heat.
• Carmelize the sugar and water mixture by letting it bubble away until it al turns a deep amber color; this will take 3-5 minutes.  Keep looking, but don't be too timid.
• Turn the heat down to low and add the cream- ignoring all spluttering- and, whisking, the mnilk and bourbon.  Any solid toffee that forms in the pan will dissolve easily if you keep whisking over low heat.  Take off the heat, and still whisking, add the beaten eggs.  Pour the caramel bourbon custard over the croissants and leave to steep for 10 minutes if the croissants are very stale.
• Place in preheated oven for 20 minutes and prepare to swoon.

Nigella says this serves 2 greedy people, but I think it could serve 4 with a salad, since it's so rich.

And no, I didn't get any pictures of this one.  It disappeared faster than I could get the camera!