blueberry french toast

 photo courtesy of emeril

12 slices white bread, crusts removed
2 packages (16 ounces total) cream cheese
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed
12 eggs
2 cups milk
1/3 cup maple syrup or other syrup
Sauce:
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup water
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 tablespoon butter

Preparation:                                 

Cut bread into 1-in cubes; place half in a greased 13" x 9" baking dish. Cut cream cheese into 1-inch cubes; place over bread. Top with blueberries and remaining bread. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Whisk in milk and syrup, blending well. Pour egg mixture over bread mixture. Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover with foil and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 25-30 minutes more or until golden brown and the center is set.

In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch; add water. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in blueberries; reduce heat. Simmer for 8-10 minutes or until berries have burst. Stir in butter until melted. Serve sauce with French toast.
Serves 6 to 8

Ciabatta Sandwich

Okay, I think it’s high time I got a new recipe out… and I have just the one! Perfect for spring and summer, this flavorful Ciabatta sandwich will be a hit with any age and gender. We sampled a similar version at our friends’ place in Ohio and I couldn’t wait to come home and try it!

Ciabatta Sandwich

1 large Ciabatta loaf*
Butter
Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
Deli black forest ham, sliced thin
Deli smoked turkey breast, sliced thin
Thin sliced Cheddar cheese
Lettuce leaves
Thin sliced tomatoes
Thin sliced cucumbers
Renee's Mediterranean Greek dressing (or vinaigrette of your choice)

Slice open the loaf horizontally, spread with butter and lightly toast under broiler. Spread lightly with Mayo, then layer meat and veggies in order given. Salt and pepper if desired, then drizzle lightly with dressing. Cut into individual sizes and serve slightly warm. So yummy and gourmet!

*Note: Our local grocery store carries a bread called Mediterranean Bread which is delicious as well. The possibilities are as endless as available types of bread!

chef ramsay’s scrambled eggs

Tech Guy and I have been on a gourmet cooking streak lately. We both love Gordon Ramsay and we found this video on how to scramble eggs the real way! I don’t really like eggs; usually avoid them as much as possible, but I have to admit these were pretty good! I’ve also included a recipe so you don’t have to watch the whole thing, but the video will make you drool…

Gordon Ramsay's Scrambled Eggs

6 eggs
25 g butter, cold and cubed
1 tablespoon creme fraiche (sour cream works great)

garnish:
fresh ground black pepper
chopped chives

Break eggs into a pan and add the cubed butter.
Stir over a medium heat until the eggs clump and then add the creme fraiche. Season.
Remove from heat when eggs are clumpy, but soft.
Season with freshly ground black pepper and garnish with a sprinkling of chopped chives.

italian beef stew

If you know me, you know how I looove anything Italian. The more authentic the better, and my dream is to one day visit that gorgeous country... but for now I content myself with cooking and browsing magazines with the slightest hint of anything Italian. I found this recipe on Kalyn's site and it definitely appealed to that side of me, not to mention it's deliciously low carb and I had leftover roast beef to use up.


Leftover Roast Beef Italian Stew
(Makes about 2-3 servings, recipe can easily be doubled.)

1/2 onion chopped
1/2 green pepper chopped (or more)
1 T olive oil
8-10 oz. leftover roast beef or steak (about 1 1/2 cups diced beef cubes)
2 cups beef stock (or 1 can beef broth plus a little water)
1 cup slow roasted tomatoes (or 1 can diced tomatoes)
1/2 T dried oregano
1/2 T dried basil
1 cup mushrooms, cut in large chunks
1-3 T chopped fresh or frozen chopped basil


Cut onion and green pepper into 3/4inch pieces, and roast beef and mushrooms into 1 1/2 inch pieces. In heavy dutch oven type pot, saute onions in olive oil for 3 minutes, add green pepper and saute 3 minutes more. Add beef, stock, tomatoes, oregano, basil, and mushrooms, reduce heat to very low, and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste for seasoning, add salt and pepper if desired. Add fresh basil when stew has cook to desired consistency and cook 5-10 minutes more. Serve hot.

Note: I used Primo Chunky Tomatoes with Roasted Garlic and Basil, which I lightly chopped because we don't like it real chunky. And I didn't have fresh or frozen basil, which I imagine would add an incredible dimension... it's just not available in this remote part of the country. :)

indian chicken

I realize this isn't authentic Indian food... it's more of a curried BBQ chicken, but nonetheless, I got this recipe from a friend and we all love it. It's got just the tiniest hint of heat but Tech Guy and the boys eat inhale it without blinking so that tells you it's pretty mild...

Indian Chicken

3/4 cup ketchup

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup vinegar

1 tsp mustard

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp salt

2 Tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp curry powder

3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp butter

Chicken pieces (I used drumsticks and thighs)

Combine all ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake at 375* for 1 - 1 1/2 hours. Serve with Basmati rice and a choice of vegetables.

Notes:

1. I usually double the sauce recipe and serve with the rice.

2. I always skin the chicken first, healthier and the flavour is infused right into the chicken instead of the skin.