Baked Cinnamon-Raisin French Toast
This homey recipe can easily be done a day ahead and chilled until ready to bake.
Ingredients:
1 loaf cinnamon raisin bread
Butter, for greasing the baking pan
8 whole eggs
2 cups whole milk
½ cup heavy cream
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Topping:
8 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
½ cup flour
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup raisins
Method:
1. Cut bread into ¼-inch slices, then overlap the slices in rows in a well-buttered baking dish. Whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon, then pour the mixture evenly over all the pieces of bread, soaking the bread as much as possible.
2. To make the topping, combine the butter, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl and cut it all together with a pastry cutter. Stir in the raisins. Sprinkle the topping all over the casserole. Cover the pan with foil and refrigerate it for several hours or overnight.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°. Bake the French toast for 45 minutes to 1 hour for a softer texture, or longer for a firmer, crisper texture. Cover with foil for the first 30 minute of baking, then remove it for the remaining baking time. Serve individual helpings with butter and warm syrup
Pan-Fried Mushrooms
Crispy, garlicky, and delicious, these mushrooms make an incredible side dish.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 12 ounces mushrooms, such as this week’s blue Oyster and King Trumpet varieties, cut into evenly sized pieces
- 3 garlic cloves smashed
- 5 sprigs of thyme
- 2 tablespoons grass-fed butter
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium high heat.
- Spread the mushrooms out in a single layer in the pan. Cook, undisturbed for 3-5 minutes until they start to brown. Stir the mushrooms and cook for another 3-5 minutes until browned all over.
- Add the butter, garlic, and thyme to the skillet and reduce the heat to low. Cook for another 5-6 minutes, spooning the ghee/butter over the mushrooms until they are dark brown and slightly crispy.
- Remove the thyme springs and season the mushrooms with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
| 10 | ingredient |
Grilled Apricots with Honey Mascarpone & Crushed Berries
Grilling the apricots here brings out their natural sweetness, and the red and blue berry topping gives it a patriotic touch.
Ingredients:
1 cup mascarpone cheese
1–2 tablespoons honey, plus extra for drizzling
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Fresh ripe apricots, halved and pitted
Olive oil or melted butter, for brushing
1 cup strawberries, roughly chopped
1 cup blueberries
Crushed shortbread cookies or graham crackers
Fresh mint, for garnish
Method:
1. Prep the mascarpone: In a small bowl, mix mascarpone, honey, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until smooth and creamy. Keep chilled until ready to serve.
2. Brush the cut sides of the apricots lightly with oil or butter. Place cut-side down on a hot grill or grill pan for 2–3 minutes, until softened and lightly charred.
3. In a small bowl, lightly mash the berries with a fork—just enough to release some juices.
4. Spoon a dollop of the honey-mascarpone onto each grilled apricot half. Top with a spoonful of the berry mix, a drizzle of honey, and a sprinkle of cookie crumbs if using. Garnish with fresh mint.
Chive Blossom Vinegar
This punchy vinegar is fantastic incorporated into salad dressings; just swap it one-to-one with your favorite vinegar in recipes!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup chive blossoms
1 cup white wine vinegar
Method:
1. Soak chive blossoms in water to clean, then dry them using a salad spinner.
2. Place chive blossoms into a large canning jar so that the jar is filled about halfway with blossoms. Fill jar with the vinegar, covering the blossoms completely.
3. Let blossoms steep in the vinegar at least overnight or up to several days in a cool, dark place. Strain blossoms from vinegar and pour liquid into a clean jar. Refrigerate for the longest shelf life (the vinegar should last several weeks in the fridge).
Apricot Cobbler
This classic apricot cobbler combines sweet, sun-ripened fruit with a buttery, golden topping for a simple summer dessert that’s best served warm with a scoop of ice cream.
Ingredients:
Filling:
6 cups fresh apricots (about 2½–3 lbs), pitted and sliced
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
½ cup whole milk (or buttermilk for a slight tang)
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, combine the sliced apricots, sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Toss gently to coat. Pour into a 9×13-inch baking dish or similar-sized casserole.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry blender or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour in the milk and stir just until combined; the dough will be thick and slightly sticky.
3. Drop spoonfuls of the topping evenly over the fruit. It doesn’t need to cover it completely—leave some gaps for the fruit to bubble through. Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling. Cool slightly before serving warm, ideally with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
Greek Village Salad
Ingredients:
4 ripe heirloom tomatoes, cut into bite sized chunks
2 Persian cucumbers, peeled and cut into bite sized chunks
½ cup red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup Kalamata olives
¾ cup feta cheese, crumbled
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh oregano, stripped of stems and chopped
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Place the tomatoes, cucumbers and red onion in a bowl. Mix in the olives.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, oregano, and salt and pepper, and pour over the salad to coat. Toss well then sprinkle with feta cheese.
Sunflower Shoot Salad with Radishes & Hazelnuts
This stellar salad from Food & Wine is beautifully balanced with peppery greens and radishes and sweet pea shoots.
Ingredients:
½ cup hazelnuts
1½ tablespoons Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon honey
¼ teaspoon minced shallot
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups peppery greens, such as arugula or shiso
2 cups sunflower shoots
2-3 Pink radishes, trimmed and very thinly sliced on a mandoline
1 fennel bulb, halved lengthwise, cored and very thinly sliced on a mandoline
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Spread the hazelnuts in a pie plate and toast until they are fragrant and the skins blister, about 14 minutes. Transfer the toasted hazelnuts to a kitchen towel and let cool slightly, then vigorously rub the nuts together to remove the skins. Coarsely chop the nuts.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the Champagne vinegar with the Dijon mustard, honey and minced shallot. Add the extra-virgin olive oil and whisk until blended. Season the vinaigrette with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the arugula, sunflower shoots, radishes, fennel and chopped hazelnuts and toss well. Season with salt and pepper and serve right away.
Radicchio Salad with Fresh Chevre & Marcona Almonds
This salad is crisp and colorful, complete with blushy radicchio and juicy citrus.
Ingredients:
1 head Chioggia radicchio, torn into bite-size pieces
4 cups mixed salad greens
1 orange, removed of peel and any pith, and sliced into thin rounds
1 blood orange, removed of peel and any pith, and sliced into thin rounds
½ cup top-quality olive oil
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 ounces chevre cheese, crumbled
½ cup Marcona almonds, coarsely chopped
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil with the red wine vinegar and season with salt and pepper.
2. Add the radicchio and greens to a large salad bowl, and drizzle with about half the vinaigrette and toss until coated. Add the orange slices, goat cheese and hazelnuts, drizzle with additional vinaigrette, and season the salad with salt and pepper. Toss gently together once more and serve.
Winter Citrus & Fava Shoot Salad
This crisp, citrus-kissed salad is both bold in flavor and beautiful in presentation.
Ingredients:
1 blood orange
1 Navel orange
½ pound fava shoots
½ red onion, thinly sliced
2 fennel bulbs, quartered, cored and thinly sliced, plus a handful of the fronds
Vinaigrette:
1 shallot, peeled and minced
â…“ cup freshly squeezed juice from an orange
â…“ cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
¾ cup olive oil
Sea salt salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
- Spread the salad greens out on a large, round serving platter to make a bed.
- Using a sharp paring knife, cut the tops and bottoms off the orange. Stand oranges up and slice to remove the peel and membrane. Then, slice oranges crosswise into thin wheels.
- Arrange the orange on top of the salad greens, overlapping the slices slightly. Then layer on the fennel slices. Scatter the onion slices on top of the salad.
- Drizzle vinaigrette over the salad and then season with ground pepper if desired.