Vanilla Bean French Toast
Prep this fragrant French toast the night before, and then bake it in the oven right before brunch—easy, peasy!
Ingredients:
1 loaf cinnamon bread, cut into 1-inch slices
6 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups half-and-half
¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
½ cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons butter, plus more for greasing
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Fresh berries and confectioner’s sugar, for topping
Method:
1. Preheat an oven to 425°. Butter or grease the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Set aside, Arrange the bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast until the bread is lightly golden brown and dry, about 7 minutes, flipping the slices about halfway through the cooking time. Transfer the bread slices to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, brown sugar, lemon zest and a pinch of salt. With the tip of a paring knife, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean halves into the egg mixture and whisk to combine; reserve the vanilla bean halves. In batches, dip the bread slices into the egg mixture, turning the slices to coat them evenly and letting the bread sit in the bowl for about 2 minutes to absorb the liquid. Arrange the bread slices in the prepared baking dish, overlapping them slightly. Pour any remaining egg mixture in the bowl evenly over the bread in the dish. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
3. To bake, preheat the oven to 350°. Transfer the dish, still covered with the foil, to the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover the dish, increase the oven temperature to 375° and continue baking until the French toast is puffed up and browned, about 15 minutes more. While the French toast is cooking, in a small saucepan over low heat, combine the maple syrup and the 2 tablespoons of butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter has melted, about 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. To serve, pour the maple syrup mixture evenly over the French toast. Garnish with the reserved vanilla bean halves, if desired, and serve with berries and a dusting of confectioner’s sugar.
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Baked French Toast
This homey recipe from The Pioneer Woman can easily be done a day ahead and chilled until ready to bake.
Ingredients:
1 loaf Pain au Levain 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
Method:
1. Cut the 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. 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 with raspberry preserves or Cara Cara orange compote (see recipe for details).
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How-To: Cook Dried Corona Beans
A quick, how-to guide to prepping this week’s gorgeous oversized beans.
Ingredients:
½ pound Corona beans
1 small onion, peeled and cut in half
Sprig each of thyme and rosemary
3 whole cloves of garlic, peeled
1 bay leaf
Sea salt
Method:
1. Pick over the beans, discarding any misshapen beans and stones. Rinse the beans and drain. Place in a bowl, add water to cover generously and let soak overnight.
2. Drain the beans, place in a Dutch oven and add water to cover by 2 inches. Add the bay leaf, onion, fresh herbs and garlic. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently, uncovered, until the beans are soft, about 2 hours, checking the beans and adding more water as needed to keep the beans submerged. Stir in 2 teaspoons salt. Let the beans cool, then drain well. Yields about 6 cups cooked beans..
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Smoky Rojo Chiquito Beans with Garleeks
Earthy, smoky, and wonderfully satisfying, these slow-simmered beans make the perfect foundation for taco night.
Ingredients:
1 pound dried Rojo Chiquito beans, sorted and rinsed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garleeks, white and light green parts finely chopped
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
6 cups water or low-sodium vegetable broth, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1 lime
Chopped fresh cilantro, for serving
Crumbled or grated cotija, for serving
Method:
1. If desired, soak the beans overnight in plenty of cold water, then drain. Alternatively, cook them directly from dried, allowing additional time.
2. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garleeks and onion and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, and oregano and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
3. Add the beans, bay leaf, and water or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Partially cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are completely tender, about 1½–2½ hours, depending on their age and whether they were soaked. Add additional liquid as needed to keep the beans submerged.
4. Once the beans begin to soften, stir in the salt and black pepper. Continue cooking until tender and creamy. For a thicker consistency, mash a small portion of the beans against the side of the pot and stir them back in.
5. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve warm, topped with cilantro and cotija.
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Classic Red Beans & Rice
Slow-simmered with chicken stock, herbs and spices, these luscious red beans get an extra-flavorful kick from Andouille sausage.
Ingredients:
1 pound dried Rojo Chiquito beans
¼ cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into ½-inch pieces
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
½ cup celery ribs, cut into ¼-inch cubes
4 cups chicken stock, plus 2 cups water
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (if desired)
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon dried sage
1 bay leaf
1 pound Skagit River Ranch Andouille sausage, sautéed and sliced
4 cups water
2 cups long-grain jasmine rice
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method:
1. Rinse and sort beans, and then soak in a large pot of water overnight.
2. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onion, pepper, garlic, and celery in olive oil for 3-4 minutes. Rinse soaked beans, then transfer to a large pot with 4 cups chicken stock, plus 2 cups water. Stir sautéed vegetables into beans. Season with cayenne pepper (if using), paprika, thyme, sage, bay leaf and parsley. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer gently for 2½ hours until beans are just tender.
3. Stir sausage into beans, and continue to simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the rice. In a saucepan, bring the 4 cups of water and rice to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. Serve beans and sausage over the prepared rice.
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Challah Bread French Toast
This lovely and light French toast is wonderful topped with syrup, berry jam, or confectioner’s sugar.
Ingredients:
1 large loaf Challah bread
2 eggs
1½ cups milk
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon smoked cinnamon
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon salt
Unsalted butter
Vegetable oil
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 250°.
2. In a large shallow bowl or pan, whisk together the eggs, milk, orange zest, vanilla, smoked cinnamon, honey and salt. Slice the Challah in ¾-inch thick slices. Soak the slices in the egg mixture for 5 minutes, turning once.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a very large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the soaked bread and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until nicely browned. Place the cooked French toast on a sheet pan and keep it warm in the oven. Fry the remaining soaked bread slices, adding butter and oil as needed.
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Apple Cider French Toast with Honey & Meyer Lemon Glaze
The rosemary sea salt bread gives a subtle savory note that balances perfectly with the sweet-tart apple cider and honey glaze—don’t skip it!
Ingredients:
6 slices New Day Baking Rosemary Sea Salt Bread
3 large farm-fresh eggs
¾ cup Sauk Farm Honeycrisp apple cider
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, for the pan
2 tablespoons Bella Luna Wildflower Honey, plus more for drizzling
Juice of 1 Meyer lemon
Optional: toasted nuts or fresh fruit for topping
Method:
1. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, apple cider, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until well combined. Dip each slice of bread into the egg mixture, letting it soak for 20–30 seconds per side so it absorbs but doesn’t fall apart.
2. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat and melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the soaked bread slices and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 2–3 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining slices, adding more butter as needed.
3. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the honey and Meyer lemon juice. Stir until smooth and slightly warmed.
4. Stack the French toast slices on plates, drizzle generously with the honey-lemon glaze, and top with toasted nuts or fresh fruit if desired.Â
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How-To: Cook Mayocoba Beans
You can enjoy these beans straight out of the pot, or save and prepare them refried-style later!
Ingredients:
2 cups dried Mayocoba beans
1 small onion
2-3 tablespoons bacon drippings (or butter or lard)
1-2 teaspoons salt (plus more to taste)
2-3 quarts water
Pinch of Mexican oregano (optional)
Method:
1. Sort through the beans and discard any rocks or shriveled beans. Rinse and drain well.
2. Add beans to a pot and cover with 2-3 quarts of water, or so the water level is 2 inches above the beans. Add the roughly chopped onion and 2-3 tablespoons of bacon drippings (or butter or lard).
3. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and partially cover. Let simmer for 1½-2 hours. Ensure that the water level is well above the beans by adding more water as they cook if necessary.
4. Start tasting them after 1½ hours. If they are hard or grainy they need a little more time. Once cooked add 1 teaspoon of salt and a pinch of Mexican oregano and simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Give a final taste for seasoning, adding more salt if necessary. Either serve immediately, or store for future use.
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Southwest-Style Beans
These spicy beans pair wonderfully with your favorite meat or vegetable hot off the grill.
Ingredients:
1 pound Pinquito beans, or other dried bean of your choice
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bell peppers, preferably 1 green and 1 orange or red (for color), seeded and diced
1 Walla Walla sweet onion, diced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Place the beans in a large bowl and cover them with cold water. Set them aside and let them soak for 5 to 6 hours or overnight.
2. Drain and rinse the beans, and then place them in a large pot. Add the garlic, bell peppers and the onions. Cover them with about an inch of water.
3. Next add the chili powder and cumin, plus a large pinch each of salt and pepper. Stir to combine, and then bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the beans until tender, about 2 hours. Check the liquid level about halfway through the cooking process; if you’d prefer the beans to be less soupy, you can ladle off about a third of the cooking liquid.
Variation: For extra depth of flavor, add chopped chorizo sausage into the pot at the same time as the garlic, onions and peppers.
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Fried Corona Beans with Kale-Lemon Pesto
Pan-fried and then tossed with a bright kale-lemon pesto, these crispy beans are incredibly satisfying.
Ingredients:
4 cups cooked Corona beans (see method)
1 bunch Tuscan black kale
¾ cup Grana-style cheese
¾ cup toasted pecans
Zest and juice of 1-2 lemons
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1-2 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for frying
1 clove garlic, minced
Pinch salt
Method:
1. To prep the pesto: Roughly remove stems from kale. Add kale to a pot of boiling water. Stir and cook about 45 seconds, then remove and rinse with cold water. Pick up kale with your hands and mold into a ball, squeezing out all the excess water. Set aside. In a food processor, add the lemon zest, juice, salt, nutmeg, garlic and pecans. Pulse a few times to coarsely chop. Add in the kale, and pulse while adding olive oil. Taste for salt and add more oil if it is too dry.
2. Add 1-2 tablespoons additional olive oil to coat a large frying pan. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering, then add beans in a single layer. Stir to coat the beans, then let them sit long enough to brown on one side, about 3-4 minutes, before turning to brown the other side, also about 3-4 minutes. The beans should be golden and a bit crunchy on the outside.
3. Add kale-lemon pesto to the beans and toss to combine. Remove from heat and serve lightly sprinkled with additional Grana cheese.
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