Zucchini Tian

Zucchini Tian, courtesy of Food 52, (courtesy of Julia Child).

The best way to cook is always to start with what’s in season.  And in the middle of summer, zucchini is pretty much a consistent go-to for me. Whether it’s simply grilled, chopped and added to a lemony couscous, or shredded and sautéed with some butter and shallot, I love it.  But last Friday on a slightly cooler-than-usual evening I was looking for a slightly more substantial zucchini side dish.  I wanted it to be the only thing I served alongside a pan roasted salmon.   After a quick search on my favorite site food52.com, I landed on Zucchini Tian. Perfect.

It turned out to be exactly what I was looking for.  The base of zucchini made it light enough to still feel “healthy” but the rice, parmesan cheese and milk gave it the body I was hoping would help it do double-duty as both a starch and a veggie with dinner.  It was a lovely accompaniment to the salmon I made, but it could also stand up to a steak, or any other roast.  It paired well (along with the salmon) with a crisp French Picpoul, but any sharp white wine would be a fine complement.

Chefs note: This dish is fairly involved, and does require a lot of preparation.  It’s not something you’ll likely throw together on a Wednesday night, but it is impressive, and is worth the time when you have it.

Happy eating!

• 2 to 2 1/2 pounds zucchini
• 1/2 cup plain, raw, untreated white rice
• 1 cup minced onions
• 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large cloves garlic, mashed or finely minced
• 2 tablespoons flour
• About 2 1/2 cups warm liquid: zucchini juices plus milk, heated in a pan (watch this closely so that it doesn’t curdle)
• About 2/3 cups grated Parmesan cheese (save 2 tablespoons for later)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A heavily buttered 6- to 8-cup, flameproof baking and serving dish about 1 1/2 inches deep

Courgettes Rapées (Grated and Salted Zucchini)

1. Shave the stem and the tip off each zucchini (or other summer squash), scrub the vegetable thoroughly but not harshly with a brush under cold running water to remove any clinging sand or dirt.
2. If vegetables are large, halve or quarter them. If seeds are large and at all tough, and surrounding flesh is coarse rather than moist and crisp, which is more often the case with yellow squashes and striped green cocozelles than with zucchini, cut out and discard the cores.
3. Rub the squash against the coarse side of a grater, and place grated flesh in a colander set over a bowl.
4. For each 1 pound (2 cups) of grated squash, toss with 1 teaspoon of salt, mixing thoroughly. Let the squash drain 3 or 4 minutes, or until you are ready to proceed.
5. Just before cooking, squeeze a handful dry and taste. If by any chance the squash is too salty, rinse in a large bowl of cold water, taste again; rinse and drain again if necessary. Then squeeze gently by handfuls, letting juices run back into bowl. Dry on paper towels. Zucchini will not be fluffy; it is still dampish, but the excess liquid is out. The pale-green, slightly saline juice drained and squeezed out of the zucchini has a certain faint flavor that can find its uses in vegetable soups, canned soups, or vegetable sauces.

Tian de Courgettes au Riz [Gratin of Zucchini, Rice, and Onions with Cheese]

1. While the shredded zucchini is draining (reserve the juices,) drop the rice into boiling salted water, bring rapidly back to the boil, and boil exactly 5 minutes; drain and set aside.
2. In a large (11-inch) frying pan, cook the onions slowly in the oil for 8 to 10 minutes until tender and translucent. Raise heat slightly and stir several minutes until very lightly browned.
3. Stir in the grated and dried zucchini and garlic. Toss and turn for 5 to 6 minutes until the zucchini is almost tender.
4. Sprinkle in the flour, stir over moderate heat for 2 minutes, and remove from heat.
5. Gradually stir in the 2 1/2 cups warm liquid (zucchini juices plus milk, heated gently in a pan — don’t let it get so hot that the milk curdles!). Make sure the flour is well blended and smooth.
6. Return over moderately high heat and bring to the simmer, stirring. Remove from the heat again, stir in the blanched rice and all but 2 tablespoons of the cheese. Taste very carefully for seasoning. Turn into buttered baking dish, strew remaining cheese on top, and dribble the olive oil over the cheese.
7. About half an hour before serving, bring to simmer on top of stove (you can skip this step if your baking dish isn’t flameproof), then set in upper third of a preheated 425-degree F oven until tian is bubbling and top has browned nicely. The rice should absorb all the liquid.

Blueberry Scones fit for dessert.

When last Sunday turned cool and blustery, I turned to my stove to make one of my favorite breakfast treats for an evening snack.  Blueberry scones.  I happened to have organic blueberries on hand, some heavy cream left over from a pasta dish I had made earlier, and plenty of butter, flour and sugar stashed away in my cupboards, just waiting for an opportunity to turn themselves into something delicious.   In less time than it would have taken me to walk to and from my favorite bakery I had 8 perfectly golden, perfectly scrumptious scones.  And I now have a wonderful breakfast to look forward to for the rest of the week.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 2 TBSP sugar
• 1 TBSP baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• Zest of one lemon
• 5 TBSP butter (really cold – stick it in the freezer for 20-30 min ahead of time)
• 1 cup heavy cream (again, really cold), plus a little extra for brushing the scones before baking
• 1 cup blueberries
• 2 TBSP turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw)

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl, and transfer into a food processor.  Cut the butter up into small pieces (halve the stick of butter lengthwise, then flip it and halve it again, and then cut it 6-8 times across) and toss it, along with the lemon zest, into the food processor with the dry ingredients.  Pulse until well blended (pieces will look like dry sand).  Transfer mixture back into large mixing bowl, and to that, gently mix in blueberries.

Make a well in the center, and pour the heavy cream into the middle.  Slowly blend everything together, being careful not to break the blueberries.  When mostly mixed, (it’s okay if there are a still some bits that are still flour-y, and some that are wetter), move the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball.  Work quickly so the butter doesn’t get too warm.  Roll, or press out into a 3/4″ thick rectangle – around 10″ x 7″.  Cut the rectangle into quarters, and then cut the quarters into even triangles – making 8 even pieces.

Place the 8 pieces onto an ungreased cookie sheet, brush with extra heavy cream, and sprinkle on the turbinado sugar.  Bake on the middle rack of your oven for 15-18 minutes.  Transfer to a wire cooling rack and just TRY to wait until they’re cooled to dig in.  I give you five minutes before you break down and nibble off one of the corners 🙂

Happy Eating!

Rhubarb Compote

For any of you that aren’t sure what to do with extra rhubarb, I’d suggest making up a batch of Rhubarb Compote.  It’s simple to prepare, lasts for a week, and goes with absolutely everything.

I initially got the idea after having dinner at Sportello, one of my favorite restaurants in Boston.  Instead of just bread and olive oil, they serve bread with fresh ricotta and rhubarb compote.  It’s one of the most delicious pairings – the flavors of the mellow, creamy ricotta against the sharp and sweet rhubarb perfectly complement each other.

So I decided to try and figure out how to make a compote that was close.  I tried a bunch of different ingredient combinations before I got it right – different sweeteners (sugar only vs. juice only), different acids (vinegar vs. citrus) – you get the point.  And after four batches, I think I nailed it.

What I’ve noted below is directional.  Depending on the amount of rhubarb you use, and how sweet it happens to be, you may want to adjust.  So remember, add slowly.  You can always increase but you can’t take anything away.

Rhubarb Compote:

• 4 stalks rhubarb, chopped into 1/4″ pieces
• 3 TBSP granulated sugar
• 2 tsp honey
• 1 TBSP orange juice
• Pinch of salt

Toss everything into a heavy bottomed saucepan and cook on low for 15-20 minutes.

As the mixture starts to break down and darken in color be sure to begin tasting to make sure it’s the right amount of sweetness for you — everyone’s palate is different.

If for some reason you’ve gone too sweet, add in 1 tsp of balsamic vinegar at a time until you’ve reached the balance you’re looking for.

Once it’s cooked down, and the flavors are where you want them, let the mixture cool for 15 minutes or so and then you’re ready to go.  This compote will brighten any dish.  For savory pairings, it’s wonderful with hard, salty cheeses, or as a sauce on pork.  You can use it as a topping for ice cream or yogurt. It’s even great on toast.  The possibilities are endless.

Happy eating!

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

Growing up, I can clearly remember summer days at my grandparents’ house.  I would sneak a handful of sugar from the kitchen and then dart into the garden to find the perfect stalks of rhubarb to crunch on.  Once I made my choice, I’d break off the end, crushing it into my sugar-filled hand. And then, my first bite — sweet, sour, crunchy, juicy.  To me, that was the taste of summer.  Well, that and my grandmother’s spectacular strawberry rhubarb pie. No dessert could come close to it!  So when I spotted the loveliest quart of strawberries and beautifully blushed rhubarb at Allandale Farm a few weeks ago, I couldn’t resist grabbing both.

The Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble I decided to make is much less labor intensive than my grandmother’s homemade pie, but every bit as scrumptious.

Topping:

• 1 1/3 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar in the raw (cane sugar)
• zest of one lemon
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Filling

• 1 1/2 cups rhubarb, (about 3 stalks), chopped into 1″ pieces
• 1 quart strawberries, plus some extra (don’t have to be precise)
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3-4 TBSP cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp salt

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

To prepare the topping simply combine the flour, baking powder, both sugars, lemon zest and melted butter.  Mix until crumbly.  Mixture should be fairly dry.  Toss it into the fridge to keep cool until the filling is ready.

Next, wash, core and halve the strawberries.  (Depending on the size of the berries, you may want to quarter them.)  Then clean and trim the rhubarb, cutting into 1″ pieces.

Toss together with the lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch and salt.  Pour filling into 8″ square baking pan with high sides.

Cover the filling with the topping, (rap the pan on the counter a few times to make sure everything settles), and place onto a foil-lined baking sheet before putting into the oven.  This will help tremendously if the crumble bubbles over.  Without it, the oven would be a smokey mess!

Bake for 45 min or until lightly browned on top and bubbly on the sides.  It’s seriously good enough to eat on its own but I would never discourage topping it with some vanilla ice cream.

Happy eating!

The Perfect Scone Topping

All anyone can talk about is the Royal Wedding. And as much as I tried to rise above the ever-building insanity surrounding this event, I inevitably found myself drawn into the thick of it… Will! Kate!! What will they wear? What will they eat?  I should really be focusing on the more important world events, but for some reason, this has captured my (and apparently everyone else in the world’s) attention.

To really put things over the edge, my team at work decided to host a “Royal Wedding Breakfast”. Of course, my contribution must be food-related, so I’ve offered up a take on the oh-so-English Devonshire (Clotted) Cream.  Someone is bringing in scones from The Wholy Grain bakery in the South End, so this would seem to be a fitting accoutrement, no?

The recipe I’m using is really simple, and one I found on joyofbaking.com.  Since I unfortunately don’t have enough time to search out unpasteurized heavy cream and let it cook for 8-12 hours, I thought this would be the next best bet.  And who doesn’t like mascarpone cheese and heavy cream?

The following recipe and photo are both courtesy of joyofbaking.com. 

• Four ounces mascarpone cheese
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 or 2 TBSP granulated white sugar
• zest of one lemon

Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and beat until the mixture holds it shape and looks like softly whipped cream.  Use right away or cover and refrigerate until serving time.

Serve with scones, crumpets, or any other toasted mound of loveliness…

Happy eating!

Salt + Pepper Chicken and Mediterranean Potato Salad

Any of you living in Boston will agree that the past winter – and even the start of spring – has been tough.   So to kick off what I’m hoping will be a slightly warmer week, I decided to prepare a lighter, spring-inspired dinner.

And because I didn’t have a lot of time to cook AND track my progress with photos, all I have to show for myself is the above shot of the final product: simple salt+pepper pan-seared split chicken breast with a warm Mediterranean potato salad.

This potato and green bean salad is really one of my favorite things to make.  It pairs beautifully with any protein – chicken, fish, beef… and is also really good on its own.  It’s hearty, thanks to the potatoes and chickpeas, and has big flavor that comes from the acidic bite of the dressing, and the brightness of the olives and capers.

Potato Salad

• 1/4 pound haricot verts (or the finest green beans you can find)
• 1 lb small red potatoes
• 1 small red onion
• 3/4 cup chickpeas
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley and mint
• 2 TBSP capers
• 2 TBSP chopped green olives
• 1 TBSP each of extra virgin olive oil, grain dijon mustard, good red wine vinegar

Clean the green beans and boil for 2-3 minutes in salted boiling water.  Drain (with a hand strainer – keep the boiling water for the potatoes!) and immediately immerse them in a ice water bath to stop cooking and preserve the bright green color.

If using small red potatoes, quarter them so they’re about an inch and a half big (if using larger potatoes, cut them so that they get to that size).  Place them in the same boiling water used for the green beans and boil for 10-15 min or until a knife pierces through the center easily.

While the potatoes are boiling, take the green beans out of the cold water, pat dry, and place in a large bowl.  To the bowl, add the red onion (chopped), chickpeas (rinsed), capers (chopped), olives (chopped), and herbs.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, mustard and red wine vinegar.  When the potatoes are ready, drain, and add (while warm) to the mixture already in the bowl.  Pour over the dressing and toss well.

Salt + Pepper Chicken

This recipe is super simple.  But to get it right, the key is PATIENCE.  First, let 2 lbs of bone-in, skin-on split chicken breast rest at room temperature for 30-45 minutes. Then pat dry, brush with olive oil, and generously sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

Second, put 3 TBSP olive oil (or canola oil – it can get hotter without burning) into a 12″ cast iron skillet (or any other large skillet you have – that can easily fit all the chicken pieces) and heat until you see the oil start to smoke.  Then place the chicken in, skin-side down.  Let sear for at least five minutes until a golden brown crust has developed and it pulls away easily from the skillet.  Don’t attempt to move or flip the chicken before that crust is fully formed – if you do, you’ll rip away the skin, leaving parts of it in the pan, and be left with a torn-up looking chicken with a golden color, but no crispness.

Once flipped, let cook for another 5-7 minutes, and turn every so often until the internal temperature reads 160 degrees.

Let rest for 5-10 minutes so the juices can redistribute and settle back in, and serve with a generous portion of the salad (at room temperature) along with a chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc – a nice French Sancerre would be fabulous!

Happy eating!

Best. Vodka sauce. Ever.

I recently watched an episode of The Barefoot Contessa in which she featured a recipe from Joe Realmuto, executive chef of Nick and Toni’s, an Italian restaurant in the Hamptons.

I’ve never been particularly interested in making or eating anything with a vodka sauce.  I don’t know why, but for some reason the idea of putting vodka in my food really threw me off.  But after seeing the way Chef Realmuto prepared this dish on the program, and watching both he and Ina Garten “ooooohhhhh” and “aaaaahhhhh” about how amazing it was, I figured I had to try it out.  And boy am I glad I did.  This will absolutely, without a doubt be a go-to of mine for dinner parties (and lazy, rainy Sunday evenings) for a long time to come.

Although time-consuming, with the exception of a couple tedious steps the preparation of this sauce is fairly easy.  First, simply chop up a medium-sized yellow onion and finely mince 3 garlic cloves.  Throw them into a large dutch oven (that has a cover and is oven-proof) with 1/4 cup olive oil.  Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent.

Next, add in 1/2 tsp of red chili flakes and 1 1/2 tsp oregano and cook for about 1 minute more.  Now, this may seem like a lot of oregano, but this makes a lot of sauce, and the flavor really adds a lot to the final product.  After a minute, add 1 full cup of vodka and cook until the mixture reduces by half.

While the mixture is reducing, strain two (2) 28 oz. cans of whole, peeled tomatoes.  I use San Marzano because I personally think they are the most flavorful, but any brand you like will be just fine. (Helpful tip – save the juice you strain from the tomatoes and either freeze it into cubes for future flavoring of soups, stews, and sauces, or for homemade bloody mary mix).

After the mixture has reduced by about half…

… using your hands, crush the tomatoes into the pot – being very careful to do so slowly, lest you end up with a shirt covered with tomato juice/seeds (like I did).  For those of you not used to working with your hands, this may seem sort of gross, but there’s something actually really nice about doing something with your hands instead of a kitchen tool.

Once all the tomatoes have been crushed into the sauce, add in 1/2 tsp of black pepper, 2 tsp of salt, stir well then cover the pot and place into a pre-heated 375 degree oven.  Cook covered for 1 1/2 hours, after which the tomatoes will look something like this.

Let the mixture cool for 15 minutes or so, and then using a food processor, puree everything in batches until smooth.

Return the pureed sauce to the dutch oven and reheat, adding another 2 TBSP oregano and enough heavy cream (3/4 cup to a full cup) to give it a silky consistency and deep pink color.

Taste and add more salt/cream if necessary.  Simmer for 10 minutes and then toss in cooked pasta. (Let’s be honest, this meal is ALL about the sauce, so the pasta is totally secondary.)  This time around I chose rigatoni, but any large shape with a lot of space to fill like penne or shells, will be just fine.  If you’re a cheese lover, add 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan.  But even without, it will be DELISH.  Make this dish… seriously.  It’s that good.

Serve with slices of country bread and a light green salad with a simple vinaigrette.  Good wine pairings for this would be a light bodied red such as Beaujolais, Cote du Rhone, or even a Rose.  Verdicchio would be a nice white option.

Happy eating!

5 kitchen essentials

As anyone with a passion for cooking will attest, we love our “stuff”.  My apartment’s small kitchen is stuffed to the brim with all sorts of gadgets, cookware, utensils, and electronics all designed to help me be better cook or – better yet – designed to make me FEEL like a better cook.  Because really, when you’re using a top of the line Global spatula to ease some salmon out of your Calphalon saute pan don’t you think, “wow – I’m JUST like Eric Ripert”?

But lately I’ve been thinking about what it is I really use the most in my kitchen.  You know, the things you couldn’t live without.  The things that always seem to be dirty because you use them for 80% of what you cook.  So here I’ve compiled a list of my five favorite kitchen items.  Sure there are plenty more things I use a lot, and that I could have added if this list was my “top 10”, but I wanted to stay focused.  So for those of you who don’t know what you really NEED, here is a good place to start.

Lodge 12″ Cast Iron with cover: $30

My lovely friend, Lisa, gave me this for my birthday a couple of years ago after we had taken a Mediterranean cooking class together.  Our instructor recommended that we all buy a good cast-iron pan.  She said we would use it for everything.  And since getting one, I have. It’s so versatile that it would probably be easier for me to list the things I can’t prepare with it than the things I can.  What I will say is that it sears meat beautifully, and is really the only way to make a proper Spanish tortilla                                              (recipe to come later).  Take care of it, and it should last the better part of a lifetime. 

Le Creuset 5 1/2 qt round dutch oven.  $245 (can be a little more or less)

Oh Le Creuset… even your name is fun to say.  But you’re even more fun to cook in!  This particular item was a very generous gift from my mother and is one I go to so often for preparing my favorite dishes.  It heats evenly, goes smoothly from stovetop-to oven-to table (and then to the fridge), and clean-up is a breeze.  It’s perfect for slow-roasting or braising meats, or making things like soups, stews, risottos, and even lasagnas – yes lasagna!  The 5 1/2 qt size is, in my opinion, is juuuuust right.  Any smaller and you’d be hard-pressed to fit a large chicken into it, but any larger and it becomes cumbersome and useful only on those rare occasions when you need to feed 10+ people.

Wooden spoons – from $2.00 each Okay, so I’m cheating a bit here.  I said 5 kitchen essentials, but now I’m saying “spoons” plural.  Because these are all of the same family, I’m counting them as one.

There’s nothing quite like the feeling you get holding a well-used wooden spoon.  It feels sturdy yet soft, cozy yet capable.  I simply love this tool and if I had my way, I’d probably have 50 at home.  But 2 or 3 will suffice.  I’d suggest picking up one fully round, one rounded with a slight edge (for getting into the corners of pans) and one that’s straight across, to be used more as a spatula.  These three will cover you for all your cooking needs.  But beware – do NOT ever put these into the dishwasher.  Warm soap and water is the only way you should clean them.

8″ Chef’s Knife. Good ones start at $50.

I use my 8″ chef’s knife for a lot – slicing, chopping, dicing, mincing – really everything.  When shopping, look for one with a blade made of high carbon stainless steel, and make sure the handle is riveted to the blade.  Ever had the handle of one of your cheap knives  crack off? That’s because it wasn’t riveted.

Don’t be afraid to spend a little extra on this item. It will last you forever with yearly sharpening and a little TLC – e.g. hand-washing , always using it on a wooden cutting board, storing them in a knife block (only if they’re clean and DRY- no mold thank you!).

8 qt. soup/pasta pot. $75

We’ve all been there.  Attempting to cook a lot of pasta in a pot that is not quite large enough.  Remember that pasta loves to swim through the water with freedom.  So if you want to cook it well, you need to cook it in LOTS of water (heavily salted, like the sea of course).  The one I’d recommend is from Calphalon, and it comes with bonus items, too.  Fun, right?! For $75 bucks, (or less depending on where you shop), you get the 8 qt. pot that is perfect for cooking all types of pasta – particularly long form types like spaghetti, linguine, pappardelle – as well as a full pasta insert (to make sure you get every one of those pesky strands out of the hot water), plus a smaller stainless steel steamer that fits on top of the pot.  This, my friends, is what we call a good deal.

So there you have it.  My top five picks, for kitchen must-haves.  Like I said, there are many more things you’ll need to be properly prepared for anything in the kitchen (3 1/2 qt. saucepan, set of measuring cups and spoons, good pair of tongs, strong wooden cutting board, half sheet pans for baking…) but writing about all of that could take me another week!

If you have any of these items, I hope you agree on how indispensable they are.  If you don’t, go pick ’em up!  Even the pricier ones will be a good investment since you’ll probably never have to buy another one again 🙂

Happy eating (and cooking)!

P.S. Stay tuned for a post on how to make the most unbelievable vodka sauce you’ve ever tasted courtesy of her highness Ina Garten.



Banana Butterscotch Pudding Cake

It’s been a while since I’ve written about my adventures in the kitchen.  (Chalk it up to day-job overload…ugh.)  Which means I’ve been coming home (late) and quickly throwing something together without giving it much thought.  Well enough is enough!

Today I decided to make a recipe from Rachel Allen’s PBS program, Rachel’s Favorite Food at Home.  If you’ve never seen her show – make a date (or set your DVR) to watch an episode.  First off, everything is shot in her beautiful country home in Cork, Ireland, providing you – as only PBS can – with a 30-minute escape to a simpler, slower life.  Secondly, she makes food that you WANT to eat.  It’s not complicated for the sake of being fancy, and all the ingredients she uses are wholesome and in-season.  On top of that, throughout the program you feel like you’re in the kitchen of your best friend who also happens to be an incredible chef.  As she cooks, she provides really helpful tips on things people actually want to know, but aren’t able to ask – like why to use the type of oil she’s suggesting, or how to test if your jam is “set”.

The particular recipe I’ve chosen is actually not hers, but a take on a very famous dessert by Bill Granger – Banana Butterscotch Pudding.  I’ve decided to call it Banana Butterscotch Pudding Cake because that’s really more representative of what it is – at least to me!

It’s really fairly simple, and takes about a half hour to prepare and about 40 minutes in the oven.  I chose to make it for breakfast – come on, you all know you like cake for breakfast – but I think it would be lovely served after a hearty stew or roast.

Ingredients (translated into US measurements from a UK recipe)
For the pudding:
1/2 cup + 1 TBSP plain flour
3 level tsp baking powder
1/2 cup + 1 TBSP sugar

1 egg, beaten
1 banana, mashed

1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
7 TBSP butter, melted

For the topping:
1/2 cup soft brown sugar
2 TBSP light corn syrup
1/2 cup + 2 TBSP boiling water

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Mix the wet ingredients (egg, butter, mashed banana, milk + vanilla) into one bowl.  In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar + baking powder).  Incorporate the wet mixture into the dry.

Pur into a well-greased baking dish – I used a 9″ round pie dish with 2″ sides.  (Note – the 2″ sides are important.  If you use a 1 1/2″ side pie dish the mixture will boil over and spill out into your oven.)

To make the topping, in a small saucepan, bring the brown sugar, corn syrup and water to a boil.  Pour immediately (and carefully!) over the pudding/cake batter, distributing evenly in a figure 8 motion.  Don’t worry when the “topping” inevitably sinks to the bottom.  Bits of it will rise to the top while it’s baking and will form a nice crust.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until cooked through when tested with a skewer.  Let cool for at least 15-20 minutes before serving to allow everything to set properly.

Top it with vanilla ice cream or fresh, lightly sweetened whipped cream.  It’s delicious on its own, too 🙂

Happy eating!

Yummy Brunch – in 5 minutes!

Oh how I love Monday holidays.  I get up late.  I brew some coffee.  I eat brunch!

Today, not really having a plan for my meal, I decided to see what I had in my fridge… hmmm, potatoes (leftover from brunch the other day at The Friendly Toast), some cherry tomatoes, onions, eggs, a couple of pieces of prosciutto, some Port Salut cheese…  I could work with that.  A scramble would be just the thing to start my day (um, afternoon) off right!

I started off by putting the two pieces of prosciutto in the toaster oven and toasting them until they got nice and crispy.  As that was cooking, I chopped up the already cooked potatoes and onions, and sauteed them until crisp (along with some salt + pepper).  To that, I added some butter + two eggs, and scrambled it all together for about 30 seconds.  (While that cooked I quickly chopped up the tomato.)

After the 30 or so seconds, I shut the burner off and threw in the cheese, tomato, and broke the prosciutto into bits over the top and covered the pan.

A minute or two later, when I took the cover off, the cheese had melted thanks to the residual heat, and the tomatoes had warmed through.  I mixed it together again and sat down for my super quick, super frugal and super delish brunch.

Happy eating!