zucchini chevre spoon-bread

a few days back

hubs

fresh from visiting

our long neglected garden

presented me

with an enormous zucchini

confession

i sorta only grow zucchini

for flowers

occasionally

a few squash survive

when they do

i use them for bread

sometimes 

sweet

sometimes

savory

this spoon bread is a great side dish

it also rocks

scooped warm and soft

as a bed

for 

caramelized onions

sunny side up eggs

and

crispy bacon

best.breakfast.ever

 

zucchini chevre spoon bread

(printable recipe)

4 large eggs

6 oz olive oil

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup chevre

1/2 tsp freshly grated pepper

1 Tbs honey

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp fresh or 1/2 tsp dried thyme

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 cups all purpose flour

1 lb (about 3 cups) grated zucchini

1 cup grated cheese (mix of asiago, parmesan and provolone)*

*use your favorite flavorful cheese...if you use a salty cheese, modify your salt to 1/2 tsp

whisk together the flour, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl, set aside.  in a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the eggs and olive oil until pale (about 5 minutes).  add the salt, chevre, pepper, honey garlic powder and thyme.  mix for about another minute at as high speed as you can without splashing.  STIR in the flour until fully incorporated, then stir in the zucchini and cheese.  bake at 375F in an 9" buttered cake tin or cast iron skillet.  bake for about 45-50 minutes.  this is a spoon bread, so it will be soft, but should not be jiggly.  it will set as it cools as well.  serve warm.

linking to

lemon ricotta pancakes

i had originally planned

to be long-winded

and

apologetic

about my absence

then i thought

actions not words

&

i made you these

  

the best part?

none of that pesky

egg-white whipping

and

delicate folding

with their

buttery crispy edges

and

billowy lemony insides

these pancake

say

i'm sorry

and

you're welcome

all at the same time

lemon ricotta pancakes

(printable recipe)

1/2 cup ricotta 

1 Tbs lemon zest

2 Tbs lemon juice

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup fine corn meal (floury kind)

1 cup all purpose flour

6 Tbs sugar

whisk together the flour, corn flour, sugar, salt and baking soda. in a separate bowl whisk together the ricotta, lemon zest, lemon juice, eggs and buttermilk.  stir the dry into the wet a bit at a time, to minimize lumps.  stir slowly, and just to get all the ingredients incorporated.  allow to sit about 5 minutes while you heat up the pan.  i like to use butter to cook my pancakes, and i like it to get a bit brown before laying down the batter. but these pancakes are even delicious with pan spray.  

i suggest pureed fruit, fruit syrup or a glaze made with lemon juice and powdered sugar as a topper. 

boozy kumquat marmalade

it is 

a thousand degrees

in my kitchen

so warm

i keep the lights off

somehow believing

darkness=cool

not. really. working

yesterday

hubster and i

did a drive by pick off

you see

the day before

we were at my brother's new home

and i noticed

a line of

kumquat trees

my brother

didn't know what they were

so i figured

he wouldn't mind

if i took 

a handful or 10

yesterday

while he was at work

we helped ourselves

today

i didn't feel much like

hovering over the hob

stirring 

&

canning

which led to

a small batch

3 jars of jam

one for us

one for him

and

one for pouring over vanilla ice cream

no canning required

with a sweet as honey peel

and

puckering sour flesh

kumquats make a perfect marmalade

add a splash of booze

and 

it becomes an adult only

morning treat

boozy kumquat marmalade

3 cups finely slice kumquats (pits removed)

1 cup granulated sugar

1 generous shot tequila

pinch of kosher salt

place all ingredients in a glass or ceramic bowl and let steep for about an hour.  dump into a heavy-bottom pot and cook over medium heat. let simmer until it becomes jammy..about 20 minutes. stir occasionally and watch it closely. you do not want it to become like sticky candy.  pour into sterilized jam jars and allow to come to room temperature.  store in the refrigerator.  

baked coffee cake french toast {joy the baker}

i'm a topping kinda gal

muffin tops

frosting

crumble

make me weak 

in the willpower

when i saw this french toast

with 

brown sugar crumble

in

joy the baker's new cookbook

i gathered the ingredients

and

whipped it up

admittedly

i halved the recipe

because of the willpower thing

whoa

this is good

pure comfort food

fully-amped

baked coffee cake french toast

from

 joy the baker cookbook

for the french toast

1 Tbs unsalted butter

10 slices stale white or whole wheat sandwich bread

4 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 Tbs pure vanilla extract

for the topping

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes

powdered sugar for garnish

to make the french toast: melt butter in an8-inch cast-iron (or any oven friendly) skillet.  coat the entire pan, including the sides of the skillet with melted butter.  remove from heat.  Slice the bread diagonally. fan and stack the bread atop the melted butter, cut side down, point side up.  In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together eggs, whole milk,  buttermilk, sugar and vanilla.  once well incorporated, pour the custard over the bread slices into the skillet.  gently press the bread slices into the custard to coat; bread slices will not completely submerged in the egg mixture.

cover the skillet with plastic wrap and refrigerate for anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight.  

just before you are read to bake, place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350F.  to make the topping: whisk together flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.  use your fingers to work the butter into the dry ingredients until the butter is in pea-sized lumps.  remove the soaked bread from the refrigerator and sprinkle with crumb topping.

bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the custard has set and the bread tops are toasted.  allow to cool for 15 minutes.  sift powdered sugar over the top of the toast and scoop into bowls to serve.  serve with fresh berries if you'd like.  this dish is best served the day it is made.

**my notes: obviously i didn't make this in a skillet.  i used about 1 1/2 slices of bread per mug, and tore them into large pieces.  i fully submerged in the custard and then topped with the crumble.  i knew they were done when they began to souffle and the crumble was crisp.  i also used 2% milk and reduced the sugar just a little because i heaped on the topping. lastly, i threw in a bit of nutmeg, because i love it.  

This post is part of the Joy the Baker Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off sponsored by Hyperion and hosted at girlichef

homemade yogurt

my mother is not a hippie

she would never be mistaken as "granola"

birkenstocks have never graced her perfectly manicured feet

however

when i was a kid

the dogs were fed brewer's yeast

our bread came from the health food store

red dye no. 2 was banned from the house

and

our yogurt was homemade

i thought it was so lame

my friends were eating

yogurt with dreamy flavors

of

coffee, chocolate and lemon swirl

while i  

was being brainwashed to believe

that mine

 while not sweet like pudding

was filled with acidolphilus

my best defense

against turistas

if ever i found my 8 year old self in mexico

with a head of  unwashed lettuce in one hand

and 

a tall glass of tap water in the other

here in lies the rub

now

as an adult

i love homemade yogurt

finding myself extolling the virtues

of

good bacteria

without apology

to anyone who will listen

 

 homemade yogurt

1/2 gallon milk (i use 2%)

1/4 cup good quality plain yogurt-room temperature

jams, jellies, honey, fruit--to serve

preheat oven to 185F.  heat milk in a pot that will best retain temperature over low heat until it reaches 185F.  once it reaches the desired temperature, pop it into the preheated oven and allow to sit for 30 minutes.  remove from oven and allow the milk to cool to 110F. when the milk has cooled to 110F add the yogurt and stir well.  it is important to keep the milk at 110F for the next 7-10 hours.(i have a warming oven that i use which will keep a consistent low temperature.  other methods can be a warming pad, creating a foil tent over a electric skillet, testing the residual heat of an upper oven, while the lower oven is on, placing the pot in a water bath and keeping the water at 110F)

after 7-10 hours you will see thickened milk soaking in the whey.  give this a good stir, then spoon into containers and  place in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours before eating.  

what i do next is not necessary, but hubster and i have different ideas about how thick yogurt should be. i like mine extra thick, he doesn't.  i place the yogurt in a sieve lined with cheesecloth over a large bowl, and let it sit for a few hours or overnight. the yogurt becomes the consistency of cream cheese, and the whey collects in the bowl.   i place the yogurt in one container and the whey in another.  when i make up my pots of yogurt, i whisk in enough whey to achieve the desired consistency. the extra thick yogurt is great as a spread on bread or for flavored dips.

i am linking this to
tuesday night supper club
a little birdie told me

a day for cake

today is national coffee cake day

good thing

because 

it is rainy 

and windy

 just the kind of day

to sit in front of the fire

with a cup of coffee

and a piece 

of this amazing cake

with sugary topping

piled high

printable recipe can be found

  here

pains au chocolat

i may owe you an apology

this week 

is going to have a lot of sweets in it

particularly chocolate

i will sneak in something savory

for tuesday night supper club

but beyond that

i can't make any promises

i've 20lbs of chocolate

to play with

the other day

i tried my hand at croissant dough

it is a 2 day process

appropriate to its name (pain)

i hadn't made it in years

and to be honest

it is obvious

not my best effort

which only means

i will be doing this again

and possibly

again and again

until i can give myself a passing grade

good news is

hubster and the neighbors

aren't as critical as i

actually,

 i think i may have caught them 

praying for mistakes

pain au chocolat
(printable recipe)

(recipe from le cordon bleu professional baking)

225 gr milk--scalded and cooled to room temp

15gr fresh yeast

15 gr sugar

8 gr kosher salt

40 gr unsalted butter--softened

400 gr bread flour

225 gr unsalted butter--room temperature

chocolate batons or good quality chocolate chips

egg wash

dissolve yeast in cooled milk.  add sugar, salt, 40 gr butter and bread flour.  do not add 225gr unsalted butter. mix into a smooth dough, being careful not to develop gluten.  cover and let sit for an hour in a warm draft-free place.  punch down and spread out onto a sheet pan.  place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

remove from refrigerator and roll out to a rectangle about 1/4" thick.  smear the softened butter over 2/3rds of the dough.  leave a margin around the edges.  fold the unbuttered 1/3 of the dough over the center (i think i messed this part up). fold the remaining 1/3 on top.  rotate the dough 90 degrees and roll into a long rectangle.  place the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to relax the gluten.  do this process 2 more times, for a total of 3 turns (or folds).  after the final turn, roll the dough out to 1/4", wrap in plastic wrap and place on a sheet pan in the refrigerator overnight.

to assemble:

roll dough out to a rectangle 1/8" thick.  cut into rectangles 6"x4" or 3"x2" for minis.  place 2 chocolate batons or a row of chocolate chips along the short end, leaving about an inch border.  egg wash the opposite end of each rectangle so that the roll will seal. roll up tightly. proof uncovered in a warm draft free place.  brush with egg wash and bake at 400.

hmm...now that i look at it

it sure seems tedious

i think i need to go back to the drawing board with this...maybe a vlog?

garage sale granola

i had convinced myself

and hubster

that the secret to my happiness

would be

selling all our clutter

in a 

garage sale

i was merrily making my way

through the rooms of our house

tagging and boxing

until i hit

the kitchen

so many things caught my eye

the things i could be making and baking

i stopped all the nonsense

and made granola instead

while i was toasting and mixing

i thought to myself

would i rather

spend a weekend sitting on the lawn

haggling over a quarter

or 

call the charity truck

and spend a weekend

at the sea

eating granola

i chose

crunch over cash

granola
(printable recipe)

4 cups of old fashioned oats

1 cup grape nuts cereal

1 cup dried cranberries, cherries, blueberries or chopped apricots

1 cup toasted almonds, chopped into large bits

1 cup toasted walnuts, chopped into large bits

1 cup toasted pecans, chopped into large bits

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup maple syrup

finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange

1 Tbs vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

place the oats, grape nuts, fruit and nuts in a large bowl, tupperware or zipoc bag. spray a measuring cup with non-stick food spray and add the honey, maple syrup, orange zest and juice, vanilla, salt, cinnamon and ginger.  pour over the oat mixture and shake or stir until everything is well coated.  pour out onto 2 sheet pans lined with silpat or greased parchment.  place in a 350 oven. check after 15 minutes to see if it is starting to brown. if not, stir and place back in the oven and check on it in 5 minute increments.  * if you don't like sticky chewy fruit that can possibly pull out your dental work...put the fruit in after you bake the granola.  sometimes i do half and half.  store in airtight containers.  i love to eat this with ice cold milk poured over it.

i am sharing this at cocina diary

silver dollar blues

i have always loved the

idea of pancakes

the word itself

invokes lazy saturdays

sleep overs

and

summer camp

but when it comes right down to it

i don't really love them

here's the deal

i am not 

a fluffy pancake

kinda gal

i like 'em kinda flat

with a bit of crunch on the outskirts

and a bit

sour

not. so. popular

while i am airing my pancake laundry

here's another thing....

i love blueberries

but i don't love them in a pancake

there is something about that warm, but not really cooked

feeling in my mouth

that turns me off

you too?

this morning

i woke up

with complete decision

i was going to make a blueberry pancake 

i would eat

that

would still be blog-worthy

these are silver dollar shaped

because

they are MONEY baby

whole-wheat-oatmeal-blueberry pancakes
(printable recipe)

blueberry sauce

1 cup blueberries

2 tsp sugar

juice of 1/2 lemon

whirl in a food processor or blender to a puree

set aside until ready to make pancakes

pancake batter

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup uncooked oatmeal

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

2 Tbs unsalted butter--melted and cooled

mix all ingredients together--gently.  i like to let my batter sit for about 1/2 hour before using...but you can dig right in, if you like. the batter is a bit runny, to make a bit of a flatter pancake...you can use less or more buttermilk if you like.

when you cook your pancakes....put a bit of batter in a hot buttered, sprayed or oiled skillet (whichever you prefer), then a few dots of the blueberry puree. using a toothpick or knife, swirl the blueberry into a design or just enough to incorporate it into the batter. if you don't, then you will have a blob of blueberry that will most likely burn when you turn the pancake over.

serve with maple or sorghum syrup...or for something really yummy---your favorite honey.

the road to hana is lined with banana bread

dying bananas 

(as i like to call them)

pile up in my freezer

i can't bring myself to throw away

bananas that are just too ripe to eat

so 

i plop them in a freezer bag

where they lay in wait

for me to be inspired

on the island of maui

stretches the road to hana

a beautiful picturesque

and windy road

lined with roadside stands

 each selling

the "island's best"

 banana bread

each recipe unique

handed down for generations

and while 

all different

all were tasty

i know

we tried them 

sitting here in the warmth of sunny southern california

i can only dream

of our days on the island

and on which curve

our banana bread stand would sit

Island's Best Banana Bread
(printable recipe)

1/2 cup butter--room temp

1/2 cup cream cheese--room temp

1 cup light brown sugar--lightly packed

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs--room temp

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp vanilla

3 large over-ripe bananas (about 1 1/2 cups mashed)

1 cup sour cream

2 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 cups toasted walnuts

cream the butter, cream cheese together, until they are melded together.  add the brown, granulated sugar and salt and beat until fully creamed, and light and fluffy. add the eggs and vanilla and beat until fully incorporated, about 2 minutes...you do not want it to be light and airy, as you are making a bit of a dense, moist bread. toss in the mashed bananas and again mix for about 2 minutes.   mix together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and baking powder together in a bowl.  with the mixer on low, alternately add the flour and sour cream, beginning and ending with flour, in 3 parts.  mix the walnuts in by hand.  pour into 2 loaf pans that have been buttered and floured.  bake in a preheated 350 oven for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

*note: the spices of cinnamon and nutmeg are not clearly noticeable in this recipe, they just give the cake a bit of depth. if you love the taste of either one, you can increase as you see fit.  i like the roundness a bit of spice gives without it overpowering the banana flavor.

oh

that little whipped indulgence you see sitting along-side the bread

that is

just 

equal parts crunchy peanut butter

and

softened cream cheese

topped with a bit of honey

just a little schmear

for those of us who

think Elvis knew what he was doing

reHashed

i had some leftover filling from the dumplings

and a hungry household

so

i played around a bit

and made an

asian flavored egg and hash breakfast

what i have to offer on the subject is

it seems

 i do love breakfast food 

after-all

i took the filling recipe from here

and coated it with instant potato flakes 

(yes, i do keep them in the pantry; because you never know)

and  fried it in a bit of olive oil

until the potato was brown and crunchy, 

and the pork was cooked through

and  then

i placed it on a bed of pan-fried spinach

using the same pan (after wiping it clean),

 i added a bit more olive oil and cooked the egg in a cookie cutter

like so

tip: if you do this, put a cover on, and then the white will cook before the yolk hardens

the yummy looking crunchy squares you see are simply,

 wonton skins deep fried to crispy goodness 

and they are surprisingly good for dipping into the soft and creamy yolk

*add a little hot mustard and/or chili sauce to zest it up a bit

make this

you won't be sorry

Mock Banana Pudding

no

i am not advocating

that we all make fun of 

banana pudding

but i AM

in favor

of

playing around a bit

i love pudding

but summer is coming

and to eat pudding is a good thing

to appear you are filled with pudding

is not

just for clarification

this does not taste like pudding

but it is creamy

and can be as sweet as you like

and has the requisite

nilla wafers

and chunks of bananas

and is really quite good 

for breakfast

or dessert

mock banana pudding
(printable recipe)

 17 oz tub non-fat or 2% FAGE greek style plain yogurt

(you can use any thick plain yogurt you like, but this is really delish)

1/2 vanilla bean

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp honey

2 bananas

20 miniature nilla wafers

split the vanilla bean in half and scrape out the seeds. drop into the yogurt. add the vanilla and honey. stir to combine.  slice or cut the bananas in chunks.  layer with the yogurt and nilla wafers in a parfait glass.

enjoy without guilt

you can thank me later

Attack of the Giant Grapefruit!

it is amazing

what will grow in the desert

with enough water

we were visiting with family

and came across

a group of grapefruit trees

that had the most

monsterous grapefruits

seriously

yes...that says 18 inches

when i find myself
with produce girth,
goodness

and unlimited potential

i sometimes panic

but today

i am calm

because i have a recipe

for grapefruit curd
which i will pair

with a salty dog

chaser

this recipe comes from

Regan Daley's

In The Sweet Kitchen

with a bit of adaptation

by me

Grapefruit Curd
(printable recipe)

6 large egg yolks (room temperature)

1/2 cup minus 2 tsp granulated sugar**

generous pinch kosher salt

1/2 cup fresh grapefruit juice

zest from a large grapefruit

2 tsp fresh lemon juice (do not use meyer lemon)

1/2 cup unsalted butter--cut into small pieces

whisk egg yolks, sugar, and salt until the eggs are lemon yellow and thick.  Whisk in zest and juices. Prepare a bain marie or double boiler.  Place eggs mixure in a bowl over double boiler. Cook while constantly stirring being careful not to overcook.  The curd should be thickened and coat the spoon. It will continue to thicken up as it cools. Pass through a sieve into a clean bowl. While it is still warm, stir in the butter pieces and stir until it is completely melted and incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down on top to avoid a skin forming. Refrigerate until ready to use.  The curd will firm up in the fridge, but it is a soft curd, that is best used as a spread or a sauce.

**the sweetness of your curd depends on the sweetness of the grapefruit. If you find your grapefruit to be really sweet, adjust the sugar level, if you find it really sour or bitter, adjust accordingly as well.

for a decadent morning treat

toast a piece of angel food cake

spoon a bit of curd on top

strategically place a few pieces of grapefruit

sprinkled with a bit of sugar 

and hit it with the torch

for some caramelized goodness

Chorizo Hash

i like my breakfast to taste like lunch

and

i think i might possibly have a slight potato addiction

so 

when i think about hash

i get glassy-eyed

because 

it is quite possibly

the perfect breakfast food

the best part is

it is so versatile

and yummy 

with any and all types of meat

and here's what else

it is a good hangover food

which i know

doesn't apply to you

or me

but you might know someone

who

 has maybe once or twice

overindulged

Chorizo Hash
(printable recipe)

2 medium russet potatoes--small cube

3 links chorizo--chopped or crumbled

1/2 large onion--finely diced

3 scallions--chopped

1 tsp garlic powder

olive oil

salt and pepper

plop cubed potatoes into a bowl of cold water for at least 5 minutes.  Drain and thoroughly dry.  In a large skillet, brown the onion and chorizo.  Toss the potatoes in a bit of olive oil, then drop into the pan with the chorizo.  Saute until the potatoes are cooked through and begin to brown. Just as the potatoes are starting to brown, toss in the scallions, garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve as a side dish or top with a fried egg (or even a chicken breast) for a complete meal.

picnic on parade

on the eve of 2009

we are lucky enough to live on the rose parade route

so every new year's eve

gathering begins

people begin to gather on the streets

setting up camp

lighting fires

preparing for a sleepless night

and

lots of childish fun

and then once dark falls

the floats begin to arrive

people bustling about

readying those famous floats

testing out the mechanics

and

adding the final touches of flourish

all this happens

on our doorstep

and there is no sleep to be had

no fighting the crowds

so what we do

is enjoy the heck out of it

but

i have found that

new year's day comes rather quickly

and i am usually in need of food and coffee

as i rush out the door

as the live action of the floats, bands, horses and cheer of the crowd

begins

so

i pack a breakfast

easy and ready in an instant

in as long as it takes for me to brew a pot of coffee

i have a well balanced meal

that i greedily eat

while others watch in envy

Breakfast Picnic

everything needs to be made in advance 1 or 2 days ahead of time and put together before you head out the door

Frittata Sandwich
(printable recipe)

1/2 potato or leftover baked potato--sliced

a few thin slices of onion

olive oil

handful of grated cheese

4 eggs

pinch basil

Tbs milk

salt and pepper

baguette or hard roll

up to 2 days before serving.  Whisk together eggs, milk, salt, pepper and grated cheese.  Take a small (5 or 6") skillet and add a glug of olive oil. Keep on low and cook potatoes and onion until soft and beginning to brown.  pour in the eggs and cook on low until it is cooked through. it is meant to look like a round omelet.  I pop mine into a 350 oven to finish cooking, so i can move on to other things

remove from pan, put on a plate and pop in fridge until you need it.

when ready to make the sandwich, toast a baguette, place a wedge of frittata on top and wrap. You can add more cheese or some bacon if you are so inclined. You can also add any of that to the frittata while you are cooking it.

Rich and Creamy Yogurt

2 cups non-fat plain yogurt

cheesecloth

strainer

bowl

vanilla

honey

apples for dipping

line the strainer with cheesecloth and place over a bowl.  Pour in yogurt, tie up the cheeescloth with a bit of twine and place the whole contraption in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.  This will drain most of the moisture from the yogurt..making it thick like that expensive yogurt, but a lot cheaper.  Add vanilla and honey to taste...or eat it plain with berries on top. I also use this like cream cheese. It is amazingly rich and delicious!

Coffee Cake

recipe in a previous post

you can also make some Cocoa

from this post

just heat some milk in the microwave

stir and enjoy

Put it all in a fun container, a lunch pail, or a paper sack

and enjoy the parade

your stomach will thank you

3 different stratas and not an erik among them {egg strata}

Who doesn't like an easy solution for a crowd?

Especially when it is for breakfast

and perhaps the night before the next morning

is filled with fancy cocktails and lots o' bubbly?

and perhaps

too many sweets?

here's my breakfast solution

for just those days

like christmas

and new years

hearty

and easy

and not only can, but should

be prepared in advance

my recipe to make this isn't specific

but I think you can get the jist

Strata
(printable recipe)

about 9-12 cups of bread.  I use baguettes or rolls and tear them into nice size pieces and let them sit on a baking sheet to stale a bit....but it isn't essential.  You can use whatever bread you have, but I don't recommend biscuits.

about 9 large eggs

1 cup half and half or milk

salt and pepper

Fillings

The 3 you see in the photo are:

Veggie

leeks, mushrooms, zucchini, red bell pepper--sauteed in a bit of olive oil

stir in 1 small rondele or alouette while still warm

salt, pepper and nutmeg

layer with

parmesan and shredded mozzerella cheese

Breakfasty

saute in olive oil

2 tubes breakfast sausage,1/2 onion

and

head of broccoli (tips only)

 stir in cube of cream cheese while still warm

layer with

shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Spicy

saute in olive oil--lots of chorizo and

1 onion chopped finely

stir in 1 log chevre while still warm

layer with

shredded mexican blend of cheese

So here's what you do.  

Take the eggs and milk and whisk them together in a bowl.  Take your casserole pan and rub a bit of butter along the bottom and sides.  Drop a layer of bread into the pan.  Pour a about half of the egg mixture over and dig around so all the bread gets soaked. Place the filling either in a layer or as i like to do it...place it in such a way so that it looks like the bread and filling are all tumbled together.  Top with a layer of shredded cheese.  Make a second layer of bread and repeat process.

Cover and let sit overnight in the fridge.  Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

you can use any combination of veggies, meat and cheese that you like.  Too much egg is not a problem, too little will result in a dry strata so be careful.

Enjoy!