Saturday 2/12/11

When we woke up this morning, we were flipping through the few channels I get with my antennae and ran into Rick Bayless's cooking show.  He was making fresh cheese and then made quesadillas with fresh corn tortillas, serreno ham and squash blossoms (and the fresh cheese) that looked so good.  It got me thinking about the cheeses that I have in the refrigerator from my CSA packages and decided that with those, the eggs and the bread that we got last package, I could make a really yummy savory bread pudding.  I did some research to get an idea of proportions and came up with the following recipe:

Savory Breakfast Bread Pudding

Makes 4 servings

·         3 cups day-old bread, cubed*

·         2 eggs*

·         4 egg whites*

·         1 cup half and half

·         ½ cup 1% milk

·         4 oz feta, crumbled*

·         3 slices turkey bacon, diced

·         2 cups mixed greens, chopped*

·         ¼ cup feta or grated parmesan (optional)

1.       Toast bread cubes in 350 oven, about 10 minutes, stirring halfway through the time.  Leave oven at 350. 

2.       In a bowl, mix together eggs, egg whites, half and half and milk until thoroughly blended.

3.       In a 9X9 baking pan, toss together bread cubes, bacon, mixed greens and feta.   

4.   Add bread cubes to greens and bacon.

 5.       Pour egg mixture over bread cubes.

5.       If desired, garnish with additional feta (or parmesan) for brown crust.

6.       Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, or until thermometer inserted in to center reads above 145 degrees.

Makes 4 servings.

Weight Watchers PointsPlus value: 8

*CSA package items

While I was putting all of this together, I looked at how long it would take to bake and decided we needed something to tide us over, so I cut two thin slices of the bread (which is very yummy, by the way) and toasted it.  Then I spread the toast with the fresh cream cheese from the last package and some homemade low-sugar raspberry jam.

This reminds me of the biscuits and clotted cream from high tea.  So yummy!

I made the bread pudding lower fat by using egg whites and half and half instead of whole eggs and cream.  I was a little afraid of the texture, but it came out nice and creamy in the end.  To quote one of my favorite movie lines "I know you aren't supposed to say this about your own food, but YUM!" (Julie & Julia). 

While the bread pudding was baking, I threw together another version of the cabbage soup I made last week.  I don't have regular tomatoes, so I had to use Rotel tomatoes with chiles.  Here's today's recipe:

Southwestern Cabbage Soup

• 5 cups cabbage, coarsly chopped*
• 8 oz kielbasa*
• 3 (14.5-oz) cans Rotel tomatoes w/ chiles
• 2 (16-oz) cans tomato sauce
• 1 can water

Mix all ingredients in crock of slow cooker.  Mix well and cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours.  Switch cooker to LOW and cook another 4-6 hours.  Makes 8 servings.

Half of this will be going home with John this weekend.  I hope I have freezer space for the rest since I leave for Hawaii on Wednesday.  The next package will come when I am in Hawaii.  I will let you know what I am expecting when I get the email from Trevor.