Spring Onion Jam Bruschetta

 The time has come for another Progressive Party. Progressive Parties, in case you are wondering, are a wonderful way for bloggers to get involved with companies or sponsors to showcase their creative side in coming up with unique recipes. Six bloggers taking a stab at one ingredient in six different courses, sounds like fun, right? The parties are the brainchild of Casey and are hosted over at Kitchen Play where you can find all the info and can check out today's and previous parties.

Many of you might remember my previous involvement last November when I created the "Bloody Olivia". Imagine my excitement when I was chosen again. This month the "mystery" ingredient happens to be spring onions or sweet onions and is sponsored by the National Onion Association. When I first received the assignment and it said spring onions, I was actually a little puzzled and wasn't quite sure what they were. Thankfully with some research on the association's great website, I was ready to get in the kitchen and start creating.  Spring onions are also called sweet onions and are typically available from March through August. They tend to have a much lighter, thinner papery skin and are sweeter than storage or fall onions. Their moisture content is also higher and with that, they are actually more susceptible to bruising. Some common trade-names that you all might be familiar with are Walla Walla Sweets, Maui Sweets and the ever popular Vidalia Onions just to name a few.

For this progressive party I was assigned the appetizer course and decided to go with Walla Walla Sweets for my dish. I was still able to find them at my grocery store in the fall, which is when I was assigned with this party. Unfortunately this particular kind won't be available again until the June time frame, but there are many other options that will work just as well, like Vidalias. Just head on over to the National Onion Associations' website to see what's available. Coming up with a recipe wasn't quite as easy as one might think. I use onions on a daily basis in my cooking at home and we are typically a family of onion lovers. However, I wanted to make sure to create a dish that showcased the onions' sweet taste, but was also light and "spring like" tasting.  My first instinct was to go with bruschetta which I love serving as an appetizer as you can really transform them to fit any season or occasion.

I played around with a few different applications for the onions, but finally decided that making an onion jam would highlight this great ingredient best. Typically, onion jam is made with dark balsamic vinegar, but in order to keep my jam light tasting, I decided to use white balsamic instead. That, along with light brown sugar and white wine, made for a great start. Some seasonings, fresh thyme and just a bit of apricot jam added the finishing touch. The onion jam turned out beautiful, with just the right amount of sweet to tart ratio. 

After taste testing several bruschetta combinations (I know, being a food blogger is rough), I decided to create a bruschetta that would satisfy all of my senses. I had in my mind that the bruschetta should be sweet, but also creamy, crunchy and salty. I found the latter three components by simply putting the onion jam together with crunchy, toasted baguette slices, creamy and slightly tart goat cheese and last but not least, salty slices of prosciutto. Topped with the spring onion jam, this appetizer turned out even better than I had dreamed.

This is really an amazing appetizer and I'm incredibly proud of this creation. I've served this already several times to friends and the reaction is always overwhelmingly positive. On a side note, while the jam is spectacular in the showcased combination, it is also fantastic in many other applications. Think of it as a tasty condiment which can perk up a vast array of dishes.

If at this point my recipe has made your mouth water, go ahead, make the spring onion jam bruschetta, blog about them and submit your link to Kitchen Play. By doing so, you will have a chance to win $100.You have until April 30th, 2011 to enter, so don't wait, I know all of you could use a little extra money with vacation time approaching!

Spring Onion Jam Bruschetta

A Susi's Kochen und Backen Original

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

18 1/2 -inch thick diagonally cut baguette slices

Olive Oil

18 tablespoons soft goat cheese

9 thin prosciutto slices, cut in half crosswise

 Spring Onion Jam (recipe to follow)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Arrange bread slices on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush top of each with olive oil and roast bread until top is golden 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool toasts on sheet.

Spread 1 tablespoon goat cheese on each cooled toast. Arrange prosciutto halves on top of the goat cheese and top each toast with spring onion jam. Arrange on platter and serve.

Spring Onion Jam 

A Susi's Kochen und Backen Original

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 large spring onions (I used Walla Walla Onions), sliced thinly

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/3 cup white wine (Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio works well)

1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons apricot jam

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

Kosher Salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Melt butter and oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onions and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.

Add the sugar, wine, balsamic vinegar, apricot jam, thyme and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring, until the liquid thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 35 minutes.

Transfer the onion jam to a bowl and let cool. Serve at room temperature.

Semmelknödel (Bavarian Bread Dumplings)

 

Let me preface this post by telling you that I'm not an expert on German Dumplings. In fact, I have had a love/hate relationship with them my whole life. As a kid I grew up with a few different versions of dumplings or "Klösse" as we like to call them. I love Semmelknödel, which are made out of stale bread and what this post is about, but hated every time my mom or dad would make the traditional ones that are made with potatoes. Something about the texture and taste used to throw me off and I would spend quite a few Sunday dinners eating a piece of bread alongside my roast while the rest of the family would enjoy their dumplings. These days I will eat them if I visit my mom, but it is nothing I go out of my way to fix myself unless my husband requests them. He seems to be going back and forth between the potato kind and the bread kind and this year he thankfully chose the latter which I enjoy eating.

Semmelknödel, or bread dumplings are served throughout Bavaria in most restaurants. It is a great way to use up stale Semmeln or Brötchen which are similar to Kaiser Rolls here in America and they make for a pretty economic meal this way. My favorite part about these dumplings growing up was the second day, when my mom would use the leftovers, cut them up and fried them in a pan until both sides were nice and crispy. We were always looking forward to that.
Cooking dumplings is actually quite an art and I'll be the first to admit that because of cooking them so infrequently, I'm not as good at making them as my mom or grandpa are. Forming them properly so they keep their shape and being able to cook them is a little harder then you might think. The salt water to cook the formed dumplings in has to be just perfect. It has to be hot enough to cook them through, but it also can't boil or they will disintegrate, the water needs to be right around the simmer point and stay there with a consistent heat.

Since I can't get my hands on great rolls here, I started using a french baguette when I make these dumplings at home. The texture comes pretty close to a traditional German Brötchen and after sitting on the counter for about a day prior, the bread is perfect. The baguette is sliced thinly and soaked in lukewarm milk and some salt for about 30 minutes which will help soften the bread. Meanwhile, onion and fresh parsley are sauteed in a bit of butter. After the bread is nice and soft the sauteed veggies are added to the bread bowl along with seasonings, eggs and flour. Everything is mixed well together (clean hands are your best tool for this) and the "dough" is set aside to rest for another 20 minutes. With wet hands round dumplings the size of a baseball are formed and carefully placed in hot salted water which is where they will cook for about 20 minutes or until cooked through. The easiest way to test for doneness is to take one out and cut it in half to make sure the inside is cooked thoroughly. Once cooked, they are removed with a slotted spoon and served immediately. 

My Semmelknödel might not be the prettiest and they pale in comparison to the way my mom's look, but they are darn tasty and are the perfect side dish for any kind of roast with gravy like my German Sauerbraten. I hope I have intrigued you enough to give another German classic a try and you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

Semmelknödel (Bavarian Bread Dumplings)

 ~makes 6 dumplings~
 (Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 french Baguette (about 10 oz./300 g), cut into 1/4 inch slices

1 3/4 cups lukewarm milk

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon butter

4 tablespoons onion, minced

4 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

3 large eggs

2 - 4 tablespoons flour

Directions:

Cut baguette into slices. Place the slices in a large bowl, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and pour lukewarm milk evenly over the bread. Cover bowl and let the mixture sit for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile melt butter in a small pan, add onion and parsley and saute for about 2 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

After 30 minutes add the sauteed onion and parsley to your soaked bread along with another 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add in the eggs and 2 tablespoons flour. Mix until well combined. If the dough appears really wet at this point add another tablespoon or two of flour.

Cover bowl again and let rest for another 20 minutes. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add about 2 teaspoons of salt. Reduce the heat of the water so it is simmering, but not boiling. With wet hands start forming your dumplings (baseball sized) and carefully place them into the water. After all your dumplings are formed, you might have to bring the water temperature up temporarily, but make sure it won't boil or your dumplings will fall apart. Add the lid to your pot, but keep the lid cracked.  After about 20 minutes the dumplings should be cooked. Remove one and check for doneness. If the inside is still a little "gooey" return the dumpling and cook for another couple of minutes. Remove all dumplings with a slotted spoon and serve immediately.

A Susi's Kochen und Backen family recipe

Apple Toffee French Toast Bake with Apple Syrup

 

Sometimes I happen to find recipes in the strangest places and those turn out to be the best ones. Today's recipe came in a little Magazine that Costco puts out for their members called Costco Connections. I was doing a quick thumb through before putting it in my recycling pile and that is when this recipe caught me eye. After reading through the recipe I knew I had to make this for my family. Apples, toffee and french toast? There was no way this could go wrong. Hold on, there is also cream cheese and toffee bits in the filling? And the finished bake is topped with an apple syrup? Sold, sold, sold!

This is definitely not a weekday recipe (unless you are on vacation or you like getting up really early), but more of a weekend breakfast/brunch item. The preparation is pretty much a cinch, but you do have to let the casserole soak overnight, plus count in the baking time the next morning. French bread is cut into cubes, half of the bread is layered into a greased casserole dish before topping it with a tart apple variety (I used Granny Smith) that has been chopped. Cream cheese is then mixed with brown sugar, white sugar and apple juice until creamy and smooth and then English toffee bits are stirred in. This mixture is spread over the apples and finally the other half of the bread goes on top. The whole casserole gets an egg/milk bath and is placed in the refrigerator overnight to soak and let the flavors mingle. The next morning, after letting the dish come to room temperature, it is baked until the eggs are set. Meanwhile the apple syrup is prepared. It is simply apple juice, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice which are brought to a boil and finally butter is incorporated.

Wow, wow, wow! This is pretty much one of the best sweet french toast bakes I have ever made. It is wonderfully crunchy on top, creamy in the middle with just a hint of toffee, tart apples and a custard like consistency. Absolutely amazing! The syrup just adds another little bit of apple flavor, but this would be just as tasty with maple syrup. With Thanksgiving and Christmas approaching, many of us will be hosting guests and this French Toast would be wonderful for anyone to wake up to. If you like apples and enjoy breakfasts on the sweeter side, this is one recipe I'm urging you to make this season. I don't think you will regret it!

Apple Toffee French Toast Bake with Apple Syrup

(adapted from "Costco Connections")

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

For the French Toast:

8 cups French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

3 tart apples, peeled and chopped (I used Granny Smith)

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup apple juice

2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided

1/2 cup English toffee bits

6 eggs

1 cup milk

For the Apple Syrup:

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

2 cups apple juice

2 tablespoons lemon juice

5 tablespoons butter

Preparation:

For the French Toast: Place half of the bread cubes in a greased 9 x 13-inch baking pan; top with apples. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugars, apple juice and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth; stir in toffee bits. Spread over apples. Top with remaining bread cubes.

In another large bowl, beat the eggs, milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla until well blended; pour over bread. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F. Bake, uncovered, for 40 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

While the French toast is baking, prepare the syrup.

For the Apple Syrup: In a medium-size saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, apple juice and lemon juice; heat to a boil, whisking constantly. Boil for 1 minutes, then stir in butter. Serve over warm Apple Toffee French Toast Bake.

Adapted from: Costco Connections

Savory Cheese and Chive Bread

A couple of weeks ago I found out on Twitter that Dorie Greenspan's brand new book "Around My French Table" had been released earlier than expected and since I had pre-ordered it a long time ago I received my copy a couple of days later. As I opened the cardboard box I could barely contain my excitement. This was like birthday and Christmas rolled into one. I have been a huge fan of Dorie's ever since I first received my copy of "Baking: From my home to yours", and holding her new book in my hands was so much fun. I started flipping through the substantial book, and almost immediately felt overwhelmed. There are so many incredible looking recipes in this book; anything from hors d'oeuvres, to soups, salads, meats and best of all, desserts.

I really had a very difficult time to decide which recipe to make first. I mean do you start in the front and work your way through? Do you randomly pick a recipe by closing your eyes and poking your finger on a recipe in the index? I just didn't know which direction to go. Then my youngest son decided to take the book and started flipping through the pages and found this recipe for cheese and chive bread. I guess the picture "did him in" and I don't blame him, it looked scrumptious. After looking over the recipe I knew I had my first recipe to try out. This bread is about as easy as it gets. A two bowl recipe that is literally put together in 10 minutes flat.

The recipe starts by measuring flour, baking powder, salt and pepper into a big bowl and whisking them together. In a second bowl, your wet ingredients of eggs, milk and olive oil get a good whisking as well. The wet mix gets quickly incorporated into the dry ingredients before adding in the grated and cubed cheese along with chopped chives and toasted walnuts. The finished batter gets spread into a greased loaf pan and is then ready for the oven. Now this is where this recipe gets tough. I had every single person in our house come into the kitchen during the baking of the bread with their mouth watering and wondering what smelled so incredible. I wish I could bottle this smell, which is simply drool inducing and makes the waiting time for the bread to cool very, very cruel.

This bread is so simple, yet absolutely amazing and flavorful. Ms. Greenspan did not disappoint with this recipe either, and I'm excited to be introducing my family to more french inspired dishes.  Best of all, in true Dorie fashion many of her recipes have side notes or what she likes to call "Bonne Idee" that will give you further options of how to change up already wonderful recipes. This bread was gone so quickly in our house that the next time I'm making it (and there will be a next time) I'm doubling the recipe! This is a great dish to serve along side a hearty stew or soup, and I hope you'll be giving this one a try and adding some "French flair" to your dinner table as well.

Savory Cheese and Chive Bread
(adapted from "Around my French Table" by Dorie Greenspan)
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt (depending on what cheese you're using)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper (or more to taste)
1 pinch of cayenne pepper
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 generous cup (about 4 ounces) coarsely grated Gruyere, Emmenthal, or Cheddar (I used Emmenthal)
2 ounces Gruyere, Emmenthal, or cheddar cut into very small cubes (I used Emmenthal)
1/2 cup minced fresh chives or other herbs (or thinly sliced scallions)
1/3 cup toasted walnuts, chopped (optional)


Preparation:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter and 8 -x- 4 1/2 -x- 2 3/4 -inch loaf pan. If your pan is slightly larger, go ahead and use it, but your loaf will be lower and you'll have to check it for doneness a little earlier.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and white pepper together in a large bowl.

Put the eggs in a medium bowl and whisk for about 1 minute, until they're foamy and blended. Whisk in the milk and olive oil.

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and, using a sturdy rubber spatula or a wooden spoon, gently mix until the dough comes together. There's no need to be energetic - in fact, beating the dough toughens it - nor do you need to be very thorough: just stir until all the dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in the cheese, graded and cubed, the herbs, and the walnuts, if you're using them. You'll have a thick dough. Turn the dough into the buttered pan and even the top with the back of the spatula or spoon.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the bread is golden and a slender knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and wait for about 3 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the pan and turn the loaf over onto the rack; invert and cool right side up.

Light Brioche Burger Buns

I'm sold! Sold on homemade hamburger buns that is. I've tried the homemade route before with real Brioche buns but found the process much too labor intensive for the end result. So, when I found the recipe for these Light Brioche Burger Buns I figured I would give it a shot one more time and if those didn't work out either, I would forever be buying overpriced, additive ridden supermarket buns.

Well let me tell you, this recipe did not disappoint. The buns smell incredible while baking and taste even better. These rolls are hardy and don't fall apart when faced with a big, juicy burger. They feel pretty heavy when you hold them, but the inside is light and fluffy like a good bun should be. The taste is like a cross between a french bread and a buttery brioche, but unlike "real" brioche buns there is only 2 1/2 tablespoons of butter in the whole recipe compared to 1 1/2 sticks in other recipes I have tried before.

This is not a recipe you can throw together in a half an hour, you will need time, but the actual time spent working is very little as most of it will be waiting for the dough to rise. I've made these buns a couple of times now, but had to experiment with different dough ball weights to find the perfect size. The original recipe made 8 buns, this bun size was just too big for our average burger. This time around I divided the dough into 10 equal portions, and it turned out to be the perfect bun to burger ratio for us. The recipe also says it can take up to 2 hours for the dough to rise, in my case, it took less than an hour each time, but keep in mind I do live in Arizona and it is quite a bit warmer here than the rest of the country.

This is a simple yeast recipe that I believe even beginning bakers would be able to master. It is straight forward; all it takes are some well floured hands (since the dough can be sticky) and some time to plan ahead. A stand mixer with a dough hook makes this recipe fairly easy and quick to put together, but elbow grease and several minutes of kneading the dough by hand will work just as well.

My family absolutely adores these buns. In fact, I usually make a double batch so I can freeze a few of them for easy weeknight meals. These buns are perfect for any kind of burger, they are also fabulous with pulled pork or beef, or sloppy joes. Another good use would be to simply top these buns with some ham and cheese and have a bowl of soup with them for a quick dinner. I really hope you give these buns a try in your kitchen and come to love them as much as we do. I don't think I will go back to the buns that come in a plastic bag at the grocery store after tasting these (unless I'm in a terrible bind) and I love that I have found such a wonderful alternative!

Light Brioche Burger Buns
(Adapted from the New York Times and as seen on Smitten Kitchen)
(Makes 10 burger buns)
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons warm milk
1 cup warm water
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg
3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

For the topping:
1 egg beaten and mixed with 1 tablespoon water
Sesame seeds (optional)

Preparation:

In a glass measuring cup, combine one cup warm water, the milk, yeast and sugar. Let stand until foamy, about five minutes. Meanwhile, whisk one egg in a small bowl.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or large other bowl) whisk flours with salt. Add butter and rub into flour between your fingers, making crumbs. Add the egg and yeast mixture and mix with a dough hook in your stand mixer on low until combined. Continue kneading on medium speed until dough is smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Alternately (if you don't have a stand mixer) you can knead the dough by hand on a well-floured counter until smooth and elastic, for 8 to 10 minutes. The dough will be on the sticky side so it can be a bit messy, but keep in mind that the more flour you knead in, the tougher the buns will get.

Shape dough into a ball and place it into a greased bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, one to two hours.

Punch down dough and let rest for a few minutes before proceeding. Divide dough into 10  equal pieces and shape into balls. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper two to three inches apart. Spray some plastic wrap with non-stick cooking spray and place over the shaped buns. Return to a warm place and continue to rise for an additional one to two hours.

Set a large shallow pan of water on oven floor. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F with rack in center. Beat remaining egg with one tablespoon water and brush some on top of buns. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using. Bake, turning sheet halfway through baking, until tops are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Grilled Panzanella Salad

In some areas of the country, summer has been quite the mixed bag. Very hot days, but also very cold and rainy days. For us it has just been plain hot and unbearable with very little rain. Summer in Arizona is unfortunately not letting up for probably another couple of months. It will hold a firm grip on us, making us wish for cooler temperatures, even if it just means to dip below 100 degrees F. Yes, most of us Arizonians should be used to it, but are fed up with this terrible heat by early August. Unfortunately, we forget year after year about the temperatures when we are sitting outside enjoying a BBQ-ed meal in January while the rest of the country is freezing.

Since summer is still here to stay for at least a while longer, I'm still on the hunt for great salad recipes to expand my repertoire. This one comes courtesy of "Cuisine at Home" yet again. I really like their approach to recipes which are fairly simple, but wonderful tasting, and most of my magazines from them are covered in sticky notes for dishes to try. Today's post had been on my to-do list for a while, and last weekend I finally got around to it. Panzanella Salad is an Italian dish that is a bread salad. It varies widely depending upon region and ingredients available, however, day old bread is always included. It is also important to use a sturdy bread when making this dish. It is best to use a chewy, rustic bread that can withstand being tossed with a vinaigrette, otherwise your bread will get way too mushy. Ripe, juicy tomatoes are another must, and while any tomato will work, the sweetness of cocktail or grape tomatoes seem to harmonize best with this salad. Cucumbers, red onions, kalamata olives, fresh mozzarella and basil round out this dish.

This is a fantastic salad to serve along side any kind of meat. We had pork chops with it, but steak or chicken would be wonderful as well. Since the bread is grilled on the BBQ, grilling the meat is a logical choice and with that you can leave the stove off, which is always a plus with this heat. We all really enjoyed this unique salad. It incorporated all of our favorite ingredients and so it was kind of a given that we liked it, but nonetheless, I'm surprised by the simplicity of certain recipes that just "wow" you. This is another recipe I'm keeping, and will be making over and over again!

Grilled Panzanella Salad
(adapted from "Cuisine at Home")
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup cucumber, seeded and chopped
1 cup red onion, sliced
1/2 cup fresh mozzarella, cubed
1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves
1/2 a baguette or ciabatta bread, halved lengthwise and brushed with olive oil
2 garlic cloves

Preparation:

Preheat grill to medium-high. Whisk oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper together; set aside.

Toss vegetables, mozzarella, olives, and basil together in a bowl.

Grill bread, cut side down, until golden, 2-3 minutes, then rub with the garlic cloves. Slice bread into cubes, add to vegetables, and toss with vinaigrette.

Peanut Butter French Toast

 

Our weekday mornings are hectic to say the least. Everyone is leaving at different times, there is madness galore with people looking for backpacks, water bottles, or homework, and we don't have any time to sit down as a family to enjoy a breakfast together. I usually make sure to have an assortment of cereals in the pantry and also muffins or breakfast burritos in the freezer for quick on-the-go eating. So when the weekend finally arrives, we like to slow things down a bit and enjoy breakfast or brunch as a family.  Weekend breakfasts are a great opportunity to "splurge" a little and eat something we wouldn't normally have for breakfast during the week. It also means, that we can usually skip lunch that day which frees up some time for me in the kitchen as well.

For these special breakfasts, I like to make things like pancakes, waffles, quiches or french toast. Last Sunday felt like a french toast kind of morning, so I looked on the fabulous internet for a recipe. I didn't have to look further than allrecipes.com, which is a great source for so many dishes. I wanted a french toast that was a bit different than our old standby, but something that still could be made quickly and that I knew the kids would enjoy. That is when this Peanut Butter French Toast caught my eye. After reading some of the reviews and the trouble people had in incorporating the peanut butter into the milk and egg mixture, I knew what would solve this problem. I decided to add all the ingredients into my blender just like I did with my peanut butter ice cream a while back, and again this worked like a charm. Fantastic smooth batter ready for dipping. I also decided to go with a typical french bread cut on an angle rather than a plain white bread. After frying the battered bread in a bit of butter, I added sliced bananas along with maple syrup to each portion to complete the presentation.


This recipe would have made Elvis proud, in fact, I think he would have been "All shook up" about it! It was simply wonderful. The bread was cooked perfectly with just a hint of peanut butter, without  it being overpowering. The bananas and the maple syrup were definitely the icing on the cake french toast. All plates were practically licked clean, everyone was very happy and tummy's were full . So, if peanut butter and french toast are your kind of breakfast as well, I would definitely give this recipe a try, it certainly is a new favorite in our home, and has already been requested again.

Peanut Butter French Toast
(adapted from allrecipes.com)
(Printable Recipe)


Ingredients:

1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 slices French bread
Butter or oil for frying
Sliced banana
Maple syrup


Preparation:


In a blender add milk, eggs, peanut butter, sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Blend until smooth.


Heat the butter or oil in a griddle or frying pan over medium heat.


Dunk each slice of bread in egg mixture, soaking both sides. Place in pan, and cook on each side until golden. Serve hot with sliced bananas and maple syrup.

Bruschetta with Rosemary, Roasted Plum Tomatoes, Ricotta, and Prosciutto

I love looking through bon appétit magazine. Many of their recipes have a certain special touch that make them stand out above other recipe magazines. I do have to admit though, only very seldom will I make a dish from their pages since some of their recipes seem almost intimidating to me, and a little fancier than what I would serve on a daily basis. But, if you are looking for wonderful meals to serve when entertaining guests, this is most definitely a magazine to turn to.

Always on the look out for new dishes, I vowed to take more advantage of all of my magazine subscriptions, which includes bon appétit. So when I received my August 2010 edition, I settled in by the pool and started marking recipes that looked interesting. I couldn't overlook many of their wonderful recipes in this edition that take advantage of the abundance of summer vegetables, which is when today's recipe caught my eyes.

Let's just say this dish is one for the senses. It is crunchy and creamy, salty and sweet and honestly one of the best things I have made in a while. The dish is certainly not hard to make, but does require a little bit of time. Tomatoes are marinated in olive oil and rosemary and then roasted in the oven for 30 minutes. Sliced baguette is brushed with leftover tomato marinade before toasting them in the oven as well. Smooth ricotta is spread on top of the toasted bread slices before layering the prosciutto, roasted sweet tomatoes, and finally, a tiny bit of baby arugula for garnish.

Words don't do this dish justice. This was a flavor explosion in your mouth, and we could not get enough of it.  I made this recipe for a light lunch on the weekend, and my husband and I enjoyed the bruschetta along with a nice glass of red wine. Perfection!

This dish is going in my permanent files and I can't wait to serve this as an appetizer to guests. This one deserves the highest rating available for sure!

Bruschetta with Rosemary, Roasted Plum Tomatoes, Ricotta, and Prosciutto

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, minced 

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 large plum tomatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), quartered lengthwise

12 1/2-inch-thick diagonally cut baguette slices (each 3 to 4 inches long)

12 tablespoons ricotta cheese, divided

6 thin prosciutto slices, cut in half crosswise

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 cup microgreens or baby arugula

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Stir 6 tablespoons oil, garlic, rosemary, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in large bowl to blend. Add tomato quarters and stir to coat. Let stand 5 minutes. Line rimmed baking sheet with foil. Lift tomatoes from marinade and arrange, cut side down, on prepared baking sheet (reserve marinade for toasts).

Roast tomatoes until skin is browned and blistered and tomatoes are very tender, about 35 minutes. Cool tomatoes on sheet. Maintain oven temperature.

Meanwhile, arrange bread slices on another rimmed baking sheet. Brush top of each with reserved marinade (including garlic and rosemary bits).

Roast bread until top is golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool toasts on sheet.

Spread 1 tablespoon ricotta cheese on each toast; sprinkle with pepper. Fold prosciutto halves over and place on ricotta. Arrange 2 tomato quarters atop prosciutto. Whisk lemon juice and remaining 1 teaspoon oil in medium bowl to blend; season with salt and pepper. Add microgreens (or baby arugula) and toss to coat. Top bruschetta with greens. Arrange on platter and serve.

Adapted from:  bon appétit

Irish Soda Bread

Irish week is continuing at Susi's Kochen und Backen. So far I've posted recipes for Glazed Corned Beef, Irish Colcannon Potatoes and Fried Cabbage. Today will be all about the Irish Soda Bread.

I had baked soda breads in previous years and even resulted to buying a few at the grocery store. Every time it received very mixed results from my family. My husband and I didn't mind (but they didn't taste fabulous) and the kids just plain out rejected every single one of them.

Most of the breads I had made before called for raisins. I thought they were almost too sweet. I also tried recipes using currants. I really enjoyed those loafs but again, my kids declined to eat them.

As I was looking for the "perfect" recipe I found out that Soda bread gets its name from being a quick bread in which baking soda is used for leavening rather than the more common yeast. Traditional ingredients include flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk. Other ingredients that can be found int various recipes are raisins, currants, eggs, or even nuts.

Soda bread is to this day a staple in the Irish cuisine and is served often with meals.

I ended up finding the perfect recipe. It might not be considered traditional but that wasn't what I was going for. I was looking for taste and Ina Garten's version is by far the best soda bread we've ever eaten. I ended up replacing the currants with craisins since I couldn't find currants but that turned out to be a great decision. I will be baking this recipe more frequently now and the best part is my kids love the bread and told me to make it again and again!

Irish Soda Bread

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for Craisins

4 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher Salt

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 3/4 cups cold buttermilk, shaken

1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1 cup dried Craisins (dried cranberries)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lin a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed into the flour.

With a fork, light beat the buttermilk, egg, and orange zest together in a measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Combine the Craisins with 1 tablespoon of flour and mix into the dough. The dough will be VERY wet.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and knead it a few times into a round loaf. Place the loaf on the prepared sheet pan. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. When you tap the loaf, it will have a hollow sound when done.

Cool on a baking rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Leftover bread can be stored for up to 3 days well wrapped. If the bread gets a little dry you can always toast it the next day for a great breakfast treat.

Adapted from: Ina Garten

Coming up tomorrow: The conclusion of Irish week, Irish Cream Cupcakes with Baileys Frosting