Baked butternut squash, ricotta and spinach

December 6, 2014February 7, 2016 Belinda

Although I’m not a vegetarian, I am always attracted to non-meat dishes and this one, given it’s December and has me making soups, stews and baked dishes, this really attracted me. It’s from the wonderful British website and food magazine, Delicious.

Serves 4

1 large butternut squash, halved lengthways (about 2.5 – 3lbs in weight)
1/2 tsp caraway seeds, plus extra for sprinkling
1/2 tsp crushed red chillies
4 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 tbsp olive oil
4 oz baby spinach
1lb ricotta cheese
4 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese,(not the pre-grated stuff) plus extra to serve
1 large egg, plus an extra egg yolk
A bunch of fresh sage leaves

Heat the oven to 400F
Scoop out and discard the seeds from the squash. Sit the squash halves cut-side up in a roasting tin. Score flesh in a crosshatch pattern with a knife and season.
Scatter over the caraway seeds, chillies and whole garlic cloves, then drizzle with the olive oil.
Cover with foil and roast for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until soft.

When cooked, set the garlic cloves aside, then scoop all but 2 tbsp of the squash flesh into a bowl, keeping it in pieces. Gently stir through the spinach and season.Leave to cool.

Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins into a large bowl and mash into the remaining 2 tbsp squash using a fork. Add the ricotta, Parmesan and some seasoning. Add the whole egg and extra egg yolk, stir then gently stir through the spinach and squash mixture.

Spoon into 4 x 6 oz individual gratin dishes.Top with Parmesan, scatter with extra caraway seeds and the sage leaves, then bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden and bubbling. Serve immediately

Breakfast · Do-ahead · Egg based · Holiday Food · Meat

Bacon, sausage and cheese muffins

December 6, 2014September 7, 2022 Belinda1 Comment

Well, as it gets towards Christmas, I start thinking of lovely cozy breakfasts in front of the fire. Yes, even in Southern California we have fireplaces and use them a lot. These are steamy bites of savory goodness and are very addictive, so make double what you think you’ll need.

1 cup cooked, chopped bacon
1 cup cooked crumbled sausage meat. I use mild Italian.
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 cup grated sharp or mature cheddar cheese
1/2 small yellow onion (diced)
8 large eggs
2 tablespoons whole milk
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large skillet, cook the bacon. Chop into small-medium bits. Set aside. Using the same skillet, cook the crumbled sausage meat. Set aside.
Chop the onion (you can use other veggies if you choose).
Grease tin cups in a 12 muffin tin pan with butter or shortening.
Whisk together the eggs and milk, a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir in the bread crumbs, cheese, sausage, onion and bacon, leaving just a handful of bacon and cheese for the topping.
Fill the muffin tip cups evenly with the mixture. Sprinkle the remaining bacon and cheese atop of the egg mixture for presentation purposes!
Bake 20 to 25 minutes, eggs should be completely cooked through (you can test with toothpick). To remove the muffins, run a small butter knife around the cups to loosen and pull up. Serve warm.

Baking · Breakfast · Do-ahead · Egg based · Holiday Food · Meat

Thanksgiving or Christmas breakfast bread pudding

November 6, 2014September 7, 2022 Belinda1 Comment

I am a bread pudding nut, and on these festive holidays, there is nothing nicer than to sit in the kitchen in the morning with the fire on, drinking champagne and smelling the aroma of something cooking slowly in the oven. The beauty of this dish is that it can be prepared up until cooking, the night before and refrigerated until needed.

Serves 4

1 lb good quality pork sausage-meat
6 cups cut or torn up up French bread, about 1/2″ thick
3 cups whole milk
8 large eggs, organic preferably
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 sage leaves
5 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tsp maple sugar
butter for the pan

The night before- cook the pork sausage-meat until it is nicely browned. If the sausage is in links, then remove the casings and crumble the sausage.
Mince the sage and toss it with your torn/cut bread in a large bowl
Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper then pour it over the bread. Stir it around several times, let it sit, then stir again.
Butter a 9″ by 9″ baking dish.
Stir the bread again. Most of the liquid should be absorbed.
Spread half of the bread mixture in the bottom of the greased baking dish.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the sausage-meat from the pan and spread it over the bread.
Now dot the cream cheese in with the sausage. Top with the remaining bread and pour any unabsorbed custard over the top.
Cover and stick in the fridge overnight. Go to bed.
The next morning…. Preheat the oven to 350 F
Pull the pudding from the fridge and drizzle the maple syrup over it, then sprinkle with the maple sugar.
Put it in the oven. Now it’s going to take a while as it’s dense, so go and enjoy yourself with your family while the aroma slowly seeps around the house.
It will turn a dark golden brown, be crunchy on top and puff up a bit. It might take up to 1 hour 30 mins, but check after 1 hour.
When you think it’s done, take it out of the oven and let it rest for a little bit. This goes really well with mimosas!

Do-ahead · Egg based · Grains · Holiday Food · Vegetable-related

Butternut squash, apple, spinach and cheese bread pudding

November 3, 2014September 7, 2022 Belinda

It’s that time of year when all the winter squash comes out and this is one terrific recipe.

Serves 8

1 good sized butternut squash (about 2lbs) halved lengthways, seeded and peeled
2 apples, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 leek stem, diced
1 cup shallots, chopped
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 oz fresh baby spinach
Salt
A good pinch freshly grated nutmeg
A good pinch of cinnamon
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
3 cups half and half
7 large eggs, beaten
1 cup (at least) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 baguettes, crusts trimmed and bread cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 7 cups)

Preheat the oven to 400 F
Put the leeks, butternut squash, apples and shallots into a large bowl. Pour in the melted butter, olive oil, nutmeg, cinnamon, maple syrup, salt and pepper and toss until coated really well.
Tip out onto a baking sheet and roast for about 25 to 30 mins until they are slightly caramelized and softened.

In another bowl whisk the half and half with the eggs, 1/2 cup of the grated parmesan, 1/2 cup of grated cheddar and some salt and pepper. Add the bread cubes and toss gently until well coated.

Spoon half of the mixture into a well buttered baking dish, next layer it with half the roasted vegetables and half the fresh spinach sprinkled over. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and repeat the layers, pressing down as you do it, so it fill the baking dish.
Cover the top with the more grated parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese and any extra egg mixture if you have any.
Bake for about 1 hour until the top has golden spots and the center is firm.
Let it cool for 15 minutes before serving

This pudding can be refrigerated overnight, then rewarmed at 350 F.

Breakfast · Do-ahead · Egg based · Fish · Gluten Free

Smoked salmon frittata

April 25, 2014September 8, 2022 Belinda

I normally tweak recipes, but when it comes to the Barefoot Contessa, there is rarely any need. This is gorgeous.

Serves 8
1 medium onion, diced
12 extra large eggs
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
4 oz fresh goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 lb smoked salmon, chopped
4 scallions, chopped, white and lighter green parts
3 tbsp fresh chopped dill
1 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 F
Saute the onion and butter in a 10 inch oven proof pan over medium heat until translucent, about 7 to 9 minutes.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the heavy cream, goat cheese, smoked salmon, scallions, dill , salt and pepper and combine.
Pour the mixture over the onions and place the pan in the center of the oven. Bake the frittata for about 50 minutes or until it puffs up and a knife inserted in the middle, comes out clean.
Serve hot directly from the pan

Breakfast · Egg based · Gluten Free

Cheesey bacon and egg cups

March 31, 2014 Belinda

Cheesey bacon and egg cups

Sometimes one has to have some fun with food, especially at breakfast which can get very tedious.
These are a lot of fun and really tasty
bacon
eggs
Seasonings of your choice
grated sharp cheese (optional)

On medium heat, fry the bacon on a skillet until lightly browned on each side, but still pliable.
Make sure it doesn’t get crispy because it will continue to cook in the oven and it needs to be able to bend in side the muffin tins.
Drain the bacon on paper towels and let cool.
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line the muffin tins with the bacon slices. To make it easier, line the tin with the meat side on the bottom and the fat side on the top.
Cover the bottom of the muffin cup with a piece of bacon, then sprinkle it with some grated cheese.
Crack an egg into each cup. Sprinkle with seasoning of your choice, salt and pepper. (You can also sprinkle some more cheese over the top at this stage, or leave the egg visible.
Bake until set, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Loosen from the cups and remove. Enjoy!

Accompaniments · Do-ahead · Egg based · Gluten Free

60 second aioli (garlic mayonnaise) to die for

March 26, 2014September 8, 2022 Belinda

This is the most wonderful garlic aioli, and all you need is a platter of crudites (raw vegetables) and bread and you have a fabulous starter for a crowd.
It is highly recommended to purchase a stick blender like this one;

Then all you need is;
3 large whole cloves of garlic, peeled and halved
4 eggs, at room temp
2 to 2 1/2 cups good olive oil
1 to 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
salt

Get a tall glass jar and put in the garlic halves and the 4 whole eggs.
Now, add your stick blender and sit it on the bottom of the jar, over the ingredients and turn on.

Very gradually, add the olive oil in a steady stream, keeping the stick blender on all the time.

You will end up with a gorgeous thick garlic mayonnaise. Now put in the lemon juice a tsp sat a time, sprinkle in a little salt, blend with the stick blender, and taste until it’s the perfect flavor for you!