Peachy Baked French Toast Casserole

 

This week the recipe I am sharing on here is a wonderful baked French Toast Casserole. It is the perfect breakfast when you want to make someone feel special and the best part you do almost all the work anytime the day before you are going to serve it. That's a huge bonus for any recipe in my book. 

 

 

Like most recipes for French Toast this one relies on some stale bread. You only need a couple of slices, I think I used one full slice and the two ends of my round loaf of sourdough bread. Just cut up cubes until you have the right amount, anywhere from 1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups of cubes. This recipe is really forgiving the amounts can be fudged a bit either way on most ingredients and it won't make a difference. Just use what is in your fridge and pantry.

For the peaches you can use fresh, frozen (thaw and drain off any moisture) or canned. Like I said this is a very forgiving recipe.

For a baking dish if you have a small casserole dish that would make the presentation more special. The one I used measures about 7” by 4 ½” and holds right around 2 ½ cups. If you don't have one of similar size I would recommend using a glass loaf pan since the “footprint” would be similar. Be sure to grease the casserole dish really well before you add the bread mixture.

It does need to sit in the fridge, covered for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Just make it anytime the day before that you have a few minutes and you will be way ahead the next morning.

Click here to go to the downloadable/printable PDF of this recipe.

Peachy Baked French Toast Casserole

2 Tablespoons flour

¼ cup milk

¾ teaspoon sugar

pinch salt

2 eggs

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups stale bread cubes

¼ to ½ cup diced peaches (fresh, canned (drained well) or frozen (thawed and drained)

Powdered sugar

Peach Jam/jelly/preserves

Thoroughly grease your 2 ½ cup casserole dish and set aside.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, milk, sugar, salt, eggs and vanilla. Use hand mixer and be sure mix it thoroughly until it is very smooth.

Add the bread cubes to the milk mixture and stir carefully.

Pour the bread mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle the diced peaches over the top.

Cover and put in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.

To serve:

Take the casserole out of the fridge, uncover and place on a baking sheet.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Bake the uncovered casserole for 20 to 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Remove from oven.

Sprinkle top with a touch of powdered sugar.

Serve with peach jam/jelly/ preserves.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

I maintain you are never too old for cookies and this recipe is one I make a lot. I love the combo of peanut butter and chocolate and these are the perfect example of that combination.

 

 

I also love that this recipe makes between 8 and 10 cookies which means I can eat them before they get stale and if I do binge on them it still isn't too bad.

You will need to flatten the cookies out like show in the pictures, I just use the bottom of a drinking glass that I dip into sugar between cookies. That brings us to the only down side of this recipe that I can really find- if you forget to do this step the cookies will stay in ball shapes and not spread at all. This is not a horrid thing it just means they take a bit longer to cook to get the centers done, making it easy to overcook the outside of them.

You will want both the butter and peanut butter at room temperature before you start beating them with the hand mixer. As a note I do use salted real butter in this recipe as well as in most of my recipes.

I do recommend using a cookie scoop like this one whenever you are making drop cookies. It makes it so much easier to get all the cookies the same size. This is important to getting them all baked the same amount. 

You can find a downloadable/printable version of this recipe here.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

3 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter, room temperature

2 Tablespoons butter, softened (at room temperature)

3 Tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

1 egg yolk

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon baking soda

a pinch of salt (I use Kosher salt)

½ cup chocolate chips

additional sugar for flattening

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium size bowl beat together the peanut butter and the butter until smooth and combined.

Add both the sugars to the butter mixture and cream together until smooth. 

 

 

 

 

Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat again until well combined

In a small bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixer and carefully mix until well combined.

Carefully mix in the chocolate chips being careful not to break them too much.

Using a cookie scoop portion the dough into balls and place them on your prepared cookie sheet.

Dip a drinking glass into the additional sugar and use to flatten the cookies. Be sure to dip it back into the sugar between each cookie. This will not only ensure that the cookie doesn't stick to the bottom of the glass but it will give your cookies a light dusting of sugar that is very pretty and will add a tiny bit of crunch when you bite into them.

Bake at 350° F for 9 to 10 minutes.

 

Remove from the oven but leave the cookies on the pan for another 10 minutes to set up a bit. At the end of this time transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before placing in an airtight container to store. (or just eat them before anyone else sees that you made cookies LOL)

Lemon Filled Cupcakes

 

I knew I just had to do some kind of Lemon cupcake for June, since June is when Father's Day is and my dad loved anything lemon. I considered several options then I remembered a cake that I used to make that he loved so I went about converting it to cupcake form. I know he would approve of these.

The cake came about by chance one day when I was still in high school. We were going to have company later that day and my mom had some errands to run. She asked me to bake a cake for dessert. I started out by making the same basic cake that both my mom and I made all the time but I wanted to dress it up a bit. As I looked through the very old cookbook that I still love I found a recipe for a lemon filling. It just happened that we had all the ingredients to I decided to give it a try. Now my mom was not especially happy that I decided to experiment on a dessert that was being served to company but by the time she got home it was too late to change it. As it happened the cake was a great success and everyone loved it.

My dad really loved the cake so I made it many times for him over the years. So when I was planning for the June cupcake I knew I had to play around with that recipe.

For the cupcake base I am using a portion of a yellow cake mix since the cake I used to make dad was just a basic yellow cake. If you haven't checked out my blog post on dividing a box of cake mix you can find it here. It is super simple and allows us to make a small batch of cupcakes instead of the huge batch.

I am using my adaptation of my favorite buttercream frosting. I have used it before on this blog and it always turns out wonderfully.

Then I needed to scale down the filling and incorporate it into the cupcake. This is a very basic filling and I scaled down beautifully. I got just a bit more than fit into the 6 cupcakes I baked. To make a spot to put the filling I simply used a sharp paring knife to cut out a small “plug” of cake from the top of each cupcake. Make an area just big enough to fill but not so big your cupcake leaks. Hopefully the photo will give you an idea of the correct amount.

Then it was just a matter of putting the filling into a disposable decorating bag (like the ones you use to pipe frosting) cut off the tip of the bag and fill the cupcakes. 

Carefully spread the frosting over the top of the cupcake covering the top of the filling.

I sprinkled mine with some yellow decorators sugar but that is totally optional.

Now if you have any filling leftover and you happen to have some Vanilla Wafer cookies on hand this is a combination that is so good. Just use the filling as a dip for the Vanilla Wafers, so good and so easy.

Click here for a downloadable/printable copy of the recipe.

Lemon Filled Cupcakes

Cupcake layer-

⅓ of a box of yellow cake mix

⅓ cup water

1 egg

3 ½ Tablespoons vegetable oil

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Start by preheating your oven to the temperature your box of cake mix calls for, mine was 350°F. Line your cupcake pan with paper liners or grease really well.

Combine the water, egg, oil and vanilla in a mixing bowl and combine well.

Add the cake mix and beat for up to 90 seconds.

Portion into cupcake pan and bake according to instructions on your cake mix. Mine was baked at 350°F for about 20 minutes.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes then move to a cooling rack and cool completely.

Use a sharp paring knife to cut a hole in the top of each cupcake and remove enough of the cake to make a small pocket for the filling. Make sure the cupcakes are completely cooled before you start this step.

Lemon Filling

6 Tablespoons sugar

1 ½ Tablespoons Cornstarch

6 Tablespoons water

3 Tablespoons lemon juice (bottled is fine)

1 Tablespoon butter

-optional yellow food coloring

Put all ingredients (except the food coloring) into a small saucepan. Heat over medium to medium high heat to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute remove from heat. 

 

 

 

 

Stir in just a touch of yellow food coloring if desired. 

 

 

 

 

Place in a small dish and cover with a plastic wrap covering surface (the plastic wrap pushed against the surface prevents a skin from forming). Chill completely before using to fill cupcakes.

Frosting

1 ½ cups powdered (confectioners) sugar

2 ½ Tablespoons shortening or butter

2 Tablespoons half and half

¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

Using a mixer blend together the powdered sugar and shortening until well combined. Add the half and half along with the vanilla extract and mix until smooth.

 

Spread or pipe frosting on cupcakes.

Sushi Bowls

This week I am sharing my favorite recipe for a Sushi Bowl. Now don't say ick before you read on, there is no raw fish in this recipe since it is based on the California Roll. I know there are a lot of people out there that will maintain that the California Roll is not really sushi and they have many points. I consider the California Roll to be a very “Americanized” sushi selection. I also feel it is probably the best introduction to sushi for most Americans. Traditionally we don't consume raw fish here and for many it is a scary/disgusting idea. I have to admit I was apprehensive before I tried it but I found I actually really love sushi of pretty much every variety.

For those of you that do like more traditional sushi I have made this many times with raw fish and it is excellent that way too. Since I moved a year ago from Oregon to North Dakota I haven't yet found a source of sushi grade fish. While I do like sushi with raw fish I am very picky about where that fish comes from.

So if you have a favorite sushi just follow my instructions here for the rice and layer on your favorite sushi ingredients.

For the blog post I did leave off the Wasabi paste that is traditional, sometimes I do add it but not always. I felt a lot of you would not be wanting that many flavors that were unfamiliar to your taste buds. Also there is (or can be) plenty of kick in the Sriracha mayo.

I know a lot of recipes call for crumbling/breaking up nori snack sheets over the bowl. I have tried that and I feel it really doesn't add that much so I don't normally include it. If you aren't familiar with nori snacks they are small sheets of the same stuff that a lot of sushi is rolled up in. (that would be the dark green layer you see on sushi on display or in pictures)

For the fillings here I used the ones that are most common in a California Roll- cucumber, carrot, avocado and imitation crab. I know some people do use real crab in their rolls but I think it is a waste to use real crab when the other flavors and textures are going to overpower it. I prefer to save my real crab for dishes where I can fully enjoy it.

I am going to give just approximate amounts of the topping ingredients since you can really use any amount to suit your appetite and taste preference. I will give the exact amounts for the rice and the mixture that mixes with it.

Speaking of the rice, you will need a short grain rice and it cooks a bit differently that other rices you may have used in the past. I really like the Sushi Rice from Rice Select. It has always been really easy to work with and has a wonderful taste and texture. Any short grain rice will work here.

After the rice is cooked (and this is a multi-step process) you will mix the rice with a hot vinegar mixture that will give it that signature sushi flavor. Please don't skip any of the steps on the rice. And also as a note I have found because this rice takes a much different ratio of water to rice that standard long grain rice I really don't like the texture if I try to take the easy way out and use a rice cooker. Just cook it on the stove top following my directions and it will be much better and very easy.

The mixture to add to rice I mentioned contains rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. It is all the seasoning you will add to the rice and it will taste like the rice from your favorite sushi shop.

For the uninitiated Sriracha Mayo may seem a bit daunting but I love the stuff and make it often not only for Asian inspired dishes but for fries to go with a burger. It is simply a mixture of Sriracha sauce and mayonnaise, up to 1 part Sriracha to 2 parts mayo. If you haven't tried this before go easy and taste as you add the sriracha to the mayo until you reach the correct heat level. You will want it just a bit too spicy since the rice and other toppings will mellow it a bit.

Youcan find a downloadable/printable copy of the recipe here.

Sushi Bowls

rice:

1 cup short grain rice

1 cup water

1 Tablespoon rice vinegar

1 Tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

Toppings (this is just a suggestion if you have a favorite Sushi use those toppings instead)

3 oz imitation crab (or real crab if you prefer)

¾ cup shredded carrot

¾ cup diced cucumber

1 avocado, sliced

Sriracha Mayo

2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon Sriracha (or to taste)

Start by thoroughly rinsing the rice. I like to put into the pan I'm going to cook it in and fill that about ½ way with cold water and swish the rice around. Then drain in a fine strainer. Follow up by rinsing under running water until the water runs clear.

Now place the rice and an equal amount of water in small saucepan. Over high heat bring to a boil, immediately turn the element down to the lowest setting and cover the pan. Allow to cook on low for 15 minutes. At this time turn the heat off and leave the pan still covered on the element for an additional 10 minutes.

While the rice cooks combine the Mayonnaise with Sriracha to taste and set aside.

Now let's get ready to season the rice. In a micowaveable container combine the vinegar, sugar and salt. Heat to melt the sugar, about 20 to 30 seconds.

When the rice is done place the rice in a medium size bowl add the hot vinegar mixture and mix thoroughly.

Divide the rice equally between two bowls and top with the desired toppings. I like to keep the toppings separate for presentation.

Drizzle the Sriracha Mayo over the top to taste.

Basic Coleslaw

 

This week I thought I would share my recipe for just a basic coleslaw. This is a small batch just enough for 2 as either a side dish or on a yummy BBQ sandwich. It is a creamy version since that is my preference.

 

 

So a bit of the backstory here. When I was a kid I absolutely hated coleslaw. Couldn't stand the stuff and that continued in adulthood. Then for some strange reason out of nowhere about 10 or 15 years ago I started to no only like but to crave it. It was so strange because it literally happened overnight. Ever since I have really loved coleslaw.

So I have been playing around with different recipes over the years first in family size and more recently in small batch size. The recipe I am sharing today is my most basic one. I love to tailor the slaw to fit different meals and I will certainly share some other recipes in the future.

This starts out with some of that bagged coleslaw mix from the grocery store. You know the one the kind that just has the shredded cabbage and a few other veggies in it. Skip by the one with the packet of dressing. The dressing is the easy part, shredding the cabbage down fine enough to make a good slaw takes time and this is a really quick recipe.

I normally make this in the morning to serve later in the day. I find it tastes so much better if the flavors are allowed to “marry” for a while. Also the time allows the cabbage to soften up a bit making a more pleasant, much creamier salad.

Click here to get the downloadable/printable PDF of this recipe.

Basic Coleslaw

2 Tablespoons sour cream

1 Tablespoon mayonnaise

¼ teaspoon granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon dry mustard powder

pinch of salt

pinch of freshly ground pepper

1 cup coleslaw mix (or finely shredded cabbage)

1 green onion finely chopped

In a medium bowl thoroughly mix the sour cream, mayonnaise, sugar, dry mustard, salt and pepper.

Taste this mixture for seasonings. Add more of whatever you feel is lacking.

Then add the veggies and mix well to coat.

Store in the fridge covered.

Makes 2 servings

Black Bean Rice Bowl

 

This week I am sharing one of my favorite ways to use black beans. When I say it is one of my favorites I am not kidding, ever since I found this recipe I have made it at least once a month or more. I love so many things about this one. 

 

 

First off it is super easy and quick (takes around 30 minutes or less) is made from items I usually have on hand, tastes fantastic, and is a complete dinner in a bowl.

The base for this is bowl is a bed of rice, I prefer to use Jasmine rice and I am sharing how I make it too. I know a lot of folks have problems with rice. I actually have a rice cooker but this stove top method is faster and easier than digging out the rice cooker.

For the black bean mixture I am using some of those beans I shared the recipe for last week. As you probably will notice in the photos I used mine right out of the freezer. (I had forgotten to thaw them out, not the first time they work just as well in this recipe either way) If you would rather use canned beans just use a regular can of black beans but rinse them and drain them really well.

We are starting out this bean mixture with a Poblano pepper, this can sometimes be a game of pepper roulette some times I do get a hot one. If you don't like spicy feel free to substitute a green bell pepper for the poblano. I do love the flavor of the poblano though and with the rice and dairy in the toppings the heat is usually balanced pretty well.

The other ingredients in the bean mixture are some taco seasoning, use your favorite one (any heat level you like) and a small can of green salsa. I love this stuff and always have at least one can in my pantry. It is pretty inexpensive and adds a wonderful flavor to a lot of dishes. You might be surprised by the small amount of sugar in the mixture too, this is there to balance out the acids in the other ingredients, it really does a lot to bring the dish together.

For the top of the dish we are going to make a fresh salsa like mixture. I hesitate to call this a salsa because most people have the idea that a salsa is going to be spicy. This one is not, it is almost more a tomato salad, it has only a handful of ingredients but is so worth the time to make it.

We are also going to be making a crema topping to go on the top. You can use just plain sour cream if you like but the addition of the seasoning will make it so much more special, I really encourage you to try it.

So let's talk about the rice, I have come to love Jasmine rice in the last couple of years. It always cooks up nicely and it has a wonderful flavor on its own. It also pairs well with foods from all over the world.

I am starting off by sauteing the white part of the green onions is a bit of oil. Once they soften add the rice and stir it to coat with the oil. Add the water and bring to a boil. As soon as the water starts to boil turn the heat down to low and cover the pan. On my stove 18 minutes is the perfect amount of time. If the rest of dinner isn't ready yet, just move the rice still covered off to the side, it can sit and wait for a while.

While we are waiting for the rice to come to a boil combine the ingredients for the fresh salsa, then let them sit off to the side while you finish up the rest of the meal.

Now is also a good time to combine the sour cream and taco seasoning. Use a tiny bit of water (about a teaspoon or two) to thin it just so it will drizzle. Set this aside as well.

Now for that pepper core, de-seed, and cut up it into about ½” pieces. 

 

 

 

 In a hot skillet cook the pepper pieces in just a bit of oil until them begin to char a bit and are softened. Stir them from time to time so they don't burn but you do want some color on the edges. This will take about 5 or 6 minutes. Season the peppers with a bit of salt and pepper.

Add the black beans, taco seasoning and 1 Tablespoon of butter to the peppers and cook stirring until the butter melts and the beans are heated through. Add the can of green salsa along with the sugar. Cook and stir occasionally until the beans are softened. Taste the bean mixture and season as needed.

Fluff the rice and stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter.

When the rice is finished cooking fluff and stir in the other Tablespoon of butter. 

 

 

 

 

 

Divide the rice between two bowls,

 

Add the bean mixture,

 

 

Then top with:

the cheese, (I use a Mexi-blend but shredded cheddar is also a good choice and if you want to up the spice level pepper jack is wonderful)

the fresh tomato salsa,

and the crema.

 

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do.

Click here to access a downloadable/printable PDF copy of the recipe.

Black Bean Rice Bowl

2 green onions

¾ cup Jasmine rice

1 Poblano pepper

1 Roma tomato

1 Tablespoon Taco Seasoning of your choice (divided)

¼ cup sour cream

1 ½ cups cooked black beans (drained, if using canned be sure to rinse)

2 Tablespoons Butter (divided)

1 (7 oz) can salsa verde

½ teaspoon sugar
½ cup shredded Mexi-blend cheese (or shredded cheddar or pepper jack)

vegetable oil, water, and salt and pepper

Start by washing all the produce.

Slice the green onions keeping the whites and green tops separate.

Dice the tomato

Core, de-seed, and cut up the pepper into about ½” pieces.

In a small pan heat a bit of oil and saute the green onion whites. Once they are tender add the rice and stir to coat in the oil and mix the onions through. Add the 1 ¼ cups of water, lower the temperature to low, and cover. Cook for 18 minutes or so.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the green tops from the green onions, the diced tomato and a drizzle of oil (I don't measure but probably about a ½ Tablespoon or so) stir to combine and season with salt and pepper. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the meal.

In another small bowl combine the sour cream with ½ teaspoon of the taco seasoning. Stir until well combined. Add just enough water to give a drizzling consistency. (about 1 teaspoon) Set aside.

In a large hot skillet cook the pepper pieces in a bit of oil until they start to char and are soft. Season with a little salt and pepper.

Add the black beans, 2 ½ teaspoons taco seasoning and 1 Tablespoon butter to the peppers. Cook and stir until the butter melts and the beans are warmed.

Add the green salsa and ½ teaspoon sugar to the pepper mixture. Cook stirring until the beans are soft. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Turn off heat.

When the rice is finished cooking fluff and stir in the other Tablespoon of butter.

Divide the rice between two bowls, top with the bean mixture dividing evenly.

And top with the shredded cheese, the fresh tomato salsa, and the sour cream mixture.