3 x 4 Spicy Turkey Chili

Three types of beans and four types of peppers.

We are having a chili cook off at work, so I tested out two recipes. This is a white chili using turkey. I think it might stand out more against the traditional red. It is healthy and spicy. My other batch was a Three-Bean Chorizo Chili.

Which one do you like better?

Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves
1 small yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
1 lb ground turkey
1 14.5 oz can of pinto beans
1 14.5 oz can of white beans
3/4 cup cooked lentils
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
½ cup chicken broth
¼ cup minced cilantro
Salt, to taste
Juice from one lime

In a large pot over med-high heat, cook onion, garlic and peppers in EVOO for 4 minutes. Add turkey. Cook for 5 minutes, breaking apart meat and mixing together. Turn heat to med-low and mix in remaining ingredients (except salt and lime juice). Cover and cook for 1+ hours, stirring occasionally. Add salt to your liking. Do not boil, otherwise the beans will turn to mush. Mix in lime juice before serving.

Serve chili topped with grated cheddar cheese, diced raw onion and/or a dollop of sour cream.

Note: I cooked mine on the stove top over low heat for about 3 hours, stirring occasionally, allowing the flavors to mingle. You can also use the crock pot or slow cooker.

Three-Bean Chorizo Chili

We are having a chili cook off at work, so I tested out two recipes. I wanted to do a spin on the traditional chili by adding the chorizo pork and lentils. This batch was spicy and full of flavor. My other batch was a Three-Pepper Turkey Chili.

Which one do you like better?

Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves
½ cup diced green bell pepper
10 oz chorizo pork, remove from casing
½ lb ground beef
1 14.5 oz can of red kidney beans
1 14.5 oz can of pinto beans
3/4 cup dried lentils
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
½ cup halved cherry tomatoes
¾ cup chicken broth
Salt, to taste

In a large pot over med-high heat, cook onion and garlic in EVOO for 3-4 minutes. Add peppers; sauté for 3 minutes. Add chorizo pork and beef. Cook for 5 minutes, breaking apart meat and mixing together. Turn heat to med-low and mix in remaining ingredients (except salt). Cover and cook for 1+ hours, stirring occasionally. When lentils are tender, taste and add salt to your liking. Do not boil, otherwise the beans will turn to mush.

Serve chili topped with grated cheddar cheese, diced raw onion and/or a dollop of sour cream.

Note: I cooked mine over the stove top  on low for about 3 hours, stirring occasionally, allowing the flavors to mingle. You can also use the crock pot or slow cooker.

If you have leftover chili, try these stuffed potatoes.

Spinach Shrimp Fettuccine

Over the Christmas holiday while my parents were in town, we made fresh raviolis. They turned the leftover dough into fresh fettuccine for us. We hung the pasta in the laundry room to dry and now are enjoying it a month later. Perfect!

 

 

¼ stick of butter

1 cup half and half

2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced

1 ½ cup grated parmesan cheese

½ cup chopped frozen spinach

Salt & pepper, to taste

1 tsp butter

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced

½ raw shrimp, peeled

Handful of cherry tomatoes, halved

 

In a pot over medium heat, add butter and melt. Add half and half and garlic; cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cheese and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in spinach, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low until ready to use. Do not boil.

 

In another pot, boil water and cook fettuccine according to directions.

 

In a sauté pan over med high heat, add butter and EVOO. Add garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Add shrimp. As soon as one side turns pink, turn. Add cherry tomatoes. Sauté together until both sides of shrimp are pink. Remove from heat immediately, to not overcook. 

 

Drain fettuccine. Add pasta to pot with spinach Alfredo sauce; toss to coat. 

 

Serve pasta in a shallow bowl and top with sautéed shrimp and tomatoes. Sprinkle with extra grated parmesan cheese.

Creamed Spinach and Artichoke Rice

 

1 cup of white long grained basmati rice (Royal Basmati Rice is my favorite brand)

2 cups chicken broth
½ stick of butter
1 small onion, diced
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups chopped frozen spinach
Salt and pepper, to taste
½ cup quartered artichoke hearts

In a rice cooker make rice using rice and chicken broth.

In a sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter and cook onion for about 3 minutes. Add flour and mix to coat onions. Cook for an additional 3 minutes. Add cream while whisking, to prevent lumps; turn heat to low and simmer, whisking, for about 3-4 minutes. Stir in spinach and salt and pepper, to taste.

Once rice is cooked, mix in creamed spinach and artichokes.

Enjoy with grilled salmon and steamed asparagus.

Mediterranean Chicken Sauté

This dish is easy to make and bursting with colors and delicious flavors. It's perfect for a weekday dinner since it's quick to prepare and cook.

 

 

4 thin chicken filets

Salt

Pepper

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

1/2 large red bell pepper, diced

1/2 large yellow bell pepper, diced

1/2 large green bell pepper, diced

1/4 onion, diced

1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes with basil

1 sprig fresh Rosemary (about 2 tsp)

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped

1/2 cup quartered artichoke hearts

A dash of red pepper flakes 

 

In a large sauté pan over medium high, heat EVOO. Season each side of chicken filets with salt and pepper. When oil starts to smoke and ripple, add chicken. Brown each side for 2-3 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

 

In the same pan, add peppers and onions; sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, return chicken to pan and press into vegetables, then cover and turn heat to low. Cook for 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked all the way through. 

 

Serve over rice or egg noodles. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

 

 

 

 

Seafood Vegetable Chowder

For my wedding favors, I made all my guests little cookbooks with a consolidation of recipes from family and friends. One of them included my dad's New England Clam Chowder recipe, which is delicious. So I took the main parts of his recipe and added crab with tons of veggies to make it a Seafood Vegetable Chowder. It was awesome.

4-6 servings

4 slices of bacon

1 large russet potato, peeled and diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
1 large zucchini, diced
1 large jalapeno, seeded and diced
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 tsp minced fresh rosemary
1 Bay leaf
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
2 cups of half & half
1 small can of corn (about 8-10 oz)
10 oz of clams with juice (I used canned whole baby clams, but you can use minced clams too)
5 oz crab meat (you can usually find fresh crab in your meat department)
A dash of red pepper flakes
salt and pepper, to taste

In a large pot over medium high heat, cook bacon until crispy. When the bacon cools, roughly chop; set aside. Remove bacon from pot and onto a paper towel lined plate; set aside. In the bacon grease, add potatoes, carrots, onion and celery; sauté for 5 minutes to brown veggies. Add zucchini, jalapeno, garlic, rosemary and Bay leaf. Sauté for an additional 5 minutes. Mix in butter and flour and coat veggies. Add half and half, corn, clams and crab meat. Add a dash of red pepper flakes and cooked, chopped bacon. Cover, turn heat to low and cook until potatoes are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with sliced sourdough bread, or in a sourdough bread bowl. Garnish with extra bacon crumbs.

 

Do you enjoy a little heat? Try a few dashes of Tabascosauce in your chowder. Yum!

 

Salmon Sliders

We had leftover grilled salmon, so for lunch the next day, we decided to make salmon sliders, or open-faced salmon sandwiches.

2 grilled salmon filets, about 6-8 oz

1 egg, beaten

1/3 cup mayo

1 large slice of sourdough bread, diced (you can use regular breadcrumbs too)

1/3 small red onion, minced

½ small red bell pepper, diced

1 Tbsp freshly minced Italian flat leaf parsley

½ tsp salt

½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Vegetable oil for frying

Goat Cheese Pesto Spread:

4 oz goat cheese

½ Tbsp mayo

1 tsp pesto sauce

Baguette, sliced into ½” pieces  

Garnishes:

Fresh lime juice

Sliced avocado

In a sauté pan, heat ½” of oil over medium high heat. Oil should be about half way up the salmon patty.

While oil heats, use your hands to gently flake apart the salmon into a large bowl. Gently mix in remaining ingredients. Do not over mix or the salmon will turn to mush.  If the mixture is too wet, add more bread. If the mixture is too dry, add more mayo. Using your hands, form 2” patties.

When oil is ready, gently place each patty into the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, until they are crispy and golden brown. Remove patties from oil and set on paper towel lined plate, to soak up extra grease.

In a small bowl, combine ingredients for spread.

Smear each slice of bread with goat cheese pesto spread and top with a salmon patty. Top each slider with a slice of avocado and squirt of fresh lime juice. Serve with an arugula salad tossed in a light vinaigrette dressing.

Helpful tips:

How do you know if your oil is ready for frying? Test by dropping a little bit of food into oil, if it sizzles, it’s ready!

Light-As-A-Cloud Lemon Mousse

My little Meyer lemon tree is full of fruit, which means it's time to get creative on what to do with all of those lemons! We found a great dessert recipe in my new cookbook, At Blanchard's Table. It was the perfect compliment to the Caribbean Coconut Chicken with Lime dish, which was also inspired by the cookbook.

 

Serves 4-6

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
6 large egg yolks
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp freshly grated lemon zest
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
toasted coconut shreds or extra lemon zest, as garnish (optional)

In the top of a double broiler over simmering water, combine the sugar, lemon juice, egg yolks, eggs, and lemon peel. Cook, whisking constantly, until a thermometer reads 160 degrees. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill.

 

When the lemon mixture is cold, whip the cream until soft to medium peaks form. Gently fold a quarter of the whipped cream into the lemon mixture to blend, and then fold in the remaining cream.Chill in a large serving bowl, or spoon into individual glasses or bowls.

 

Garnish with toasted coconut and/or fresh lemon zest.

Caribbean Coconut Chicken with Lime

We went to the British Virgin Islands in November and I came across a book in the airport called 'A Trip to the Beach' about a couple from the US that moved to the Caribbean to open a restaurant. I loved the book and the tales of their adventures as they chased their dreams of opening a small restaurant on the beach of Anguilla in the BVI. I loved the book so much that I also bought their cookbook, At Blanchard's Table.

On our last night with all the family together for the holidays we decided to make their Calypso Chicken with Lime. It was a huge hit with everyone! We changed it a little to add a kick of spice, but this certainly didn't distract from the tropical flavors and memories of the Caribbean that it brought us back to.

Caribbean Coconut Chicken with Lime

Serves 6

1 lb chicken tenders, or slice 4 chicken breasts into strips
3 Tbsp plus 1⁄4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1⁄2 cup heavy cream
1 1⁄2 Tbsp fresh lime zest
3 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 1⁄2 tsp salt
1⁄2 tsp black pepper
1⁄3 cup chopped cilantro
3 Tbsp shredded coconut, toasted

Preheat the broiler or prepare the grill.

In a large bowl, coat the chicken with 3 tablespoons lime juice, EVOO and jalapenos. Marinate for 30 minutes.

In a medium saute pan, whisk together 1⁄4 cup lime juice, coconut milk, cream, lime zest, ginger, salt, and pepper. Cook on medium heat until small bubbles form around the edge of the pan and set aside. Turn heat to low.

Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade, and broil or grill them until just about cooked through, 2-3 minutes per side. Add chicken to coconut sauce on stove top over low heat. Mix in cilantro. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes, or until chicken cooks all the way through.

Serve over Cilantro Lime Rice (recipe below), spoon extra sauce over chicken and sprinkle with toasted coconut.

For dessert, we selected another recipe from the cookbook for a fresh Lemon Mousse.

Cilantro Lime Rice

2 cups basmati rice
4 cups chicken broth
1 tsp salt
1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 green onion sprig, chopped
Juice from 1/2 lime

In a rice cooker, combine rice, broth, salt and EVOO. Once rice is ready, mix in cilantro, green onions and lime juice. Mix well and set aside until ready to serve.

Variations - Think think this dish would also be wonderful with the following revisions:

• Sub the chicken for sauteed snapper.
• Sub the chicken for grilled swordfish.
• Kick up the heat by adding diced jalapenos into the rice when you add the cilantro and green onions.

Spicy Rice & Beans

I love this rice because it's so easy to make and delicious.

 

 

1 cup rice

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 packet of taco seasoning

1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

1 can black beans, drained

1 large jalapeno, seeded and diced

Juice from 1/2 lime

 

In a rice cooker, combine rice, broth, seasoning and EVOO. Cook until tender and done. Stir in beans, jalapenos and lime juice, until heated through.

 

If the jalapenos are too spicy then add to the rice when it's cooking.

Loaded Potato Pancakes

I was watching one of the episodes on the Food Network where the stars share their tips and favorite recipes. I got this technique from that lady with the spiky blonde hair that looks like Guy Fieri, and the overall inspiration from Paula Deen's Smashed Potato Pancakes.

 

3 medium Russet potatoes, steamed or boiled until tender
2 medium Russet potatoes, raw & freshly grated
1 egg, beaten
2 slices of sourdough bread, diced
1/2 cup diced ham
3/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
2 green onion sprigs, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced or pressed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

flour for dusting

Vegetable oil for frying

In a large frying pan, heat about 1/2" of oil over medium high heat. The oil should come half way up the pancakes when placed in the pan.

While the oil is heating, press the steamed potatoes through a ricer and combine with the remaining ingredients in a large boil. If the mixture is too wet, add more diced bread. Using your hands, form patties from potato mixture. Sprinkle each side with flour and gently place into oil.

Fry each side for 3-4 minutes, until crispy and golden brown. Place pancakes on a paper towel lined plate to soak up extra grease.

Serve warm and enjoy!

Note: To see if the oil is ready for frying, test it by putting a little bit of food into the pan. It's ready if it starts to bubble and cook. 

Stuffed Chicken over Creamy Mushroom and Leek Sauce

For our Christmas party last night, I made chicken breasts stuffed with sundried tomato pesto, ricotta cheese, and fresh spinach. I thought the red and green colors would complement our Christmas theme. I served the chicken sliced over a creamy mushroom and leek sauce. Delish. I served this with scalloped potatoes, but it would also be good over rice.

Serves 10

Chicken:

6-7 chicken breasts
Salt
Pepper
3-4 oz sundried tomato pesto
6 oz Ricotta cheese
1 egg
Fresh baby spinach, stems removed (about 5-6 leaves per chicken breast)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese and egg; set aside. Slice the thick part of each chicken breast and flip open. Pound each chicken breast to about ¼” thick. Season outside of chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Flip breast over and spread the inside with pesto, then ricotta cheese and top with 5-6 spinach leaves. Starting with the thin side, roll up as tightly as possible and tuck in the ends to form a neat roll. Secure each breast with 2 toothpicks or tie closed with cooking string.

 

In a large frying pan with a few drizzles of EVOO, heat over high until oil starts to smoke and oil ripples. Brown all sides of chicken and transfer to a large casserole dish. Bake uncovered for 15-18 minutes, or until chicken is cooked all the way through and juices run clear. Let rest before slicing.

Sauce:

1 Tbsp butter
1 large leek, cleaned and thinly sliced
3 large baby Bella mushrooms, diced
½ cup white wine
½ Tbsp cornstarch
½ Tbsp Dijon mustard
½ cup heavy whipping cream
Salt and pepper, to taste

In the same frying pan used to brown chicken, add butter, leeks and mushrooms; sauté for 3-4 minutes. Scrap up browned bits of chicken from pan. Add wine and cornstarch, bring to a boil and whisk together. Turn heat to low and let reduce for about 5 minutes. Whisk in mustard. Add cream and season with salt and pepper.

To serve, pour sauce into a shallow serving dish and top with sliced chicken.

Pecan and Walnut Pie

We had a little holiday potluck at the house last night and I made this for dessert. I love the combo of the crispy pecans and walnuts withthe gooey center. I would definitely go for the store bought pie crust as a time saver.

 

1 1/4 cups light corn syrup

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

2 Tbsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup pecans, roughly chopped

1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

1 9” piecrust (store-bought)

 

Heat oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, combine corn syrup, brown and granulated sugars, eggs, butter, vanilla, and salt. Mix in the pecans and walnuts.

 

Place the pie crust on baking sheet. Fill with the nut mixture and bake until the center is set, approx. 50 minutes. Let cool completely before serving.

Crock Pot Roast

This is the perfect cozy comfort food for a chilly day. Throw everything in the crock pot and come home to mouthwatering smells that will fill your whole house!

2-3 lbs chuck roast or bottom round, cut into 1” cubes

3 large carrots, sliced into 2” long pieces

3 celery ribs, sliced

1 yellow onion, roughly chopped

½ Tbsp salt

½ Tbsp freshly cracked black pepper

1 can of diced or crushed tomatoes

2 cups beef broth (or water)

½ cup red wine

¼ cup chopped parsley (I like to use Italian flat leaf)

2 Bay leaves

In a crock pot, or slow cooker, combine all ingredients and cook on low for 8-10 hours. The liquid should come half way up the meat, but do not cover completely. If there’s too much liquid, reduce the amount of broth, or water.

Serve in a shallow bowl over mashed potatoes or rice. Serve with carrots and spoon over extra sauce.

Cheesy Salsa Fresca Pasta

This may sounds strange, but it’s really tasty. It’s cheesy with a fresh and spicy kick. Top with your favorite grilled meat – chicken or fish.

 

5 oz premade Alfredo sauce

½ cup pico de gallo (salsa fresca)

Fettuccine pasta

In a sauce pan, combine Alfredo sauce and pico de gallo; heat through. Boil pasta according to directions. Drain and toss with sauce mixture.

Top with grilled chicken or fish. Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Tip: For a quick chicken or fish seasoning, sprinkle with taco seasoning.

Watercress and Spinach Soup

It’s starting to get cold out. I don’t know about you, but this makes me crave soup! My Godmother makes delicious soups and two of my favorites are her watercress soup and her spinach soup, with just a splash of lemon.

 

She always talked about how important the splash of lemon at the end was, and it is! If you don’t believe us, taste the soup pre-lemon, then post-lemon and I dare you to disagree! J

 

 2-3 Servings

2 Tbsp butter
1 large Russet potato, peeled and diced
3 green onion sprigs, sliced
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
2 cups chicken broth
6 oz fresh watercress - leaves and tender stems only
1 lb fresh spinach, chopped
1/4 cup minced flat leaf Italian parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste
Juice from ½ lemon
Plain Greek yogurt (or sourcream)

Over med-high heat, melt butter in a large pot. Add potatoes and cook for about 10 minutes. Add green onions and garlic. Sautee for about 2-3 minutes. Add broth and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10-15 more minutes.

Add watercress, spinach and parsley. Mix together until wilted.  Puree in a blender until smooth. Return to pot and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add lemon juice.  

Serve immediately with a dollop or drizzle of yogurt. Enjoy with a sliced baguette or grilled Panini sandwich.

Note: In order to keep the bright green color of the soup, I recommend serving immediately. The longer it sat on my stove top the more brown it turned.

 

Croatian Swiss Chard and Potatoes (Blitva)

While were in Croatia, we often ate this traditional Dalmatian side dish, Blitva.  You could find it on the menu of any Dalmatian restaurant accompanying grilled fresh fish. Unfortunately, some of the dishes we had were lacking flavor due to over boiling the vegetables. Since I love these two vegetables, I decided to do it my way and kick the flavor up a notch.

 

To increase the flavor, I steamed the potatoes, instead of boiling, and sautéed the chard in garlic and red pepper flakes with a splash of apple cider vinegar.

 

2 large red skinned potatoes, diced

A large bunch of chard (I used red chard), rinsed and roughly chopped
3 large cloves of garlic, pressed or crushed
Few dashes of crushed red pepper flakes
A few drizzles of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
A dash of apple cider vinegar
Salt, season to taste

Over the stovetop, steam diced potatoes for about 15 minutes, until fork tender. Set aside.

In a large sauté pan, heat EVOO over med-high heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir for about 2 minutes. Add chopped chard. Sauté for about 5-7 minutes, until wilted. Add apple cider vinegar and season with salt, to taste. Add potatoes and stir to combine.

Serve with your favorite grilled fish.

If you like this dish, try the Italian version, Spicy Greens and Bean, of this dish here.

Note: The potatoes are pink because the red chard releases the pink color from its red stems. You can use regual Swish chard with white stems too.

Chicken with Mediterranean Couscous

This dish took less than 30 minutes to make. It was colorful and full of flavor. I love marinating chicken in Italian salad dressing overnight because it's so easy and provides lots of flavor the next day.
 

 

I package of couscous (I used a box of garlic and olive oil flavor)

½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

¼ cup sundried tomatoes in oil, drained and diced

¼ cup artichoke hearts in oil, drained and diced
½ cup Mozzarella cheese pearls
2 Tbsp minced fresh Italian flat leaf parsley

Italian Chicken:

2 chicken breasts
Italian salad dressing
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
 
In a large bag or bowl, add chicken and cover with salad dressing. Marinate overnight.

Cook couscous according to directions on packaging. Stir in remaining ingredients. Set aside and cook chicken.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium frying pan, heat a drizzle of EVOO over high heat. Once it starts to smoke and ripple, add chicken and brown on both sides for 1-2 minutes. Move chicken to oven and cook for 15 minutes, or until cooked all the way through so no longer pink in the middle and juices run clear.

To plate, make a bed of couscous and top with chicken sliced and fanned on top.

Chorizo Stuffed Chile Relleno Casserole

Since we weren’t going to be around for Thanksgiving, I wanted to have an early celebration and throw a big brunch for my friends. I made several egg casserole/frittatas, but this one stood out as the crowd favorite. 

 

If you’re having guests in town for the holidays, I’d recommend this simple and quick dish as a part of your brunch menu.

 

 

1 chorizo sausage link (1 lb)

1 large can of whole roasted chile rellenos (about 10-12 peppers)
6 eggs
¼ cup milk
A dash of Tabasco sauce
Salt and pepper
Freshly grated pepper Jack cheese

Remove sausage from casing and into frying pan. Over med-high heat, cook sausage through. Using a spoon, carefully stuff chile peppers. Place stuffed peppers onto a greased baking pan.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs with milk, Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper. Pour over chiles into dish. Cover with shredded cheese.

Bake on 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until the middle is set. Let casserole rest for about 5 minutes before cutting into squares.

Top with sliced avocado and serve with salsa.

 

Blueberry Bread Pudding

I found that people typically really like bread pudding or won’t touch the stuff. I usually fall into the latter category, but decided to give it another shot. Recently, I made a big brunch for some friends and since I’m not a huge breakfast or sweets person, I wasn’t sure what to make for “dessert”. I thought about pancakes and French toast, but decided it was too much work and couldn’t really prepare beforehand.

I settled on the bread pudding because it was easy. I could make it the night before and finish baking it right before everyone arrived. Even my friend who said she didn’t like bread pudding, ended up going home with the recipe. This dish was devoured by the end of the day! I’m looking forward to making it again around Christmas when family is in town.

 

Crispy on top and warm in the middle.

 

 

10-12 servings

3 eggs
3 cups heavy whipping cream
2 cups sugar
3 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
Zest from one lemon
2 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 loaf (1 lb) French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, cream, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and lemon zest. Stir in frozen blueberries. Stir in bread cubes; let stand for 15 minutes or until bread is softened. I made mine the night before and then baked it the next day.

Transfer to a greased 13” x 9” baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Top with fresh blueberries and serve with fresh whipped cream or maple syrup.