Pizza Style - Rocky Mountain Toast!

Warning: This is a whole lot of YUM!

I ate it so quickly, I didn't take a picture, so for now, you'll have to take a word that this slightly messy delight is a quick and easy treat.

Ingredients:

2 slices of bread - I used leftover whole wheat challah - centers of slice removed
2 eggs
non-stick spray (or butter)
shredded cheese (I used about 1/4 cup of 3 cheese pizza blend... but the more the merrier)
tomato sauce (I used barilla roasted garlic, about 3/4 cup)

In advance: prepare the eggs however you like them, I just crack them into a cup so they're ready to pour - having the yokes break after they cook is a super great treat. But if you want scrambled style, you can wisk them up a bit. Also if you'd like to butter your toast - go for it now - BOTH SIDES - I mean do it right if you're going to do it. (because of the cheese, I left out this butter step) cut out the center of the bread. Then...

Over med-high heat, warm a non-stick skillet and spray with non-stick spray. Put the bread in the pan and fill the hole with the eggs, after about 2 minutes, flip the bread and let the other side cook then sprinkle the cheese on top, cook for another minute and slide off on to a plate. Just toss the tomato sauce into the pan to warm quickly, then pour over the toast.

Enjoy!!

Rocky Mountain Toast (which is a campfire treat) is also known as egg in a basket, egg in a hole, one eyed monster, frog in a hole ... amongst other regional names - it's eggs and toast, pre-combined and it's delish. Try it and tell me if you have any great additions!

Amaretto Orange Blossom Challah French Toast Casserole

The girls and I call this Grown Up French Toast!

The recipe needs to be prepped about 8 hours prior to cooking. If you're planning a grown up breakfast for dinner, that means you can set it up before you start your day. If you plan to serve this dish for breakfast or brunch, just set it up the night before.

Grown up French Toast - Dressed with Tangelo Zest!

• 1 loaf of whole wheat challah
• 8 eggs
• 2 cups unsweetened soy milk (or skim milk)
• 1/4 cup cognac
• 1/4 cup orange blossom water*
• 1/2 cup amaretto
• 1 tbsp sugar in the raw (or more if you don't plan to add powdered sugar or syrup)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• Dash of cardamom
• Dash of salt

Cut loaf into medium thick slices.
Arrance slices in overlapping rows in a 9x13 pan sprayed with vegetable oil.
Combine remainder of ingredients in a bowl and wisk until blended.
Pour over the bread in the pan, making sure to cover all slices.
Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight (8 hours or longer).
Bake at 350 for 40 minutes until puffed and lightly golden.
The flavors married with the maple syrup - so much so that I might try baking some in next time. I also had to warm this, so poured a little more amaretto over the top before putting it back in the oven at 200. Special thanks to my friend Sam for the low butter/dairy/fat content of this recipe. It didn't feel lacking at all.
*A note on Orange Blossom Water: This ethnic delight is used in north african and persian cuisine and can be found in some ethnic food aisles. Occasionally, I have seen it as an additive to bottled drinking water, which I've used as a sometime substitute. Alternately, you can use a splash of orange juice or triple sec. It won't be quite the same, but still tasty.

1/1/11 at 1:11 ... New Year's Brunch Menu

Recovery Brunch!

Here's the menu with recipes to come once the reviews are in:

Hearty Pea Stoup: Parsnips, Carrots, Potatoes, Onions, Rice oh my!

Chickpea Salad: Dressed with Balsamic Vinegar

Frittatas:

• Lox, Spinach, Onion with Dill
• Pastrami, Spinach, Onion with Garlic and Mustard
• Mushroom and Onions with Garlic and Hot Pepper

Baked Amaretto Orange Blossom Challah French Toast Casserole

Meyer Lemon Chocolate Red Velvet Cake

Hydration station: "Berry Detox" Iced Tea, "Calming" Iced Tea (Both Yogi Flavors), Seltzer with Lemons and Oranges, Chocolate Mint Soy Milk

Dehydration station: Blue Moon, Pink Elephant, Lindeman's Pomme, Original Sin Cider, Yogev Cab-Petit Verdot blend

Friends bringing:

Tater Tots, Brownies, Sorbet, Homemade Challah, Sparkling wine

Can't wait to dig in.

Happy New Year everyone!

Sheridan's Honey Whole Wheat Challah Recipe

Honey Whole Wheat Challah ...mmmm

I have to admit I usually make a mini-loaf for myself because when it comes out of the oven I can't resist this. Also, somehow, my dough always miraculously over-rises and I wind up with more challah than I know what to do with. If that's the case, pull it a few minutes early and freeze a loaf or two for next week. Anyway, I'll stop talking so you can start baking and enjoy!

3 tablespoons (3 packages) active dry yeast

1 tablespoon plus 1/4 cup sugar

1 cup honey

3.5 cups lukewarm water

1 cup vegetable oil ( i use a little less)

6 large eggs (save 1 egg and add some water for egg wash)

2 tablespoons salt

16 cups flour total (I do a 2/3 whole wheat to 1/3 white all-purpose flour ratio ... leaning towards a little more white flour.)

Optional: sesame or poppy seeds for sprinkling

1. Dissolve the yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar in 3 to 3.5 cups of lukewarm water in a large bowl. Let yeast proof/activate for 10 minutes. (You can start to measure other ingredients)

2. Whisk the oil into the yeast mixture, then beat in 5 of the eggs, one at a time, along with the remaining sugar, honey and the salt. (To prevent honey from sticking ,use same measuring cup as for oil. Also, you can also use a mixer with a dough hook for both mixing and kneading.) Gradually add the 16 cups of flour alternating 2 Whole Wheat with 1 White and stir. When the dough holds together, it is ready for kneading.

3. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Clean out the bowl and grease it, then return the dough to the bowl. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour. (You may also put the dough in an oven that has been warmed to 150 degrees, then turned off.) When the dough has almost doubled in volume, punch it down, cover, and let rise again in a warm place for another half-hour or so.

4. To make a 6-braided challah, take 1/4 of the dough and form into 6 balls. With your hands, roll each ball into a strand tapered at the ends about 12 inches long and 1½ inches wide. Pinch the strands together at one end, then gently spread them apart. Next, move the outside right strand over 2 strands. Then, take the second strand from the left and move it to the far right. Regroup to 3 on each side. Take the outside left strand and move it over 2 to the middle, then move the second strand from the right over to the far left. Regroup and start over with the outside right strand. Continue until all the strands are braided, tucking the ends underneath the loaf. Tip: always to have 3 strands on each side, so you can keep your braid balanced. Either make the remainder of the loaves the same way and place the braided loaves in greased 10- by 4-inch loaf pans or on a greased cookie sheet with at least 2 inches between them OR, alternately, you can take a round pan and make a pull apart challah very easily; just take some dough, about the size of a tennis ball, roll it out to about 12 inches, and swirl into a roll. Snuggly fit rolls beside one another in the round pan. (Leave a small amount of dough for the "challah is taken" blessing - l’haph’reesh challah min ha’eesah.- for more on that see: http://www.jewishtreats.org/2009/06/challah-is-taken.html)

5. Beat the remaining egg and brush it on the loaves. Let rise another half hour.

6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and brush the loaves with egg again, then sprinkle on poppy or sesame seeds.

7. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden. Remove the loaves from the pans and cool on a rack.

Yield: 4-5 challot