Carmelized Pear French Toast Bake





I came up with this recipe when I simultaneously got a craving for French Toast and needed to use up a loaf of raisin bread. After looking over a few recipes, I snatched the best ideas and ran with it. One called for slicing and coating pears in a buttery brown sugar sauce while another used twice as much liquid, as well as a topping. I took a reviewers tip and poured the topping over the pan near the end of the baking cycle, which allowed it to retain some of the goo factor. This is prepped at night then baked off in the morning. The sausage patty gives a nice balance of salt to the sweet. Bacon would also work.

1 buttered 9x13" pan
1 loaf of raisin bread, torn or chopped into one-inch pieces
3 peeled and thinly sliced pears
3 T butter + 1 stick butter
1/2 c butter + 1 c brown sugar
2 c half and half
8 eggs
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1 T vanilla

Scatter half the bread chunks into pan. Melt 3 T butter and 1/2 c brown sugar in pan and simmer for one minute, add pear slices and mix til coated. Add the pear slices to the pan in one layer, then top with the rest of the bread crumbs. Whip half and half, eggs, cinnamon and vanilla, then pour evenly into pan. Cover with plastic wrap overnight in fridge. The next morning, preheat the oven to 350. Using a spatula, flip the french toast bake over (in pieces) so the soggy bread crumbs are on top and the drier ones on the bottom, smoothing with spatula if needed. Bake in 350 oven for about a half hour. Meanwhile, melt stick of butter and cup of brown sugar, boil a minute or two until thick then pour over top of French Toast Bake. Bake for 15 more minutes, til French Toast is lightly browned and sauce is crisping around edges. Serve with sausages or bacon.





Blogger

White Chili with Green Chili

New Year of Healthy Eating: White Chicken Chili w Green Chili

It's the New Year once again, when vows of healthy eating are renewed - and not a moment too soon after all the glorious feasting of Thanksgiving and Christmas. This chili is a great way to jump start that resolution while leaving behind any feeling of deprivation associated with the "D" word - it truly satisfies. Although it's mixed in at the very end, fresh cilantro is an important part of the nutritional value of this chili. It detoxifies the blood and is a good source of antioxidants, actually removing heavy metals from the body. Chicken provides the needed lean protein - I use organic whenever possible. Great Northern beans are low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium; and.are also a good source of fiber, protein, folate, magnesium, phosphorus and manganese. Green chili is a great source of vitamin C, vitamin A and potassium, as are the shallots. Shallots are also a good source of folate, vitamin B6 and manganese, while garlic has been proven to lower blood pressure and aid digestion. Finally, cayenne increases metabolism.
In short, your body - and soul - will thank you for this delicious soup.

White Chicken Chili w Green Chili

3 chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs)
3 cups chicken broth
2 4oz cans of green chili or 8 oz frozen Hatch Green Chile (always preferred)
2 shallots
6 cloves garlic
2 t olive oil
1 t oregano
1 t cayenne
1 T cumin
2 cans white beans ( I used Great Northern)
1 bunch cilantro
pepper jack cheese

Bake salted and peppered chicken breasts at 350 til done - about 20 minutes. De-glaze pan with 2 cups chicken broth. Add 2 4oz cans of green chili, chopped. Shred chicken and set aside.
In a bigger pan/Dutch oven, sauté minced shallots and garlic in olive oil til soft over medium-high heat. Add spices and mix with wooden spoon for 30 seconds, being careful not to scorch. Add remaining cup of broth and simmer for 5 minutes. Add chicken-green chile mixture and 1 can of beans. Puree remaining can of beans and add to chili to thicken. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 more minutes. Serve with a 1/4 cup chopped cilantro mixed into individual bowls of soup and top with shredded pepper jack, to taste.

Oh Eggplant!

I've been watching you grow in the garden - first, from the tiny shrub that was mostly all leaves, to a small bush that sprouted purple flowers.

From the flower erupted a small purple fruit the size of an acorn, to a baseball that grew longer and wider and more purple with each passing day.
I couldn't wait, so when a few of your kind went on sale at the grocery store, I decided to practice one of my all-time favorite dishes: Eggplant Parmesan.

Peeled, sliced and fried in olive oil, you are layered with tomato sauce and provolone, parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, then baked to golden brown and bubbly perfection.

Eggplant Parmigan:
2 medium sized eggplants, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
 2 cups of mozzarella
1 cup of the parmesan
8 oz  of provolone slices

Soak eggplant slices in salt water for at least 30 minutes and rinse well (optional to soak if using fresh).
Pat dry, dip in an egg wash, then rolled and crushed Saltines. Fry slices in olive oil til golden, about two minutes per side if using medium high heat. Let sit on paper towels to soak up oil.
Layer a 9x13 pan with your favorite tomato sauce, slices and the mixture of parmesan, mozzarella and provolone  cheeses, ending with Parmesan cheese on top.


Or, try the eggplant just fried, with a salad:

Oh eggplant - you're a meal that can't be beat.

Healthier Choices like Beetilicious Juice

I've been conducting a little experiment: Is it possible to eat just healthy food? I question even considering the concept, because I love my green chile casserole, my French Silk pie, and my cheeseburgers. I love preparing it, serving it to friends and family, and eating it. But, even though I made it with wholesome ingredients, which, in moderation, is just fine; it's still far from the list of foods my nutritional consultant/college buddy, Kelly Greenway, said I should partake in if I wanted to give my body - and liver - a break. Like many Americans, I was looking to get healthier and slim down. My research - and Kelly - noted that if your liver is stressed from processing too much sugar, white flour, alcohol and, well, the endless processed foods found in fast food joints, grocery stores, lunch rooms, restaurants and vending machines, then the weight isn't going to come off. Weight loss is a nice side effect of detoxing, she assured me. At first I pleaded with her to at least keep my carbs. "What about spelt or sprouted breads?" I whined, as I slathered my morning whole grain toast with organic butter - actually something Kelly said was ok once in awhile IF you weren't trying to shed the pounds. "If you must have bread, at least let it be more of a transporter of good fat," she said. Good fats being organic butter, cold-pressed olive and sesame oils, organic virgin coconut oil and a daily dose of cod liver oil (at least 3 grams) that contained both EPA and DHA. But in order to lose weight, Kelly remained firm on the no-bread aspect. "How bad do you want to lose it?" she summed up.

So I did. For about two weeks. I dropped 11 pounds in that first week. I ate nitrate-free sausage for breakfast, without the usual accompaniment of eggs. I don't care for eggs unless they're in egg salad sandwiches or baked in cakes.

For lunches I had salads. A lot. Craving Mexican? 

Taco salad! 

 

Wishing for pizza?  

Fresh mozarella and basil, tomato salad! 

When you are severely limiting what you can put in your mouth - things that you used to put in it without a second glance - you come up with some interesting substitutes. And strange meals that simply satisfy the taste buds. Like a rolled up slice of Boar's Head turkey was a favorite for breakfast. And I can't tell you how many cans of green beans I opened that first week to go with whatever side of pork, beef or chicken I had for dinner. But quickly I found that vegetables and fresh herbs began to play a key role in my daily meals. Since I wasn't allowing myself any form of sugar - even milk - suddenly blueberries were a delicious treat in smoothies. I began to look forward to creating different ways to incorporate coconut milk, which was allowed, into my chicken. I experimented with a balsamic vinegar basted pork loin and a smoked salmon bisque and was transported to Blissville. Even salads morphed into mini appetizers, like the  

Artichoke heart, bacon and feta salad. 

 

Yep, those two weeks, I surprised myself with some lovely dishes, which I will add to this blog and eventually get going in a cookbook, for Kelly's clients and whoever else is making healthier choices with no sugar, no milk, no wine, no bread, no pasta or even rice. When you follow though with that choice, you are forced to read labels. You begin to notice things you didn't before, like that sugar is in almost all processed foods, even the "healthy" canned soups. And, as Kelly said, even the healthy processed foods are still processed, so avoid them.I stuck to eating lots of vegetables and proteins as I craved them. 

One week it was all about  

Chicken.

I didn't want it for the next few weeks after that, opting for more cod and salmon - or my good old reliable standby, beef. But I began to allow occasional bread, like to make a healthy version of 

Fish sandwich. 

Ok, I also had some wine. And guess what? I still kept losing two to three pounds a week - except for that one week I was a chili cookoff judge, had slices at a local pizza joint in Durango, Homeslice, so I could write a food review, and visited Zia Tacqueria to enjoy a freshly prepared baby burrito with a shredded chicken, chorizo filling and guacamole.  I also enjoyed a healthier falafel I made at home with Greek yogurt cucumber sauce with lemon and cumin in a naturally made low-carb pita from Soloman Bakery in Denver.

I didn't lose any weight that week, but the daily 30-60 minutes walks kept me mindful enough to climb back on the wagon of fresh foods. It's been a journey, and I'm discovering new ways to prepare fresh, healthy NON-processed foods everyday, and it's exciting. I have a new appreciation for fresh, organic vegetables, meats and dairy products. I found some great low-carb bread from a bakery in Denver, Julian Bakery, that uses healthy, natural ingredients NOT packed with chemicals typically found in the low-carb products in the grocery aisles. Those products are NOT viable in the no-bread adventure. As Kelly pointed out, your liver has to process all those chemicals too! Just eat a piece of homeade bread. Yes, simplicity is more my style now - and fresh ingredients. Which brings me to my latest craze -  

Vegetable smoothies. 

I saw the movie, "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" and was reminded of the many health benefits of juicing veggies. Kelly had been on me to eat the beets and bitter greens daily, to cleanse the colon and liver. As she said, "Beets are good for the colon because when the gallbladder is stimulated, bile flow is flowing….and that makes you poop. And that is good." When I asked her about taking well-known herbal liver cleansers like dandelion root or milk thistle, she replied "When you cleanse the liver in any way, you have to make sure that the detox pathways are open, the colon and the gallbladder. Otherwise it just gathers all of the toxins up as it removes them from the liver and they redistribute in a worst way. Beets…Beets...Beets..." She also recommended an adrenal supplement for me, for a couple months. "It doesn’t do much for the gallbladder and the colon except maybe help even out your stress response, and balancing out your sympathetic/parasympathetic response which would help your colon in a round about sort of way." 

I was taking the adrenal supplement, but not getting enough greens. After watching the movie, I remembered a woman telling me a decade ago how juicing had cured her sickness and how it changed her life - her whole outlook and attitude. 

It was like a bell went off. So, I found a juicer for $8 at the thrift store and found a recipe from "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead," changing it to include a beet and carrots. What resulted was a pint-sized glass of heaven. I was practically buzzing with energy after drinking it, so you may want to enjoy it in the morning.

Also, if you want to enlist the help of a professional, Kelly's information is below. I know she sure helped me see the light, and begin making those healthier choices.

Kelly Greenway NTP

Pend Oreille Chiropractic

www.healthysandpoint.com

Beetilicious Juice

1 beet 

1/2 lemon

3 stalks of kale

2 inches ginger root

1 granny smith apple

1/2 cucumber

2 carrots 

Juice in a vegetable juicer (even the lemon should be chopped in half, with the skin left on - though never leave the skin on oranges or grapefruits if you choose them). Drink right away.

 

Empanadas!




Oh empanadas! How I love your pocketfull of goodness...Every culture has a version of you - rolled out dough folded over a sweet or savory filling. Peas and potatoes go into samosas, cherry pie filling go into American turnovers and beef, preserves or fruit pie filling go into empanadas...from Mexico down to Chile. I was craving pumpkin empanadas, so I whipped these up using whole wheat, soy and white flours. They turned out just as flaky and tasty as using all white flour, not to mention a bit more nutritious.

I also used part agave nectar, molasses and local honey instead of all brown sugar for the pumpkin filling. Scrumptious.

You need a rolling pin and some time to roll out the two dozen mini pie crusts. Also use two different kinds of filling - the pumpkin filling I used for this recipe is enough for one dozen. Grab a can of pie filling or homemade preserves for the other dozen and a little variety. If you don't eat them all up that day, stick them in the oven heated to 350 degrees for 8 minutes to crisp them up again. Great with coffee, milk or tea...

Some people may be a bit put off by the rolling out by hand part, but that's the most difficult aspect of this super easy recipe - and after the first couple tries, you'll get the hang of it...

Spice the pumpkin filling recipe or down depending on how you like your filling - I used lots of fresh grated nutmeg, cardomom and cinnamon for this...and it gave the pumpkin flavor a nice pop.

Pumpkin Empanadas

3 cups flour (I used 2 cups regular and 3/4 c whole wheat, 1/4 c soy flour)

2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

2 T sugar

Mix the dry ingredients and cut in, with fingers,

1/2 c shortening

When it resembles cornmeal, add in with a fork

2 eggs

1/2 c milk

When the dough pulls together, take it in your hands and form into a ball, split into two, wrap in plastic and refridgerate for at least 20 minutes.

Make pumpkin filling - mix and simmer 10 minutes - but let cool before filling empanadas:

1/3 c brown sugar

1/4 c agave nectar

1 T honey

1 T molasses

1/2 t cinnamon

1/2 t cardomom

1/8 t nutmeg

1/8 t cloves

Let cool and drop in 2 or 3 T dollops onto rolled out empanada dough - 12 six to eight inch circles about as thin as a pie crust.



Like I said, experiment with the fillings to make them your own...Brush with egg whites, sprinkle with sugar and give each empanada a small slit a knife to allow steam to escape while baking. Bake in a 350 degree oven 20 minutes or until golden brown and filling bubbly.

Enjoy!





Chicken n Shrooms

When something savory is needed for dinner, I always like the combination of chicken and mushrooms for both flavor and nutrients...Served up with a green salad, it can't be beat.

I'm not a big fan of handling the whole bird I must admit. I'll do it if I have to, but less is more in that department, which is why I like chicken tenders - already sliced up and ready to throw in the frying pan.

They take mere minutes to cook and are healthy to boot, especially the organic, free-range variety. This dinner takes a few minutes and is delicious. I got the idea from grandma, who used to make these lightly fried chicken tenders for grandpa (and me if I was lucky enough to be hanging around). I added the mushrooms, wine and cream. For a lower fat version, don't add the whipping cream and use chicken broth. But if you can, try it with the cream - it's soooo yummy and gives it the decadence factor.

Chicken with creamy mushroom wine sauce

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup corn flour or masa

1 t salt

1/2 t pepper

1/4 t smoked paprika

Mix together and dredge chicken tenders - about a pound - before adding to oil over medium high heat.

After chicken is cooked through, deglaze the pan with wine - either white or red for more color. Add the whole mushrooms.

Add to pan:

3/4 c wine

1 to 2 cups of whole mushrooms

1/2 c whipping cream

1 minced garlic clove

Let simmer till mushrooms are soft and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add cream and simmer til a thick, creamy sauce emerges. Salt and pepper to taste. 

Pour sauce and mushrooms over chicken and serve. Mmmm...