Eggnog Bread Pudding with Rum Caramel Sauce

If you've been looking for an easy-yet-impressive, decadent holiday themed dessert, Eggnog Bread Pudding is perfect for you! A rich, custardy bread pudding with a hint of spice. The boozy rum caramel sauce makes this an extra decadent holiday treat! It makes a fabulous dessert, but it would also be a great fit to serve at a Christmas brunch.

I just learned the other day that eggnog isn't a thing in the UK. In fact, it's mainly an American Christmas tradition, although it is widely available I'm Canada as well. Many of you may be wondering what it is. Well, it's a light, chilled custard redolent of nutmeg. It's also a vehicle for lots of delicious rum or bourbon. A fabulous starting point for a Christmas twist on bread pudding!

I based my pudding recipe on this recipe (https://www.google.com/amp/amp.timeinc.net/myrecipes/recipe/new-orleans-bread-pudding-with-bourbon-sauce), because I wanted a pudding with the same consistency as the ones I've eaten in New Orleans--not to mention a bread pudding that seems absolutely made to pair with booze--and made my own sauce.

Eggnog Bread Pudding with Rum Caramel Sauce

For the pudding:
8 ounces french bread, cubed
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 jumbo eggs
1 jumbo egg yolk
2 Tablespoons rum
1/2 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the sauce:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons rum, divided

Method:
Grease an 8 x 8” baking dish. Mix all pudding ingredients except for bread. Lay bread in baking dish and pour mix evenly over bread. Toss to coat. Press bread down into an even layer. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes and up to four hours. Preheat the oven to 350f. Fill a larger baking dish (13 x 9 or larger) with an inch of water. Place bread pudding in water bath and place both baking dishes in the oven. Bake covered for about 30 minutes, then uncovered for another 15 minutes.
In the last 15 minutes of bake time, make the sauce. In a small, heavy bottomed saucepan, combine sugars with 1/ 4 cup of the rum over low heat. Stir constantly until sugar has melted. Whisk in butter, then cream. Take sauce off of heat and whisk in vanilla, salt and remaining rum. Serve pudding warm topped with sauce, a sprinkling of cinnamon and whipped cream.

Southwestern Breakfast Skillet

Have you ever craved a fancy breakfast but thought it was beyond your abilities or required special kitchen equipment? Well, if you have a medium sized pan that can go from stovetop to oven (cast iron or enameled cast iron is great for this, but copper and stainless steel can often go into the oven at lower temperatures), you can have your fancy breakfast, and eat it, too!

This southwestern breakfast skillet is hearty and flavorful and very easy to throw together. It is a riff on the filling for the breakfast burritos I make with my foodie best friend Justine and even though it makes a great burrito filling with scrambled eggs, it tastes next level decadent topped with a fried egg and accompanied by some ripe avocado. The rich, runny yolk is cut deliciously by the spice and acid in the salsa and the veggies really complete the flavor. In fact, it was in discussing how much we would love to top our burrito filling with a runny yolk egg that this breakfast skillet was conceived.

Southwestern Breakfast Skillet

Serves 4

1 large russet potato, diced

1 large zucchini, cut into 1/4” rounds

4 ounces chipotle salsa (see notes)

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 cup fire roasted corn kernels

1 ounce sharp cheddar, grated

3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained

1/2 teaspoon + 1 pinch cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon + 1 pinch chili powder

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

Accompaniments:

8 eggs, fried (see notes)

1 avocado, sliced (1/4 per serving)

1/2 ounce cotija cheese, crumbled

Optional:

Chopped cilantro

Warm corn tortillas

1. Preheat the oven to 425f. Toss diced potatoes with 1 Tablespoon olive oil, a small pinch of salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder. Mix thoroughly. Arrange in a single layer on a greased baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

2. While potatoes are cooking add remaining oil to a cast iron skillet. Saute onions over medium heat until they begin to soften, then add zucchini, remaining cumin and chilli powder. Continue to saute until zucchini is almost cooked through.

3. Add salsa and beans. Bring the heat down to medium low and turn the oven down to 350f. Cook beans, salsa and zucchini for 5 minutes, then top with potatoes and cheese.

4. Transfer skillet to the oven and bake until cheese melts.

Serve topped with two fried eggs, 1/4 avocado and sprinkled with cotija cheese. Optional: sprinkled also with chopped cilantro and warm corn tortillas.

Notes: any medium heat salsa will work, but I absolutely love the strong, zesty flavors in the chipotle garlic salsa I've been able to find here. This skillet is best with an over medium, over easy or sunny side up fried egg; in other words an egg with a liquid yolk. Unless liquid egg yolk really squicks you out I highly recommend it. It really makes a world of difference.

Aji de Gallina (Peruvian Chicken Stew)

I’ve been meaning to write up this recipe for quite some time. Probably because it is one of our favorites and because this dish is the first Peruvian dish I’ve ever made for my husband, I’ve taken it for granted. But Ají de Gallina, or “Hen Chili” with its spicy, creamy yellow gravy, should never be taken for granted. It’s just that delicious and remarkable. Not to mention unlike other chicken in gravy dishes, in that the gravy is thinner yet rich and satisfying.

This is an excellent dish to add to your menu as we head into fall. It is hearty, warming and easy to throw together. The key ingredient, Aji Amarillo paste can be obtained online and one jar will last through at least 20 preparations of this delicious stew (link included below). Although this isn’t a difficult dish it is nevertheless a dish you make for someone you love. Give it a try. It is sure to become a family favorite.

This recipe has been adapted from my husband's Aunt's excellent dish.

Ají de Gallina

Serves 8 (or 4 with leftovers)


3 1/4 lbs bone in skin on chicken legs & thighs
3 Tbsp Aji Amarillo Paste
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 large yellow onion, quartered
10 whole black peppercorns
10 oz potatoes, peeled & cut into large chunks
1 cup milk
2 slices stale white bread
4 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt to taste

Garnish:
8 hard boiled eggs, sliced
Minced green olives
Whole cilantro leaves

Method:

In a dutch oven or other heavy bottom large pot, place onions, potatoes & garlic in a single layer. Place chicken over it in a single layer. Add stock, then (if needed) up to 2 cups water to cover. Sprinkle peppercorns and add aji paste, bay leaf and a small pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and simmer uncovered for 90 minutes, or until chicken is fall off the bone tender.

Meanwhile, cut crusts off of bread and pulse in the food processor until the consistency is fine.

When the chicken has about 30 minutes left, combine milk and bread crumbs in a bowl and set aside to soak.



When the 90 minutes’ simmer time is up, take chicken off of the heat and strain 3 - 4 cups of the resulting broth and add to a heavy bottomed saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer. Slowly incorporate milk/bread crumb mixture until sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat. To serve, scoop chicken and potatoes out of broth and ladle generously with sauce. Top with boiled egg slices (approx 3/4 egg per serving) and sprinkle with minced olives and whole cilantro. Serve with rice.

Aji paste can be purchased here: https://www.amazon.com/Incas-Food-Aji-Amarillo-Paste/dp/B003G52K5E/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1536109978&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=aji%2Bamarillo%2Bpaste&smid=A2JUE5HOAY6SX0&th=1

Curried Shrimp Fried Rice

I’ve been making  a lot of fried rice lately. The further along I get in my pregnancy, the more I have come to appreciate recipes that come together quickly and are mostly made from pantry ingredients. In between all of these fried rice dishes, I took a break to lab my friend Azlin Bloor of https://www.linsfood.com/'s Kedgeree, a rich fish and rice dish with wonderful aromatics and a rich curry. This dish is certainly inspired by Azlin’s Kedgeree and is a quick and fairly easy weeknight meal. Especially if you already have rice to use up.

Curried shrimp fried rice



2 1/2 cups cooked rice
1/2 lb shrimp, deveined & cut into 3-4 pieces each
1/2 yellow onion, diced
5 jumbo eggs
1 cup frozen English peas
2 Tablespoons butter, divided
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
~2 teaspoons soy sauce, or to taste
Pepper, to taste

Method: melt butter and add sesame oil, then onions. Saute until onions begin to soften (3 - 5 minutes). Add garlic, ginger, curry powder and turmeric. Cook for one minute. Add shrimp. Cook until shrimp are cooked through (about 4 minutes). Add peas, rice, soy sauce then crack the eggs right into the rice. Season with pepper and mix everything well. Cover pan and cook until the eggs are cooked through (3 - 5 minutes), stirring once or twice. Serve as a stand alone meal.




Notes: if you have ghee try using it in place of the butter. If you are planning to serve this dish to company, add 1 / 4 lb whole deveined shrimp and after they have cooked through set them aside as a garnish before you add the rice. You can also garnish with minced cilantro or sliced spring onions. If you are cooking your rice from scratch I recommend cooking 1 cup in half water half vegetable stock, a half tablespoon of butter, half teaspoon of sesame oil, a teaspoon soy sauce and a half teaspoon cumin seeds.

Quick, Rich n Easy: Beans n Greens

When I say beans and greens, what comes to mind? I'll tell you how I've come to think of it: as an idea with legs. This is because my foodie friend, Justine, casually mentioned she was serving it for dinner in a vegetarian mole pie topped with savory cornbread. It sounded very intriguing. What sort of beans? What kind of greens? Whatever she has on hand!

As she made the dish again and again, over time the mole sauce fell by the wayside - instead evolving to use bacon and crushed red pepper to develop as complex a flavor. The cornbread got served alongside. As a combination it sounded like a rich southern dish, sure to become a classic with how easy it is to make-- which is where my idea of it differed from hers. She is a master at cooking quick beans in her pressure cooker, whereas I do not have one. Yet. What we do share in common is access to a wonderful variety of delicious canned beans. And what I lack, these days, is enough time in the kitchen (as well as a time saving pressure cooker).

When she reminded me that it was originally a Mark Bittman recipe, its versatility made a lot more sense. The beauty of Bittman's recipes is that they're more guidelines than a concrete idea of a dish. They are often very open ended--ideas with legs, you might say. I looked up his original recipe and was surprised to see it had from scratch chickpeas and broccoli rabe, made rich and delicious by an abundance of olive oil and a generous amount of garlic. It sounds amazing and I am certainly going to try it one night when I have more than 90 minutes to simmer those beans to perfection.

The brilliant touches of adding rich bacon fat and a pinch of hot pepper were added by Justine as she improvised and let her own take on the recipe evolve. I have made a quick version of this idea with canned pinto beans and red chard. It takes less than 20 minutes of cook time and is great for a quick weeknight meal. It'll even be done before your cornbread, depending on your recipe. I like shortcuts and don't have a good recipe for it, so I used a box mix from Krusteaz to make my cornbread and was delighted with how long I was able to keep it moist and fresh tasting.

Beans n Greens



Serves 4

2 (15oz) cans pinto beans, drained*
4 slices bacon, chopped into 1” pieces
12 oz bunch Swiss chard
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt & pepper, to taste
(Optional) up to 1 cup chicken stock*

Method: in a large frying pan over medium heat, sweat the bacon until it has just begun to render (~5 minutes). Add the onion and saute until soft. Add garlic and crushed pepper flakes. Saute another minute. Add chard, salt and pepper to taste, and continue to cook until just tender (roughly another 5 minutes). Add beans and stock (or can liquid; see notes). If you are not adding any liquid (see notes), continue to saute chard until it is to your liking for the finished dish and add beans at the end.

*Notes: I used the canned beans un-drained, and using the liquid from both added too much gravy to the finished dish. I would use the bean liquid again, but some do not like the tin taste that sometimes lingers. If you are of that camp but find the finished dish too dry sans liquid, use up to a cup of stock until it reaches your desired consistency.

Can be served over rice or with crusty bread in place of the recommended cornbread.

Creamy Spicy Chili Mac n Cheese

My favorite dishes are the ones that are inspired by the people I love. My sister just came to visit from Maine and we had a lovely time churning out delicious food from my small kitchen. It brought to mind a memory of making late night nachos with my sister and how amazing they tasted (granted, we’d been drinking sparkling wine most of the evening, so pretty much anything was going to hit the spot). Those nachos and my fabulous foodie sister inspired this semi-fusion dish. Why combine Chili with Mac & Cheese? Creamy cheese sauce is perfect in combination with spicy chili. Starchy, earthy beans are just marvelous with pasta as well. I served it with an avocado, cilantro and greens salad tossed in a garlic-y dressing. I recommend garnishing each serving with crushed tortilla chips.


Chili Mac n Cheese

Serves 8

15 ounces chili*

4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated

12 ounces elbow macaroni

3 cups milk

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder

1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pepper, to taste




1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt, then cook according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, make your roux: sift together flour, mustard powder and cayenne. In a large heavy bottomed saucepan, melt butter. Whisk in flour and cook over medium-low flame, whisking almost constantly, until the mixture turns golden and the flour no longer smells raw. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly, until you’ve incorporated a half cup of milk with no lumps. Then you can add the rest of the milk at a more steady pace.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Season roux and milk mix with pepper and salt and bring it to a point just before boiling. Turn off heat. Add 3/4 of the cheese and mix until melted.

4. In a greased, 9 x 9” baking dish, combine pasta and cheese sauce, then stir in chili. Top with remaining cheese and heat 10 to 15 minutes, or until chili is heated through and cheese has become melty.




Serve hot garnished with crushed tortilla chips and accompanied by a salad.




*I used Annie's medium chilli to make things easier, but if you'd like to use homemade I suggest my beef and bean chili.

Best Breakfast Burritos

In honor of National Burrito Day I’d like to share with you my favorite on the go breakfast: breakfast burritos.

My two year old has places to go and things to examine and tinker with. I never thought about stocking my freezer with homemade ready made meals until I found myself grabbing freezer burritos and toast for breakfast most every morning; pretty much anything I could munch one handed and make easily as I looked after my busy baby. Toast wasn’t very nutritious or filling and freezer burritos were starting to get expensive, not to mention even the best of them had preservatives or more sodium than I was comfortable with.

My foodie friend Justine has introduced me to homemade breakfast burritos. We have made them a few times to stock up on quick and easy breakfasts, or pre-packed lunches for our toddlers. Through trial and delicious error, we’ve found a recipe we really love. Hopefully you will enjoy them as much as our family does!

Best Breakfast Burritos

Makes 20 servings


20 flour tortillas

2 cans black beans, drained

3 large russet potatoes, diced

13 jumbo eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 large zucchini, grated

1 ounce raw spinach, roughly chopped with stems removed

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1 jar (16 oz) chipotle or other medium tomato salsa

9 ounces sharp cheddar, grated

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon butter


1. Preheat the oven to 400. Grease a 13 x 9 baking sheet and lay potatoes in a single layer. Season lightly with salt and pepper and spray all over with cooking oil spray. Roast potatoes for 15 minutes.

2. While potatoes are cooking, melt the butter in a large heavy bottomed pan and saute onion and zucchini until nearly cooked through. At the end of the cooking time add spinach to slightly wilt.

3. Whisk eggs together with milk and a small pinch each of salt and pepper. Add the eggs to the pan with the veggies and cook the eggs until they are just slightly underdone. Set aside.

3. When the potatoes have roasted 15 minutes, remove from oven. In a large heavy bottomed pan heat oil. Toss potatoes into the pan, along with salsa and beans. Cook until the potatoes are soft and have started to absorb the salsa.

4. Assemble the burritos: lay a small amount egg scramble across the center of the burrito. Top with a sprinkling of potato/bean mixture, then sprinkle with cheddar. For each burrito you will probably need less than 1/2 ounce grated cheese, around 1/4 cup of beans and roughly 2/3 scrambled egg. To form burritos: fold two parallel sides of the burrito in tightly. Rotate tortilla so the folds are facing in a vertical direction from your body. With your pinkies resting gently on the folds, roll your burrito up snugly. Wrap (those you aren't eating immediately) in aluminum foil.

Enjoy one or two burritos while they are fresh and freeze the rest. To reheat from frozen: wrap in a napkin or paper towel and microwave on high for 50 seconds. Flip and microwave on high an additional 50 seconds. Let stand 1 minute.

Reuben Style Beer Poached Bratwurst

One of my favorite things to do is to cook with my foodie friends. Together we can tackle bigger projects than we might attempt alone. So when a friend suggested we make homemade sauerkraut I eagerly agreed. It came out exceptionally tasty, with more personality than the store bought stuff. Unlike the canned sauerkraut, homemade sauerkraut contains loads of beneficial probiotics. More than that, it has been inspiring me to cook some especially lovely sausage based meals of late.


Recently I was inspired to try my bratwurst “reuben” style and it was my favorite experiment yet!






Some of you might be wondering what a “Reuben” is. It is a sour and sweet, salty sandwich style which is usually served with roast beef, pastrami or brisket as the protein. I have had a marvelous version with tempeh, so the sandwich style is very versatile. It always includes sauerkraut, thousand island dressing (what I refer to as sauce below) and warm, gooey Swiss cheese. It also includes such variations as mustard and sauteed onions. It is a fabulous, complex combination that delivers tart, salty, sweet, rich and fatty all in a single bite.

These can be made with hotdogs, or even be made vegetarian with soy hotdogs (just poach in water).

Try it out, especially if you are planning to grill tonight.

“Reuben” Style Bratwurst
(Makes 5 servings)


For the sausage & poaching liquid:


1 lb pork bratwurst (should be about 5 per pkg)
10 oz IPA or darker beer
1/2 onion, sliced
1 large clove garlic, roughly chopped
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil

For the sauce:

2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon ketchup
1/2 Tablespoon dill pickle relish


Toppings & extras:

5 buns or small rolls
Homemade sauerkraut (store bought is a fine substitute)
~3 oz sliced Swiss cheese





1. in a pan over medium heat, bring the beer to a low boil with onions, garlic and butter. Add sausages, cover and reduce to a summer. Poach for about 14 minutes.


2. Meanwhile, combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl, cover and set in fridge.


3. Remove sausages and onions from liquid. Drain pan and pat sausages dry. If you are going to grill the sausages* brush them with oil. Allow them to brown on one side over indirect heat for 3 - 5 minutes.


3 Flip and cover with cheese, then cover with a baking dish so cheese gets properly melted while the other side browns. If you like to toast your buns/rolls, put them on the grill over indirect heat while the sausages brown, another 3 - 5 minutes (watch them carefully because they burn quickly).


4. Remove sausages and rolls/buns from grill and serve sausages in buns/rolls. Pile with onions (from the poaching liquid), sauerkraut and sauce. I served mine with baked seasoned fries and steamed peas.





*You can pan fry the sausages in the olive oil for ~5 minutes per side, and you can also use the same process for melting the cheese.

Quick Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta

Nutty, slightly sweet and very mild creamy butternut squash pasta is the perfect dish to throw together when you're recovering from a surgery. Which I am. An elective surgery that will take more than a week to heal properly and unfortunately takes me away from my wonderful toddler. My husband has stepped up to care for both me and our two year old son. It's an exhausting double job and hasn't left him any time to cook. This recipe, which turned out surprisingly delicious, was an attempt to use what we had in the pantry and to be a snap to assemble.

To make this into an exceptionally easy recipe will require getting your hands on some pre made butternut squash soup*, or having some leftover to hand. Once you have that this is probably the quickest, easiest pasta dish you will ever prepare in your life. And it is delectable and warming on a cold night.










Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta





1/2 cup butternut squash soup
12 ounces small pasta shells
1 ounce grated parmesan
1 Tablespoon butter
Tiny pinch grated nutmeg
Salt, to taste

1. In a large pot bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Drain pasta. While the same pot is still hot, melt butter and add a sprinkle of nutmeg. Stir in the soup, then the pasta while it's still hot. Grate parmesan generously over pasta and stir to melt.

Serve hot, garnished with minced parsley.


*our premade soup was very basic and had only stock, squash puree and a small pinch of powdered onion and garlic.