I Love Bread Pudding, Naturally

This evening was my first go at making bread pudding and it went spectacularly! I never realized how easy this dessert was prior to today's experimentation. Bread pudding is basically french toast baked in a pan, and oh, how I love french toast! The best part is, you can use day-old bread or even a harder loaf from a few days to a week old (as long as there is no mold or other spoilage.) Last week, I baked a gigantic loaf of whole wheat cinnamon raisin swirl bread since my cousin was visiting from out of town. Ironically, we barely got through a few slices while he was here, with all our other cooking. So, this bread pudding came at the perfect time. I hope you enjoy this recipe! Feel free to substitute your bread of choice. Also, this recipe lends itself well to all different toppings, such as yoghurt, cottage cheese, whipped cream or even ice cream. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding
Adapted from Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything"
Makes 8 or more servings

Ingredients:
4 cups milk
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup plus one tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
pinch salt
1 medium loaf of cinnamon raisin bread, or other bread of choice (about 6-8 cups when torn)
5 large, free-range eggs

Directions:
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Over low heat, in a small saucepan, warm the milk, butter, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, 1/2 cup of the sugar, vanilla extract and the salt, just until the butter melts. Meanwhile, butter an 8-inch square baking dish (glass is nice) and cut or tear the bread into bite-size pieces; they don't need to be too small.

Put the bread in the baking dish and pour the hot milk mixture over it. Let it sit for 8-10 minutes, occasionally submerging any pieces of bread that rise to the top. Beat the eggs briefly and stir them into the bread mixture. Mix together the remaining sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the top.

Set the baking dish in a larger baking dish and pour hot water in, to within about an inch of the top of the dish. Bake 40-50 minutes, until a thin-bladed knife inserted in the center comes out clean or nearly so; the center should be just a bit wobbly. Run under the broiler for about 30 seconds to brown the top a bit if you like. Serve warm or cold. This keeps best for a few days covered and refrigerated. Feel free to share this decadent dessert with friends or neighbors. I brought some downstairs to one of our neighbors and it went over quite well.

Here are some photos of the process:

Tuesday Morning Frittata!

This morning, I woke up a little before Ken and decided to try out one of the recipes my mother-in-law mailed us yesterday. (Thanks, Lmom!) Since I didn't have the bulk of the ingredients the recipe called for, I instead used whatever I found in the fridge. I'm sure you can do the same, or feel free to try my version below. This was my first go at making frittata and it was incredibly tasty and flavorful. You can scale down the ingredients, depending on how many servings you'd like to make. This recipe easily makes 5-6 servings.

A Tuesday Frittata

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. butter
1 medium bell pepper, diced (I used an orange colored one; red, green, yellow or orange is fine)
2 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, diced
2 c. fresh spinach, chopped
5-6 large eggs (I prefer free-range, grain-fed eggs)
1 c. shredded sharp white cheddar cheese (you can also use fontina)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 c. shredded pork (already cooked) or ham, sausage or other breakfast-type meat (*Note: I had some leftover shredded pulled pork in the fridge, so I used that. If you have bacon or another meat that is uncooked, cook it in a separate pan prior to adding into the frittata mixture.)

1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:
Preheat broiler.

Melt butter in heavy caste iron or other broiler-proof nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bell pepper and saute a few minutes, until tender. Add tomatoes and spinach. Reduce heat to low-medium. Cook until spinach is lightly wilted.

Meanwhile, mix eggs, 3/4 c. cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper in medium bowl. Add egg mixture to skillet, pouring over entire pan, encasing the vegetables. Sprinkle cooked meat across the egg mixture in the pan. Cook until the egg mixture is almost set and small bubbles form on the top, about 3-4 minutes.

Remove skillet from heat and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 c. cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese over the top. Then, place the frittata in the oven and broil until it puffs up and cheese begins to turn golden, about 3-4 minutes.

Cut into wedges and serve alongside fresh fruit and toast. (We had a slice of my caramelized onion bread with the frittata this morning. I will post that recipe separately.) Enjoy!