What to do when you have food that needs to be used in short order? In this case, the obvious solution was to whip up a bread pudding with a few extra lemons, ricotta, blueberries I’d planned on feeding the kids but then forgot about and a loaf of bread with a forgotten purpose.

It all started when I agreed to make broccoli cheese soup for Kiera. She’d asked for it repeatedly, and I’d finally picked up all the necessary ingredients, including a load of bread. But then a few days passed as work piled up and deadlines needed to be met, and the bread got…less than fresh. Along with the bread, I had some ricotta that I had used to fill zucchini muffins, and I’d taken some blueberries out to feed the kids and then forgotten about them on the counter, and there was no way they were going to make it through another freezing cycle.

In a very large bowl, crack 4 eggs.

Give the eggs a good beating.

Add a cup sugar.

Then the leftover ricotta. It turns out I had one cup left.

Mix it together until all the ricotta chunks are teeny tiny or nonexistent.

Zest one lemon over the bowl and include a tiny bit of juice, but not much. I added a teaspoon’s worth just to make sure I could taste the lemon, but I didn’t want it to be overpowering.

Next comes whole milk. I suppose you could use 2% or something with a lower fat content, but I don’t see why you’d want to.

Add in a bit of vanilla.

And a sprinkle and a dash of cardamom.

Mix together thoroughly.

Then melt about 3 tablespoons of butter. Butter makes everything better.

Stir in the butter. Isn’t it pretty? I told you it made everything better.

And then toss in the bread chunks. (Please excuse the fact that I thought it’d be a good idea to take the pictures as I was tossing them in. Same goes for the blueberries.)

Stir them until all the bread is evenly coated, and then you’ll want to let it sit for about 15 to 20 minutes. This will make sure the milk and eggs and the bread become one unit and will bake together as one unit, rather than two separate entities where you have egg and milk cooked together and crusty bread right alongside it.

Add in the blueberries, be them frozen from last summer or frozen from the store. If you’re in the habit of freezing them from the farmer’s market or in the fresh form, try freezing them in a single layer on a cookie sheet first for 20 minutes and then moving them into your storage container. This helps keep them intact and prevents you from getting a massive clump of frozen blueberries.

Mix the blueberries in as much as possible, gently folding the bread over.

Pour the bread into a greased casserole dish.

I had to push some of the blueberries down into the bread so that they weren’t all up on top. We’re ready for the oven: 350° F for 40 minutes.

Remove from the oven when the top is nicely browned and the bread pudding seems to have a bit of bounce when pressed in the center. It can still be a bit jiggly in the very center, but not much. Let it sit for 15-20 minutes before doing anything to it. This will help it set up, and it will also prevent you from burning the top of your mouth.

And then dish it up. You could eat it as is. There are no toppings needed.

Or you might try a bit of cream poured over the top. You know, if you feel like it. And why wouldn’t you feel like it?

Of note: This is definitely a dessert. You could eat it as a breakfast, but I’d suggest cutting back the sugar significantly, somewhere around 1/4 cup would work better for a breakfast. Not that you couldn’t eat it this way for breakfast, but the responsible side of me says portion sizes and everything considered, this is dessert. And what a dessert it is. It’s a bit lighter and fluffier than a traditional bread pudding, and the lemon and blueberries are fantastic bursts of freshness.

Monday – Shepherd’s Pie with Cauliflower Purée, side salad

Tuesday – Roasted Chicken and Bread Salad

Wednesday – Beef Enchiladas with guacamole, salsa and chips

Thursday – Irish Chicken Salad on Soda Bread, fresh fruit

Friday – Chicken Barley Soup with stock from boiling down the chicken carcass from Tuesday and soda bread from Thursday

The Preparation Shortcuts:

1. Brown all the ground beef on Monday and set aside 1 pound for the enchiladas.
2. On Tuesday, roast two chickens. Save the meat from one chicken for the chicken salad on Thursday and half of the meat on the other chicken for the soup on Friday.
3. Remove the meat from both carcasses and simmer with leftover vegetable ends and waste to make a broth. Use the broth for the enchiladas on Wednesday and again for the soup on Friday.
4. Make a double batch of soda bread or make them into rolls to accompany Friday’s soup.

The Shopping List:

3 pounds ground beef
2 roaster chickens
salad greens
fresh herbs
1 tomato
1 large head cauliflower
3 cups corn
1 Granny Smith apple
2 stalks celery
1 bunch scallions
16 ounces carrots
fruit of choice
8-10 corn tortillas
1 loaf bakery bread
1 small can chipotle chilis packed in adobo sauce
anise seeds
1/2 cup cream
1 quart buttermilk
1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar/pepper jack cheese

Pantry Items:
olive oil
white vinegar
flour
sugar
baking soda
barley
garlic cloves
onions
cumin
oregano
chili powder
cumin
thyme
sage
caraway seeds
salt and pepper
butter
raisins
pine nuts
mayo

Last week from Food for My Family:

Leek and Potato Gratin

Today, the sun is shining. The icicles that adorned my house have all melted. The snow that covered my backyard? Well, it’s still there, but the forecast says it won’t be there forever, which is how I felt about it last week at this time. Yet the nights still dip below freezing, and I find myself curled up under an afghan my mom crocheted 13 years ago. To chase out the last days of winter, comfort food seems appropriate. Bring on the potatoes, the cream, the oven and the leeks. Don’t forget the leeks.

Start by thinly slicing about two and a half pounds of rinsed and scrubbed Yukon Gold potatoes. Don’t bother removing the skin. It’s good for texture.

And then move to the leeks. Clean them as well, submerging them in water and then rinsing. I chose to slice mine into little disks. If you don’t want the loops in the final dish, you could slice them in half first and then slice into half moons.

Grab your favorite casserole dish and grease the bottom and up the sides. Start by layering on the potatoes.

Then add a layer of leeks.

And a pinch of kosher salt sprinkled all around.

And crack a bit of pepper in there two.

And continue on with the layers.

When you get to the top, add a bit more salt and pepper for good measure.

In a separate container or measuring cup, measure out 1/4 cup of sherry. If you’re not into cooking with alcohol, substitute chicken broth instead, or go with a full two cups of cream.

Then add 1-3/4 cups of cream. (Don’t judge. This is comfort food, remember?)

Um…so I added garlic here. Really, you shouldn’t. Instead, mix it in with the leeks before you layer them in the casserole dish. This will prevent the garlic from wanting to all pour out in one big clump.

And a bit of nutmeg.

Then mix it all together.

Pour the cream mixture over the potato and leek layers and into the oven it goes at 350° F.

When I first started making gratins I just topped them with cheese and tossed them into a hotter oven, pulling them out 40 minutes later. Then this fall I saw the “crust break” method on Todd and Diane’s blog, White On Rice Couple. I abandoned the cheese and tried this instead, and I’ve been thrilled with the results: even creaminess throughout the gratin, light browning on top. So, after 20 minutes in the oven, gently push the potatoes back down under the cream.

Do this again at 40 minutes in (20 minutes later).

Finally, one more time at an hour cooking time.

Continue cooking for another 20 to 30 minutes until the top is evenly browned and the potatoes soft. Let it sit for 15 to 20 before serving.

It makes the perfect dish for a late-winter meal, perhaps accompanied with a scallion and lime butter brick chicken and green beans here or whatever your heart desires.

Tip: Make this in individual gratin dishes and bake for 25-30 minutes with one crust break around 15 minutes. Just as delicious and on the table in less than half the time.

One of the things we strive for when planning our menus is making everything fit together into one nice, neat little package. We look to use ingredients in different ways throughout the week so that we’re benefiting from the ability of do-aheads and being able to buy in bulk. We also benefit from a well-stocked pantry.

Monday – Turkey Salad on greens

Tuesday – Spaghetti Pie, green salads

Wednesday – Red Lentil Soup using turkey broth, Onion Rolls

Thursday – Turkey Tetrazzini, steamed vegetables

Friday – Breakfast for dinner: Sleepin’ in Omelette with fresh fruit

The Preparation Shortcuts:

1. Roast the turkey the day before or early the day you are eating the salad. Pull the meat off the bones and then make a turkey stock from the carcass. The meat is used in both the turkey salad and the tetrazzini, and the broth/stock will be used in the red lentil soup on Wednesday.
2. When it’s time to make spaghetti pie, cook both boxes of noodles and assemble the tettrazini right then. Thursday’s meal will be ready to throw in the oven.
3. Make your own buttermilk from vinegar and milk for the onion rolls to avoid having to buy an extra ingredient.
4. Save the extra onions rolls (be sure to make enough for your family + extra) and turn them into the base for the egg bake on Friday.

The Shopping List:

1 8- to 10-pound turkey
2 16-ounce boxes angel hair or thin spaghetti
greens for salad, including spinach
1 cup peas
3 shallots
1 red onion
1 stalk celery
16 ounces mushrooms
1 lemon
chives
sage
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
8 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup cream
8 ounces parmesan
8 ounces ricotta cheese

Pantry Items:
milk
eggs
butter
mayonnaise
olive oil
bread crumbs
cayenne pepper
dry mustard
nutmeg
red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
olives
pecans
dried cranberries
sherry or dry white wine
diced tomatoes
tomato sauce
red lentils
brown rice
vinegar
yeast
sugar
flour

Last week from Food for My Family:

The Kugelhopf, from my grandma’s kitchen has been popular, and I also talked about how and why we stock our pantry.

If you’ve ever started dinner only to realize that you’re out of one thing or another, then you’ll know how easy it is to give up on dinner and just head for the nearest eating establishment. I mean, you’re going out anyway, right? A well-stocked pantry is one of the first keys to successful home cooking.

Why Stock Your Pantry?

::As I stated before, having ingredients on hand means you’re less likely to run to the nearest fast food chain, order takeout, pizza or go out for dinner in general. It’s amazing what simply having the necessary ingredients available can do for your mealtime habits.

::A well-stocked pantry makes grocery shopping easier. When you plan a meal, only having to buy the building blocks of the meal (meat, vegetables and other fresh ingredients) and not every herb, sauce or tablespoon-sized ingredient makes it easier and more cost effective. Having those things on hand saves you money at the store because you can stock up on pantry items when they are on sale, and you can also plan your meals around meat and produce sales as well. Plus, not having to buy as much when you walk into the store makes it take less time, and a little extra time is something most of us could use.

::It’s better for your health and the health of your family to cook at home from scratch. As I mentioned recently in my post on Complete Organizing Solutions, having your pantry stocked so that you’re cooking more from home and from scratch is the first step to a healthier you. Prepackaged food items contain preservatives and additives that have no business in your food or your body, and the benefits of a home-cooked meal over a fast food one are fairly obvious: You control the amount of salt, fat, sugar that goes into everything, and you control where it came from. Simply eating real food goes a long way in improving your overall diet.

My Pantry Necessities

Basics:
Dry Pastas (a few different shapes and sizes)
Grains (couscous, rice, barley, quinoa, oats, flax)
Oils (olive oil, canola oil)
Vegetables (onions, potatoes, garlic)
Canned Tomatoes (sauce, diced, stewed, paste)
Nut Butter
Honey
Maple Syrup
Vinegars (balsamic, white, red wine, apple cider, rice wine)
Specialty Sauces (hot sauce, Tabasco, oyster sauce, mirin, rice wine)
Soy Sauce
Nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, pine nuts)
Raisins
Dried or Canned Beans
Creamed Soups (cream of mushroom, cream of chicken)
Specialty Items (artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, olives)

Herbs and Spices:
Oregano
Basil
Parsley
Dill
Cumin
Bay Leaves
All Spice
Cardamom
Celery Seeds
Ground Mustard
Spice Blends

For Baking:
Flours (unbleached white, wheat, rice)
Sugars (brown, cane or beet, powdered)
Kosher Salt
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Cornstarch
Cream of Tartar
Cocoa Powder
Chocolate Chips or Chunks
Vanilla Extract
Almond Extract


This list is not all-inclusive, obviously, and it may differ based on your family’s likes and dislikes, dietary reasons or other factors. What do you have on hand in your pantry?