Sunday 21 December 2014

Christmas Morning Omelette For a Crowd

It can be challenging to serve omelettes to a group of people at one time. This baked omelette rises to the challenge. I make this often for my family. We have eaten it at breakfast, lunch and supper. It really tastes exactly like an omelette. Make it the night before to serve the next morning. Great for Christmas morning. It will feed six or more people at one time.

I use one dozen eggs for my family of six. Crack the eggs into a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup whipping cream. Whisk the eggs and milk together.



Melt two teaspoons of butter in a non-stick pan. Add the eggs /cream mixture to the pan. Cook the eggs on medium heat, scraping the bottom of the pan as you would to make scrambled eggs. Be patient, eventually they will cook. Do not be tempted to turn the heat up. The eggs will be nicer when cooked on medium heat. When you subject eggs to high temperatures it causes the protien strands to become stiff. As the strands stiffen the water in the strand is squeezed out. If you have ever experienced watery scrambled eggs, high heat is likely the reason.


Remove the eggs from the heat when they are mostly scrambled but not all the way scrambled. Ideally they will still be glossy and moist. Spread the eggs into a 9x13 inch baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Pat the eggs into a thin layer using a spatula.


Add the toppings. Anything goes. My boys are minimalist, they like green onions, diced ham and cheddar cheese. Try bacon, peppers, eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes or what ever you would put into a traditional omelette. I prefer white cheddar cheese. The orange colour of most of the cheddar in North America is food dye. 

Prepare the omelette to this point if you wish to serve it the next morning. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight. Remove the pan from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before it goes in the oven.


Bake the omelette at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the eggs have cooked.  There will be small bubbles around the edge of the pan. The objective here is to not brown anything. Only bake it until the eggs have set. Remove the pan from the oven. Let it sit for five minutes before serving.


Cut the omelette into large squares. This omelette ail serve six people. If you have more than six people to feed, make two pans, don't just increase the eggs. The reason that this tastes so much like an omelette is because the thin layer of egg is covered with the toppings. The other reason that it works is that it is only baked until the eggs have set, do not brown the eggs or the cheese.


I like to serve this great breakfast with toast and jam, fruit and juice.


Christmas Morning Omelette For a Crowd

Serves six
1 dozen large eggs
1/2 cup whipping cream or half and half
2 teaspoons butter
1 cup diced ham
1/2 cup sliced green onions
2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Crack eggs into a large bowl. Add cream and whip until combined. Melt butter in a large non-stick pan.  Cook eggs on medium heat, scraping the pan(as for scrambled eggs). Do not be tempted to increase the heat. Continue to cook until the eggs have mostly cooked. Do not cook them completely. They should be glossy and a little wet. Spread the eggs into a 9x13 pan that has been sprayed with baking spray. Using a spatula, pat the eggs into the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the green onions and the ham on top of the eggs. Finally, add the cheese, spreading evenly over the top.
Prepare the omelette to this point if you wish to serve it in the morning. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Remove the pan from the fridge about 30 minutes before putting it in the oven. Bake the omelette for 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the eggs have set. Do not brown the eggs or the cheese. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool for five minutes before cutting. Cut into large squares. Remove from pan with a spatula.

Serve with toast and jam, fruit and juice. 

Saturday 4 October 2014

Football Watching Make-ahead Big Sandwich

This hearty sandwich is a great make-ahead meal. Weather it's for the big game or just a family lunch it is sure to deliver the goods. The flavours develop as it sits in the fridge. I made this for my family when we were on holiday at Disney World. I used large kaiser buns for individual sandwiches. They were great to have as we explored the many disney theme parks. This sandwich travels very well.


Start by slicing a large round loaf in half horizontally. I have used a loaf that I baked using my
 basic pizza dough recipe. Use any round loaf that you wish. Sourdough, pumpernickel, multigrain, they all work.


Remove most of the centre of the bread leaving about a half inch shell. Reserve the bread that you  have removed for another purpose such as bread crumbs. Do this to the top and bottom of the loaf. 



On the bottom spread the mustard and mayonnaise all over the surface of the loaf. Sprinkle a chopped green onion over the mustard/mayo mixture.



On the top half, spread the Italian dressing over the surface of the loaf.


Back to the bottom. Start to layer the deli meat. In this case I have started with thinly sliced salami.


Then I have added turkey and honey ham. Use what ever you like.
You can even make this vegetarian by using grilled or roasted veggies. Anything goes.


Then add a layer of cheese. In this case I have used Havarti. My kids like the mild creamy flavour.


Then add a layer of tomatoes. This is a gorgeous yellow variety from my garden. Very tasty.


Next is a layer of crisp lettuce. Use any variety that is sturdy and crispy like iceberg, romaine or leaf lettuce.



Put the top on and place the entire loaf into a large resealable plastic bag


Remove as much air as possible


Put a dinner plate on top of the loaf


Then put some kind of heavy object on top of the plate. In this case, I have used a full orange juice container. Put everything into the fridge. Let the sandwich sit for a couple of hours or up to overnight. Weighing the sandwich down like this, helps to develop the flavours. It does not get soggy because you have removed most of the bread from the inside of the loaf leaving just the crust.



Slice it into wedges for serving. Make several to feed a crowd. Finally the cook can sit and watch the game too.
The layers become compacted. It is very tasty and easy to eat.





Football Watching Make-ahead Big Sandwich

2 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 teaspoon mustard
1green onion, sliced
2 tablespoons oil and vinegar salad dressing like Italian
4 slices deli ham
4 slices deli salami
4 slices deli turkey
4 slices havarti cheese (may use swiss or cheddar)
2 tomatoes, sliced
4 large leaves of iceberg or romaine lettuce
1 large round loaf of bread

Instructions

  1. Slice loaf of bread in half horizontally.
  2. Remove the inside of the bread to one half inch of the crust. Do this on the top and bottom.
  3. On the bottom half spread the mustard and the mayonnaise on the the surface.
  4. Sprinkle with green onion
  5. Place slices of deli meat in layers onto the bottom half of bread
  6. Put a layer of cheese on top of meat
  7. Then add a layer of tomato 
  8. Then a layer of lettuce
  9. Spread the Italian dressing on he top half of the bread.
  10. Put top half of bread onto the bottom. 
  11. Place loaf in a large resealable plastic bag. Remove all of the air from the bag and seal.
  12. Put loaf into refrigerator. Place a plate on top of loaf. Put a heavy object like a milk jug on top of the plate. The idea is to compress the loaf. 
  13. Let the loaf sit in the fridge with the weight onto for a few hours. You can leave the loaf like this for overnight or even two days. The flavour will get better as it sits.
  14. Remove loaf from plastic bag and slice into wedges to serve.


Saturday 29 March 2014

Pizza Biscuit Rolls

O.K. anything that remotely resembles pizza is bound to be a big hit. Use some of the red sauce from the spaghetti and meatballs recipe under "Kid Friendly Suppers". I cut the veggies up really small so that they are't obvious. Lets get to it.






First Start with the filling.
  • 1/2 onion, chopped finely
  • 1/2 green pepper, chopped finely
  • 1/2 red pepper, chopped finely
  • 1 cup mushrooms, chopped finely
  • 1 tbsp oil 
  • 1/2 c finely chopped pepperoni(optional)
  • 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce or tomato sauce. Reserve the sauce when you make 
  • spaghetti and meatballs.


Saute the veggies in the oil until they are softened. About 5 min. Add the pepperoni and marinara sauce. Let mixture cool.



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees




Second. The biscuits.


  • 2 cups all purpose flour or use 1 cup whole wheat and 1 cup white
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1/2 cup cold butter
  • 3/4-1 cup milk
  • 2 cups grated mozzarella


Combine first five ingredient in a large bowl. Cut butter into flour mixture until it is the size of oatmeal or small peas. I like to use a pastry cutter for this. If you do not have a pastry cutter you can use two knives or your fingers. Check out the technique on the video. Add the milk using the smaller volume and adding more if needed. Stir until mostly combined. Turn dough out onto countertop. Gently kneed the dough until it is well combined. Roll the dough out until it is about a 9 x 13 rectangle. Spread the cooled sauce evenly over the dough. Sprinkle mozzarella over sauce. Carefully roll the dough up. Cut it into 1 inch slices and place onto baking sheet pan(watch the video for a great tip on how to cut your slices so they are the same size).Bake at 350 degrees for  15 or 20 minutes until they are golden brown. 




Video Tutorial on You Tube
These treats freeze well and are great for an on the go snack or to pack into a lunch kit for school.
Serve them with a green salad, some raw veggies or a bowl of steaming soup.

My kids love them. Hope they please your crowd too.