This is a great, easy, breakfast dish with the added bonus of offering a delicious way to use leftover creamed spinach. If, however, you don’t have any leftovers, the recipe gives you an easy way to create it.

• 2 10 oz frozen chopped spinach, drained well
• 2 Cups freshly grated sharp Cheddar cheese
• 3 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 6 eggs
• Salt and pepper to taste

 
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2) In a food processor, combine the spinach and cream cheese and puree until well blended but not too smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3) Spread spinach mixture into the bottom of a 12" rectangular baking dish.

4) Make six evenly spaced indentations and carefully break one egg into each one. Sprinkle with salt and pepper

5) Cover all with the grated cheese.

6) Bake until the eggs are set and the cheese is melted and crusty, about thirty minutes.

Makes six servings

• 1 Cup boiling water
• 1 Cup granulated Sugar
• 2 Cups fresh blueberries (or, use one 10 oz pkg frozen unsweetened blueberries, thawed and drained)
• 2 Tlb. Cornstarch
• 3 Tlbs. fresh lemon juice
• A dash of grated fresh nutmeg
• A dash of salt

 
In saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, nutmeg, and salt; gradually stir in the boiling water. Cook and stir until mixture thickens and boils; cook two minutes more. Add the blueberries and return to boiling. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Makes three cups. I make this sauce in advance and store in the fridge - just re-heat to serve. This sauce also freezes beautifully, and works great as a topping for ice cream, pound cake, and cheesecake.

• 1 Cup halved small fresh figs (if available)
• 1 Cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 Cup Jansal Valley Coconut Milk
• 2 Cups fresh pineapple chunks
• 3 Tlbs. Grand Marnier (or other orange liqueur)
• 3 Tlbs. Demerara sugar
• 4 medium to large oranges
• 4 tangerines, peeled and sliced

 
1) Peel and slice oranges and tangerines, removing all membrane and seeds.Cut pineapple and figs.

2) Layer half the fruits into a crystal or glass bowl. Add a sprinkling of sugar and enough coconut to cover lightly. Continue alternating fruit, sugar, and coconut, saving enough coconut to top off the salad with a generous layer. Pour coconut milk and a healthy splash of liqueur over the salad, along with any remaining fruit juices. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. This serves 6 to 8. Just promise us you won’t defile this by adding marshmallows!

• 2 Tlbs. cornstarch
• 3/4 Cups granulated sugar
• 4 Cups fresh or frozen (and thawed) sour cherries with juice
• dash of salt

 
Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in saucepan. Stir in the cherries with juice. Cook quickly, stirring constantly, till thick and bubbly. Reduce heat and cook 1 minute longer. Serve warm with pancakes. This sauce also makes a great topping for ice cream, pound cake,or cheesecake. It freezes beautifully, too.

• 1/4 C diced red bell pepper
• 1/4 C. diced green bell pepper
• 1/4 C. finely chopped onion
• 2 Tlbs. Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4" cubes
• 2 tsp Spanish Smoked Paprika 
• 6 Tlb unsalted butter (or bacon grease)
• Salt and freshly milled black pepper to taste

 
1) Warm the butter or bacon grease in a 10-12" cast iron skillet  over medium-low heat. Stir in the potatoes, and when  they are coated with a bit of butter, season them with salt and pepper and cover the skillet. Cook for 20 minutes.

2) Uncover the potatoes and cook for 30 minutes longer, turning them at 10-minute intervals and patting them back down. When you turn them the first time, stir in the onion, peppers and chili powder. As the potatoes soften, pat them down more lightly, bringing as much of their surface in contact with the skillet as possible without mashing them.

3) Cook the potatoes for about 20 minutes longer, turning them at 5-minute intervals. During the last 10 minutes, bring the heat up to medium and, if you wish, add more salt and pepper. The home fries are ready when the potato cubes are richly browned and clearly crisp with tender, melting centers. Serve immediately.

*Note: For extra-crispy fries, replace the butter with goose or duck fat.

These potato cups are such a fun and easy to add potatoes quickly to a breakfast or brunch menu.

• 1 Cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 1 medium sized onion, peeled and chopped finely in a mini food processor
• 1 tsp freshly grated pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 Cup sour cream
• 3 large Idaho potatoes, peeled
• 3 medium-sized tomatoes,sliced thinly into 12 slices

 
1) Drain shredded potatoes well and pat dry.

2) Mix potatoes with onion, cheese, salt, pepper.

3) Generously butter 12 muffin cups in a muffin pan.

4) Press some of the potato mixture evenly into each cup.

5) Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven for 40-50 minutes or until edges are well browned. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. Loosen edges and invert each potato cup onto a tomato slice.

6) Spoon a dollop of sour cream onto each cup.

Serve immediately!

• 1 beaten egg
• 1 Cup + 1 Tlb. milk
• 1 Cup of Hecker’s all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tablespoons Bakewell Cream Baking Powder
• 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 Tlb. peanut oil

 
Sift together dry ingredients. Combine egg, milk, and oil; add to dry ingredients, stirring just till moistened. Bake on hot cast iron griddle until just golden brown. If I’m having a crowd, I always double this recipe. As is, it makes about 8- 4" pancakes.

• 1 1/2 Cups Panko bread crumbs
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 Cup diced celery
• 1 jalapeno chile,cored,seeded, and diced
• 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
• 1/2 Cup chopped onion
• 2 Cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 Tlb Olive Oil
• 4 Cups crushed whole tomatoes
• 8 large eggs
• half a can of Taste Organic cherry tomatoes, with juice
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

 
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

2) Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and jalapeno; cook, stirring, until softened but not browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes (not the cherry tomatoes) add bay leaf and simmer until the tomatoes have cooked down and most of the water has evaporated (about fifteen minutes). Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the bread crumbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper. At this point, add the half can of cherry tomatoes with juice and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning.

3) Spread one half of the sauce on the bottom of a 2-3 quart oval or rectangular baking dish. Sprinkle one cup of the cheese on top. Add the rest of the tomato sauce mixture over the cheese, top with the remaining one cup cheese. With the back of the spoon, make 8 depressions the size of an egg, and crack an egg into each well.

4) Bake until the whites of the eggs are set and the yolks are still a bit runny, 15-25 minutes. (Be sure to check them after fifteen minutes.)

We cooked this dish at a delightful Cuisinette brunch, and it was a real crowd pleaser!  It is unfortunate that this wonderful book is now out of print, but we can still share the recipe with all of you.

• 1/2 tsp. dried sage
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1 large tomato, chopped (or a cup of julienned sun-dried tomatoes if great tomatoes can’t be found.)
• 1 lb. extra sharp Cheddar cheese, grated (about 4 Cups)
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 C. chopped smoked or roast turkey (we roasted a turkey breast the day before, but a high quality deli version can certainly be used. Left-over roasted chicken or baked ham may be substituted as well.)
• 2 Cups whole milk or half-and-half
• 5 large eggs
• 1 lb. bacon, cooked crisp and finely chopped.
• One 1 lb loaf of high quality white or whole wheat sandwich bread (we used Pepperidge Farm "white" whole wheat".)

 
1) Butter a 2" deep 10" baking dish.

2) Arrange 2 equal alternating layers of the bread, turkey, bacon, tomato, and cheese, in the baking dish.Cut or tear the bread slices if needed to make snug layers.

3) Whisk the eggs with the milk, sage, salt, and cayenne. Pour the custard over the bread mixture. Cover and refrigerate the strata for at least two hours or up to overnight. Remove the strata from the refrigerator 20-30 minutes before you plan to bake it.

4) Preheat the oven to 350F. Bake the strata for 50-55 minutes, until puffed,golden brown, and lightly set in the center. Serve hot.

• 1 1/2 Cups granulated sugar
• 1 2/3 Cups (16oz) plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1 Cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 Cup whole walnuts
• 1 medium lemon, preferrably organic
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon Bakewell Cream baking powder
  
• 2 3/4 C. Hecker’s all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp Nielsen-Massey pure Vanilla Bean Paste
• 3 large eggs

Glaze

• 1 Cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tablespoons of light cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste

1) To make the Muffins: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 10 Texas-size (3 1/2"x2"deep)muffin cups with butter or line them with muffin papers.

2)Wash and dry the lemon, cut it into quarters, and remove the seeds. Process these (hard to believe - skin, pith, and all) in a food processor fitted with a metal blade for 1 minute or more, until it is completely ground up. Scrape the lemon into a medium bowl. Without washing the food processor, add the walnuts and pulse 10 to 12 times. (The nuts should clean the processor bowl.) Add the walnuts to the processed lemon and stir to combine. Set the lemon-nut mixture aside to be used later.

3) Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter in a large bowl on medium-high speed about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the sugar and mix on medium -high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs all at once and beat on medium speed about 1 minute. Add the vanilla and beat on medium for about 30 seconds, until well incorporated. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add one-third of the flour mixture to the batter and beat on medium-low speed just until it is incorporated. Add half of the yogurt and beat on medium speed until it is just incorporated. Continue to add the flour mixture and yogurt alternately, beating just long enough to incorporate. ( End with the dry ingredients.)

4) Gently stir in the lemon-nut mixture. Spoon the batter into the muffin pans, filling each cup 3/4 full. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until they are slightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in their pans about 5 minutes. Remove the muffins from the pans.

5) To make the glaze: Combine the sugar, cream, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Drizzle the glaze over the warm muffins. The glaze will harden in about 15 minutes.

We had a hard time imagining a muffin made with the entire lemon, but these are fabulous! They are at their very best served warm, but if wrapped tightly in plastic wrap once completely cooled, they will still taste great for about 3 days and can be frozen for up to three weeks. We pushed these over the top by serving them with butter and Saisons de Rosalie’s blueberry preserves.