We’re changing up the menu plan a bit! The catch to dinner: My recipes, but the teenager has done all the menu planning (which she hated making choices – said it was hard work), shopping, prep work, cooking and clean-up. On the Menu: Toasted French Toast for breakfast and for dinner, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Garlic Smashers, Home Made Carrot Cake she made a gourmet meal that was quickly devoured! We used multi-grain and sourdough for the French toast and it was truly scrumptious.
TOASTED FRENCH TOAST ~ We hate soggy French Toast and this recipe conquers that. 8 slices thick white bread
1 1/4 cup milk
5 egg yolks
1/8 cup flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- Toast bread, but not browned.
- Preheat griddle and coat with a small amount of butter.
- Whisk together the egg yolks, milk, salt, vanilla, butter and cinnamon.
- Whisk in flour until smooth.
- Pour milk mixture into a baking dish.
- Soak bread pieces for a few seconds on each side.
- Grill for several minutes on each side until golden brown.
- Serve with warm maple syrup.
SMASHERS
6-8 small YUKON potatoes, skin on
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 stick butter, melted
2 teaspoons minced garlic
olive oil
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
- Scrub potatoes
- Boil potatoes until tender
- Generously spread olive oil on cookie sheet
- Space potatoes a couple of inches apart
- With a potato masher, SMASH each potato
- Sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika
- Melt butter and mix butter and garlic together
- Pour a tablespoon of butter mixture over each potato
- Bake 30 minutes or until tops are crispy
CHICKEN CORDON BLEU4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts*
2 tablespoons butter, softened
4 thin slices cooked ham
4 thin slices swiss cheese***
1/2 pound bacon (8 slices)
2 jumbo eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon minced garlic, jar
1 teaspoon oregano
- Flatten chicken breasts.
- Spread butter evenly on the tops.
- Smooth garlic evenly amongst the 4 breasts.
- Sprinkle the thyme evenly between the four breasts.
- Top with a slice of ham and then a slice of cheese.
- Roll up tightly.
- Wrap 2 slices of bacon around each one and secure with toothpicks.
- Whisk together the eggs and milk in a shallow bowl. Place flour in another shallow bowl. Combine the bread crumbs, oregano and cheese in a 3rd shallow bowl.
- Dip each chicken breast in the egg mixture first, then the flour, then the egg mixture again and the crumb mixture last.
- Place on a greased cookie sheet.
- Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
- Don’t forget to remove the toothpicks before serving.
*For really easy servings, I lay the bacon on the cookie sheet and cut the flattened breasts in half. On top of 1/2 of the bacon strip lay a chicken piece, top as directed and then lay the other chicken breast. Bring the other 1/2 of the bacon slice over the top and bake as directed. NO ROLLING AND NO TOOTHPICKS!
***I also use Muenster or Gruyere if that is what I have on hand.
SCRUMPTIOUS CARROT CAKE with CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
CAKE
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 cup packed golden brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup butter, softened
3 Jumbo eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup golden rum*
3 cups grated carrots
8 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained well
1 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- Pour rum over raisins and set aside for at least an hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease and flour 2-9 inch cake pans.
- In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and sugars.
- In another bowl cream together the butter, brown sugar, vanilla and 1 egg. Add additional eggs and beat until well creamed.
- Add dry ingredients gradually until well blended.
- Add carrots, pineapple and walnuts until well blended.
- Drain raisins and fold in last.
- Pour batter into prepared pans.
- Bake 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool 10 minutes.
- Invert cakes onto rack and cool completely.
*As an option you could soak the raisins in orange juice instead and then substitute 1 teaspoon maple flavoring for the rum.
FROSTING
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar
- In a medium bowl beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.
- Add lemon juice and vanilla. Beat until blended.
- Add powdered sugar gradually until well blended and smooth.
- Ice first layer and then add 2nd cake top and ice again including sides of cake.
- Refrigerate 1 hour to set icing before serving.
