Breakfast

Vegetable Cheese Strata

This recipe got rave reviews at a ladies brunch. It is perfect to assemble the night before, cover and chill 8 hours, then bake.

Print

Vegetable-Cheese Strata

This recipe got rave reviews at the Carpenter=s Way Baptist Church Christmas brunch. The red and green peppers make it perfect for Christmas morning!
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Keyword cheese, strata, vegetables
Servings 9 servings

Equipment

  • 9×13 baking dish

Ingredients

  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 2/3 cup diced green onions
  • 3 T olive oil
  • 1 red bell pepper cut into thin strips
  • 1 green bell pepper cut into thin strips
  • 7 1/2 cups 1-inch Italian bread cubes
  • 2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 9 large eggs
  • 2 2/3 cup milk
  • 1 /2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

Instructions

  • Saute onions in hot oil in a skillet until tender; stir in bell pepper. Cook, stirring often, 10 minutes.
  • Spread half of bread cubes in lightly greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Top with half of vegetable mixture and sprinkle with 1 1/4 cup cheddar cheese and half of Parmesan cheese.. Repeat layers. Whisk together eggs and next 5 ingredients; pour over strata. Cover and chill 8 hours. Remove from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature 15 minutes . Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes or until set.

This site contains affiliate links to products. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links, at no cost to you. Products are examples of what I own or what I recommend in order to help you make the best choice for you. Thank you for your support.

    Scones- Two Recipes: Cranberry Orange and Lemon Poppyseed

    Scones were a favorite at Sweets and Eats and were always ordered for breakfast at Stevens Catering. Their success was related to two different steps. First, I added more liquid because a soft dough creates a softer product. This rule holds true for all dough. Also, I grated the butter instead of cutting in. It is faster but has the same result. Just be sure to toss a little flour mixture over the butter several times as it is grated. If not you will have one solid mass of butter that will have to be cut in thus defeating the purpose of grating. I use this technique for biscuits, pie dough and any dough calling for butter. I hope this improves your baking. Enjoy!

    Today I made the Cranberry Orange Scones. I forgot how wonderful they are. I was short on having enough cranberries, so I added a few chopped, dried apricots. What a nice addition! I think you could substitute any dried fruit and have a great scone. Light, fluffy, fruity- just what I needed this morning. Hope you try them!

    Print

    Cranberry Orange Scones

    Servings 8 scones
    Author Sarah Stevens

    Equipment

    • bench knife
    • grater
    • pastry brush

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups all purpose flour
    • 1 tablespoon baking powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 2 tablespoons sugar
    • 1 tablespoon grated orange rind
    • 1 stick butter
    • 1 cup buttermilk
    • 1 cup dried cranberries

    Topping

    • 1 tablespoon milk
    • 1 tablespoon sugar

    Instructions

    • Combine first six ingredients. Grate in butter, occasionally tossing with some of the flour mixture.
    • Add buttermilk and cranberries and stir just until moistened.
    • Turn dough out on lightly floured surface; pat into an 8 inch circle. Cut circle into 8 wedges using a bench knife.
    • Place 1 inch apart on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush with milk and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar.
    • Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden.

    Notes

    Dry ingredients and butter can be combined ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.  Cranberries and buttermilk can be added right before placing in the oven.
    Print

    Lemon Poppyseed Scones

    Course Breakfast
    Cuisine American
    Keyword bread, lemon, poppyseed
    Servings 8 scones

    Equipment

    • grater
    • bench knife

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups all purpose flour
    • 1 tablespoon baking powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 2 tablespoons sugar
    • 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
    • 1 stick butter
    • 1 teaspoon poppyseed
    • 1 cup buttermilk

    Lemon Glaze

    • 1 lemon juice
    • powdered sugar enough for glaze

    Instructions

    • Combine first six ingredients. Grate in butter, occasionally tossing with some of the flour mixture.
    • Add buttermilk and poppyseeds and stir just until moistened.
    • Turn dough out on lightly floured surface; pat into an 8 inch circle. Cut circle into 8 wedges using a bench knife.
    • Place 1 inch apart on parchment paper lined baking sheet.
    • Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden.
    • While scones are baking, juice one lemon and add powdered sugar to make a thin glaze.
    • Glaze scones after removing from oven.

    Notes

    Dry ingredients and butter can be combined ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. Poppyseeds and buttermilk can be added right before placing in the oven.

    This site contains affiliate links to products. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links, at no cost to you. Products are examples of what I own or what I recommend in order to help you make the best choice for you. Thank you for your support.

      Peach Preserves

      There is something about gardening and canning that makes one feel productive. We made a trip to the local farmers market and purchased a peck of peaches. I immediately made a peach cobbler and put the rest of the peaches out to ripen. Well that happened fast, so today I decided to make peach preserves. This recipe has everything from a little pepper kick to almond flavoring which I love in peaches. It is a little extra trouble since it doesn’t have pectin to thicken it, but it is well worth it. Enjoy!

      Print

      Peach preserves

      Recipe inspired by Sharon Johnson's Peach Preserves
      Course Breakfast
      Cuisine American
      Keyword peaches, pepper, preserves
      Author stevens1951

      Equipment

      • candy thermometer
      • pressure cooker
      • canning funnel
      • 6 1/2 pint jars with lids
      • labels
      • ladle

      Ingredients

      • 3 pounds ripe peaches peeled and cut off seed
      • 1 each mandarin orange fresh, quartered and peel on
      • 1 each jalapeno
      • 4 cups sugar
      • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
      • 3/4 cup honey mild and light color

      Instructions

      • Place peaches in a large pot of boiling water for 10 to 20 seconds or until the skin splits. Remove with a slotted spoon, immediately place in an ice water bath to cool the peaches and stop the cooking process. Use a paring knife to peel the skin, which shoould easily peel off. Cut the peaches off the pit into a bowl.
      • Combine peaches, sugar, and honey in a large pan, stir well. Cover and let stand for 45 minutes.
      • Position knife blade in food processor and add orange quarters and pepper. Process until finely chopped.
      • Place orange, pepper and an equal amount of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until orange rind is tender.
      • Bring peach mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, uncovered, 15 minutes, stirring often. Add orange mixture. Bring to a boil; cook, uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until candy thermoneter registers 221 degrees, stirring often. Remove from heat; stir in almond extract. Skim off foam with a metal spoon.
      • Quickly pour hot mixture into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace; wipe jar rims. Cover at once with metal lids, and screw on bands. Process jars in a pressure cooker at 5 lbs pressure for 10 minutes.

      Peach Preserves are finished, complete with label. If interested, the labels are below and can be made on Avery.com. I use Special Elite font. And how do I know they are sealed for room temperature storage? I hear the lids pop as they cool. It’s like music to my ears.

        Note: This post includes affiliate links where I get a small commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Sarah Stevens.

        %d bloggers like this: