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Sunday, March 20, 2016

Savory Rosemary Strata & Neck Brace Challenges

Let me start by saying this is probably one of my all time favorite brunch recipes. As many of you know I am a huge fan of brunch and so to add to my morning food repertoire is a pretty exciting moment for me. I also have to mention that this recipe is so incredibly easy, but looks classy, so you can use it to impress guests, suck up to spouses/boyfriends/first dates, catch up with girlfriends or just treat yourself. It is truly a breakfast blessing in disguise. Now before I launch into the nuances of this recipe, let me tell you a little bit about life in a neck brace.



As of today I am celebrating the completion of week 4 in a neck brace and I  am looking at another 6. There have been so many things that I have realized recently that I took for granted and here are my top 10:


  1. Walking! I can't tell you how many times I have tripped over poor Miss Kitty because I can't see my feet and hence I can't see the giant orange fluff ball that loves to follow me around. Ack!!
  2. Turning your head! I was in the car yesterday with my best friend and she kept a running commentary about things we passed and I finally had to tell her I couldn't see any of it.
  3. Blow drying my hair. Right before my accident I got these amazing hair extensions...that I can now do nothing with because blow drying/styling your hair in a neck brace is just not happening. I am the queen of pony tails and buns at the moment. 
  4. Eating! This neck brace is like a death trap for food. I have pretty much found an assortment of random food morsels in this brace-oatmeal, rice, sushi, egg, a steak. You name it, if it gets near my mouth, it gets in my brace. And it is hysterical to watch peoples faces when they see you drop stuff in there because I can't see it, and you can see their face contort as they debate whether or not to tell you what just occurred.
  5. Dancing! Have you ever tried dancing without moving your head? I definitely give Elaine, from Seinfeld, a run for her money. Now imagine Elaine dancing without moving her head while listening to Reggae music, it just doesn't get anymore awkward, but it hasn't stopped me from car dancing, bathroom dancing and gym dancing. Dead sexy!
  6. Opening jars-I just never realized how many neck muscles you use while opening jars. I have resorted to beating the hell out of jar lids and hoping that seal pops so I can gently use my right hand to open salsa, olives, etc. 
  7. Picking up stuff from the floor. I can't tell you how many times I have dropped stuff on the floor and just walked away because I decided I didn't have the dexterity, flexibility or energy to pick it up. This has included my cell phone, pieces of paper, wine corks, bok choy, etc. I have watched the items fall and it almost feels like it occurs in slow motion and I feel dismay as it occurs because I am pretty sure I will never see this item again. 
  8. Cartwheels-I jut straight up can't do cartwheels right now. Please do not ask me if I could do cartwheels before the neck brace because that is irrelevant. 
  9. Anything to do with the lower half of my body-putting on pants, putting on shoes, shaving legs, painting toenails, etc. I can't look down and it is as if the entire lower half of my body has disappeared. 
  10. Affection. Have you ever tried kissing in a neck brace? The minute someone gets close to you the Velcro on your neck brace tends to attach to their shirt, their beard or their hand and as they start to kiss you, you hear the romantic noise of Velcro tearing away from the side of your neck brace. Does not exactly scream "I am sexy. Take me now." And it is almost impossible not to smile or laugh with that noise in the background. 


So to begin with , sauté the onions and rosemary in olive oil. I love the smell of onions cooking. Period. But when you add rosemary and olive oil to the mix, it is pretty much heavenly!! Cook for 5 minutes or until the onion is tender. 


Toss the bread cubes in a bowl.  I used a rosemary bread to enhance the rosemary flavor and it was perfect. However, I am sure you could use any type of bread, like a French bread or Ciabatta, anything like that. Add the onion mixture and a 1/2 cup cheese. The recipe basically says you can use any cheese and they tested it with Cheddar, however I didn't want the orange color and I wanted a little more depth of flavor. So I used a 1/2 cup of goat cheese. 


Add the bread cube mixture to a greased 9 inch square pan, that has been oiled. Top with a 1/2 cup of cheese. For this second layer of cheese I used Monterey Jack. Don't get me wrong, but I thought if I used more goat cheese it would be pretty over powering. 


Next whisk the 6 eggs, milk and heavy cream with salt and pepper.  Pour over the bread mixture. 


Bake in a 375 degree oven for 45-50 minutes. I let it sit for about 5 minutes to cool off before serving.

Here is the actual recipe:


Ingredients

 2 tablespoons olive oil 
1 medium onion, chopped 
4 cups cubed bread
 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
 1 cup shredded or crumbled cheese 
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup heavy cream 
1 cup 2% milk 
1 pinch salt and pepper to taste 

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Heat olive oil in a cast iron pan, and cook onion and rosemary in oil until onion is soft.

Toss bread cubes with olive oil and onions. Exact measurement of bread is not necessary. Place in a well oiled, deep sided, 9 inch square pan. Toss with 1/2 cheese, and sprinkle remaining cheese over the top.

Beat together milk, cream, and eggs. Pour over bread in pan. It is fine that the bread sticks out of the custard.

Bake for 1 hour, or until browned and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean (except for melted cheese).




This recipe was incredible! The goat cheese and rosemary flavors really complimented each other. I loved the tanginess from the goat cheese and the herbal flavors from the rosemary. The texture was perfect between the crusty bread and the custard like egg mixture and it was just decadent, filling and perfect in every way. We had our strata with lattes, but this could easily work with mimosas or a crisp Sauvignon Blanc, if you wanted a drinking brunch date. Cheers!


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