The Devilish Dish

Monday, April 20, 2020

Monte Cristo Bread Pudding #LeftoversChallenge

We're big fans of Binging With Babish here at The Devilish Dish. His videos are informative and entertaining and hilarious at the same time. He's also a big supporter of the restaurant industry and so are we! My brother-in-law just took a chef gig at a restaurant in New Orleans. But of course sadly, he along with so many others in the industry aren't working right now. In his latest Binging with Babish video, Andrew Rea (aka Oliver Babish) along with other chefs, encourages viewers to support their local restaurants by ordering take out and to show support: create a recipe using the hashtag #LeftoversChallenge. We had just enjoyed an Easter Feast from our favorite local Italian restaurant, Benvenuti's. We had ham, scalloped potatoes, carrots, snap peas, salad, Italian mac and cheese, carrot cake and lots of homemade rolls with butter. By the time the family feasted for a couple of days all we really had leftover was ham and rolls and after watching the #LeftoversChallenge Episode, my quarantine creative wheels started turning. Leftover ham and rolls have lots of potential. Ham sandwiches, Ham Salad sandwiches, Ham and cheese sandwiches. Never one to go with the obvious I thought about a variation on Eggs Benedict. Which got me thinking about my Benedict Strata breakfast casserole. Which then got me thinking about Monte Cristo Sandwiches, and I decided I would blend the two ideas and Monte Cristo Bread Pudding was born. We had everything on hand for a traditional Monte Cristo Sandwich (which consists of ham, turkey, Swiss cheese and Dijon mustard, on bread, then dipped and griddled in a slightly sweet French Toast-like batter and served with powdered sugar and jam for dipping.) We were lacking the turkey and Swiss cheese so I improvised with A LOT of ham, and a combination of grated Cheddar, Mozzarella and a little Gruyere. Hey it's quarantine, get creative with what you have! I also tried to be fancy ala Babish and make mine in large souffle-style dishes. In hindsight I should have baked it in a shallow baking dish or smaller ramekins to allow the bread cubes to get extra toasty, but I was going for a fancy presentation. It actually turned out quite lovely, and we had a brand new jar of raspberry jam in our pantry that we warmed up to pour on top. A terrific brunch treat. I encourage you to support your local restaurants during this time. Grab some carry out and cocktails and if you happen to have leftovers, get creative and share your ideas in the comments! #LeftoversChallenge.

We took the Binging with Babish #LeftoversChallenge!
Monte Cristo Bread Pudding

Everything you need for a Monte Cristo
(with a little quarantine creativity)
Ham and Rolls from Benvenuti's.

We didn't have turkey or the traditional Swiss cheese
on hand so we used our quarantine creativity.
Cheddar, mozzarella and a little Gruyere.

It's not a Monte Cristo without
Dijon mustard, and a little sweetness from
vanilla and raspberry jam.

Combine the custard mixture, cubed leftover rolls,
chopped leftover ham and cheeses. Allow to rest
on the counter for 15-20 minutes before baking.

Garnish with powdered sugar and serve with
warmed raspberry jam.
Just like a traditional Monte Cristo Sandwich.

Bake until the mixture is puffed,
the custard has set and you have a lovely
golden brown top.

Monte Cristo Bread Pudding
Quarantine Creativity
#LeftoversChallenge

Serve with warmed raspberry jam.
Support your local restaurants!
(Tip Generously)

{Gluten Free} Strawberry Shortcakes

Easter celebrations were different for everyone this year. One thing that doesn't change around here is family, and gluten allergy. We had a lovely meal that my father-in-law ordered from a local restaurant. It was pretty traditional: ham, scalloped potatoes, carrots, peas, and salad. The dessert was carrot cake and while I'm sure it was delicious I didn't partake because I don't like carrot cake and I don't eat gluten. We almost always have Strawberry Shortcake as our Easter dessert, and Mr. Devilish Dish and Little Devil both agree the gluten free version is tasty. Growing up, Strawberry Shortcake for me was pound cake or angel food cake with strawberries and whipped topping. I never knew that is was really more like a biscuit until my friend Amy introduced me to the Southern version. She lives part of the year in Georgia so she's in the know when it comes to down home treats. She made a peach shortcake once and I was (pleasantly) surprised that the "cake" part was really a little drop biscuit. This style of biscuit translates well to gluten-free baking as you aren't expecting a high rise or fluffy layers. I've adapted this recipe to give it a slightly sweet top which adds just a little bit more flavor. It is a cute little bite and we've even eaten the leftover shortcakes with jam for breakfast. It's strawberry season, so whip up an easy batch of these shortcakes and enjoy those big, beautiful berries!

It's Strawberry Season! Even gluten free folks can enjoy.

The traditional biscuit-style shortcakes
in gluten-free form!

Look at the big berry...It's bigger than the shortcake.

Top the shortcakes with generous spoonfuls of
sliced strawberries and whipped cream.

Make Your Own Pizza Night

A while back Little Devil asked if her BFF could come over for dinner. She's from an Italian family and they enjoy cooking just as much as we do. When they were younger, the girls would make homemade pizzelle cookies when Little Devil spent the night at her house. I figured rather than just making dinner and all of us sitting down to the table, it would be more fun to do something interactive where we could all be in the kitchen. Several years ago Little Devil took a Sushi Making Class. She got quite good at it, and we bought her all of the tools to make it. (Which was an economic decision on our part because we could not afford to buy enough sushi to fill that kid up.) She even had her own sushi knife that she purchased herself. That she was quite proud of. So proud she felt the need to take it in and out of the sheath to show it off. I think you know where this is going. ME: Put that up, you're going to cut yourself. LITTLE DEVIL: Ouch!!!!! Followed by tears, panic, bloodshed, a trip to the E.R. and stitches. That knife has not been out of the drawer since. When I asked if she and Missy would like to make sushi, her reply was, "How about homemade pizza?" (The sushi making days are over I guess.) That's what we did. Homemade Pizza. Make Your Own Pizza Night. It was delicious and a blast and we all came up with some pretty creative combinations. My Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe is super easy. From there the sky was the limit on toppings. So much fun. You definitely need to have a Make Your Own Pizza Night as soon as possible!

So much fun and safer than sushi...

I started with my Homemade Pizza Dough

It makes 4 thin crust medium-sized pizzas.

A huge variety of toppings....

Pepperoni, prosciutto and green chiles...

Spinach, mushroom and pork sausage...

Words to live by lol

We had a blast!

No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread

No-knead bread recipes are all over the place. And as usual I'm late to the game experimenting with one. Probably because I don't eat gluten, so I don't make much bread anymore. Poor Mr. Devilish Dish is bread-deprived. (Unlikely. I'm sure when he goes out to lunch he gets extra bread to make up for it.) It is truly simple to make, with little effort and the result is a lovely, crusty, rustic loaf. Mr. Devilish Dish loved it. Little Devil (who really isn’t that little anymore and doesn’t even live at home) was having trouble finding bread at the store last week. I said, “Get some flour and yeast and I will send you a recipe to make your own.” She’s a great baker but I’m not sure she has ever made any breads besides pumpkin or banana. I assured her this truly is a fool-proof recipe and a few days later she sent me a picture of a gorgeous loaf of bread browned and crisp in her Dutch oven. It even makes the whole house smell amazing while it bakes and it is just so simple! While I can't enjoy it myself, it is so easy to, I don't mind making my husband his own loaf of bread. I made my Dad a load just yesterday. When you see how simple this is and how delicious it tastes you'll know why this bread is such a hit!

You won't believe how easy this is!
No kneading required.

Weigh your ingredients if possible.
Reliable scales are fairly inexpensive,
and weighing versus measuring your baking
ingredients does make a difference.

Add the ingredients together
to create a shaggy, sticky dough.

Cover and let rest 8-18 hours.

Quickly shape the dough on a floured surface.
You don't need to knead :)
Just form a loaf shape.

Place on a piece of parchment paper
and set into a Dutch oven that has a lid.
Let rise 1-2 hours.

Bake covered for 45 minutes, resisting
the urge to peek! Bake uncovered an
additional 10 minutes to brown the crust.

Let cool before slicing.

Show off your quality bread knife with
that lovely crusty bread.

Enjoy!

Baileys Irish Cream Pot de Creme

Since I've been gluten-free for a while now, people often ask me for good gluten-free dessert recipes. And I'm honest with them. I've had some marginal success with gluten-free baking but not a lot of stunning, wow factor recipes. So if they are looking for a dessert to really impress their guests, I recommend they go for desserts that don't require gluten at all. A lovely flour-less chocolate cake or a decadent mousse. My favorite go-to dazzling dessert is Pot de Creme. French for "pot of cream," it is a creamy, rich custard traditionally served in a pot-shaped cup. To me the texture is lighter than pudding, but thicker than mousse. It is an impressive ending to a meal, and this quick version is not difficult at all. Traditionally it is flavored with vanilla, but often times like this recipe chocolate and coffee are used. Liqueur is often used too. Kahlua, Licor 43 or Grand Marnier are all delicious choices but to round out our St. Patrick's Day Dinner, I'm opting for Bailey's Irish Cream Liqueur. Bailey's is a traditional and tasty addition to coffee, so of course the flavor is the perfect compliment to the coffee in this dessert. We will be enjoying "Irish Nachos" which are really like Loaded Fries made with potato slices, a relish tray with Homemade Green Goddess Dip and Bailey's Irish Cream Pot de Creme to end the meal. Look for those in upcoming posts. For now, wow your guests with a fantastic, fancy, make-ahead dessert, fitting for St. Patty's or any day of the week!

A make ahead dessert that will impress the guests!
Just in time for St. Patrick's Day

Luscious custard with a delicious Baileys
and Coffee flavor...

Garnish with freshly whipped cream.
Since we are celebrating St. Patrick's Day
I added green sprinkles of course.

A "fancy" dessert perfect for any occasion.
Who needs cake when you can have Pot de Creme?

Meatball Minestrone Soup

It's National Meatball Day, and I'm super excited to share this quick and easy soup with you. It has a few pre-made components so it goes together in about 30 minutes, making it the perfect weeknight meal. You could certainly make the meatballs yourself if you wanted, or if you had some leftover meatballs in your freezer even better. I took the shortcut route and bought a bag of ready-made Italian meatballs, but I did take a little extra time and make some homemade croutons. That really gave the soup the homemade touch. I also added a Parmesan rind since I happened to have one in the fridge. If you use authentic Parmigiano Reggiano, then be sure and save the protective outer rind. It has the rich, nutty flavor of the Parmesan cheese, and when added to a soup or sauce will instantly kick up the flavor. It is edible, but I usually remove it before serving (although when simmering away for a long time in sauces it can just melt away.) If you don't have a Parmesan rind lying around, just be sure to garnish your soup with a generous helping of Parmesan cheese for the extra flavor. This soup is also a terrific way to use up other little leftovers like carrot, zucchini, beans, mushrooms and pasta. Make everyday National Meatball Day and enjoy a bowl of this hearty soup!

Delightful homemade flavor, ready in about 30 minutes.

Hearty and full of Italian flavor from the meatballs,
stewed tomatoes and seasonings.

Use a Parmesan rind to flavor your soup if you have one.
If not, be sure and garnish with a generous helping
of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Serve with homemade croutons or garlic bread to
round out the meal. To make the croutons,
I used about half a loaf of stale French bread, cubed.
I tossed the cubes with a mixture of 1/2 cup melted butter
and 1/4 cup olive oil, mixed with 1 teaspoon granulated garlic and 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt. Then I spread them on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a 375 degree F oven for about 15 minutes. Watch carefully so they don't burn.
Mr. Devilish Dish LOVED them!

Happy National Meatball Day!
Enjoy a bowl of Meatball Minestrone Soup to celebrate.

Dr Pepper Cake

If you know me at all you know I'm addicted to Diet Coke. If you know my friend and co-worker Sandy, then you know she is addicted to Diet Dr Pepper. In fact the recycling bin at work consists of a mound of empty Diet Coke and Diet Dr Pepper cans because that's what we run on. Last summer when she had surgery on her knee, I knew she would need a supply of Diet Dr Pepper to keep her running. Now Sandy is a great cook and baker, so I'll admit I was a little embarrassed to take her a cake that consisted of 3-ingredients, but I was set on giving her a treat with a Dr Pepper theme. As it turns out I was worried for nothing because the resulting cake was flavorful, moist and super delicious. Especially served with ice cream or whipped cream. Of course I couldn't stop there since I know from experience that knee surgery SUCKS, I had to add some suckers, powdered sugar garnish and a Diet Dr Pepper for decoration. I'm happy to report that not only did this cake cheer Sandy up, but she is healthy and running on Diet Dr Pepper again!