Challah French Toast

This is a wonderful breakfast/brunch recipe especially for Christmas morning. You can prepare it the night before, pop it in the oven for 45 minutes while everyone is opening gifts, then you have a delicious meal to savor, plus no slaving on Christmas morn.

Recipe:

1 large challah bread
8 eggs
3 c milk
1/4 c sugar
1 T vanilla
1 tsp salt

topping: butter, cinnamon, sugar, maple syrup

Cut the challah bread lengthwise and into 2 inch squares. Place lightly side by side in a 13x9 greased pyrex casserole dish. Mix the remaining ingredients and pour over challah bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Dot with butter and sprinkle sugar and cinnamon over top. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Serve with maple syrup.

Optional: add raisins on top before cooking

Happy Holidays!

Holiday Toffee

This is a favorite in my house at holiday time and a great gift for friends. So easy too! This recipe comes from a novelty cookbook called Carol's Collection.

Recipe:

saltine crackers (about 35)

2 sticks butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 12-oz. package of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup pecans, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 10 x 15" jelly roll pan (cookie sheet with a rim) with aluminum foil. Place saltines in tight rows all across foil. Place butter and sugar in a glass bowl and microwave on high for 4 minutes. Afterward, stir with a whisk until thoroughly blended. Pour sugar/butter mixture over crackers and spread out as evenly as you can with a spatula. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips on top. Once they are starting to melt, smooth over with a spatula. Sprinkle the nuts on top. Chill for 30 minutes in the freezer. Pull toffee away from the foil and break into bite-sized pieces. Will keep well in the fridge or freezer. Just enough chocolate to get you through the holiday madness!

Poblano Shrimp Enchiladas

We gobbled down these enchiladas so quickly that I forgot to take a photo! We had an abundance of little poblano peppers in our garden that we picked just before the first freeze. I decided to make these delicious, easy enchiladas.

Recipe:
3/4 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
olive oil
1 large poblano or 2-3 small, halved and seeded
1 large onion chopped
1 tomato chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 c sour cream
8 corn tortillas
1 (10 oz) green enchilada sauce
1 1/2 c shredded monterrey jack cheese

Coarsely chop raw shrimp and set aside. Line a jelly roll pan with foil, then cover with cooking spray. Place peppers (skin side up) under oven broiler for 5-10 minutes until the skin is blistered. Remove from the oven and place peppers in a paper sack for 5-10 minutes to steam. Then the skin should peel easily away. Dice poblanos and place in a skillet with 2 T olive oil and chopped onion. Saute for a few minutes. Add tomato and spices and continue cooking for 4 minutes. Add shrimp. Once shrimp is cooking through, remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in sour cream.

Heat tortillas in microwave until malleable. Fill with shrimp mixture, then roll up and place on jelly roll pan. Top with enchilada sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Can be made ahead and chilled in the refrigerator until you're ready to cook. Serve alongside a green salad with sliced avocado and cherry tomatoes tossed with Paul Newman's Family Style Italian dressing. Enjoy!