Holiday Food

I had a great Christmas weekend, which was finished off by a post-Christmas brunch hosted by my family.

 My best friend Katelyn, made my family a lovely cookie and fudge package.  She always spends a lot of thought and time on the gift-wrap

Now for the brunch menu, which turned out well considering we only have one oven, which is smaller than standard size.

Christmas Frittata


Ingredients:

·          1 medium onion, chopped

·         1 medium green pepper, chopped

·         1 garlic clove, minced

·         2 tablespoons butter or margarine

·         1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

·         1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

·         5 eggs, lightly beaten

·         2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

·         1/2 cup soft bread crumbs

·         1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         1/4 teaspoon pepper

·         1 jalapeno chopped up

Directions

  In a skillet, saute the onion, green pepper and garlic in butter for 5 minutes or until tender. Remove from the heat. Stir in tomatoes and parsley; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Stir in reserved vegetables.

  Pour into an ungreased 9-in. pie plate. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

  French Toast Casserole modified from Paula Deen

  Ingredients

1   1 loaf of egg or challah bread   
     7 large eggs

          2 cups half-and-half
     1/2 cup milk

2   2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1   1tablespoon vanilla extract

1   1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1   1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
     Dash of salt

      Praline Topping, recipe follows

          Maple syrup for those who like it sweet

      Slice bread in one inch pieces and lay it in a casserole dish so it overlaps.  Then  mix all ingredients with a whisk and pour over bread, making sure all of the bread is covered

     Praline topping:

·         1 stick butter

·         1 cup packed light brown sugar

·         1 cup chopped pecans

·         2 tablespoons honey

·         1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

·         1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

     Combine these, and spread on top of the casserole after it has been refrigerated overnight.

     Put the casserole in a 350 degree oven covered in foil and bake for an hour.  Then bake uncovered for 15 minutes

I   I also served savory jalapeno, garlic, red onion and cheese scones, sweet sticky fingers scones topped with a glaze, smoked salmon with crackers for an appetizer, mustard new potatoes, and chicken sausages.