Asparagus And Tomato Strata Food

OVERNIGHT ASPARAGUS STRATA

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring 8 cups water to a boil. Add asparagus; cook, uncovered, 2-3 minutes or just until crisp-tender. Drain and immediately drop into ice water. Drain and pat dry., Arrange six English muffin halves in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish, cut side up. Trim remaining muffin halves to fill spaces. Layer with 1 cup cheese, asparagus, ham and red pepper. , In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, salt, mustard and pepper. Pour over top. Refrigerate, covered, overnight., Preheat oven to 375°. Remove strata from refrigerator while oven heats. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

VEGETABLE STRATA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat. Add asparagus; cook and stir until crisp-tender. Transfer to a large bowl., Repeat with an additional 1 teaspoon oil and zucchini; add to asparagus. In same pan, cook and stir corn, shallots and garlic in remaining oil until shallots are tender; stir in herbs, salt and pepper. Add to asparagus mixture; stir in bread cubes., Place half of mixture in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with 1-1/2 cups cheese. Repeat layers. In another bowl, whisk eggs and milk; pour over casserole. Sprinkle with pecans. Refrigerate, covered, at least 1 hour., Bake, uncovered, 40-50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Freeze option: After assembling, cover and freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake strata, covered, 45 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

ASPARAGUS STRATA

Steps:

• Grease the bottom of a large casserole dish (13X9 works well).
• Place a single layer of bread in the pan, using 1/2 the bread.
• Cover with 1/2 asparagus, cheese, tomatoes, chives and pine nuts.
• Repeat layers, starting with bread.
• In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, garlic, salt and pepper.
• Pour evenly over layers.
• Cover and Refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Remove cover and bake for 1 hour until puffy and brown or internal temperature reaches 145 degrees.
• Remove from oven and serve immediately.

VEGGIE-PACKED STRATA

Steps:

• In a large skillet, saute peppers and onion in 1 Tbsp. oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain; pat dry and set aside. In the same skillet, saute the yellow squash, zucchini and mushrooms in remaining 2 Tbsp. oil until tender. Drain; pat dry and set aside., Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, cream, salt and pepper until smooth. Beat in eggs. Stir in vegetables, half of the bread cubes and Swiss cheese. Arrange the remaining bread cubes in a greased 10-in. springform pan. Place on a baking sheet. Pour egg mixture into pan. , Bake, uncovered, until set and a thermometer reads 160°, 80-95 minutes. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before serving. Run a knife around sides of pan to loosen; remove sides. Cut into wedges.

TUSCAN-STYLE ROASTED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Place the asparagus, tomatoes and pine nuts on a foil-lined 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Mix 2 tablespoons oil, garlic, salt and pepper; add to asparagus and toss to coat. , Bake 15-20 minutes or just until asparagus is tender. Drizzle with remaining oil and the lemon juice; sprinkle with cheese and lemon aest. Toss to combine.

CHEESE STRATA WITH HAM AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Grease a 3-quart gratin dish or casserole with 1 teaspoon of the butter.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, nutmeg, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Set aside. In a small bowl, toss together the ham, tomatoes, parsley, and chives.
• To make the strata: Scatter a 1/2 cup of the cheese over the bottom of the buttered dish, cover with one-third of the bread, and then half of the tomato mixture. Repeat. Top with a final layer of bread and remaining cheese.
• Pour the egg mixture over the strata and gently press it down with the back of a large spoon to make sure the top layer is moistened with the custard. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and drizzle it over the strata. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the strata, uncovered, until golden brown and slightly puffed, about 45 to 55 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.
• Yield: 6 to 8 servings
• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Arrange the tomatoes cut side-up in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with the salt. Dry in oven until slightly shriveled but still plump, about 5 to 6 hours.
• If not using immediately, store the tomatoes in a sealed container in the refrigerator, for 3 to 4 days. Alternatively, layer them in a container with the herbs, cover with olive oil, and store, covered, in the refrigerator, for up to 2 weeks.
• Yield: about 2 cups
• Copyright 2001 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved

CHICKEN AND ASPARAGUS STRATA (BRUNCH CASSEROLE)

Steps:

• Spray baking dish with Pam (9X13).
• Pick rotisserie chicken from the bone and set aside. Let cool.
• Finely chop 3 shallots and sauté in olive oil. Add shallots to chicken and let cool.
• Boil a small pot of water - cut the fresh asparagus up into 1 inch pieces. Add the asparagus pieces to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Strain and put asparagus pieces in an ice water bath to stop cooking. Remove asparagus and dry on a paper towel. Add to the chicken.
• Mix eggs and milk in separate dish (make sure eggs are well beaten).
• Add cubed bread, shredded cheese, chicken, shallots and asparagus to the egg and milk mixture. Make sure chicken, asparagus and shallots are all cooled before adding them to the egg mixture.
• Pour all ingredients into your baking dish
• Bake on 350 degrees for 45 minutes. It will puff up slightly, like a quiche. Let is set for about 15 minutes before serving. It will settle and fall a bit.

ASPARAGUS AND HAM STRATA

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk the first six ingredients until blended. Stir in bread, 1 cup cheese, ham and asparagus. Transfer to a greased 8-in. square baking dish. Refrigerate, covered, several hours or overnight. , Preheat oven to 325°. Remove strata from refrigerator while oven heats. Bake, uncovered, 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese; bake 40-50 minutes longer or until puffed, golden and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.Freeze option: After assembling, cover and freeze strata. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 325°. Bake strata as directed, increasing time as necessary for a knife inserted in the center to come out clean.

ASPARAGUS & CHEESE STRATA

Steps:

• Grease a 9-inch square baking dish.
• In a large bowl, stir together bread cubes, asparagus, 1 cup shredded cheese and the cilantro or parsley, if using.
• In a small bowl, beat together eggs, milk and salt.
• Add to bread cube mixture and stir to combine.
• Transfer to greased baking dish; top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
• Wrap tightly and refrigerate until ready to bake--several hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Uncover baking dish and place on rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake until golden brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes.
• Cut strata into 6 rectangles and serve with sour cream.

ASPARAGUS HAM DINNER

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet, saute asparagus and yellow pepper in oil until crisp-tender. Add tomatoes and ham; heat through. Drain pasta; add to mixture. Stir in parsley and seasonings. Sprinkle with cheese.

SPICY STRATA

Steps:

• Butter 8-by-8-inch baking dish and set aside. Heat butter over medium heat. When it foams, add scallions, and cook until just softened, about 1 minute. Add asparagus and cook until bright green and beginning to soften, about 2 minutes; remove from heat.
• Whisk eggs, half-and-half, salt, cumin, and pepper in a large bowl until evenly combined. Arrange half of the bread in bottom of prepared dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the cheese and half each of jalapenos, cilantro, and asparagus mixture. Pour over half of egg mixture. Repeat layering with remaining bread, another 1/2 cup of the cheese, and remaining chilies, cilantro and asparagus mixture. Pour remaining egg mixture over top.
• Sprinkle strata with another 1/4 cup of the cheese and push to ensure bread is submerged in egg custard. Cover with plastic wrap, put a plate and a 1-pound weight on top (a large can of tomatoes or rice in a re-sealable plastic bag works well), place in refrigerator for 1 to 12 hours.
• When ready to bake, heat oven to 325 degrees F and arrange rack in the middle. Let strata sit at room temperature while oven heats, at least 20 minutes.
• Sprinkle strata with remaining 1/4 cup of the cheese and bake until puffed and edges pull away slightly, about 40 to 45 minutes. Cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. Serve with some cilantro, sour cream, and avocado, as desired.

VEGETABLE STRATA

Steps:

• Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the broccoli until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes; drain and set aside.
• Whisk together the half-and-half, Parmesan, eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl.
• Layer half of the bread cubes in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups of the Monterey Jack, followed by the mushrooms, broccoli, scallions and tomatoes. Cover with the remaining bread cubes and pour the egg mixture evenly over the top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. (This can also be assembled the day of; just let soak at room temperature 30 minutes to 1 hour before baking.)
• On the day of baking, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Let the strata sit at room temperature while the oven preheats. Remove the plastic and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup Monterey Jack. Bake until slightly puffed and just no longer jiggly in the center, 40 to 50 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

FRESH ASPARAGUS AND PROSCIUTTO STRATA

Steps:

• Butter a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
• Cook the asparagus in boiling water (or steam) for about 2-3 minutes; drain and plunge into ice water or very cold water; drain and pat dry with paper towels.
• Spread half of the cubed bread into the baking dish.
• Top with half of the prosciutto, then half of the cooked asparagus, half of the cheese and half of the chives.
• Layer remaining bread cubes on top, followed by remaining prosciutto, asparagus, cheese and then chives.
• In a bowl whisk eggs, milk, lemon peel, salt, pepper and pinch cayenne (if using) until well blended; pour evenly over the layered ingredients.
• Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour.
• Bake in a 350°F oven for about 40-50 minutes.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.