Blackened Spinach Bread Pudding Food

SAVORY SPINACH AND CHEESE BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 375 F.
• Cut the bread into 1-inch chunks and spread on a baking sheet.
• Put in the oven for about 10 minutes-you're just drying it out a bit, you don't want to toast it. Let the bread cool.
• If needed, rinse the spinach to remove any dirt or grit. Lift out of the water and drain in a colander or salad spinner.
• Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the garlic or shallot. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a small frying pan over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the garlic or shallot and cook, stirring, until softened and gently fragrant, about 3 minutes.
• Add the cleaned spinach and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring, until the ​ spinach is wilted , has released its liquid, and that liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
• Crack the eggs into a large bowl. Lightly beat or whisk. Add the milk and whisk to combine thoroughly. Stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Set aside.
• Grate the cheese and set aside.
• Use the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to coat a large (9 x 13) baking dish. Add the bread cubes to the dish. Arrange the cooked spinach mixture in and on the bread cubes. Sprinkle the cheese all over the bread and spinach.
• Pour in the egg-milk mixture; it should cover everything. If any bread cubes poke out, push them down into the liquid. Let the entire thing sit for at least 30 minutes (make ahead tip: cover and chill up to overnight; let it sit out for about 30 minutes before baking to take off the chill). Letting it all sit allows the bread time to soak up the egg-milk mixture, which will lead to a much better final texture than if you bake it right away.
• Bake until just a tiny bit jiggly in the center, but basically set everywhere else and browned along the edge, about 35 minutes. If it's still jiggly and getting too browned on top, cover with foil to cook a bit more.
• Let sit at least 10 minutes and up to 30 before cutting into pieces to serve.
• Serve hot or warm.

BLACKENED SPINACH BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Defrost your spinach and then wring as much water as possible out with your hands. If starting from fresh spinach you can blanch in salted water, or wilt in the microwave in a covered dish (this retains nutrients a bit better), then cool and squeeze out any excess water.
• Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil over medium high heat in large skillet and add the spinach in an even layer. Meanwhile to another pan add the mushroom slices, onion, Blue Grass, nutmeg, and about a cup of water‡, heat on high.
• Cook the spinach, stirring often, until it's given up most of its moisture and is dark, adding a bit more olive oil if anything starts to stick. For the mushrooms continue to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, then add the tablespoon of butter and reduce the heat to medium, stirring often.
• The spinach if done when it's crisp in places and has colored the olive oil green. The mushrooms should be browned in spots and still have a bit of moisture to them.
• Set the mushrooms and spinach aside, and preheat your oven to 350°F.
• Butter a loaf pan or a 9 x 9" baking dish. Mix the spinach, mushrooms, and bread pieces together and add them.
• Thoroughly mix the milk and eggs (a blender works great), and pour this mixture into the pan, poking it in places so it settles evenly.
• Bake until set (about 40-50 minutes). Allow to rest for about 10 minutes, and serve hot. Fantastic with sauce Béarnaise or Hollandaise.

SPINACH BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl combine water, honey, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and sprinkle the yeast over the top. Set aside to foam. Then whisk in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then sift 1 cup of flour and mix well. Set aside for 1 hour, or until it has a sponge-like texture.
• Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and saute onions until tender, about 5 minutes. Then add the garlic, cumin, and remaining salt to the onions. Stir in the spinach, in small batches, and cook until the spinach is soft. Pour on the lemon juice. Drain spinach in a colander and reserve the cooking liquid. In a large bowl, place 2 cups of the remaining flour, making a well in the center of the flour. Pour the spongy mixture into the well. Knead for 10 minutes, adding enough of the cooking liquid to make it pliable yet firm. Transfer to a oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 2 hours. Then add the feta cheese to the dough and knead for 1 minute. Add the spinach mixture, sprinkle with the remaining flour, and mix together quickly. The dough is supposed to be moist and loose, don't knead again. Form into a oblong loaf and place the dough on a well oiled baking sheet. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let proof for 1 hour. Bake the bread for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and cook for another 30 minutes.

SPINACH BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375.
• In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, thyme, salt, pepper and nutmeg until blended.
• Stir in spinach, cheese and bread with rubber spatula.
• Pour into 13X9 baking dish.
• Bake 20-25 minutes, or until browned and puffed and knife inserted comes out clean.
• Remove from oven let stand 5 minutes before serving.

MUSHROOM BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Boil 1 cup of water in a small saucepan. Add the dried porcini mushrooms and soak until softened, about 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mushrooms to a cutting board and finely chop; set aside. Carefully pour remaining mushroom liquid into a large bowl, leaving any grit behind.
• In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter over high. Add fresh mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 8 minutes. Lower heat to medium. Add sage, shallots and chopped porcini, and cook, stirring, until shallot is translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add cognac, if using, season to taste with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Transfer to a plate.
• In the same pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and a big pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until wilted, 5 to 7 minutes. Return the mushroom mixture to the pan and stir to combine with the leeks. Remove from heat.
• Add eggs to the large bowl with the mushroom liquid, and whisk to blend. Add cream, milk, cayenne, 1½ teaspoons salt and plenty of black pepper. Whisk thoroughly to combine, then add the Gruyère.
• Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter, then add about 1/4 of the fresh mushroom mixture and arrange in an even layer. Arrange the bread slices on top in an overlapping pattern. Sprinkle the remaining mushroom mixture over top, tucking it in between the bread slices. Ladle the custard mixture over top, evenly distributing the cheese. Refrigerate, covered, overnight (see Tip).
• When ready to cook, remove the dish from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Top the pudding with Parmesan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until set in the center (it may puff a bit). Run it under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes to brown the top, watching carefully. Let sit 10 minutes, then serve warm, topped with additional sage if desired.

SPINACH AND JACK CHEESE BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degree F. In large bowl, with wire whisk, beat eggs, milk, thyme, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until blended.
• With rubber spatula, stir in spinach, Monterey Jack cheese, and bread cubes.
• Pour mixture into lightly greased 13" by 9" ceramic or glass baking dish.
• Bake bread pudding until browned and puffed, and knife inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes before serving.