Cheese stuffed strawberry French toast

Serves 5

Ingredients 

1 loaf fresh baked bread sliced into 10 slices and dry slices overnight on tray

3 large eggs 

1 cup milk

1 cup 18% cream

1 tsp. Pure vanilla extract

1 pinch salt

3 tbsp brown sugar

3 fresh strawberries chopped fine for filling

9 strawberries sliced thin 

1 pinch pepper fresh ground fine, 1 tsp white sugar,1 tsp. Pure vanilla ( add to sliced strawberries )

2 tbsp oil for cooking French toast

10 tbsp. mascarpone cheese 

5 tsp. Strawberry jam

2 tbsp oil for cooking French toast

1 tbsp. Icing sugar

Pure maple syrup

Serving options 

Serve with whipping cream

Serve with cooked bacon

Preparation

Mix eggs, milk, cream, 1 tsp. Vanilla,salt, brown sugar in bowl to make dipping liquid

Put 1 tbsp. mascarpone cheese on each slice of bread 

Put 1 tsp strawberry jam on top of five slices in the middle

Divide equally and place the 3 chopped fine strawberries on top of the strawberry jam

Place the other slice of bread mascone cheese side down on top of strawberry topped bread

Pre heat pan or cast iron griddle on medium heat

Add oil

Dip the bread into egg milk mixture on both sides making sure bread absorbs egg milk mixture

Place French toast in pan or on griddle and turn pan / griddle to low heat

Cook for three minutes

Flip and cook for three minutes

Cook until golden on each side and when you press lightly on French toast if cheese and strawberries 

Start to come out it is done

Remove

Cut in half place on plate

Garnish with sliced strawberry pepper, vsnilla , sugar mixture

Dust French toast with icing sugar

Serve with pure maple syrup

Optional

Bacon, whipping cream

Spicy herb cheese corn bread

Makes 1 -12" pan

Ingredients

Dry ingredients 

1 1/2 cup corn meal

1 cup all purpose flour

2 tbsp. sugar

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

2tbsp. Baking powder

3 tbsp fresh washed and chopped fine cilantro 

3 tbsp fresh washed and chopped fine parsley

Mix until all ingredients until combined together

Wet ingredients 

2 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels ( can use frozen kernel corn defrosted)

1 cup milk

Mix above ingredients in vitamixer until smooth

Add 1 jalapeño veins and seeds removed, diced fine

Cook above milk, corn diced jalapeños mixture on medium heat in non stick skillet for 12 minutes

(I use a gastrolux pan)

to above cooked corn and milk mixture

Add 3 large eggs, 1 cup shredded cheddar,1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 1cup milk

Final mixing

Add wet ingredients to dry 

Wash gastrolux pan 

Melt 1 tbsp butter in clean gastrolux pan 

Add batter

Bake in pre-heat oven set at 400 F for 32 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean

Brie topped apple pancakes ( Apple cheese cake pancakes)

 Serves 2

Ingredients

2 apples washed skin on core removed ( can be shredded if you don't have a vitamixer)

2 eggs ( if watching calories or cholesterol you can use whites only) 

3 heaping tbsp. all purpose flour

1tsp. Pure vanilla extract

2 oz. Brie cut into 3 small wedges

Pure maple syrup

For cooking 

2 tbsp. olive oil

Vitamixer instructions

Place everything except flour in vitamixer

Set on 5

Use tamper and push down until all ingredients are puréed

Add flour and pulse 5-6 times until mixed well

Bowl mixing method

Place all ingredients in bowl and mix until ingredients are combined

Cooking on stove

Heat oil in non stick pan on medium heat ( I use a cast iron griddle on gas stove)

Heat pan / griddle until smoke comes off then turn to low heat

Scoop 1 heaping tbsp. of batter on pan/griddle for each pancake ( I use a ice cream scoop)

Cook for 1 - 2 minutes and flip cook other side

The pancake is cooked when you press down and the pancake springs back

Place on plate and immediately place 1 slice of Brie on each pancake while pancakes still hot

Top with pure maple syrup

Cooking in waffle maker

Use enough batter to cover waffle surface ( see waffle maker instructions for amount of batter required if not sure how much batter to use)

Cook until crispy ( most waffle makers have a green indicator light that identifies waffles are cooked)

I use a cuisinart single waffle maker

Remove waffle and place 3 Brie wedges on top and serve immediately

Top with maple syrup 

Nachos

Serves 2

Ingredients

Toppings

1  small onions sliced thin

1 sweet red peppers washed diced 1/4 inch

1 medium size bag small round corn chips

16 oz shredded three cheddar cheese

Fresh salsa ( see on previous post)

Meat filling

1 tbsp. olive oil

10 oz lean ground beef 

1 tsp. Chopped garlic

2 tbsp chilli powder ( you can make yourself) 1 dried chilli, 2 tbsp cumin seeds, 1 tbsp dried oregano, 1 tsp sea salt. Place in coffee grinder and grind until fine powder

1/2 onion diced fine

2 tbsp. all purpose flour

Place pot on medium heat

Add ground beef cook for two minutes stirring frequently

Add onions and chilli powder

Cook for two minutes

Add garlic Cook until meat is cook through and brown

Add flour and cook for two minutes

Remove from heat

Putting nachos together

Place approximately 10 -15 corn chips on plate

Top with 1/4 onions, peppers and meat

Top with 1/4 shredded cheese

Repeat and make a second layer

Set microwave at 2 1/2 minutes  on high 

Heat one plate at a time in microwave 

Serve with fresh salsa

Fresh salsa

Makes approximately 1 gallon of salsa

Ingredients

12 large fresh tomatoes washed and diced 1/4 inch

2 large sweet onions diced fine

4 peppers assorted colours washed diced 1/4 inch

1 large seedless cucumbers washed diced fine with skin on

4 parsley root washed peeled diced fine

4  lemons washed ( fine zest )using the juice and zest of the four lemons then put into the mixture

1  small bunch cilantro washed start at the stems and dice fine using all the stems and all of the leaves

 ( always place in  and remove the herbs from the water allowing dirt to fall to the bottom)

1 small bunch parsley washed using the stems and leaves dice fine

2 tsps sea salt ( add more or less depending on your taste)

1 jalapeño pepper washed and diced fine using seeds and veins ( if you want less heat remove seeds and veins)

Place all ingredients in bowl and mix well

After mixing let stand at room temperature for 1/2 hour

Then place ingredients in a collander inside a bowl  and put in fridge ( this will remove water from the mixture) remove at much liquid as you desire 

This is ready to used

If you want to make a traditional salsa you can take 1/3 of the mixture and blend in a blender ( I use a vitamixer)

Return blender mixture to fresh salsa and mix well

Smoked prosciutto

1 pork shoulder deboned weighed ( approximately 5 -7 kg)

2 cups Montreal stork spice

Ready cure curing salt ( 20 g per 1 kg of meat)

2.5 kosher salt or coarse salt

5 oz white sugar 

Mix all dry ingredients in mixer 

Then rub dry mixer into meat on inside and out side

Pour remaining dry mixture on top of pork shoulder  ensuring meat is completely covered 

Place meat in container on a rack that allows liquid to drain off off

On top of meat place a clean dry cloth

On top place a rubber container that will hold 20- 30 lbs of water ( used for weight to press meat)

Place in fridge or cool place like a fruit cellar for ten days

Remove and wash of all dry mixture in cold water  and soak for 4 hours in the cold water in rubber container used for weight 

Remove meat from water and place meat in new cold water and soak over night for at least 8 hours

Remove meat and pat dry with clean cloth

Place meat in smoker preheated to 130 degrees F set damper at 1/4 open and 2 oz Apple chips

Dry meat for 48 hours

Set smoker to 140 degrees F and smoke meat raising temperature 20 degrees every 30 minutes until reaching 180 degrees F

Lower smoker temperature to 100 degrees F and smoke for 30 days rotating meat from top to bottom every other day

Remove and wrap in cheese cloth and hang in 38-45 F ( fridge or fruit cellar) 

Will keep for 1 year