Stuffed French Toast that's Really Stuffed!

I can't tell you the number of times I've ordered stuffed french toast, only to be served two pieces of french toast with a topping piled between them. Call it layered, call it deconstructed, but don't call it stuffed!

Today was my chance to take a crack at making a real stuffed french toast. I had a delicious challah in the house, and it was practically begging to be turned into french toast. I cut the bread into very thick slices, about 1.5 inches, and then cut a pocket in the middle of each slice.The slices were then soaked in a mixture of eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and sugar. While the bread was soaking it was time to prepare the stuffing. I quartered a banana and then coated each piece in brown sugar. The bananas were then sauteed in butter in a non-stick fry pan, creating a dark, caramel sauce, with the bananas heated through but still firm. The challah slices were transferred to the fry pan, and the pockets filled with the caramelized bananas, and then cooked until the toast was nicely browned on both sides.The pieces were then transferred to a buttered baking dish, dotted with butter, covered, and baked in a 325 degree oven for 20 minutes. The result: a rich, sweet french toast, filled with a buttery hot banana filling. Definitely a do again recipe.


Recipe - makes 2 very generous servings

1 loaf challah or other rich egg bread
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk (skim is fine)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1 ripe banana, halved lengthwise, and then widthwise
brown sugar
2 Tbsps. butter

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Cut 2 thick (1.5" to 2") slices from Challah. Cut a pocket in the middle of each slice.
Mix next five ingredients in a shallow baking dish. Soak bread for 30 minutes, turn over once.
Place 1/4 c. brown sugar in a shallow bowl and cover each banana quarter with sugar, turning and pressing sugar into each banana piece. Use more sugar if necessary. Melt 1 tbsp. butter in a non-stick fry pan. Add banana quarters. Let cook 2 minutes on a side without moving until ready to turn the pieces. Sugar will melt and the bananas should be warmed through, but not mushy. Push the banana pieces of the edge of the pan, and add the soaked challah. Carefully insert a banana piece into each slice of challah. Cook challah until browned on each side. Transfer challah and remaining banana slices to a lightly buttered baking dish. Cover with foil and cook 20 minutes, or until each slice is cooked through. Garnish with chopped pecans and serve.

Turkey "Bracciola"

Inspiration comes from many places. Last night's inspiration was a NY Times Mark Bittman video on bracciola.

Bracciola is an Italian dish in which beef (flank steak) is rolled up like a jelly rolly with a filling of bread crumbs and parmesan cheese, though, as in the case with Mark Bittman, it can also include vegetables.

I wanted something other than beef, and chose turkey breast cutlets. I split the cutlets, pounded them thin (about 1/4 inch), then placed a thin slice of prosciutto on each cutlet, and covered the prosciutto with a mixture of bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, sauted garlic and mushrooms. The cutlets were too narrow to roll up, so I folded them in half; they looked like a sandwich. Each cutlet was dredged in cornmeal, egg, then seasoned bread crumbs. After browning the "sandwiches" on each side in olive oil, they were put in a single layer into a glass casserole, covered with foil, then baked for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

The result, a crispy outside with a moist flavorful inside. Enjoy!

Traditions

There is not a lot of variation in my menu for the Jewish High Holidays. Chicken soup and matzoh balls - always. Potato kugel - yes, unless my mother makes knishes, and, since my son has become a major carnivore, brisket.

Brisket has a long tradition as a comfort food in Jewish cooking. A long, slow cooking turns a flat brisket into a fork tender, moist and delicious entree. There are endless ways to season a brisket, but all recipes call for slow cooking at a temperature of 300 to 325 degrees.

Brisket for Rosh Hashana 5769

6 lb. flat cut brisket
2 large onions - sliced thin
3 - 4 Tbsps. brown sugar
1 package lipton powdered onion soup
1 can crushed tomatoes
kosher salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Place a large roasting pan over one or two stove top burners. Add onions and spray lightly with olive oil. Saute on medium high heat until onions start to sweat.

Salt and pepper both sides of the brisket. Place fat side-up on top of the onions. Cover with brown sugar, onion soup, and crushed tomatoes. Cover and seal tightly with heavy duty aluminum foil. Place in the oven and bake for 4 hours. Remove from oven and check brisket with a fork to see if tender. If not, recover tightly with foil, and return to the oven for an additional hour.

Let cool covered overnight in the refrigerator. Remove congealed fat and slice brisket thinly across the grain. Return brisket to the pan, cover, and re-heat in a 325 degree oven. Alternatively, after slicing the brisket can be covered with plastic wrap and foil, then frozen.

Enjoy!

P.S. - the chicken soup was delicious.