Kale and Shiitake Mushroom Bread Pudding

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I'm not a stuffing fan. I mean, I don't find it offensive or anything, but it's not what I go for first. I'm much more into cranberry sauce and green beans and sweet potato casserole (who can resist those crispy marshmallows on top?). As I make my rounds at the Thanksgiving buffet, I'll load up my plate with every other side, leaving only a small corner for stuffing.  I've just never been blown away.  But bread pudding... that I can get behind.  Something about the addition of heavy cream and eggs and cheese makes it more appealing.  The idea came to me as I sat down to develop a recipe for the McCormick Go4Gourmet campaign, in which I was asked to prepare something that included ground ginger, kale, shiitake mushrooms, and vegetable stock. You'd think coming up with a dish with those ingredients would be easy... but it wasn't. I struggled for weeks.  It wasn't until I brainstormed some ideas with Eric that this popped into my noggin.  And thank goodness... because it's changed my view of what stuffing can be.

If I don't see y'all before then, I want to wish you a happy Thanksgiving.  We'll be staying in Massachusetts this year, which I'm kind of excited about. It's exhausting traveling during the holidays... I'm looking forward to staying put for a few days.  Of course, I'll miss my parents and sister and my nieces.  But I'm sure I'll make it down there soon.

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Kale and Shiitake Mushroom Bread Pudding

Ingredients
1 lb shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 large bunch of kale, stems removed, leaves chopped
8 cups, cubed (3/4-inch) day-old baguette or French bread
1 large fennel bulb (or two smaller bulbs), trimmed and white and green parts thinly sliced
2 large shallots, minced
1/4 cup veggie broth
2 cups shredded gruyere
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
3 tablespoons butter
Salt
Black pepper

Instructions

1. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.  Once melted, add the shallot and cook for 30 seconds.  Add the shiitake mushrooms and fennel and cook for 5 minutes, or until it begins to brown.  Add the kale and vegetable broth.  Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the kale has wilted and most of the liquid has evaporated.   Stir in the gruyere.  Remove from heat.

2. In a bowl, whisk the eggs, ground ginger, and cayenne pepper for 30 seconds.  Add the heavy cream and whole milk and whisk until combined.  Pour the egg mixture over the cubed baguette. Mix to coat all the bread. Let sit for 15 minutes or until the bread has absorbed a lot of the egg mixture.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 2 quart baking dish with 1 tablespoon of butter.

4. In a bowl, combine the bread/egg mixture and the cooked vegetables.  The mixture should be pretty moist.

5. Transfer to the baking dish and, using a spoon, spread the mixture out across the dish.

6. Bake until firm and the top has lightly browned, about 45 minutes.

Disclosure:  McCormick Gourmet provided me with compensation for this post.  All opinions in this post about McCormick’s products and this recipe are my own. 

Pasta with Broccoli Rabe and Lemon Ricotta

Pasta with Broccoli Rabe and Lemon Ricotta

Eric and I have started the process of looking for a house again after putting things on hold for a bit when I transitioned into freelancing. We’ve lived in the same apartment since we got together.  I moved in after eight months of dating and this place has been good to us.  It has everything we need and is conveniently located within walking distance to Downtown Boston.  But because it’s a rental, we haven’t done much to give it any flare. The walls are white, the furniture a mishmash of things from college and hand me downs from our parents.  Then there’s the furniture we've acquired via Craigslist, which we haven’t replaced because, why would we when we don’t know where we’ll be living?  We’ve been saying that for years.I think we’re both ready to start a home together… one that’s decorated the way we want. One that has a yard for a garden and, ideally, a fireplace.  At least we have a vision, so I hope it won't be an arduous process.

Pasta with Broccoli Rabe and Lemon Ricotta

Pasta with Broccoli Rabe and Lemon Ricotta

Pasta with Broccoli Rabe and Lemon Ricotta

Pasta with Broccoli Rabe and Lemon Ricotta

Ingredients 1 lb pasta (the type is your choice, I used orecchiette) 1 lb broccoli rabe, rinsed and cut into 1 inch pieces 4 cloves garlic, minced Extra virgin olive oil Salt Black pepper 1 1/2 cups Ricotta cheese Zest of half a lemon 1 teaspoon fresh thyme

Instructions

1. Bring two large pots of salted water to a boil.  In one pot, boil the chopped broccoli rabe for 3 minutes and drain as much liquid as you can. In the other pot, cook the pasta as directed, until al dente. Drain in a colander.

2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.  Add the broccoli rabe and the garlic.  Toss it around in the oil for about 30 seconds and, if needed, season with more salt. Add the pasta to the pan.

3. In a bowl, whisk together the ricotta and lemon zest until the ricotta becomes smooth.

4. Portion out the pasta into bowls, add a dollop of ricotta  and sprinkle with fresh thyme, some additional salt and coarsely ground black pepper.

Pumpkin Potage with Toasted Farro

Pumpkin Potage with Toasted Farro

It's rare that I cook with pumpkin. Really rare. Like, once a year... maybe. For a while, we kept canned pumpkin puree around and I would use it to make a quick soup or these brownies, but for whatever reason, we stopped purchasing it.  The one time I cooked with fresh pumpkin, it was kind of a process. I roasted the flesh and blended it with vanilla and spices and whipped up what would turn out to be some of the best pancakes I've ever consumed. Did I follow a recipe? No. Do I remember what I did? Nope. And I have yet to attempt recreating it.

So, that was the last time I cooked with pumpkin... that is until a few weeks ago when one came in a box from Blue Apron. For those unfamiliar with the company, Blue Apron is a service where people can have fresh ingredients and recipes delivered to their homes.  Printed on the recipe cards are step-by-step instructions that include color photographs.  I never promote a business without trying out the product first, so I asked to have a box sent to me. Let's just say that I was impressed.

One of my fears was that everything would come pre-chopped and that all I'd have to do is throw it in a pan and I'd have a meal in 15 minutes. What does that teach anyone about cooking?   I was thrilled to find that while ingredients came pre-portioned, there was quite a bit of work that was required. The recipe Blue Apron provided in the shipment, a pumpkin veggie potage, required that I roasted the pumpkin and seeds, toast the farro, chop the onions and garlic, and let it all stew in a pot for a period of time.

The potage is one of many vegetarian recipes Blue Apron has in their database and it's the ideal meal for a cold fall day.  The recipe, which can be found here, includes a "New World Spice Blend" which contains garlic, basil, onion, marjoram, thyme, fennel, turmeric, and cinnamon.  The "veggie base" is Better Than Bouillon brand, but it was suggested that veggie broth would work as a substitute (my recommendation is to not use a low-sodium broth as this is main supply of salt in the dish).

If you're interested in ordering from Blue Apron, they've generously provided a 30% off coupon to A Thought For Food readers.  Just use this link to order.

Pumpkin Potage with Toasted Farro

Pumpkin Potage with Toasted Farro

Pumpkin Potage with Toasted Farro

Pumpkin Potage with Toasted Farro

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Disclosure:  Blue Apron provided me with compensation for this post.  All opinions in this post about Blue Apron's products and this recipe are my own.