Panettone French Toast

Italy’s Christmas tradition wouldn’t be complete without panettone. The large, Italian sweetbread is an absolute must in the Italian Christmas lunch, being the favoured dessert during festive times. There are essentially two types of panettone - the boxed panettone that you get in the supermarket, and the rich, wholesome panettone that you buy at an Italian pastry shop. The latter is the real deal - real panettone should not be like a dry cake, but a soft, humble sweetbread of large proportions traditionally made with sultanas and other candied fruit.

If you're not a breakfast person, try using panettone in bread pudding.
3/4 cup half & half or milk (I used a combination of the two)
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
8 slices of 3/4 inch thick panettone (or brioche, or challah)
a bit of butter for greasing the pan or griddle

Whisk the half & half/milk, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt together and pour into a shallow pan.  Lay the bread into the mixture and soak them for a few minutes until just saturated.

Heat a frying pan or griddle over medium-high heat.  Rub some butter and place the slices of french toast onto the surface.  Cook for about 3 mins on the first side (until bottom is browned) and about 90 seconds on the second side.

Turkey and Vegetable Frittata

Frittata's are the perfect thing for a quick breakfast, lunch or even light supper.
This frittata is particularly great for using up leftover Thanksgiving turkey.



4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped red or green bell pepper
3 -4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 pound sliced mushrooms
1 med potato, peeled, cooked and cubed
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup cooked asparagus, cut into small pieces
2 cups shredded cooked turkey or chicken
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

In large oven-safe skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat, sauté onion, pepper, and garlic 3-4 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add mushrooms and potato. Cook 1-3 minutes or until mixture is heated through. Reduce heat to low. Stir in rosemary, pepper, salt, asparagus, turkey, and beaten eggs. Mix well. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until mixture is lightly browned and set on bottom. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top and transfer to broiler for 3 to 4 minutes or until top is browned.

Leftover Stuffing Frittata

My sister-in-law, Rhonda, took home several containers of leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner. She's a true foodie also, and is always up for trying something new.

Since my stuffing includes sausage and onions, she thought this recipe would be perfect. So when she called me half way through dinner to rave about this frittata, I knew that this was something to share.

Ingredients
• Cooking spray
• 2 to 3 cups leftover stuffing
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar (regular or reduced-fat)
• 6 large eggs
• 2 large egg whites
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
Directions
Preheat broiler.
Coat an ovenproof nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Put stuffing in the bottom of pan to warm and stir to break up a little. Sprinkle cheese over top.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, milk, mustard powder, and nutmeg. Pour mixture over stuffing and cheese to cover stuffing. Sprinkle Parmesan over top. Cook on stovetop over low heat for 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to the broiler and broil for about 2 minutes, until egg is cooked through and cheese is golden and bubbly.
Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and fresh parsley.