Mediterranean Strata

 

Recipe from Monica Pileggi

4 October 2022
 
The Brunswick Forest Cookbook Club organizer (Alan) selected “The Breakfast Bible 100+ Favorite Recipes To Start The Day from Williams Sonoma.”
 
I selected the Mediterranean Strata. It was very easy to put together.
 
Serves 4-6 (10-12 servings for a pot luck dinner).
 
1 T unsalted butter
1/2 lb crusty Italian bread, day-old, cut into 1-inch cubes (I used a French baguette)
1 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained well and chopped
1/3 C Kalamata olives, pitted and halved (I didn’t read this correctly and thought it said 1/2 cups).
1/4 C oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and sliced (I chopped them)
1/4 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded (I small-diced the cheese)
1.5 T grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 C lightly packed fresh basil leaves, chopped
6 large eggs
2 C. whole milk (I used 1.75 cups half and half; and 1/4 cup water)
Salt and freshly pepper
 
Butter the bottom and sides of a 9”x13” baking dish that is 2” deep. Place the bread cubes in a single layer in the prepared dish. Top with the artichoke hearts, olives sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella, Parmesan, and basil, spreading the ingredients out evenly.
 
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and season with salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the strata. Cover with aluminum foil and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour, or refrigerate for up to 24 hours.  (I did the 1-hour method).
 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
 
Bake the strata, covered for 20 minutes.  Uncover and continue to bake until the eggs are set and the strata is golden brown, about 20 minutes longer.
 
Let cool slightly, the cut into squares and serve.

Overall, a very easy dish to make and quite tasty. 

Curried Couscous

 

Recipe from Monica Pileggi

This is a recipe that I’ve made quite a few times and it’s always a hit. I adapted the recipe from: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/curried-couscous-recipe-1951578
 

My changes are in [ ].

1 1/2 cups couscous
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups boiling water [I use low sodium chicken broth. You can use vegetable broth too]
[I added 1/4 t of salt to the water]
 
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt [Too much in my opinion! I only used 1/2 teaspoon]
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
[I added a pinch of sugar]
 
1/2 cup small-diced carrots
1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup dried currants or raisins [I used dried cranberries]
1/4 cup blanched, sliced almonds [Or more]
2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
1/4 cup small-diced red onion
[I added a can (15.5 oz) drained garbanzo beans]
 
Place the couscous in a medium bowl. Melt the butter in the boiling water [add the salt before boiling the water] and pour over the couscous. Cover tightly and allow the couscous to soak for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
 
Whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, vinegar, curry, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Pour over the fluffed couscous and mix well with a fork. [I doubled the yogurt dressing, as the couscous soaked up the dressing and was a little on the dry side].
 
Add the carrots, parsley, currants, almonds, scallions, and red onions, mix well, and season to taste.
 
Serve at room temperature.
 
My Comments:
 
1.5 cups of couscous makes a huge portion, even for a dinner party of 14 people. Now I just use 1 cup of couscous but keep the same measurements (along with doubling the dressing.
 
You can be creative and add whatever vegetables, dried fruits, diced grilled chicken, etc., that you like. It’s really a versatile recipe.