Vegetable frittata
Serves 8
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In large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute onion, mushrooms, squash and peppers until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. While vegetables are cooking, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, basil and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add bread cubes and cheeses.
Add vegetables to bread mixture and stir with rubber spatula to evenly combine. Grease bottom and sides of 10" springform pan and scrape mixture into pan and pack mixture tightly. This can be prepare hours ahead and refrigerated until time to cook.
Place on baking sheet and bake at 350 F about 1 hour, until firm to touch, puffed and golden brown. Serve warm, or cool to room temperature and refrigerate. Reheat in a 350-degree oven, covered, until warmed through, about 15 minutes.
Liz Tigar's spinach and green chile strata
Serves 8
| 1 | medium loaf (about 1 pound) firm day-old white French or egg bread, sliced thin with crusts removed |
| 8 | ounces mild Cheddar cheese (about 2 1/2 cups), shredded |
| 8 | ounces Jack cheese (about 2 1/2 cups), shredded |
| 1 | large can (7 ounces) diced, roasted green chiles |
| 8 | ounces bacon, cooked and crumbled, or chicken apple sausage, casings removed, cooked and crumbled |
| 1 | package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry |
| 1 | medium onion, chopped |
| 3 | cups milk |
| 4 | large eggs |
Generously butter a 9- by 13-inch baking dish or ceramic gratin dish. Arrange half of bread slices, slightly overlapping, in bottom of casserole. Toss cheeses together. Sprinkle bread with half of cheese. Layer on all of the green chiles, then all of the bacon or sausage, then all of the spinach, then the onion, and then the rest of the cheese. Top with a layer of bread slices to cover filling completely.
Whisk together milk and eggs in medium bowl. Slowly pour over bread. Press down to help bread absorb liquid. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 degrees if using a Pyrex baking dish). Bake the strata, uncovered, for 1 hour, or until the center is puffed and golden; a knife inserted into the center should come out clean. Let stand 15 minutes before serving hot.
Strata combines ease and elegance to become tasty centerpiece of a holiday brunch
By Beth Hensperger, Special to the Mercury News 4/16/03
A strata is assembled hours in advance, reducing the stress that can arise from organizing Easter brunch.
An elegant and sumptuous Easter brunch is a beloved tradition in many families.
But the gathering can be stressful for the cook, who hasn't had all day to prepare.
Time to strata-gize.
A strata is simply an old-fashioned bread pudding casserole composed of layers of savory ingredients. Strata means layers, and the term was applied to the dish in the 1950s. The technique is the same one used for constructing a lasagna, only bread is used as the starch instead of pasta.
The strata is held together with a mixture of milk and eggs. You end up with a filling, satisfying casserole -- like quiche without the crust. It may sound unusual, but the results are spectacular.
And a strata is a real convenience food because it is assembled up to 12 hours ahead and refrigerated. The fridge time lets the bread soak up the custard and soften thoroughly before baking. I love the combination of make-ahead ease and feeds-a-crowd size.
The spinach and green chile strata is a classic. The thick vegetable frittata is a dressed-up variation, which relies on cubes of bread instead of the more traditional layers. I have made hundreds of these for catering. It can even be baked ahead and reheated.
Serve a strata for brunch with a fruit salad and cinnamon rolls, or for supper with a crisp green salad.
Beth Hensperger of Mountain View has written 15 baking books. Her latest is ``Williams-Sonoma Muffins,'' (Weldon Owen, $16.95).
Strata tips
By Beth Hensperger, Special to Mercury News
Here are some tips to help you make the best strata, whether you are working from a recipe or assembling your own creation.
I like the firm texture and low-fat quality of French or Italian country bread, but any white, whole-wheat sandwich, or egg bread, even English muffins, can be used. Cut bread into 1/2-inch thick slices to fit your casserole dish.
Meat and vegetables should be cooked and cooled before they are placed into a strata.
If you are watching cholesterol, fat or calories, feel free to use commercial liquid egg substitutes in the custard.
Take care not to overbake your strata or the custard will be rubbery.
As with all egg casseroles, always refrigerate leftovers.
Here is a formula to use in creating your own strata, adapted from Marie Simons' ``The Good Egg'' (Houghton Mifflin): For a pan with a capacity of 8 cups, use 6 to 8 slices of crustless bread; 1 cup grated cheese; 1 to 2 cups of cooked and cooled vegetables or meat, or a combination; and a custard made from 5 eggs and 2 1/2 cups of milk. Grease the pan. Fit half of the bread into the pan. Layer on the cheese, then the vegetables and meat. Top with the remaining bread. Slowly pour on the custard. Cover and refrigerate 4 to 12 hours. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees until custard is set, about 45 minutes, but baking time will vary based on pan shape.