Thanks for coming to my kitchen!

Most of my chef training came from the training my family has given me as I have learned to cook for some picky eaters and a couple of bottomless pits! It has been a fun journey and I want to share my experiences with you.
My daughter and I own a catering business and have cooked so many delicious things for our clients. Here I am sharing some of our best loved foods - at home and at catering events.
I like to keep things simple, using everyday food but I am a BIG fan of spice! I love hot and spicy stuff!
(Which is why I stay married to my wonderful hubby! LOL)
Try my recipes and let me know how it turns out!
And if you have a moment, check out our catering site to see what we do.
You will find us at: miamorcatering.com
Happy Cooking!

Friday, August 10, 2012

French Toast Casserole

The original recipe calls for blueberries but we prefer raspberries, especially since we can get them out of our own backyard!
This is such a yummy treat for breakfast and wonderful for serving (and impressing!) guests! You can mix it up the night before and then finish in the morning, but allow plenty of time.
Enjoy!

12 slices day-old bread, cut into 1 inch cubes (I often use store-bought, cheap bread and it works fine)
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes (the recipe originally called for 2 pkgs but that just seems like too much for me.)
1 cup fresh raspberries (or blueberries) (Hint: strawberries don't work well with this recipe, since they like to turn kind of a grayish color when cooked and then it doesn't LOOK appetizing at all!)
12 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup maple syrup (or the fake stuff)

Lightly grease a 9 x 13 baking dish.
Arrange half the bread cubes in the dish and top with cream cheese cubes.
Sprinkle berries over the cream cheese and top with remaining bread cubes.
In a large bowl, mix the eggs, milk, vanilla, and syrup. Pour over the bread cubes.
Cover and refrigerate overnight. (You can also make this right away)
Remove the pan from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. (175 C)
Cover and bake 30 minutes.
Uncover and continue baking 25 to 30 minutes longer, until center is firm and surface is lightly browned.

Sauce:
1 cup sugar
2 Tblsp cornstarch
1 cup water
1 cup fresh raspberries (or blueberries)
1 Tblsp butter

In a medium saucepan, mix the sugar, cornstarch and water. Bring to a boil. Stirring constantly, cook 3 to 4 minutes. Mix in the berries. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes (blueberries will burst). Stir in the butter and pour over slices of the casserole.