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| Memo
No. 2025 October 1st, 2007 |
BRUNCH OR LUNCH
Because a brunch is my favorite way to entertain, appropriate entrees do attract my attention. This one included Hawaiian bread sold at Chief and Ray's but I only used 1/2 of the 16-ounce loaf, cubed. After making it with bacon I decided I would replace it (bacon) with the same amount of cubed ham. Be sure to pick the Mexican cheese blend with the most kick to it. Like a lot of brunch dishes, salsa is good on the side. You can assemble this recipe the night before and bake the next morning.
HAM AND EGG CASSEROLE
- 8-ounces of Hawaiian bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- 8-ounce package shredded Mexican cheese blend
- 1/2 pound cooked ham, cubed
- 8 large eggs
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Salsa
Arrange bread cubes in a lightly buttered 13x9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and ham cubes. Whisk together eggs, milk, salt, pepper, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over prepared dish; press down bread cubes with a spoon to allow bread to soak up liquid. Cover and chill 8 hours. Let stand 30 minutes before baking in preheated 350F oven for 35 minutes or until set and golden. Serve with salsa. Recipe makes 8 servings. Note: Look for Hawaiian bread in the deli.
APPLES ARE IN!
I always serve some kind of dessert at a brunch. The apple harvest is in full swing so Apple-Cinnamon Upside-Down Cake from the September Everyday Food magazine gets my seal of approval this time. One word of caution: You must use a deep 1 1/4-inch 9-inch cake pan or the batter will cook over.
APPLE-CINNAMON UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE
- 1 stick + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3 Gala apples (about 1 1/2 pounds), each peeled, cored and sliced into 8 wedges
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup whole milk (I used 2%)
Preheat oven to 350F. Coat bottom and side of 9-inch cake pan with 2 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle bottom with brown sugar. In medium bowl, toss apple slices with lemon juice; arrange in
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prepared pan in two concentric circles (you might not use all of them). In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; set aside. With an electric mixer, beat remaining stick of butter with granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until incorporated. With mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture in three parts and the milk in two, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Spoon batter over apples in pan; smooth top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. To serve, run a knife around edge of pan and invert onto a rimmed platter. Recipe makes 8 servings.
Source: Everyday Foods, September 2007.
WEIGHT WATCHING
Americans are fat and getting fatter, so much so that at the current rates, by 20015 75% of US adults will be overweight and 41% will be not just overweight but obese. That's the weighty prediction of a team of John Hopkins University researchers who analyzed 20 published studies plus national surveys of weight and behavior. In 2003-2004, approximately 66% of US adults were overweight or obese. The new report, published in Epidemiologic Reviews, also forecast that nearly 24% of US children and adolescents will be overweight or obese by 2015, compared to 16% today.
Source: Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter, September 2007.
BREAKFAST-WEIGHT LINK
"Eating breakfast appears to do two things when it comes to weight management .... it stimulates metabolism after a long night of fasting, and it decreases hunger and cravings at the next meal," says Kathy Isoldi, RD, coordinator of nutritional services for the Comprehensive Weight Control Program. In your digestive system, food is broken down into sugars and acids that fuel all the chemical processes, collectively known as metabolism .... that keep your body running. If your body doesn't get the fuel it needs, the metabolic process is disrupted. Skipping breakfast (or any meal) tells your body that there is a lack of fuel, so your metabolism goes into conservation mode and slows down, burning fewer calories at a slower rate. Fueling your body with a healthy food in the morning also means that its not desperate for the energy and nutrients it needs, so you're not ravenous and your less likely to overeat later in the day.
Source: Cornell University Food & Fitness Advisor, September 2007.
REVEALING TRANS FAT
Since January 2006, the US government has required that the amount of trans fat in a food item be listed on the nutrition label. What is trans fat, and how is it different from regular fat? "Revealing Trans Fats" from the US Food and Drug Administration explains how trans fat is made and how it increases your risk for coronary heart disease. This publication contains tips on limiting your trans fat consumption and make the best dietary choices for a balanced diet. It also lists the trans fat content of some common foods, make it easier to spot the trans fat culprit. For your free copy, call 1-888-878-3256, and ask for item 620P. And visit www.pueblo.gsa.gov to read or print this and hundreds of other publications for free. |
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