Lemon Ricotta Mascarpone Stuffed French Toast

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Berries are in season and there is nothing better like a bright, celebratory brunch punctuated with lemon, and this stuffed French toast is just that. Fluffy, custard-like slices of brioche  get filled with creamy ricotta  and mascarpone cheese  that is flavored with fresh lemon juice and zest, and then get toasted in butter until golden-brown. It’s the classic French toast you know and love, only elevated with a decadent center that makes it fit for a celebration.

Serves 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS:

One pound loaf unsliced brioche bread

1 large lemon

One 16-ounce container ricotta cheese

4 ounces mascarpone cheese

1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided

3 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cups whole or 2% milk

6 large eggs

4 to 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

For garnish: toasted pecans, cooked bacon crumbles 

For serving: fresh berries, maple syrup, powdered sugar and finely grated lemon zest


DIRECTIONS:

Trim the ends off an unsliced loaf brioche or challah bread. Cut crosswise into 2-inch thick slices (4 to 6 slices total). Cut a pocket into each slice: Arrange it cut-side down on the cutting board. Position a small knife parallel to the cutting board and use it to cut a pocket into the side, being careful not to cut all the way through. Insert your fingers into the pocket and gently press around with your fingers to compress the bread slightly.

Finely grate the zest of 1 large lemon into a medium bowl (about 2 teaspoons); juice the lemon into the bowl until you have 2 tablespoons. Add ricotta cheese, mascarpone cheese 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon of the vanilla extract, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Stir until the sugar is almost completely dissolved.

Transfer into a piping bag or large plastic zip-top bag. Cut off one bottom corner of the zip-top or the tip of the piping bag and generously pipe the filling into the pocket of each bread slice. The filling should completely fill the pocket but not overflow, and you may have leftover filling.

Place 1 1/2 cups whole, 6 large eggs, remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and remaining 2 teaspoons vanilla extract in a 9×13-inch baking dish and whisk until smooth and no streaks of unincorporated egg are visible. Fit a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet.

Place as many bread slices as can fit in a single layer into the milk mixture. Soak, flipping once, until the bread is saturated but not soggy, about 30 seconds per side. Transfer the bread slices to the wire rack; repeat soaking the remaining slices.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the unsalted butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add as many bread slices as can fit in a single layer with space around each one. Cook until golden-brown and the custard in the bread is cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side (reduce the heat as needed to cook the toast for the full amount of time). Transfer to serving plates and tent with aluminum foil if not serving right away or keep warm in a 250ºF oven.

Cook the remaining bread slices, melting 2 tablespoons of the unsalted butter in the pan before each batch. Garnish with pecans, bacon crumbles, and mint, if deired. Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar, maple syrup, berries, and more lemon zest if desired.

RECIPE NOTES
Make ahead: The cheese filling can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container. Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

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Caramelized Lemongrass Pork with Vermicelli Noodles

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Lemongrass is a bright aromatic herb with a subtle citrus flavor native to India and tropical Asia. Here it, was used in a Thai-Vietnamese inspired dish to marinate pork giving it a lemony zingy taste. The stir fried pork was then served with a light salad of rice vermicelli (extra thin noodles), cucumber and carrot with mint and cilantro.

 

 

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 stalk lemongrass

1 shallot

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup (50 ml) fish sauce

2 – 3 teaspoons soy sauce  

2 tablespoons  brown sugar

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

12 ounces (360 grams) pork tenderloin or Two 4 oz Boneless Center Cut Pork Loin Chop, thinly sliced

8 ounces (240 grams) rice vermicelli noodles

Salt, to taste

6 cups (1L)  water

1/2  English cucumber

1 small bunch of mint

1 small bunch of cilantro

2 carrots

 

 

Directions:

To  Make Marinade

Rinse all fresh produce. Trim and discard lemongrass root and outer layer. Thinly slice stalk. Peel shallot and mince. Mince garlic. In a large resealable plastic bag (or a bowl), combine lemongrass, shallot, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.  If using a pork tenderloin, remove from the packaging and  rinse pork  with water and pat dry with paper towel. Cut crosswise into  1/2 inch (0.5cm) slices. Add pork to marinade in bag and shake to coat. Set aside to marinate at room temperature for at least 15 minutes or overnight in fridge.  

 

To Cook the  Vermicelli

Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a medium pot (or kettle) over high heat. Place vermicelli in a large bowl and pour over boiling water. Soak until tender, about 6 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water for 30 seconds. Set aside in a large bowl.  

 

Preparing  the Vegetables

Cut cucumber lengthwise into 1/2 inch ( 0.5cm ) slices, then juilienne each slice. Peel the carrots and cut lengthwise into  1/2 inch ( 0.5cm ) slices, then juilienne  Pick mint leaves discarding stems. Pick cilantro leaves discarding stems.  

 

To Cook the Pork

Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Remove pork from marinade, allowing excess to drip off and reserving marinade. When oil is shimmering, add pork, season lightly with salt, and cook until browned on bottom, 1 minute. Flip, season with salt, and add marinade to pan. Cook until pork is cooked through, 1 minute more.  

 

Season Vermicelli

Add cucumbers and shredded carrots to vermicelli in bowl and toss to combine. Season with salt.  

 

To Plate the Dish

Divide vermicelli and vegetables evenly between 2 bowls. Top with pork, spooning over sauce from pan. Garnish with mint and cilantro. Enjoy!  

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Roasted Chicken with Stone Fruits and Red Onion

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This recipe was originally created by Melissa Clark, for the New York Times. It is a sheet-pan dinner of roast chicken, plums and red onions. She came up with it as a dish appropriate to Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, which begins on September 18, 2020 but it’s outstanding meal that can grace any table for a great family style meal.

This sticky, bright-flavored joyful meal is beautiful to behold and easy to make. This sheet-pan dinner combines sweet plums and soft red onions with crisp-skinned pieces of roasted chicken. Toasted fennel seeds, red-pepper flakes and a touch of allspice add complexity while a mound of fresh torn herbs crowns the top. If good ripe plums aren’t available, you can substitute another stone fruit including cherries, peaches, nectarines or pluots, though if your fruit is very sweet, you might want to add a squeeze of lemon at the end. Serve this dish with rice pilaf, couscous, polenta or warm flatbread for a festive meal.

Recipe Adapted from

Melissa Clark

New York Times Cooking September 2020

 

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons fennel seeds 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon or orange zest

4 garlic cloves, finely grated

2 teaspoons honey

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

A very large pinch crushed red-pepper flakes, or to taste

One whole 3 1/2 pound chicken, cut into parts

Kosher salt, to taste

Ground black pepper, to taste

2 cups ripe, soft plums, pitted and cut into 3/4-inch thick slices

1/2 cup cherries, pitted and halved

1/2 cup nectarines, pitted and cut into 3/4-inch thick slices

6 fresh thyme sprigs

1 medium red onion, peeled and sliced from root to stem in 1/2-inch wedges

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

⅔ cup torn mint, basil or cilantro leaves (or a combination), for garnish

Maldon salt flakes, for garnish

 

Directions:

Toast the fennel seeds in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Pour seeds into a mortar and pound with a pestle until coarsely crushed (or lay seeds on a cutting board and pound them with a can or jar).

Put the seeds into a large bowl and stir in lemon juice, zest, garlic, honey, allspice and red-pepper flakes. Season chicken generously all over with salt and pepper and add to the bowl, turning the pieces to coat them with marinade.

Mix in plums and thyme sprigs. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.

When ready to cook, heat the oven to 425 º F. Put the chicken pieces, fruit and thyme sprigs on a rimmed baking pan. Add onions, spreading them out around the chicken and plums. Season plums and onions lightly with salt.

Drizzle everything with olive oil. Roast until chicken is golden and cooked through, 30 to 45 minutes, removing the white meat if it’s done before the dark meat.

To serve, transfer chicken pieces as they are done to a platter. Spoon the plums and onions around the chicken. Drizzle a little of the pan drippings over the chicken and serve, garnished with the herbs and flaky Maldon salt.

 

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