Apricot-Stuffed French Toast

The third installment of "what's for [catered] brunch?" begins with a tip on cooking for a crowd. When cooking for a crowd -- especially if it's folks you don't know personally -- I always try to size up the guests during the menu-planning stage, so that I can be sure I'm cooking dishes that'll go over well, even if I don't care much for them. When Rocco DiSpirito was on Top Chef a couple weeks back, he announced (inappropriately, if you ask me) that he loves bacon; every chef but one presented a bacon dish. The chef that didn't actually made something that sounded pretty tasty, but he lost because Rocco likes bacon. Also: my friend Julia regularly cooks chicken when she hosts lunch, even though she's veg, because her guests like chicken and she aims to please. It makes sense: cook for the crowd, not necessarily for yourself.

While I don't always follow this rule, I tend to stick with it when I don't know the people I'm cooking for, as with the catered brunch from a few weeks back. And since I know that most people love creamy, gooey things, I opted for a (relatively) easy stuffed french toast recipe from Martha. It's basically thick slices of french toast that are stuffed with a mixture of apricot jam and cream cheese. Not my cup of tea, nor my mom's, but boy was it the crowd favorite. As usual, we made some key adjustments after tasting the filling, because we found the combo of cream cheese and apricot jam somewhat flat and lacking in character. A generous confetti of lemon zest and a fair sprinkle of lemon juice made all the difference. We made enough that there were three for each person; five courses notwithstanding, people did the job and polished off nearly all the french toast. Watching the guests rave, my mom and I took one of the end pieces, put it on a plate, sliced two little bites off, and each tried it. We looked at each other, bobbed our heads in agreement that it tasted as we expected, and then laughed as we acknowledged that neither of us particularly liked it. But hey, the guests were happy. More than happy.

Assuming you've got guests coming for the holidays -- or that you'll be a guest in someone's home and would like to cook brekkie one morning as a thank you to your hosts -- this is a true crowd-pleaser of a recipe. It doesn't take all too long to prepare, and it can sit happily in a low oven until it's time to eat. If the goal is happy customers, this recipe's the ticket.

PS...Donate and bid for Menu For Hope! Here's the link.

Apricot-Stuffed French Toast adapted from Martha Stewart serves 4

• 1 loaf challah, cut into eight 1-inch-thick slices • 3 tablespoons or more apricot jam or "just apricots" preserves (less sugar, more tang) • 1/4 cup (2 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese, room temperature • 2 large eggs • 1/2 cup low-fat (1 percent) milk • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon • zest of one lemon • 2 tsps. lemon juice • 1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter • Pure maple syrup, for serving (optional)

Directions 1. Using a paring knife, cut a horizontal slit in each bread slice to form a pocket. In a bowl, mix jam and cream cheese with a fork or hand blender. Add lemon juice and zest. Spoon 1 tablespoon mixture into each pocket. 2. In a shallow bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and cinnamon until combined. In a large nonstick skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-low heat. Lay half the bread slices in egg mixture, letting them soak 5 seconds on each side. 3. Place slices in skillet; cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining bread, adding more butter to skillet if needed. If desired, serve French toast with syrup (which we did, and we heated the syrup for maximum yum factor). We also topped the platter with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, which made for a lovely presentation.

Homemade Granola -- I've warned you.

Remember that time I catered a breakfast? For a starter, we served greek yogurt and granola parfaits with a drizzle of honey and some fresh berries. This course took some time to plate up -- what with all the layers, and making sure no smudges of yogurt got on any of the beautiful parfait glasses -- but the only baking, of the granola, was done in advance.

My granola recipe has evolved over the years. I first started making it while on my fellowship in Israel: I was inspired by a couple friends, who brought large tubs of granola to every meeting and retreat we had. They swore it was dead easy, and I soon discovered they were right. They made several variations: one with berries, one with lots of peanut butter, even one with chocolate chips. Can you guess which one I like best, chocoholic that I am?

The recipe I've settled on uses a minimum of ingredients: oats, flax seeds, raisins, dried cranberries, chopped walnuts, sliced almonds, almond butter, maple syrup, and cinnamon. That's it. I've seen recipes that call for brown sugar, but I find that it's harder to incorporate with the other ingredients; many recipes also call for peanut butter, including the recipe from my friends in Israel, but I don't like PB (please don't hate me, PB lovers...) so I use almond butter instead; I find it gives the granola a more subtle flavor.

The great thing about this recipe is that while I've found a happy medium of flavors that I like, you're not bound by that mix at all. Feel free to add anything you like: sunflower seeds, dried shredded coconut, sesame seeds, pistachios, etc. There's really no end to the possibilities. This last time, I even added the crumbs from a bag of ginger snaps, and let me just say....Amazing.

Mind you, you've been warned. This granola recipe is totally and utterly addictive. You will NOT be able to eat just one handful, so don't even try. I usually try hiding the container after taking a portion out, but for some reason that doesn't seem to work.

Homemade Granola

2 1/4 cups oats 1/2 cup maple syrup 1/2-2/3 cup almond butter, depending on viscosity (may microwave it for 30 seconds if too stiff) 2/3 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds), either salted or unsalted, depending on preference 2/3 cup sliced almonds 2/3 cup chopped walnuts 2/3 cup raisins, cranberries, or other dried berry (I like half raisins, half cranberries) 1/2 tsp salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Mix all ingredients in large bowl; toss to incorporate, until all oats have been coated and small clusters start to form.

3. Pour granola onto a large rimmed cookie sheet and spread so it sits in a single layer.

4. Bake, stirring at 10-minute intervals, for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until granola is evenly browned. When you take it out of the oven, it will feel soft; as it cools, it will harden. I usually take small pinch out at around 23 minutes, and let it sit on the counter for 2 minutes. If at 25 minutes, the pinch is sufficiently crunchy, I take the whole thing out at 25. If not, I leave it in for two minutes and repeat the check test.

Steelcut Oatmeal with Peach Compote

Is it obvious I love breakfast? Between french toast casserole, cinnamon buns, vintage breakfast biscuits, shakshuka, and even simple bites like this one, I seem to have found my obsession. In keeping with my breakfast trend, here's another maddeningly simple morning meal option: steelcut oats.

What are steelcut oats? They're oats, really -- but unlike quick oats, which are essentially slices of oats, steelcut oats are like large crumbs. They look more like Grape Nuts than Quaker. They're also quite firm; they don't crumble in your hand the way quick oats can. They take about 25 minutes to cook fully, which means you need to have a bit of time to cook'em up. But if you've got the time, you'll be handsomely rewarded: cooked steelcut oats are like a thicker, homier version of grits or polenta, with a distinctly nutty flavor and lovely pot liquor. I also add a pinch of salt to the water for contrast, and a daub of butter at the end, a la Mandy, because it makes breakfast more luxurious. In my humble opinion, oatmeal is best topped with a splash of milk or half and half, and either a dollop of jam or a spoonful of fresh fruit compote. In this case, I used my very last summer peach to make a lovely quick compote that went perfectly with the oatmeal.

These steelcut oats make a lovely break from my weekday morning routine, but oatmeal's really a splendid breakfast, anyway you cut it.

Steelcut Oatmeal with Peach Compote 1 cup steelcut oats 2 cups water a pinch of salt 1 Tbsp butter, optional

In a small pot, bring water and salt to a boil. Add oats, stir to incorporate, and turn heat down to low. Let oatmeal simmer, stirring regularly, for about 25 minutes, until water is absorbed and remaining liquid is thick, as with grits or polenta.

While oatmeal is cooking, make peach compote:

1 peach 2-3 Tbsp. sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon pinch salt 1/2 cup water splash white wine, optional

Combine all ingredients in a small saute pan. Simmer over medium heat until liquid is reduced and syrupy, about 10-15 minutes.

Serve oatmeal in deep, comfort-food bowls, with cream and peach compote (or jam, or even maple syrup. yum.)

lazy boozy french toast casserole

Since having surgery on my foot, my time in the kitchen has been severely limited. It pretty much hurts to stand still for more than a few minutes, and I can't put much pressure on the foot yet. My left foot is taking a serious hit, what with all the hopping and limping, so standing on one foot to cook complex, multi-step dishes is also not an option. With this in mind, I've had to curtail my everyday zeal about being in the kitchen, and limit my cooking to practical dishes requiring little to no prep.

When at last Saturday's lunch we found ourselves with a whole extra challah, I somehow got tapped to take it home. And people, I think we all know that there are few things better than day-old challah french toast on a lazy Sunday. With that said, soon as I woke up on Sunday morning, I realized that the absolute last thing I wanted to do was hover at the stove, waiting for all those slices to soak and fry up. It just wasn't going to happen.

Enter awesome Deb of Smitten Kitchen, and her recipe for Boozy Baked French Toast. The perfect antidote to both hunger and laziness, baked french toast allows you to enjoy this fantastic weekend breakfast without all the prep work. The result? A cross between french toast and bread pudding; not your usual crunchy-all-around slices of fried french toast, but a lovely casserole with soft, custardy innards and a crisp crust, thanks to cinnamon sugar topping.

Of course, some of us procrastinate more than others; Deb had the foresight to make her casserole overnight, giving the bread time to soak up the milk-egg mixture. I'm simply not that awesome. I woke up Sunday morning wanting French toast casserole, having done absolutely nothing the night before. But hey -- I made it work. I cut the milk by a third, so there would be less liquid floating around. I also dotted the top layer with butter, to ensure that the cinnamon sugar would get crispity-crisp. My last-minute game plan totally payed off. About 40 minutes after french toast casserole entered my head, it entered my mouth. Oh-so-tasty. Maybe I'm awesome after all.

Lazy Boozy French Toast Casserole adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 loaf Challah bread in 1-inch slices, any kind will do 2 cups whole milk (3 if letting sit overnight) 3 eggs 3 tablespoons sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt

Your choice of flavorings: I used Deb's recommendation of 3 tablespoons Bailey’s and 3 tablespoons Cointreau, but she also suggests Frangelico (hazelnut), Chambord (raspberry), Creme de Cassis (black currant) Grand Marnier or just a teaspoon or two of vanilla or almond extract. You can add a teaspoon of zest for a citrusy kick, add a half-cup of chopped nuts such as almond slivers or pecans between layers or on top or a similar amount of raisins or other dried fruits. And of course, let's not forget chocolate chips for over-the-top indulgence.

1. Generously grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with salted (Deb's fave) or unsalted butter. 2. Arrange bread in two tightly-packed layers in the pan. Cut one slice into smaller pieces to fill in gaps, especially when using braided Challah. If using a thinner-sliced bread, you might wish for more layers, though Deb finds that over three, baking can be uneven. If you are using any fillings of fruit or nuts, this is the time to get them between the layers or sprinkled atop. 3. Whisk milk, eggs, sugar, salt and booze or flavorings of your choice and pour over the bread. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and dot with butter. 4. If making at night, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The bread will absorb all of the milk custard while you sleep. 5. Bake at 425 for 30 minutes, or until puffed and golden. This will take longer if you have additional layers. 6. Cut into generous squares and serve with maple syrup, fresh fruit, powdered sugar or all of the above.

Serves 6 as main course.