Day 13: Cheese Please

    Three in the afternoon is always the worst time of day for me during the week. I feel like time virtually stands still at 3. I only have an hour and a half left at work, which leaves me little time to start a new project, but so much to just sit and stare and the clock. I usually send J an email that says “tick tock tick tock” at this point. He probably just laughs at me because he is playing golf or doing something fun while I dread the hour and a half wait to get on the road for another hour of traffic. BLECH! I am in SERIOUS need of a vacay, thank goodness one is coming soon.

     We have two black tie events coming up in the next three weeks…they are actually 5 days apart from each other. I am going to Neimans to dress shop this week and I feel good about it because I have to say, I feel a bit more slender than I was a couple weeks ago. I am loving this vegetarian thing! I really haven’t had any big cravings for meat or fish, but I know Louisiana is going to be the most challenging weekend of this whole thing…No oysters, No crawfish, No Poboys, No Canes!!!?? At least I can have Pink Ladies…

     I am very proud of myself for successfully accomplishing blogging two weekends in a row. I almost forgot last night, and hurriedly typed away while in bed. Today I have some really fun recipes that I think everyone will like! We are having Szechuan for dinner tonight!! YAY! Moo Shi vegetables, Vegetable Egg Roll and Egg Drop Soup are on my list for this evening, and just typing that made my mouth water. Usually I ordered Moo Shi Pork, Hot and Sour Soup, and Regular Eggs rolls, but they all contain pork, so at least I have found three equally scrumptious and way healthier options!

     Today has actually flown by rather quickly, which I can only hope for the rest of week. Tomorrow we are going to finally finish our shooting portion to receive our CHL (concealed handgun licenses), so we will probably go out to eat after that to celebrate. ACTUALLY, we have some gift cards to Del Frisco’s we can use. Not enough money for a meal (which I couldn’t eat anyways), but plenty for a few drinks and maybe an order of Mac and cheese : ) Excellent….

     I have been craving some serious cheese lately (and also new potatoes oddly enough) so today’s recipes will be cheesy and delicious!

Focaccia and Camembert Pizza

Ingredients

4 6in Focaccia Flatbreads
2 Tomatoes, Sliced
TT Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper
1 8 oz Round of Camembert Cheese, Chilled
1/3 C Chopped Walnuts
2 Tbsp Fresh Chives, Snipped
 
Preparation

Heat broiler. Place flatbreads on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Top with tomato slices; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cut cheese in thin slices. Place cheese slices on tomato slices.

Broil 4 to 5 inches from heat about 2 minutes or until cheese begins to melt. Sprinkle with walnuts; broil 1 minute more. Sprinkle with fresh chives. Serves 4.

*Nutrition Facts*
Servings Per Recipe (4 servings): Calories – 449, Fat – 24g, Sat Fat – 11g, Mono Fat – 5g, Poly Fat – 5g, Cholesterol – 41mg, Fiber – 6g, Protein – 21g, Vit C – 19%, Ca – 28%, Fe – 8%.


Baked Brie Strata

Ingredients

2 Zucchini, Cut Crosswise into ¼ in Slices
6 ½ in Thick Slices of Crusty Sourdough Bread
8 oz Brie Cheese, Cut into ½ in Cubes
4 Roma Tomatoes, Cut Lengthwise into ¼ in Slices
1 C Egg Whites
2/3 C Evaporated Skim Milk
1/3 C Onion, Finely Chopped
3 Tbsp Fresh Dill, Snipped
TT Kosher Salt
TT Black Pepper
8 Cherry Tomatoes
Nonstick cooking spray
 
Preparation

Cook zucchini, covered, in a small amount of boiling lightly salted water for 2 to 3 minutes or until just tender. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, spray a 2-quart rectangular baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange bread slices in the prepared baking dish, cutting as necessary to fit. Sprinkle half of the Brie evenly on top. Arrange zucchini and tomatoes on top of bread. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

In a bowl combine egg product, evaporated skim milk, onion, dill, salt, and pepper. Pour evenly over vegetables and cheese. Lightly press vegetables down with back of spoon to be sure everything is saturated with egg mixture. Cover with plastic wrap; chill for 4 to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Remove plastic wrap from strata; cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 25 to 30 minutes more or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Makes 8 servings.

*Note*Make-ahead tip: Prepare and chill casserole for up to 24 hours. Bake as directed.