After suffering with no power in the morning and the unpredictability of restored power, we didn’t dare start opening and closing the refrigerator.  When I thought about having to bring my lunch to work (Sue was out so I had to stay at the office all day), there were definite limitations.  It looked like oats that were cooked on the grill earlier in the morning would go a second round for lunch.

I had a Muscle Milk in the fridge at work so that would serve to provide the protein.

But what about roughage?   Guess I’ll wait until tonight and eat a lot of greenery.

My office had flooded from the rain on Sunday and two fans were blowing non stop to dry it out. It smelled wet, damp and musty. I had the window open but the air was chilly. It was a nasty Monday morning to be at work.

If the power doesn’t go on by dinner time tonight, the plans for the Taste of Utica recipe will be out the door and  it will be coupon night at Uno’s.

The recipe I wish I had right now:

CRAB STRATA

A healthy, easy preparation of all natural goodness from earth and sea.

Serves 8 – 10

• 1/2 lb of fresh asparagus (1/2 a bunch) – tough ends cut off and discarded, remaining stalks cut into thirds
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1 multi grain baguette – day old (stale, not moldy!), cut into 2” cubes
• 2 cans (6 oz each) crab meat – drain
• 1 cup shredded cheese such as mozzarella or mixed (*I used “Mexican blend of Monterey Jack and Asadero)
• 4 beaten whole eggs
• 1 cup egg whites
• 2 cups skimmed milk
• 2 1/2 TBS dijon or honey mustard
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese

Spray the bottom of a 13 x 9 inch pan with non stick spray.

Put 1/2 of the bread on the bottom of the pan.  Top with crab meat.

Sprinkle the cut asparagus stalks and the onion on top of the crab.  Add the shredded cheese.

Put the rest of the bread on top of the cheese.

Beat the eggs, whites, milk, mustard, and pepper in a bowl then pour evenly over the bread-crab-cheese mix.

Cover and refrigerate over night until ready to bake for dinner the next night OR prepare in the morning for dinner 6 – 8 hours later.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325 F.  Remover strata from fridge, giving it 15 minute at room temperature.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake, uncovered,  for 50 to 60 minutes.

Love the multi grain bread in this recipe.

Served with a side of snap peas, SUPERB!

The crab taste was so subtle, I asked Ted if he could taste it.  He said yes but there were so many other flavors happening it didn’t come out strong.

Wonderful dinner. Great brunch dish. Very tasty left over breakfast in a flash – that we SO MUCH needed on this day, after the storm.

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Is this a challenge?  Are we testing our stomachs to see how many days in a row we can stretch them to their limits?  Who can last the longest without screaming “MERCY”! 

Seafood Strata

Cauliflower Macaroni and Cheese

Just in case your stomach can’t hold any more but your eyes love the visual pleasures of food, here is site to further satisfy the unending appetite of the eye:  My Little Space aka Kristy Gourmet has offered this little reward to all her foodie friends:

Thanks Kristy!  How nice and how great your site is.  As I said, my stomach can’t hold any more but my eyes are getting pretty fat and your site isn’t helping.

Another challenge for our ever expanding tummy’s is that Thanksgiving doesn’t just happen in one day any more.  It seems that since we have a lot of split families nowadays, that the Thanksgiving feast must be served at two homes.  That means dinner Thursday and again on Friday or Saturday. 

In our case, we went away for Thanksgiving. My sister went over to her mother-in-laws for the family gathering.  The result:  another big dinner at my sister’s yesterday.  What a spread!

Sue cooks a 19 lb bird, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy…all delicious. 

My contribution was a Seafood Strata and Cauliflower Macaroni & Cheese.  The Mac and Cheese was adapted from the latest Williams & Sonoma Holiday catalog on page 45.

Seafood Strata

• 1/2 cup Light Butter
• 4 leeks, sliced using the white part only
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• Rosemary Olive Oil bread loaf – sliced thin or torn into pieces
• 18 oz  cooked, deveined, tails off shrimp
• 16 oz Cooked crab meat
• 1 cup shredded Italian Blend Cheese
• 1 cup shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
• 4 TBS fresh dill, chopped
• 6 whole eggs
• 3 cups 2% milk
• 2 1/2 TBS Flour
• pepper and salt to taste

Spray a 13 x 9 x 2 baking dish with non stick spray.  In a large pan set to medium heat, melt the butter and add the leeks and pepper.  Cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat. 

Line the baking dish with 1/2 of the bread. Top with half of the following:  the leek mixture, shrimp, crab, cheese, and dill.  Repeat, beginning with the bread using the other half of all the above.

In a bowl, beat the eggs, milk, flour, salt and pepper. Pour over the layers in the baking dish.  Let sit at least an hour or refrigerate over night if you can.  

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 F.  If refrigerated, let come to room temperature (half an hour) and then bake for 50 – 55 minutes.  Serves 12 – 15

There should always be a pasta dish at any large gathering. I decided on the following from the Williams & Sonoma catalog – modified to suit our tastes.

Cauliflower Macaroni & Cheese

• 2 cups  bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup light butter, melted
• 1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 10 oz Vegetarian meats( (5 oz) Veggy Ham and (5oz)Veggy Pepperoni), julienned - If you eat meat, use pancetta and pepperoni slices.
• 1 large head of cauliflower cut into 1/2″ florets
• 1/2 cup light butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup Veggie Broth
• 3 1/2 cups 2% milk
• 2 cups shredded fontina cheese
• 1 cup Pepper Jack Cheese
• 2 cup shredded Gouda cheese
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 lb Tomato Basil Penne pasta, cooked al dente

Put a pot of water on the stove top and bring the cauliflower to a boil for 5 minutes. Drain.

Preheat oven to 375 F.  Heat a large pan on the stove top over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the bread crumbs and parsley. Stirring, toast for about 4 minutes. Remove from pan, stir in salt and pepper and set aside.

In the same pan, add a little olive oil and cook vegetarian meats, about 3 minutes over medium high.  Remove to a bowl (or paper plate for less mess) and to the hot pan, add 1/4 cup water to deglaze for one minute then add the cauliflower and cook about 5 minutes – until it browns.  Remove from pan and set aside.

In the same pan, melt the rest of the butter, add the flour and cook for 3 minutes.  Whisk in wine and milk and cook 10 minutes.  Pour into a large roasting pan. Now add the cheeses salt and pepper, cayenne, nutmeg and cream. Add the pasta, vegetarian meats and cauliflower.  Top with the bread crumbs and bake 30 minutes. Serves 12 -15.

Ok. After all that food, it’s time to get back into working it off. A run, a brisk walk, what’s the plan?