Southern California Cooking from the Cottage (4 page)

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 (2-pound) bag frozen diced potatoes

½ cup diced onion

2 teaspoons seasoning salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ cup diced red bell pepper

In a large sauté pan melt the butter over medium heat. Add the frozen potatoes and toss. Add the onions, seasoning salt, and black pepper and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the bell pepper and cook for 5 more minutes or until the onions and peppers are soft and the potatoes are brown and a bit crunchy on the outside.

MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS

MONTEREY SCRAMBLE

E
very time I am in La Jolla I look forward to having this dish,” says regular customer Lee J. of Wellesley, Massachusetts. “It is one of my favorites. I love the creamy cheese with the chiles and the warm corn tortillas. I can't believe I ate the whole thing.”

1 tablespoon butter

½ cup chopped green chiles

½ cup chopped green onions

12 eggs, beaten

8 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

1 cup grated Jack cheese

12 corn tortillas, warmed

1 cup Salsa Fresca (page 135)

In a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the chiles and green onions and sauté. Add the eggs, reduce the heat to medium, and stir until the eggs are softly scrambled. Add the bacon and cheese and continue stirring. Divide the egg mixture among four plates, and serve with the tortillas and a side of salsa.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Note:
The Cottage also includes chipotle-flavored Black Beans (page 141) on the side.

COUNTRY FRENCH TOAST

T
he key to country French toast is thick-sliced bread. If you can get your loaf whole, slice the pieces
- to 1-inch thick. This is a delicious dish.

4 eggs

2 cups heavy cream

1 tablespoon brandy

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

12 slices thickly cut brioche (If not available, use thickly sliced egg bread.)

1 tablespoon butter

Butter for serving

Maple syrup for serving

In a medium bowl slightly beat the eggs. Add the cream, brandy, brown sugar, and vanilla. Beat well. Soak each piece of bread in the egg mixture. Melt the butter on a hot griddle and cook each piece of bread for 4 minutes on each side, or until the egg is set and lightly browned. We serve this with butter and maple syrup.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Note:
Remember the bread is thick and has been soaked in the batter, not just dipped, so cooking time is a little bit longer than a traditional French toast.

BREAD PUDDING FRENCH TOAST

B
ecause it can be made ahead of time and looks so beautiful, Bread Pudding French Toast is a nice recipe to serve at home to wow a crowd, or just to please yourself.

2 eggs

cup sugar

3 cups milk

1
cups heavy cream

1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

cup raisins or currants

8 slices stale brioche bread

Confectioners' sugar

Maple syrup

Butter

In a medium bowl combine the eggs, sugar, milk, cream, butter, vanilla, nutmeg, and raisins and beat until smooth. Butter a large baking dish. Place the bread in the dish and pour the egg mixture over the bread. Let it sit for about 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350
^o
F. Bake the mixture uncovered for 45 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and the bread is set. Sprinkle confectioners' sugar over the top. Serve with maple syrup and butter.

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

STUFFED FRENCH TOAST

W
e chose stuffed French toast for the cover shot of this cookbook, not only because it's so pretty but because it is the dish I most look forward to eating in the morning.

Strawberry compote:

1¼ cups sliced fresh strawberries

½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon brandy

¼ cup grated orange peel

French toast:

4 eggs

2 cups heavy cream

1 tablespoon brandy

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

12 slices thickly cut brioche (If not available, use thickly sliced egg bread.)

1 tablespoon butter

8 teaspoons mascarpone cream

Confectioners' sugar

Butter

Maple syrup

For the strawberry compote, in a bowl mix together the strawberries, sugar, brandy, and orange peel. Let it sit for 30 minutes so the flavors blend and the strawberries soften.

For the French toast, slightly beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Add the cream, brandy, brown sugar, and vanilla. Beat well. Soak each piece of bread in the egg mixture. Melt the butter on a hot griddle and cook each piece of bread for 4 minutes on each side. Remove the toast from the griddle and immediately spread 2 teaspoons of the mascarpone cream and ¼ cup of the strawberry compote in the middle of each toast. Fold the bread in half so the cheese melts and the strawberries warm. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Serve with butter and maple syrup.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

OATMEAL PANCAKES

I
f you don't believe our menu description of “World Famous Oatmeal Pancakes,” just ask Bernice Abernathy. She is one of our best customers and likes hers with blueberries and bananas. Ralph and Rosita L. of Skokie, Illinois, add, “As winter inhabitants of La Jolla, our favorite breakfast place is the Cottage. All the dishes are great, but the banana oatmeal pancakes are the best because of their special flavor and texture. We like them with either jam or syrup.”

1½ cups buttermilk

2 eggs

2 tablespoons melted butter, slightly cooled, plus butter for cooking

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons sugar

1¼ cups whole wheat flour

1¼ cups old-fashioned oats or buckeye oats (not quick-cooking)

½ teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a large bowl combine the buttermilk, eggs, butter, honey, and vanilla. In a medium bowl combine the sugar, flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Add the dry ingredients to the buttermilk mixture and mix well. Pour ¼ cup batter at a time onto a hot, lightly greased griddle or sauté pan. Cook over medium heat until bubbles begin to appear on the surface and the bottom is golden brown. Flip and cook the other side.

MAKES ABOUT 12 PANCAKES.

Note:
These pancakes can take a little longer to cook than others.

BUTTERMILK PANCAKES

A
fter years of serving oatmeal pancakes, we decided to try a more traditional pancake. It has been a winner ever since.

1½ cups buttermilk

¼ cup milk

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 egg, slightly beaten

3 tablespoons sugar

1½ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

Butter and maple syrup for serving

In a large bowl mix the buttermilk, milk, butter, and egg. In a separate bowl combine the sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add this to the buttermilk mixture and whisk to combine. Heat a greased griddle or pan over medium heat and add ¼ cup batter to the pan. Cook until bubbly on top and the bottom is golden brown. With a spatula, flip the pancake and cook on the other side. Keep warm on a platter until all the batter is used. Serve with butter and maple syrup.

MAKES 12 (5-INCH) PANCAKES

PLAIN OMELETTE

T
he Cottage has acquired a reputation for serving mouthwatering omelettes. There are many different ways of preparing one; here is our method. We make a shell for the fillings and stuff the omelette.

1 tablespoon butter

3 eggs, well beaten

In a small nonstick skillet or omelette pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Pour the eggs into the pan and swirl so that the eggs coat the bottom. Gently pull the eggs away from the side of the pan to prevent sticking and so that more of the eggs can cook. When the bottom of the eggs are set, carefully flip the omelette with a spatula and cook the other side. When cooked through, the omelette is ready for some of our fabulous fillings. This entire process should take 2 to 3 minutes.

MAKES 1 SERVING

Note:
We like to stuff our omelettes with a variety of ingredients, including: smoked turkey, spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, broccoli, roasted peppers, bell peppers, ham. The list is endless, and you can put whatever you like in it. Just remember that you have to fold the eggs over once filled.