Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding

When was the last time you had bread pudding? I actually make bread pudding fairly often, but I'm wondering if other home cooks do too, or if it's become an out-dated dessert that no one makes anymore. I like to use up those last bits of bread before baking a new loaf, though what we don't use goes to the chickens so it's not completely wasted. Also, my husband is a big fan of bread pudding -and I like to make him happy. I find it quite cheerful to have bread pudding, made the night before, for breakfast. Not that toasted homemade bread for breakfast, like a slice from the loaf of the Golden Squash and Flax Seed Bread in the picture below, isn't good -it's just that a little bread pudding is a more festive version of my usual toast and jam.



Bread Pudding
Adapted from Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen

2 days before making this, cut up leftover bread into cubes to make 3-4 c. and leave it to get stale. Raisin bread is particularly tasty, as is challah and stollen, but any kind of bread (except maybe a garlicy one) will work. I used a whole wheat yogurt bread to make these puddings.

Butter 6 individual dishes. Place stale bread cubes in buttered dishes. Top with 1/3 c. golden raisins and 1/3 c. chopped nuts, divided evenly between the six dishes.

Using wire whisk attachment, beat 3 eggs for 3 minutes on high speed. Add:
3/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1 t. each nutmeg and cinnamon

Melt 2 T. butter, mix with 1 1/4 c. milk (I used almond milk) and add to egg mix. Pour evenly and carefully over bread cubes in dishes. Leave to sit for 30 minutes to allow cubes to absorb the custard. Use the back of a spoon (or hands) to gently push down the bread every so often.



Preheat oven to 350 degrees, then immediately lower to 300 degrees when you put in the puddings. Bake 25 minutes for individual pudding dishes. Increase temperature to 375 degrees for an additional 5 minutes to brown tops. Check to make sure they don't burn and remove when lightly browned on top.



I served these with a covering of the Apricot-Pineapple Jam I made back in August. With a bit of whipped cream on top, this makes a very comforting old-fashioned dessert or breakfast!

Dirty Rice

'Dirty' as an adjective for any food is not enticing -it makes me think of dumpster diving and picnic mishaps. Nevertheless, Dirty Rice is a good thing. Really, trust me on this one. It is made from a bit of this and a bit of that, and though it has a rather unappetizing look and name, it is a quite tasty dish. Not being from the southern parts of the country, I can't claim any authenticity for my version, and having a mind like a sieve, I can't remember exactly where and when I first learned to make this (Paul Prudhomme, I think), but I can attest to it being good and satisfying, rather easy to make, and an economical way to use up some odd bits from the freezer. Or I sometimes purposely save and freeze the odd bits for this recipe -giblets from a couple whole chickens and/or ducks, the bacon ends, a small amount of sausage, and half a diced green pepper- which gives me a certain virtuous satisfied feeling. Dirty Rice, cornbread, and baked beans is pure down home goodness, and was easily made with what was in our freezer and cupboards -just make sure and have plenty of Frank's Red Hot Sauce to liberally douse it with.

Dirty Rice

Heat: 2 T. oil. Add:
gizzards, hearts and livers from three chickens and/or ducks, ground or minced
1/4 lb. ground pork
1/2 c. diced bacon or bacon ends
Cook until no longer pink.

Add:
1 t. each salt, paprika, dry mustard, and cumin
1/2 t. each black pepper, Italian seasoning
1/2 chopped onion
3/4 chopped green bell pepper
2 chopped celery stalks
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, (defrosted) seeded and minced
Cook until tender. Add:
2 c. stock or water -ham stock is best, but I used lamb stock I had in the freezer for this.

Bring to a boil and add:
3/4 c. rice
1 c. frozen peas (optional)
Lower heat and cook until rice is tender. Remove from heat and allow to sit 10 minutes (if you can). Serve with LOTS of Frank's Red Hot Sauce.