Creole Bread Pudding Souffle

This week we needed something sweet to round out the month. Let’s face it, June has been a long month. Creole Bread Pudding Souffle was just what the doctor ordered.  You can make it for an event or you can save it all for yourself. We certainly did. 

Ingredients 

½ cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

5 large eggs

2 cups whipping or heavy cream

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

⅛ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ cup raisins (optional) 

12 slices French bread (1-inch thick) 

1 Tbsp butter

1 ½ tsp sugar

6 large eggs, separated

½ cup sugar

½ cup powdered sugar, sifted 

Whiskey Sauce 

The night before, slice your bread and lay it out on a baking sheet in your oven. Don't turn the oven on, don't cover the bread. You want to give the bread time to become a little stale so that it absorbs the mixture without disintegrating into it. 

Using an electric mixer, beat your 1/2 cup of butter at medium speed. Slowly add 1 cup of sugar beating well. The sugar should be fully incorporated before you begin to add the eggs one at a time. Once the eggs are fully beaten in, add cream, vanilla, cinnamon, and raisins (if desired.) Lightly grease a 13 by 9 by 2 pan, preferably a clear casserole dish. 

Remove your bread from the oven, and transfer the slices to mixture, laying them flat; let them stand for 10 minutes. Flip the slices over and let them sit for another 10 minutes.  During this time, set your oven to 350*F to preheat. 

Cover the pan with aluminum foil and place into a larger shallow pan. Pour hot water into the larger pan to a depth of 1 inch. Transfer the entire thing to the oven and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Place 2 1/2 cups of the baked bread mixture into a large bowl and set to the side. Reserve the remainder for something else. (We think it's an easy breakfast if you reheat it, or  a quick  dessert if you throw on any remaining whiskey sauce.) 

Grease a 1 1/2 quart souffle dish with 1 Tbsp butter; coat the sides and bottom with 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar and set it to the side. 

Combine egg yolks with  1/2 cup sugar in the top of a double boiler; place over simmering water and beat at high speed with an electric mixer for 4 minutes or until the mixture thickens. (You can do this section by hand if you want to, but your wrists will hurt after.) Add the yolk mixture to the bread that you reserved and beat at medium speed until smooth.  Set aside, and take the time to preheat your oven up to 375*F. 

Beat your egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy. Slowly add powdered sugar, beating until stiff peaks form; fold the egg whites into a bread mixture. Pour this into your prepared souffle dish. Bake the entire thing for 40 minutes at 375*F. 

Serve warm with whiskey sauce. 

Whiskey Sauce

1 cup sugar

1 cup whipping cream or heavy cream

⅛ tsp ground  cinnamon

1 Tbsp butter

1 ½ cornstarch 

¼ cup water

1 Tbsp bourbon 

Combine sugar, whipping cream, cinnamon, and butter into a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, stirring often. In a separate dish, combine the cornstarch and water, then pour into the cream mixture and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Keep it at a boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the bourbon. Serve warm. 

Be careful while making the whiskey sauce as melted sugar is ridiculously hot and burns like mad if you manage to get it on you.

NOTES 

When talking about egg whites, 'foaminess'  and 'stiff peaks' what are we talking about?  Foamy egg whites should be slightly opaque, mostly made of liquid but with some bubbles. Stiff peaks on the other hand are when you can pull your whisk out of the mixture and have it form a little mountain top, that doesn't fall over once you fully remove the whisk.  Still confused? Check out this page from The Spruce. 

Bourbon can be bought in small bottles from your local liquor store if you don't want to buy a large bottle just for one recipe. 

Let us know what you thought of the recipe over on our Facebook page, we would love to hear from you.  Or show us pictures, that would be awesome too! You can also leave a comment if you have any questions about the recipe, ideas for future recipes or questions that you have about your appliances at home. 

On that note, if you are having issues with your appliances, and Youtube hasn't been helpful (let's face it, they're not often) you can call us at (). Or you can set up an appointment and we'll have one of our technicians come out to help you. 

Credit for this photo goes to Louisiana Cookin’

Outdoor Kitchens: 7 Reasons You Want One Today

Every year we hear people talking about why they should get an outdoor kitchen, but so few people do. They talk and talk, but they never seem to decide to take the plunge, even though they're so useful!  We've put together 7 reasons you absolutely should put 'get an outdoor kitchen' on your to-do list for the summer. 

It will cut down your utility bills  

 This is a big one for many of us. If you've been with us for a while, you've seen that we like to help you save money when we can. An outdoor kitchen is a great way to do it, that not many people consider. 

Think about it,  if you're spending more time outside, your AC doesn't have to be cranked to max to keep your house cool. 

To really make the most of this you can install an awning, fan, or lots of green plants in your outdoor kitchen. All of these will help bring the temperature down on a hot Texas day.  If you can manage all three, say with an awning, a mobile fan, and then screens of green plants, you'll have created a small oasis for yourself. We all know that summers in Texas are unbearable, so why have everyone crammed into one or two rooms when you want to be together if you can spread out instead? 

They're great for entertaining

An outdoor kitchen is the perfect spot for entertaining. People can move around, talk with the cook, get drinks, and wander all without having to move from room to room. Where the food is, people gather and we love to socialize when we do. An outdoor kitchen doesn't have to be just a grill though, you can make it an entire oasis by bringing out lighting, furniture, patio heaters and more. What you can create in your outdoor kitchen is only limited by your imagination. 

An outdoor kitchen increases your home's value.

An outdoor kitchen is an investment in your home, and by comparison to most other outdoor projects, sees the most return on that investment.  

Additionally, most outdoor kitchen appliances and grills are stainless steel. They are easy to clean and built to withstand tough outdoor conditions, and the trend to be timeless (at least so far.) All of these add up to a long term investment that isn't going to go out of style or appear 'dated' if you decide to sell your home. 

Credit for the images goes to Country Living and Max Kim Bee

 Cooking becomes so much easier

- Most outdoor kitchens include everything you have inside, with an ice maker,  refrigerator,  side burners, and most importantly, the counter space. This means that you don't have to prep inside and move it outside, forgetting things you need and having to make multiple trips. Instead, everything you need is right there and you can get on with what you want to make. 

-When you cook inside, certain smells tend to linger. They'll seep into the walls and you'll be dealing with them for days, even if your vent hood is going full blast while you're cooking. Fish and deep-frying are two well-known culprits. With an outdoor kitchen, that's not the case. The air isn't restricted the same way it is inside, so the smells won't linger for any longer than it takes to clean the area. 

-No matter how hot things get, neither smoke nor heat will linger. This means that you're not overheating while cooking, or trying to air out the kitchen while also worrying about the food cooking properly. 

It gives you more room to spread out

Why build on an entirely new room with walls and a roof if you have a patio? As we said above with one or two tweaks you can make it into a small oasis, a kitchen, and a space to entertain guests on all sorts of occasions. Once you bring in the furniture you can expand the uses for it even further. With an awning or a solid roof added, you can even use it during rainy days. 

 Foods you cook are Healthier and Tastier

When you're cooking on the grill your foods, be they meat, vegetable or grain, tend to retain more of their flavor. They are also having the fat drip out of them, instead of sitting in it were it to be cooked in a  pan, which means that the end product is healthier too! 

You save money on eating out

When you have a  private dining area where you can enjoy the breeze, delicious healthy food, and the company of friends and family, without having to deal with other people's friends and family, why would you dine out? Every time you use your outdoor kitchen, you're keeping money in your wallet and building memories and bonds built around food. 

So, have we changed your mind? Are you considering turning your neglected patio into an outdoor kitchen? Let us know over at our Facebook page or in the comments. Even if you completely disagree, tell us that too! 

Whether you have an outdoor kitchen or not, we can still help with your appliances. All you need to do is place a call at ((214) 599-0055) or go to our website to set up an appointment and we'd be happy to help.  All of our clients matter to us, from Dallas to McKinney, and want to help keep your homes running.

Remodeling Your Kitchen Guide : Part 3 The DIY Timeline

Welcome back to our Kitchen Renovation series! If you missed parts one (creating the game plan)  and two (inspiration, features and layout) , not to worry! You can find them here and here. Don’t worry, we can wait. 

All caught up? Let’s get on with this month’s topic then, The DIY timeline. If you’re the type to get your hands dirty and want to see the project done just right, this post is for you.  There’s more to the process than just budgeting and figuring out what you want to do with what you have. Our next step is to plan it out. From experience we can say you DEFINITELY don’t want to try a full kitchen overhaul in one weekend, by yourself or even just with a friend or two. It takes some serious time to get it done right… unless of course this is what you do for a living. If so, have at it! (And tell us how you managed it? Because we are in awe.) 

You’ll want to start by looking at what time of year works best. Most people choose to do projects in the beginning of the year rather than the end because of the holidays. You don’t have to do it that way though if that’s your slow season at work. Maybe you’re like our blogger and cannot handle the heat of summer. All of that needs to be taken into account first. From there, think about kids and pets if you have either. If this is a large project, how will you keep them out of  the area?  Would doing it over school break of some type work?  

Grab a drink and your calendar and look at what works best for you and your life. When is there an open time that you can work around. Of course, this is also going to vary on just how large a project you’re doing. Figure out if you can do it in stages, or if you would rather get it all done in one long week (assuming that’s possible.) 

Once you have your time blocked out, celebrate! You’ve started the DIY process!

Six months before the start date 

Take this time to research what local regulations are and what permits you’ll need. Some communities will require that you pass a test before you take on large scale renovation projects. Get a binder and make a list of all the permits and what not. As you get each of them, put it in here. Keep this binder with you all the time, because everything is going to go into it. 

This is also the point when you should be looking through your inspiration board and choosing specifics. Are you replacing your appliances? Nail down the specific brand and who you’re buying it from. Are you painting and tiling? Figure out the exact color names and how much tile you’ll need. That sort of thing.

4 months before the start date

Grab your pencils and draw an accurate floor plan of your kitchen. (You can learn how to make one here with this great site.) Or you can hire a professional to make one for you. Make copies and stick it into your  project binder. 

Make a list of all of the things you need to either buy or rent, one project at a time, including all the tools, equipment and quantities of materials. 

Once you’ve done that, head over to your favorite store and make a detailed budget. Include things  like food and dining out if you’ll be doing more of that during the course of the project. 

Get all of your permits, and triple  check that they are in order. 

3 Months before the start date 

Source the materials and projects you’ll need, and place an order. Most shops will let you place orders in advance.

2 Months before the start date

Find a place that is both secure and temperature controlled where you can store all the tools and materials that won’t fit into your home. Make two lists. One that you save digitally, and one that goes into your binder. We suggest taking photos as well.

One week before the start date. 

Take all of your ‘before’ pictures.  We suggest doing two sets. One with everything in the kitchen and then once you’ve cleared out everything. Which of course means, you need to clear the room of everything. 

Arrange for pickup and disposal of both old appliances and materials, anything that you’re getting rid of needs to be done so safely. 

Make yourself a mini kitchen in another room including  a microwave, a mini fridge and either an electric kettle or a coffee maker. If you can’t do dishes in this room, stock up on paper plates and plastic utensils as well. 

Shield any connecting rooms, the floor and the air vents with protective covers.  Painters tape is your friend doing all of this. 

Go over your list of projects and make sure that everything you need is purchased and you know where it is. Also ensure that the projects are in order of how they need to be done if getting one done necessitates another being done already. (Such as getting the new cabinet in before you can put in the new sink and plumbing.) 

Check one last time that all of your permits are in order. (We all know of horror stories of wanting to do a project only to find out at the last minute that some permit or another is wrong or missing.) 

Go Day!

Work one project at a time and take pictures after you finish each step.  (Keep going, you can do it!) 

Take breaks and stay hydrated. It’s easy to get overheated and flustered and that’s never any good for you or your team.

When you’ve finished up

Make sure the kitchen has been cleaned thoroughly, including the air vents. Even with the best taping, it’s better to check. 

Go through the process of making sure that all of the work you’ve done is up to code, and has passed all inspections that are needed for local regulations. 

Scan the warranties and instruction manuals for your materials and products into something like Evernote or OneNote, for easier finding later.  (And less mess in the kitchen!)

Go through your binder one last time to make sure that all of your bills have been paid. Make sure to also compare your actual expenses to your original estimated budget. Did you do well? Cheer! Did you go over? It’s ok, chalk it up as a learning experience for the next time you do something like this. 

Take a bunch of ‘after’ photos and bask in the beauty of your new kitchen! You did it! 

If you’ve gotten this far, congrats! We hope that you enjoyed learning about this process with us. Next month we’ll be taking a look at the process of finding someone to redo your kitchen for you. 

If you have any questions, let us know over on our Facebook page. We love hearing from all of you and would love to know what questions you have about your home and appliances. 

Don’t forget that if your appliances are giving you any trouble, we’re only a phone call away.((214) 599-0055 ) Our clients in Richardson and the surrounding areas mean the world to us, and if phones aren’t your thing, you can also make an appointment on our website. 

Try Eggs Creole for Sunday Brunch

Welcome back everyone! With summer just around the corner, we wanted foods that make us think of lazy summer mornings. We went digging through our family recipe books and found this week’s recipe for Eggs Creole. 

Ingredients

3 ¾ cups water

¾ cups  regular grits, uncooked

1 cup diced smoked sausage - ¼ inch pieces

¼ cup shredded Cheddar cheese

2 Tbsp butter

¼ tsp salt

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 large egg, beaten

1 Tbsp milk

¾ cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs

Vegetable oil

Poached Eggs

Creole Sauce

Instructions

-Bring your  water to a boil in a large saucepan; then gradually stir in grits and return to a boil. 

-Cover, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until done. (Where done here means: the grits are soft and tender, and ‘feel’ different when you stir a spoon through them. ) 

-Remove the pot from the heat; stir in sausage, Cheddar, butter and salt. Spoon into a lightly greased 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan, pressing firmly and smoothing the surface. Cover and chill for 24 hours. 

-Turn grits out onto wax paper. Cut out 12 (2 ½ inch) rounds with a biscuit cutter, reserving remaining grits for other uses. 

-Sprinkle the rounds with flour, a light dusting, not a thick coat. 

-Combine egg and milk; dip rounds into egg mixture and dredge in breadcrumbs. 

-Pour oil to a depth of 1 inch into a large, heavy skillet. Fry the grits rounds in hot oil over medium-high heat 1-2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels. -Place 2 rounds on each plate; top each with a poached egg and Creole sauce. Serve immediately. 

Poached eggs 

Not sure how to poach an egg? Here’s how the process works. 

-Start by checking how fresh your eggs are. The fresher they are, the better they will hold together. You can see how to do this over at The Kitchn. 

-Next up, grab a pot with tall straight sides, and fill it with 3 inches of water. 

-Set your water to boil and add a mild vinegar to the water, for example rice wine. It won’t flavor the egg, but it does help it to stick together. 

-Wait until you see tiny bubbles at the bottom of your pot,but not a full roiling boil. Now reduce the heat low enough that you’ll keep that simmer going. 

-Now crack your egg into a bowl or a ladle and slip it gently into the water. 

-Leave it in the water for 2 minutes if you want the yolk to be still runny, or 3 minutes for a firmer yolk. Timing is crucial, so a timer on your phone or stove would be helpful. 

-Using a slotted spoon remove the egg from the water and set it to the side. 

-Repeat the process with the remaining eggs. 

Creole Sauce

1 medium onion, cut into thin strips

1 medium green pepper, cut into thin strips

2 stalks celery, cut into thin strips

2 cloves garlic minced

1 bay leaf

2 Tbsp butter 

2 tsp paprika 

2 medium tomatoes, diced

1 cup tomato juice

1 ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

1- 1 ½ Tbsp hot sauce

1 ½ Tbsp cornstarch

½ cup water

Cook the onion, pepper, celery, garlic and the bay leaf in butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until vegetables are tender-crisp. Stir in paprika, tomatoes, tomato juice, Worcestershire, and the hot sauce; simmer for 5 minutes or until moisture is reduced by one-fourth. 

Combine the cornstarch and water, whisking rapidly. Stir into sauce and return to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Remove and discard bay leaf. Serve warm. 

Notes 

If you don’t have any Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs on hand, you can make your own. 

This video from Alton Brown over at the Food Network is our favorite way of doing it. (And not just because he’s amusing to watch!) 

What do you think about this week’s recipe? Let us know over at our Facebook page, we’re eager to know what you think. Or if you have any suggestions for themes or recipes you want us to check out, let us know in the comments! We’re always interested in hearing from you. 

Don’t forget, if you have any problems with your appliances, you can always give us a call ((214) 599-0055) or set up an appointment with one of our technicians.  We care about our clients in Garland and the surrounding areas, and if you need assistance with your appliances, we want to help. 

Is An Instant Pot Worth The Hype?

For the last ten years people have been raving about one appliance, but does the Instant Pot hold up? If you haven’t already gotten one, or maybe you have but you haven’t opted to open it or use it much, we’ll walk you through them. What are they, what do they do, do they really work, and what can you make with them? We’ll go through all of these. 

A quick note first, it’s an Instant Pot, not an Instapot. We had it pointed out to us. 

Before we dig in, let’s clarify one thing, Instant Pot is a specific brand of ‘all in one appliances.’ Cusininart, Breville, Gourmia, TaoTronics, Mealthy and Ninja Foodi all have multi function pressure cookers that they sell, with similar functions. So why has this type of appliance become so popular? At first it was a novelty, and then it was realized that it was a very solid option. It saves both time and space within your kitchen, without sacrificing versatility.  We’re going to focus specifically on the Instant Pot brand for this article and see if after 10 years it still holds up to the hype. 

What is an Instant Pot and how does it work?  

While the different functions will vary based on which model you pick, there are some basic programs that will be available on most models. 

-Slow cooker

-Pressure cooker (most models let you choose  high or low pressure, or specific pressure settings like poultry or meat/stew)

-Rice cooker

-Steamer

-Saute/browning

-Yogurt maker

-Warmer

The community has also gotten inventive and found that you can do all sorts of things with different inserts such as cupcake molds, springform pans, or aluminum foil. 

Tip! Using aluminum foil lets you keep ingredients separate from each other which means you can cook your meats and veggies at the same time. 

Do they REALLY work? 

-How does the food taste? 

From experience, meats are amazing.  Fall off the bone tender, juicy and utterly fantastic. (90 minutes to get this. Just 90 minutes!) 

Vegetables are something we’re still experimenting with to figure out. Sometimes, they turn out amazing! Other times not so much. The one thing we’ve seen is that you don’t cook them with as much water as you think, or for as long. 

-Doesn’t that high heat destroy the nutrients? 

Nope! While it’s true that your food is going to go well above the boiling temperature when cooked in the Instant Pot, it’s not like cooking in a normal pot. Cooking at high pressure allows the heat to be distributed quickly and evenly throughout so you don’t have to immerse foods in water. In fact, you only need enough water to create the needed amount of steam and pressure within the Pot. Usually a cup is enough.  This means that the nutrients don’t leech into the water, nor do they get oxidized by exposure to air. 

-Doesn’t that mean I can over-cook the food? 

Nope. Instant Pot has both sensors and self-regulating features for both temperature and the amount of pressure.

Are there any rules to using them? 

-An important first note before saying ‘it doesn’t work.’ 

The Instant Pot (and all pressure cookers really) have to pressurize before the cooking countdown begins. You also have to wait at the end of the process to properly release the pressure. Depending on your model, you might have a ‘quick release’ feature. These times need to be counted into your recipe math. 

-Meals with less liquid will come up to pressure faster than those with a lot of liquid. For example meats vs soups. 

-If you need to thaw and then cook something, the best thing to do is just follow the normal cooking process in the recipe. The food will fully thaw as the Instant Pot comes  to pressure. 

-If you’re one to prep your foods ahead of time, make sure that they’re frozen in either bowls or boxes that will fit into the pot easily.  

-Layer your foods carefully. 

Because the Instant Pot works via bottom burners, it’s possible to burn your food. If the foods at the bottom don’t have enough moisture they can  burn. The good news is that the Pot has sensors that will shut off power if it looks like this is happening. 

-Wash carefully and often!

The Pot has a silicone ring for the locking lid. The ring is great but it’s silicone and that means it absorbs smells over time. If you notice that building up, take it out and wash it by hand, and here’s the link for how to clean it from over at The Kitchn.

-Check out “5 ways you’re using it wrong.” 

What things can you make with an Instant Pot? 

The list is frankly huge. There are entire sites and numerous books devoted to Instant Pot recipes. 

You can also check out the Good Housekeeping tried and tested recipes. No we’re not getting advertising money for this, though we wish! 

Or check out what The Kitchn has for recipes.

But if you want a list, try these random suggestions:

-Frozen foods

-Pasta with spinach, starch and veggies 

-Meats 

-Cheesecake

-Mac & cheese

-Giant Pancakes! 

- Veggies with rice and tikka masala 

- Soup

-Stock

-Chilis galore!

-Steel Cut Oats 

-Frozen chickens (Yes really, the heat and pressure means the bacteria is killed) 

- Baked potatoes -super creamy on the inside and if you want them to be crispy, toss them under the broiler for just a few minutes 

-There are people who have found ways to make crispy vegetables too! 

Should you get one? 

If you do choose to buy one, keep this in mind. 

A 3-quart pot is best for a small family of two or three people. 

The 5 and 6 quart sizes are best for families of 4-6. 

The 8-quart is large enough for families of six or more, or if you entertain better. 

-If you’re busy and on the go often, there are models like the Wi-Fi enabled version that allow you to monitor and control it via your smart phone. 

-Like we said up top, Instant Pot is the most well-known, but it’s not the only player in the game. If you want to buy one, it’s smart to check out all of the options. You might find one with additional features that fit your life better or a lower price tag. 

Although we will say that Instant Pot does go on sale quite often. 

So to us, yeah, we’d say that the Instant Pot has proven itself to be a useful appliance. It can replace several different appliances and people are still coming up with inventive ways to put it to use.  Whether you have a lot of time to prep and plan or you need to get food together fast, the Instant Pot is dead useful. 

Did that help? Do you feel like your questions about the Instant Pot have been answered? Let us know over at our Facebook! If we didn’t, and you tell us what we missed, we can always do a follow up post in the future. 

If you live in Dallas or the surrounding areas and your appliances aren’t working properly, we want to help! You can call us at (214) 599-0055 or click here to set up an appointment with one of our technicians.