Fontina, Asparagus and Leek Strata
Source of Recipe
Source: Cooking Light magazine
List of Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine
5 cups (1-inch) sliced asparagus (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 cups thinly sliced leeks (about 3 small)
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons minced fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
12 (1-ounce) thin slices firm white sandwich bread (such as Pepperidge Farm)
Cooking spray
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fontina cheese, divided
2 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
3 large eggs
1 large egg white
1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs (about 3 slices)
Recipe
Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add asparagus, leeks, and water. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in parsley, tarragon, lemon rind, salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
Arrange half of bread slices in a single layer in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top bread slices with half of asparagus mixture, and sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat procedure with the remaining bread, asparagus mixture, and 1/2 cup cheese.
Combine 1/8 teaspoon pepper, milk, eggs, and egg white, and stir with a whisk until well-blended. Pour the milk mixture over strata. Cover strata, and chill for 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Uncover strata; sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until set.
TIPS:
To serve 12, double the strata (assemble in two 13 x 9-inch baking dishes). Bake side-by side in the oven, and add 10 minutes to the cooking time if needed.
Stratas are meant to be put together in advance and refrigerated several hours or before baking, which makes them ideal for a plan-ahead meal.
Choose firm, bright green asparagus stalks with tight tips. It's best cooked the same day it's purchased but will keep tightly wrapped in a plastic bag for 3 to 4 days.
Leeks look like really big green onions. They have a mild flavor that tastes like a combination of garlic and onion. Refrigerate them in a plastic bag up to 5 days. Before using, trim the rootlets and leaf ends. Slit the leeks vertically, and wash thoroughly to remove any dirt trapped between the layers.
To easily chop the parsley, place the leaves in a measuring cup, and snip away using kitchen scissors.
One medium lemon will give you 2 to 3 teaspoons of lemon rind. Be sure to wash the fruit prior to zesting. If you have it, use a citrus zester or microplane grater; otherwise, you can use a fine cheese grater. Only remove the colored part of the peel - the white portion is bitter.
Fontina cheese is a mild, nutty, creamy cheese. Substitute Swiss or Muenster cheese if you can't find fontina.
To make fresh breadcrumbs, place bread in a food processor or blender, and pulse until crumbled.
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