View from the Innside

Banana Sorbet recipe

What a great way to use bananas that are very ripe--especially if you're tired of making banana bread or don't want to heat up the oven--and serve something extraordinary to your friends and family. We put a scoop of this on our bowl of fruit for breakfast. But you can take it far beyond this--think about a new version of banana splits using this sorbet, or just eat it for dessert with chocolate sauce....   Click here for a printer-friendly pdf page.

P.S. We have a 1-quart Cuisinart electric ice cream maker and use it all the time. My next experiment will be melon sorbet with those flavorful Tuscan melons from Costco.

Amazing Banana Sorbet

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

1 cup white sugar
1 cup water
1 cup mashed banana

In a small saucepan, stir together sugar and water. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and allow to cool.  When the sugar syrup is cool, process with bananas in a food processor or blender.  Put into airtight container and chill several hours or overnight.  Freeze in ice cream maker, chill to firm up. 

I’m having fun--come on along!

Kathy

Bottger Mansion of Old Town
historic bed & breakfast
110 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, NM   87104
www.bottger.com
follow us on Facebook

 

 

Strawberry Soup

This is one of our new summer favorites at the Bottger Mansion, and the recipe is shared by the Lookout Pointe Lakeside Inn in Hot Springs, Arkansas. While you may be tempted to leave out the peach schnapps, we've found that it adds a depth of flavor and richness you won't believe. It's so easy and great to make ahead for a summer brunch. Click here for a printer-friendly pdf file.

Ray’s Chilled Strawberry Soup

Lookout Pointe Lakeside Inn, Hot Springs, Arkansas
Serves 8

This strawberry soup is a guest favorite of the inn, and perfectly refreshing and light on a warm summer morning. This super easy recipe will make you a star in your own kitchen!

1 1/2 quart strawberries, hulled & halved
4 c. low fat buttermilk, divided use
3/4 c. sugar
2/3 c. sour cream
3 T. peach schnapps or apple juice
dollop of whipped cream
fresh mint sprigs

Process strawberries, 1 cup buttermilk and sugar in a food processor. Set aside. Whisk remaining 3 cups buttermilk, sour cream, and peach schnapps in a large bowl. Pour the strawberry mixture into the sour cream mixture. Whisk to combine. Cover and chill.  Serve chilled and garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and mint sprig.

I’m having fun--come on along!

Kathy
Bottger Mansion of Old Town
historic bed & breakfast
110 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, NM   87104
www.bottger.com
follow us on Facebook

Outrageous Orange French Toast

Ellen Gutman Chenaux from Birchwood Inn, one of the Bed and Breakfast Foodies, graciously shared this recipe for Outrageous Orange French Toast some time ago, and it has become a breakfast favorite at the Bottger Mansion of Old Town. Our only observation is that the Grand Marnier is a must--not optional!

Outrageous Orange French Toast

Ellen Gutman Chenaux, Birchwood Inn
Serves 6

6 eggs
1 c. orange juice (or 2/3 cup juice and 1/3 c. Grand Marnier)
1/3 c. milk or cream
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
rind of one orange, finely grated
9 slices of challah (egg bread), 1 inch thick, and cut each slice into two triangles
butter
powdered sugar
orange slices
maple syrup

Beat the eggs in a large bowl.  Add the juice (and Grand Marnier), milk or cream, sugar, vanilla, salt, and orange rind.  Mix well.  Dip the bread in the egg mixture, turning to coat both sides.  Melt the butter in a large skillet or on a grill on medium heat. Cook through, browning both sides.  Place three triangles per person, sprinkle with powdered sugar, and garnish with orange slices.

Serve with maple syrup (the real stuff!)

I’m having fun--come on along!

Kathy
Bottger Mansion of Old Town
historic bed & breakfast
110 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, NM   87104
www.bottger.com
follow us on Facebook

 

Cheese Souffle with Raspberry-Ancho sauce

This cheese souffle is much easier to make than you would think (in a blender!) and is great on its own, but the sauce makes it really special.

Sunrise Cheese Souffle

Adapted from a recipe from Cinnamon Morning Bed & Breakfast
Serves 4

1/2 lb. cheddar/Monterey Jack cheese blend, shredded
3 eggs, room temperature
1 c. cottage cheese
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. flour
1/4 c. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
fine dry bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray the inside of 4 individual soufflé cups (7 oz.) with baking spray and place on a baking sheet.  Divide cheese evenly into the soufflé cups.  Combine the cottage cheese, milk, flour, butter and eggs in a blender.  Process until smooth.  Pour the egg mixture into the soufflé cups.  Sprinkle with the crumbs.

Bake for 35 minutes.  Spread a puddle of sauce on the serving plate.  Run a knife inside the cup and carefully turn out each soufflé onto the serving plate.  Serve immediately.

 

Ancho-Raspberry Sauce 

Bottger Mansion of Old Town Bed & Breakfast
Serves 4

one whole ancho chile
4 oz. raspberry puree
1 1/2 T. sugar
1/2 T. cornstarch
1 T. Framboise raspberry liqueur

Wash chile and remove stem.  Place chile in a bowl with boiling water just to cover the chile; cover with plastic wrap.  Soak for 15 minutes. 

Combine sugar and cornstarch thoroughly in a small bowl.  Set aside.

Place chile with 4 oz. water in a blender; blend until pureed.  Run pureed chile through a food mill or sieve to strain out chile skin and seeds.  Place chile and raspberry puree in a heavy saucepan.  Bring to a simmer.  Whisk sugar and cornstarch mixture into the puree; bring to a boil.  Turn down the heat and simmer for a minute longer. Add Framboise; adjust for sweetness.

I’m having fun--come on along!

Kathy
Bottger Mansion of Old Townhistoric bed & breakfast
110 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, NM   87104
www.bottger.comfollow us on Facebook

 

Croissant French Toast a l'Orange recipe

Croissant French Toast is really special, and we served it at the Bottger Mansion of Old Town for breakfast on New Year's Day.  For a printer-friendly full-size pdf page, click here.

Croissant French Toast à l’Orange

adapted from Arroyo Village Inn
Arroyo Grande, California
6 servings

6 large croissants or 12 cocktail-size croissants, cut horizontally into top and bottom halves
9-oz. orange marmalade
3 oz. orange juice
5 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. almond extract

Place the bottom halves of croissants on a half-sheet pan or jelly-roll pan (pack them as tightly as possible).  In a small bowl, combine the marmalade with the orange juice; mix completely.  Spoon thinned marmalade over each croissant bottom half, saving a little to be used as a glaze for the tops of the croissants.  Place the croissant tops over the croissant bottom halves.  In a medium bowl, beat together the eggs, cream, milk and almond extract.  Pour this mixture over the croissants.  Spoon the remaining marmalade over the top of each croissant as a glaze.  Cover the baking sheet and refrigerate 8-10 hours, allowing the croissants to soak in the egg mixture. 

When ready to bake, remove the baking dish from the refrigerator and allow it to stand at room temperature for 45-60 minutes before baking.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray half-sheet pan with vegetable spray.  Using a spatula, remove the croissants out of the cream mixture to the greased baking sheet.  Leave space between the croissants.  Bake uncovered for 25 minutes.  For a nicer presentation, take a small knife and cut around the croissants before removing to plates—this will get rid of excess custard around the croissants.  Serve the croissants hot, garnished with strawberries and mandarin orange sections.  Offer syrup on the side.

Optional: strawberries, whole or sliced, for garnish fresh mandarin orange sections for garnish (or clementine, dancy, satsuma, or tangerine) syrup of choice

I’m having fun--come on along!

Kathy
Bottger Mansion of Old Town
historic bed & breakfast
110 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, NM   87104
www.bottger.com
follow us on Facebook

 

Crustless Green Chile Quiche

This recipe for a green chile quiche is one of our favorites--rich and creamy with a little New Mexico flavor of green chile. It's perfect to make for a special breakfast or brunch for a crowd.   Click here for a printer-friendly pdf version.

Crustless Green Chile Quiche

Adapted from A Taste of Enchantment
Serves 6-8

1/2 c. (1 stick) butter
1/2 c. flour
7 large eggs
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1 c. milk
1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (we use a mix of cheddar and Monterey Jack)
2 c. cottage cheese
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 4-oz. cans green chili, drained and briefly sautéed

 

        Heat the butter in a saucepan until melted and butter stops foaming.  Stir in the flour to make a roux.  Cook over medium-low heat until smooth, stirring constantly; remove from heat.  Whisk the eggs in a bowl until blended.  Add baking powder, salt, white pepper and milk; whisk until combined.  Slowly add the roux, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add cream cheese.  Stir in the Monterey Jack cheese, cottage cheese and green chili.  Pour the mixture into a greased 9x13-inch baking pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until set.  Cool for 10 minutes and cut into wedges.

Notes:  May use 10 small (individual) quiche dishes; bake for 35-40 minutes.

I’m having fun--come on along!

Kathy
Bottger Mansion of Old Town
historic bed & breakfast
110 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, NM   87104
www.bottger.com
follow us on Facebook

 

Caramel Pecan French Toast recipe

This is one of our favorites, and I just realized we've never posted it, so here it is. Click here for a printer-friendly pdf version.

Caramel Pecan French Toast

Steve Hiatt
Bottger Mansion of Old Town, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Serves 8-10

1 baguette, day old or somewhat stale, cut on bias into 1-inch slices
6 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
1 1/2 c. half-and-half
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
2 T. maple syrup
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. chopped pecans 

Arrange bread slices in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish.  Whisk eggs until combined and add vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, milk, and half-and-half.  Whisk until combined.  Spoon over bread, cover, and refrigerate 12 to 24 hours.  Remove from refrigerator 1/2 hour before baking. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a baking sheet with vegetable spray.  With a slotted spoon, remove bread slices from custard and place on greased baking sheet.

Meanwhile melt the butter in a medium saucepan.  Add brown sugar, maple syrup, and cinnamon.  Cook over low-medium heat until brown sugar is melted, stirring constantly.  Stir in pecans and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

I’m having fun--come on along!

Kathy

Bottger Mansion of Old Town
historic bed & breakfast
110 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, NM   87104
www.bottger.com
follow us on Facebook

 

Blue Cornmeal Pancakes recipe

Blue cornmeal pancakes with pine nuts are distinctly New Mexican, and you would be hard-pressed to find them outside of New Mexico unless they're made by very creative chefs like Bobby Flay.  They're always at hit at the Bottger Mansion of Old Town, and I've been asked to post the recipe.  For a printer-friendly version, click here.

If you're unable to find blue cornmeal or pine nuts locally, you can purchase them online.  The Chile Casa here in Old Town carries a wide variety of New Mexico food products and has an online store.

Blue Cornmeal Pancakes

Allrecipes.com
Makes 11 #20 scoop pancakes

3/4 c. blue cornmeal (3.75 oz)
1 tsp. salt
1 T. white sugar
1 c. boiling water
1 egg
3/4 c. milk
2 T. butter, melted (1 oz.)
3/4 c. all-purpose flour (3.75 oz.)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. pine nuts, toasted

In a medium bowl, mix together the blue cornmeal, salt and sugar.  Stir in the boiling water until all of the ingredients are wet.  Cover and let stand for a few minutes.

In a small bowl, lightly whisk the egg; add melted butter and whisk to combine.  Mix in the milk.  Stir the milk mixture into the cornmeal mixture.  Combine the flour and baking powder; stir into the cornmeal mixture until just incorporated.  If the batter is stiff, add a little more milk until it flows off the spoon thickly but smoothly.

Heat a large cast iron griddle over medium heat and grease it with a dab of butter.  Use about 2 tablespoons of batter (#20 scoop) for each pancake.  Quickly sprinkle a few pine nuts onto each cake.  When the entire surface of the pancakes is covered with bubbles, flip them over and cook the other side until golden.  It’s hard to tell when blue food is cooked through, so give them a few extra seconds if you’re in doubt.

Serve immediately with maple syrup or fruit preserves.

I’m having fun--come on along!

Kathy

Bottger Mansion of Old Town
historic bed & breakfast
110 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, NM   87104
www.bottger.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hash Brown Casserole Recipe

This hash brown casserole is comfort food at its best and is great for brunch, since you can just pop it in the oven and finish preparing the rest of brunch while it's baking.   Click here for a printer-friendly version.

Hash Brown Casserole

Bottger Mansion of Old Town Bed & Breakfast
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Serves 6

1 lb. shredded hash brown potatoes

1/2 T. Mrs. Dash
1 tsp. kosher salt
4 T. butter, melted
1 c. diced cooked ham, optional (add 1/2 tsp. salt if omitting ham)
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chile
1/4 medium onion, chopped
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
2/3 c. milk
pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Spray 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.

In a bowl, combine hash browns with Mrs. Dash and kosher salt.  Drizzle with melted butter and mix.  Press onto the bottom of the baking dish.  Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until beginning to brown.

In a small bowl, combine ham, green chile, onion and shredded cheese.  In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and pepper to taste.  While hash browns are still hot, spread ham mixture evenly over hash browns, then cover with egg mixture.  

Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F.  Bake in preheated oven for 28-30 minutes or until filling is puffed and golden brown.

I’m having fun--come on along!

Kathy

Bottger Mansion of Old Town
historic bed & breakfast
110 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, NM   87104
www.bottger.com

 

Blueberry French Toast Casserole

We're always looking for new recipes, and this one is a favorite at the Bottger Mansion Bed & Breakfast.  

This is an easy recipe, great for Christmas breakfast or brunch with friends, leaving you plenty of time to share coffee and enjoy conversation while it finishes baking.  Just a few minutes to slice and plate it and you're done!  Click here for a one-page print version.

Blueberry French Toast Casserole

adapted from a recipe from Donna Sparks at the Granite Steps B&B

14 oz. milk
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
7 large eggs
16 oz. loaf French bread, cut into 1” cubes
3 oz. cream cheese, cut into 1/2” cubes
1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 c. chopped pecans

Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.  Place milk, sugar, vanilla, salt, syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, and eggs in a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer until smooth.  Add bread cubes and stir with a spoon until coated.  Pour bread mixture into pan.  Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.

Heat oven to 400F.  Top bread mixture evenly with cream cheese, blueberries and pecans.  Bake uncovered 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  Cut into servings.  Dust with powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup. 

Note:  don’t be too generous with the blueberries—they release moisture while baking and too many will make the center soggy.

I’m having fun--come on along!

Kathy

Bottger Mansion of Old Town
historic Bed & Breakfast
110 San Felipe Street NW
Albuquerque, NM   87104
www.bottger.com