In her own words: "As well as offering fresh ideas for family meals alongside some tried-and-trusted favorites, this book aims to make this process more streamlined so that your time in the kitchen is spent wisely, producing, where possible, one meal for all and making good use of leftovers, as well as batching and freezing and preparing ahead." — Caroline Bretherton
What we made:
Brie and Cranberry Walnut Toasts (Page 243)
8 slices of walnut bread
1/2 cup cranberry sauce
9 ounces soft, ripe Brie cheese, cut into thin slices
leafy green salad to serve (optional)
1. Preheat the broiler to a medium hot setting. Lay the slices of bread on a baking sheet or in the broiler pan and toast them under the broiler on each side until golden brown, making sure they don’t burn. (Or toast the bread in a toaster.)
2. Spread each slice of toast evenly with 1 tablespoon of cranberry sauce and cover evenly with the slices of Brie.
3. Put the toasts back under the broiler and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the Brie is melted and bubbling. (You may have to do this in batches.) Serve up as a snack or with a leafy green salad!
Clever with leftovers: This is a really great way to use up leftover cranberry sauce and cheese after Christmas, when small, easy-to-prepare snacks come into their own.
Our assessment: Great for noshing! We used whole berry cranberry sauce but the jellied variety would work well, too. The walnut bread we bought at Kroger already had cranberries in it, so it worked well in this recipe. If you can't find walnut bread, try raisin bread, other sweetened breads or even an English muffin. It's also delicious on sprouted bread. This recipe will come in handy when unexpected guests drop in during the holidays.
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