Parsley Suzanne: Strata for the New Year Part I

Here's 2010. It still sounds futuristic....and yet we're a decade into it. And here I am, finally joining the 21st century with a blog of my own. It will be about eating well, living lightly, and my dog Parsley....!

So I made strata. This version is rich with egg and cheese, warm with nutmeg, and crunchy with a thin brown crust all around. Obviously, it's great for a special brunch. But according to Recipezaar, one serving has almost 24 grams of fat. How could it be healthier so it could be eaten a few days for a quick breakfast? I think it could use about twice as many veggies and half as much bread to make up for all those eggs and all that cheese. The bread also keeps the cost down--it takes up a lot of room for the price. So the additions need to be economical. The Gruyere cost me about $5, plus it is a little fatty. So the cheese could use a change, as well. If you have any ideas, leave them in the comments. I'll be trying a healthier version soon!

Spinach Mushroom Strata

serves 4 (or double it and use a 3 quart casserole)

5 oz frozen spinach, thawed

1 cup finely chopped onion (1 medium)

5 oz mushrooms, chopped

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon salt (divided)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

4 cups whole wheat bread, cubed (1 inch)

3 oz coarsely grated Gruyère (1 cup)

1 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/2 cup)

1 1/2 cups milk

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

(the wine is for the cook!)

Squeeze the liquid from spinach and set aside. Heat butter over medium heat and cook onion and mushrooms until soft.

Add 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper and nutmeg and cook for one minute. Add spinach, stir, and remove from heat.

In a lightly buttered 1 1/2 to 2 quart casserole, spread one third of the bread cubes across the bottom, then 1/3 of the spinach mixture, then 1/3 of the Gruyere, and 1/3 of the Parmesan.