March 8, 2008

Cleaning-Out-The-Fridge Cake

By cake, I mean a savory cake that is baked in a long, narrow loaf pan.

I've come up with a savory cake batter that allows me to throw in whatever needs to be used up in the fridge. I always have bits of cheese lying about and often have bacon, ham or even leftover roasted chicken. Add some sautéed vegetables for texture and flavor, mix it up, bake it and voilà! Dinner is served!

I call it Cleaning Out The Fridge Cake.



The basic batter recipe:
3 large eggs
1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup milk - whole or 2%
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix everything together in a big bowl.

Then you fold in:
4 ounces grated cheese such as Gruyère, Comté or Swiss
4 - 8 ounces sautéed vegetables such as zucchini, peppers, fennel, onions, jarred roasted red peppers or roasted tomatoes
8 ounces soft cheese such as chèvre or feta
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs or 1 teaspoon dried
freshly ground black pepper
optional: 1/4 - 1/2 cup of diced ham or diced, cooked chicken, smoked salmon, dried fruit, pitted olives

Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Serve warm or cold.





Create the ultimate combination to suit your taste!
Some great ones are smoked salmon and sautéed fennel, ham and olives. Chèvre, plumped up golden raisins and mint. Mozzarella, sun dried tomato and rosemary.

The amount of additional salt and freshly ground pepper will depend upon what ingredients you're using.


Yesterdays bread with roasted red peppers, fresh goat cheese, herbes de provence and grated Comté cheese.

Here are a few more savory cake recipes with slightly different batter recipes.
Roquefort and Pear Cake
Savory Cheddar-Chive Bread
Roquefort Walnut Savory Loaf Pin It

11 comments:

Katie Zeller said...

What a great idea! I sometimes have those leftover bits... when I can keep mon mari from nibbling on them...

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the great idea. This reminds me of wonderful cheese bread we used to get from a local bakery in our old neighborhood. I will definitely give this a try.

Jennifer said...

katie,
:) You'll have to hide them from him!


beth,
I remember cheese bread from a store when I was growing up. It was very rich and cheddar-y.
I hope you like this recipe!

Betty Carlson said...

I often clean out my fridge in quiches or omelettes, but for some reason always drag out Les Cakes de Sophie when I want to make a cake salé! Thanks for the inspiration.

Jennifer said...

betty,
I don't have that book but have looked at it several times at the bookstore. Do you use it a lot?

Quiches and omelettes are great ways to clean out the fridge. I make fritattas too.

Proud Italian Cook said...

While cleaning out your frig you've created a gourmet treat. This looks delicious, what a great idea!!

Anonymous said...

I love the name of this bread, but I'll be impressed when I can create something from old bean dip, kale, cottage cheese and last night's left overs ...we are in business.

Anonymous said...

Excellent idea; need to remember this. But I also have to say your blog should come with a warning, "Do Not Read on an Empty Stomach." :)

winedeb said...

Perfect idea! I am always trying to think up something new to do with all the leftover spoons of veggies, etc. And cannot go wrong with addition of cheese in anything!

Jennifer said...

Proud Italian cook,
We ate the last of it over the weekend, sliced and toasted a bit. it was delicious!
I hope you give it a try.

Colleen
I would love to see the unique recipe you invent with those ingredients!


Kim,
:)
I'll post that warning soon!

winedeb,
Cheese is a wonderful thing, isn't it?

bengaltigerlily said...

I made this & it was amazing!!!