Fabulous French Toast

I recently had a craving for French toast that just would

not go away.  This was unusual as I had not eaten it in several years. 

Mostly because I frequently found restaurant versions to be way

too sweet for my taste and I had this idea that it was

difficult to make well at home. 

Turns out, the latter is not true at all.  

 I made French toast for breakfast yesterday and it

was so good and ridiculously easy to make. 

Here's the recipe:

1/2 c. all-purpose flour

2 c. milk

1/4 tsp. salt

6 eggs

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 TBSP white sugar

12 thick bread slices (I used Texas Toast)

1.  Measure flour into a large mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in the milk.

Whisk in the salt, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla extract

and sugar until smooth.

2.Heat a lightly oiled griddle over medium heat.

3.  Dip bread slices in mixture and saturate.

 

4.  Cook bread on each side until golden brown.

Served with bacon and fresh fruit. 

DIY Breadcrumbs

I decided to try making my own breadcrumbs today because...

well, it just seemed silly to run to the store for them

when I have plenty of bread available. 

At my daughter's request, I am preparing spaghetti and meatballs

for dinner tonight.  The meatball recipe is fabulous

and can be found here.

Back to the breadcrumbs... they're super easy to make.

Just add bread to a blender (1-2 pieces at a time)

and chop until they reach a fine consistency.

Then, spread over a baking sheet and bake at 200*,
stirring every 15 min. or so

until the crumbs are completely dry.
(Mine took about 40 min.)

Remove from oven and cool.
Store in an airtight container.

Since we're going Italian tonight, I took the recipe a step further

by stirring in the following ingredients for seasoning into 1 c. breadcrumbs:

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. dried parsley flakes

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried basil

So much better than the store bought breadcrumbs!

We Scream for Ice Cream!

We recently purchased an ice cream maker and I'm having fun with
collecting new recipes to try. I'm starting with the basics. 
The first batch was vanilla and and it
was devoured within 24 hours. 

Today, at hubby's request, I'm making chocolate. 

It's churning away in the kitchen right now.

My daughter served as a kitchen helper today. 

I was in charge of measuring and she was in charge of pouring

and mixing.  Everything was going great until we realized

we did not have enough ice to fill the maker.

This is when we made a mad dash out the door and jumped

in the car for a quick trip to the store.  All the way there

we were screaming, "Ice Cream Emergency!!!" and making siren noises. 

We then raced into the store, located the ice,

and got right back out in record time,

laughing the whole way.

Bring On the Bacon!

I am just coming out of a vegetarian phase. 

Not an unusual thing for me though as I have maintained

a similar cycle of eating habits throughout my life

in which I'm loving all kinds of meat and having fun

experimenting with new recipes and preparation

methods and then I'm suddenly repulsed by it

and I go vegetarian. 

This goes on for awhile and then I'm back. 

This is where I am today.

Today I am going to have a sandwich of turkey, bacon, 

avocado and provolone on rye.

Also on the menu for this week:  pork chops, steak kabobs, and crab.

  Mmmm...bacon.

Caprese Appetizers

I am loving mozzarella lately!  I can eat it plain, jazzed up
with seasonings, breaded, fried, and placed
on top of a salad.  It's all good!

A few nights ago, I served it caprese style - on a stick.

The flavors are simple and wonderful.

This is all you need:

cherry tomatoes, halved


fresh basil leaves

small marinated mozzarella balls

toothpicks

olive oil

salt and pepper

1.Thread a tomato half, a basil leaf, and a mozzarella ball
onto toothpicks until all ingredients are used.

2.  Drizzle the olive oil over the tomato, cheese and basil.

3.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Serve immediately.

This was a nice contrast to the heavier pasta

I served at dinner.

Dinner on the Deck

Sometimes hubby and I go out on Friday or Saturday night but

when we don't, and the weather is nice, we like to have

"Dinner on the Deck." This can involve firing up the grill

but not always. Sometimes I'll cook in the kitchen

and the two of us will carry our plates outside. The kids

usually stay in and play games, watch TV, whatever,

and since we all have dinner together on the other nights,

this is okay with us.

Our back deck is a nice atmosphere for dining in

because we mostly face old, established trees that

are surrounded and inhabited by an abundance of birds

and other critters, like squirrels, rabbits,

and neighborhood cats.

This is what we like to call "The Nature Show".

Tonight we're grilling spicy beef kabobs and serving them

over white rice jazzed up with garlic and onion.

On the side, we're having pita bread with cucumber raita.

Makes me hungry just thinking about it!

Gorgeous Green Beans

I served these last night with broiled halibut steaks and new potatoes seasoned with butter and parsley. My husband commented twice about the colorful presentation. It was so pretty I wish I had taken a photo of my entire plate but I was just so hungry it didn't occur to me at the time.

Here's the recipe:

1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans

1/4 c. real butter

1 1/2 tsp. sugar

3/4 tsp. garlic salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

2 tsp. fresh basil, chopped

2 c. cherry tomato halves

1. Place beans large saucepan and cover with water.

2. Cover saucepan and bring to a boil.

3. Reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes.

(I like to taste a bean every once in awhile to make

sure they don't get overcooked.)

4. Drain in colander and set aside.

5. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.

6. Stir in sugar, garlic salt, pepper and basil.

7. Add tomatoes, and cook stirring gently just until soft.

8. Add green beans to the skillet and toss gently to blend.

These could possible be my favorite green beans - ever!

Fabulous Crab Cakes

When shopping for crab meat you will see it categorized

as either back fin, claw, or lump.

For crab cakes, you want lump meat.

Crab meat generally costs

$20 - $30 per pound.

Imitation crab meat (usually white pollock)

is an economical alternative but, in my opinion,

it's just not the same.

We don't have it very often though so I like to splurge

and get the good stuff!  It's definitelly worth it!

This is the recipe that I use every time we

have crab cakes and they are always delicious:

1/3 c. Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs

1/4c. green bell pepper, seeded and diced

1/4c. red bell pepper, seeded and diced

2 green onions, thinly sliced

4 TBSP fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce

2 egg whites

2 TBSP mayonnaise

1 TBSPfresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning

1/4 tsp. dry mustard

1/4 tsp. onion powder

18 oz. crabmeat, drained and flaked

1/2 c. Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs

1 c. olive oil

 

1.  Wrap peppers in a paper towel and squeeze

out excess liquid.

 

2.  In a medium size bowl, toss together the 1/3 cup bread

crumbs, green bell pepper, red bell pepper,

green onions, and parsley.

 

3.  Mix in the egg whites, mayonnaise, lemon juice,

Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard.

 

4.  Season with Old Bay seasoning, dry mustard,

and onion powder.

 

5.  Fold crabmeat into the mixture.

 

6.  Form into 6 large cakes.

 

7.  Coat in the remaining 1/2 cup bread crumbs.

 

8.  Place crab cakes in freezer for 20-30 minutes.

(This helps to keep them from falling apart

during the frying process.)

 

9. Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet.

Fry the cakes 5 minutes on each side,

or until evenly brown.

Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.

 

I like to sprinkle these with a little more Old Bay

just prior to serving with a red pepper sauce.

Sage Pork Chops

I have been making these pork chops for several

years now and they are always a hit!

In fact, they are one of my youngest son's

absolute favorite meals!

Here is the recipe:

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. dried sage

1 tsp. ground black pepper

4-6 center cut pork chops

2 TBSP real butter

1 c. water

2 cubes beef bouillon

 

1.  Combine the salt, sage, and black pepper in a small bowl

and rub on both sides of the chops.

 

2.  Melt the butter or margarine in a large skillet over

medium high heat and saute the chops until well browned.

3.  Meanwhile, in a separate small saucepan over

high heat, combine the water and the bouillon and stir

until bouillon dissolves.

4.  Add this to the chops, reduce heat to low,

cover and simmer chops for 45 minutes.

Enjoy!

Perfect Corn on the Cob

Corn on the cob could not be simpler to make on the stove.

Boil some water, add corn with a touch of sugar. 

That's it.

But how do you know when it's done?

Easy.

After the corn has been boiling for about 10 minutes,
there will be a definite moment when
the scent of corn will fill the air.

All of a sudden, the kitchen smells amazing!

That's how you know it's ready!

Top with butter, salt and pepper, maybe
a little squeeze of lime and some
cayenne pepper and enjoy!

Okra in the Oven

Sometimes the simplest dishes are the best!

This okra is fantastic!  Seriously.

What makes it so great is the fact that 1) it is not fried;
and 2) there is absolutely no sliminess to the vegetables whatsoever. 
Never been a fan of the slime factor with okra. 
That is no longer an issue though as this is my

new and improved way of preparing okra.

This is all you do:

1.  Slice okra about 1/3" thick.

2.  Drizzle lightly with olive oil.

3.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

4.  Bake (425*) on a foil-covered pan for about 10-15min.

Yum!

Pasta e Olio

This is an easy, satisfying, budget-friendy meal
that my family loves! 

I especially like this dish for those times when the pantry
 is getting bare, I don't feel like going to the store, and, the
reality is, we do still have to eat. :)

The ingredients are things I keep in stock pretty much
all the time:

1 pound spaghetti


2 teaspoons chopped garlic

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup melted butter

1/2c. grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1.In a large pot with boiling salted water cook spaghetti
pasta until al dente. Drain.

2.Meanwhile, in a large skillet over low heat saute garlic,
parsley, and red pepper flakes with olive oil .

Cook until garlic turns golden in color, about 10 minutes.

3.Toss pasta with garlic mixture and butter.
 
4. Top with parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

  You could even jazz this up further by adding fresh
tomatoes, spinach, mushooms, etc.

Eating Weeds

Have you ever eaten dandelion greens?

They are an amazing source of vitamins and can be eaten raw or
cooked, just like spinach.

As part of our ongoing quest to try new foods, I picked up a bunch
of dandelion greens at the market.

I served them as a salad with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette and...

hubby and I are not fans.

Our son seemed to enjoy it though as he went back for seconds.

The taste is very bitter.  I had already read this and so decided
to add slices of mango to the salad to counteract the intensity of the
greens.  This actually was a good idea and it did work but
the flavor of the salad was just too intense overall.

Are we likely to try dandelion greens again?  Yes.
Hubby and I agreed though that these are better suited
to be blended with other, milder greens.

Mayan Couscous

If you've never had couscous, I highly recommend trying it. 
It's even easier to make than rice. 
Seriously, you can't mess it up.

The blackbeans, corn, cilantro, jalapeno...it's just all very yummy together. You can find the recipe here.

 We had this last night with tofu tacos and it was fabulous!
Even with the jalapeno, this really is not a hot dish. 
I think this is what made it such a nice
compliment to our spicier tacos.

1 cup couscous
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 1/4 cups boiling water
1 clove unpeeled garlic

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup canned whole kernel corn, drained
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
 
1.Combine the couscous, cumin, and salt in a large bowl.
Stir in the boiling water and seal with plastic wrap.
Set aside for 10 minutes.


2.While waiting for the couscous, cook the unpeeled
garlic clove in a small skillet over medium-high heat until toasted and
the skin has turned golden-brown. Peel the garlic and mince.
Stir the garlic into the couscous along with the black beans,
corn, onion, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, olive oil, and lime juice.
 
Serve warm or allow to cool.
 

The recipe makes alot but that's okay
because the leftovers will be my lunch today!  ;)

Asparagus with Pecans and Parmesan

We love asparagus!  I normally saute it in a little butter, olive oil, and garlic.  Then top it with salt, pepper, and parmesan.  I've been preparing it that way for awhile now and it's very good.

However, when I came across this recipe here, I was curious about the addition of chopped pecans and decided to give it a try.  The presentation is gorgeous and the combination of flavors is delicious!

The recipe is as follows:

(with my minor adjustments)

1 bunch asparagus spears, ends trimmed

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 (8 ounce) package sliced mushrooms

1/2 small onion, minced

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

 

1.Steam the asparagus by placing in a skillet with about 1/2" water and covering until desired tenderness.r Drain and remove to a serving dish; keep warm.

2.Meanwhile, melt half of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once melted (it's ok if it begins to brown), stir in the sliced mushrooms, and cook until they brown, soften, and begin to release their liquid; pour into a serving dish, and set aside. Melt the remaining butter in the skillet, and stir in the onions. Cook until the onions soften and turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Season with garlic powder, basil, salt and pepper. Stir in the chopped pecans, and cook for a minute more.

3.Sprinkle the onion mixture with half of the Parmesan cheese, and stir in the reserved mushrooms. Pour over the asparagus in the serving dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Enjoy!