Muffin cup omelets - super easy!

The Only Wyndi and I were chatting the other day about easy, make-ahead breakfast recipes and she mentioned this one to me. So, I tried it out and we LOVE IT! It makes between 8-12 individual muffin cup omelets.  Once they are baked you can store them in a gladware in your fridge and reheat them in the microwave for a fast, healthy breakfast.

8 ounces of turkey bacon - Dr.Eric recommend Trader Joe's brand because they are free of nitrites and nitrates; you can use whatever kind you like
1 egg per strip of bacon - Again Trader Joe's brand has about 8-9 slices per package
spalsh of half and half or whole milk - you can use skim or 2% but your eggs won't be as fluffy
about 1/2up of shredded cheese

Preheat your oven to 350  degrees. Take your muffin pan and spray the sides and bottom with cooking spray. There is some fat in the bacon, but not enough to keep the sides from sticking.  Then, wrap your turkey bacon around the insides like little muffin cups.  The bottoms will not be covered with bacon.  Just the sides.  Crack all your eggs in one bowl; then add all the other ingredients and whip until blended.  If you have a stick blender, you can use the whisk attachment on it (I do!).  Then just pour the mixture evenly between the cups.  The cups will be full, so move them to the over carefully.  Bake them for 22-25 minutes or until the eggs are done.  Remove them from the oven and let them cool completely before moving them to your refrigeration container.  To reheat - place them on a plate and cover them.  Heat in the microwave for about 45 seconds. 

The first time I made these I only put cheese in them. This time, I added diced tomatoes. You can add any veggies you like, but remember that veggies add water which means you should cut back on the milk that you add or your eggs will be runny.  I suggest making them once with just cheese to see how they bake, and then start experimenting with other veggies.

crockpot french dip sandwiches with gravy dip

I love love love McAllister's Deli's french dip sandwiches because they serve it with "comeback" gravy. And I do. Come back that is.  But eating out gets expensive, so I found a recipe and tweaked it a tad.  I have to say, it was pretty amazing.  And, it's a crockpot meal so it has the added bonus of being  quick and easy.  It makes about 4 sandwiches.

1 1/2 lbs of boneless round steak
1 envelope of onion soup mix (we couldn't find any without msg, but I am on the hunt.)
12 ounces of beef stock (KITCHEN BASICS brand!)
8 ounces of shredded cheese - I used mozzarella but you can use any kind you like
1 loaf of bakery French bread

Combine the beef stock and the onion soup mix in the crock pot and then add the meat.  Cook it on low for 8 hours.  Remove the meat and gently pull it apart with a fork. DO NOT THROW AWAY THE JUICE IN THE CROCK POT! You need that for the gravy.  Cut the French bread into four sections and then open them up.  Layer meat and top with cheese.  Wrap them individually in foil and pop them in a 375 degree oven for 15 minutes.  While the cheese on the sandwiches is melting, dump the juice into a sauce pan and bring it to a boil.  In a small cup mix about 2 tbs of corn starch with enough water to make it liquid. Add it to the boiling pot and reduce the heat to a simmer.  Whisk it while it simmers until it thickens. If two tbs of corn starch isn't enough, mix up some more and add. Just be a little careful; the gravy can get too thick.  Season the gravy to taste.

I served this with sliced cucumbers and hummus and potato chips (not terribly healthy, I know, but I LOVE to dip the potato chips in the gravy!)

Honey Nut Banana Bread

I won't say that this is a very healthy recipe because I did used bleached, enriched flour(that's all I had), but it doesn't have any sugar in it, so that counts for something! This is not as sweet as regular banana bread, but it is so good.

3 very ripe bananas
1 cup of honey
1/2 cup of butter softened
2 eggs
1/4 cup whole milk (you can use what you have, but whole milk is amazing in baked goods)
2 1/2 cups of self rising flour
1 tsp vanilla
chopped walnuts  - I used 1/4 cup because I don't love walnuts, but you could use up to 1 cup if you like

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and grease only the bottom of a 9" loaf pan.  I used metal, but you can use glass; you'll just have to watch that it doesn't brown too quickly.  If you use a glass pan, I would recommend putting it on the lowest rack of your oven to avoid it cooking too quickly on the top. 
Using a mixer, mix the butter and the honey until blended a somewhat smooth.  Add the eggs and mix them completely in.  Try to keep the speed low.  This is a quick bread and doesn't have to be beaten like cake batter.  Add the milk, the vanilla, and the bananas and beat until somewhat smooth.  If you are using a stand mixer, remove the bowl.  If you are using a hand mixer, PUT IT DOWN! Get out a wooden spoon and stir in the flour until it is moistened.  Stir it 10 good times and WALK AWAY! Pour the batter into the loaf pan, smooth it out, and place it in the oven.  Bake it for 55 minutes and then check the middle for doneness.  If it is a little gooey in the middle, you can take it out if you like yours a little underdone or give it another five minutes.  It should be a little springy when you touch the top, like a muffin.  Cool it in the pan for about 30 minutes and then you can remove it, slice it, and slather it with butter. 

Easiest BBQ chicken ever

Okay so again, use chicken thighs for this recipe.  I am discovering that chicken thighs are so much tastier and far cheaper than chicken breasts.  This bbq chicken is to die for.  I served it with hoecakes and baked beans. I love this meal for a busy week night because you can load the crock pot before work and then you only need about 15 minutes to finish getting dinner ready once you get home.

BBQ chicken
Put frozen - yes, frozen - chicken thighs in the crock pot and cover with one bottle of bbq sauce.  Add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water.  Turn the crock pot on low and let them cook for at least 6 hours.  I let mine go 8 hrs and the meat just feel off the bone.  When you take them out, coat them in a little sauce if you like.

Hoecakes
1 cup of self rising flour
1 cup self rising cornbread mix
2 eggs
1 tbs sugar
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
1/3 cup plus 1 tbs of water 

butter or oil for frying

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, except for the oil or butter you will use for frying.  Heat your oil in your pan over medium high heat until it's shimmery.  Using an ice cream scoop, spoon the batter about 2 tbs at a time into the pan to make little corn pancakes.  Fry until golden brown on one side and then flip and fry the other side.  Paula Deen suggests that you eat these with molasses, but I just like to put butter on mine. 

Turkey burgers with goat cheese and curry

DO NOT BE AFRAID OF THE CURRY! I have heard a lot of people say how much they hate curry, but trust me on this one. When used properly, it is so amazing! These turkey burgers were to die for, I promise. 

One lb of ground turkey - preferably all white meat. I don't love the texture of the mixed.
5 oz of goat cheese - NOT FETA (there is a difference)
1/2 cup of Italian style bread crumbs
1 egg
1 1/2 tbs of mild yellow curry powder

Dump everything in a bowl large enough to get it all mixed well.  USE YOUR HANDS.  That is the only way you will get it all mixed well.  Once it is mixed, form medium sized patties. I think I got 5 out of this recipe, but you could make them a little bigger if you only need 4.

Heat enough olive oil in your pan to cover the bottom of the pan over medium high heat.  It will seem like too much, but this will help get a nice golden brown crust on the patties.  Wait until the oil is shimmery and then put the turkey patties in the oil.  LEAVE THEM ALONE for a full 5 minutes. Your patience will be rewarded :) If you feel like they are burning, adjust the heat.  Gently check the browning.  If they aren't brown enough, give them another minute or two.  Flip and LEAVE THEM ALONE again. 

I served this with roasted brussel sprouts and couscous( from a box) . 

Roasted Sprouts:
1 bag of fresh sprouts - you can find them in the produce section.  Do not use frozen(ick)
olive oil
salt
pepper

Cut the bottoms off the sprouts; then cut the sprouts in half.  Lay them out on a baking sheet and coat with olive oil.  Season and pop a 325 degree oven for 25 minutes. 

Crispy skinned chicken thighs with butternut squash risotto

Dustin and I really try to eat at home most nights of the week, mostly because we like things we can make better than what we can find in typical restaurants.  So, I've had to get a little more creative lately with our dinner since we've gotten a little bored with the standard boneless skinless chicken.

Chicken thighs are a newly acquired taste for me.  I used to be a strictly white meat kind of girl when it comes to chicken.  However, the price tag on the chicken thighs prompted me to try them.  Glad I did! They are actually tastier, not to mention far cheaper, than boneless skinless chicken.  I recently bought a 10 pack of chicken thighs for $3.29 at Publix!

Okay, here's what I came up with:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and have a roasting pan handy.

Do NOT RINSE THE CHICKEN, just pat them dry so that you will get a nice golden brown color on the skin.  Season the back sides, not the skin sides, with rosemary, salt (I like KOSHER SALT; Alton Brown does too), and ground pepper.  Of course, you can season yours with whatever you like.  Heat about 3 tbs of olive in a skillet  over medium high heat until it is shimmery.  Lay the chicken in the skillet skin side down and set the timer for 6 minutes.  DO NOT TOUCH THE CHICKEN IN THOSE 6 MINUTES.  If you feel like they are burning, lower the heat slightly.  Otherwise, leave them alone. After 6 minutes, gently check the color.  If you haven't achieved a nice golden brown, lay them down for another minute or two.  Turn the chicken over and cook on the back for about 6 more minutes.  Remove the chicken from the oil and place them on the roasting pan and into the oven for about 25 minutes.  The internal temperature on your chicken should be about 165 degrees when it is done.  I highly suggest that you invest in a meat thermometer with a removable probe (no more undercooked chicken for me).

While your chicken is cooking, boil about 2 cups of chopped butternut squash in one box of Kitchen Basics chicken stock until it's soft.  Drain a little the chicken grease out of the skillet, but reserve enough to start the risotto, probably about 2 tbs of grease.  SEE MY PREVIOUS POSTED RISOTTO RECIPE for instructions.  This time, once your risotto has taken all the stock it will take, add the butternut squash and mix it in to the risotto; you may want to mash it a little as you stir just to make sure the chucks aren't too big.  Then, finish it with mascarpone cheese instead of parmesan cheese. It will be very creamy.  The sweetness of the butternut squash and the mascarpone cheese blend nicely. 
I served this with broccoli, but you can use whatever green vegetable you like! 

This easily makes enough food for 6 people. 

Spinach and Mushroom Risotto

This is one of my all time favorite things to make because once you master the basic risotto, you can make it as plain or as complex as you like.

Start with ARBORIO RICE.  You can not use regular rice for risotto.  Most grocery stores carry arborio rice in the same section as the regular rice.  Believe it or not, Whole Foods is the best place to get arborio rice because they offer a couple of different varieties that are actually cheaper than at Publix or Kroger.

You will also need a good chicken stock.  I always use Kitchen Basics.  You can read and comprehend all of the ingredients and there is no MSG.  It comes in an all yellow container that looks sort of generic, but this is the best chicken stock you can buy without having to make it yourself.

Next, you will need white wine.  I have taken to buying the 4 pack singles because you can store them in the fridge for later use without feeling the need to drink an entire bottle for one batch of risotto.  Any white wine is fine, so long as it isn't too sweet.

And a little patience - cooking risotto low and slow is the key to perfectly cooked rice 

That's it.  Those are the basic ingredients!

Here goes!

1/2 white onion finely chopped 

1-2 cloves of garlic finely chopped

olive oil 

1/2 cup white wine 

3-4 cups of gently simmering chicken broth 

1 cup arborio rice

fresh baby spinach

sliced baby portabella mushrooms 

2 - 3 tbs butter

1 1/2 cups shredded parmesan cheese - DO NOT USE THE GRATED JUNK IN A CAN.  Get it from the deli/cheese dept. 

Sautee the onion and garlic in a straight sided frying pan (I use an 11" uncoated french skillet by All-Clad) until the onions are translucent.  Turn the heat down to medium low and add in the rice.  Gently cook the rice until it begins to look translucent as well.  This takes close to two minutes. Adjust the heat down if the rice grains begin to brown.  Add 1/2 cup of white wine and stir until it is mostly absorbed.  Once the white wine has been absorbed, add the chicken stock about 1/2 cup at a time letting each add absorb before adding more.  KEEP STIRRING!  It takes time for the rice to cook, so don't let the heat get too high or the stock will absorb too quickly without cooking the rice. Keep adding until the stock is going.  The rice will take on a thick soupy quality.  Taste it frequently to guage how cooked the rice is getting.  

In a separate pan, while the rice is cooking, melt the butter and brown the mushrooms.  Once the mushrooms are browned, add the spinach and gently wilt it just to cook off some of the water.  Drain and set aside.  DO NOT RINSE IT.  You'll lose the buttery goodness.  

Once the risotto has taken all the stock it will take, add the cooked spinach and mushrooms and parmesan cheese.  Mix it all in over low heat until the cheese is melted.  Season to taste and serve.  

If you like mascarpone cheese instead of parmesan, you can use that for a creamier, less robust flavor.  You can also skip the cheese all together.  Sundried tomatoes and asparagus are also great add ins.  You can even dice and cook chicken to add in the mix.  Find flavors that you like and play around with it.