The Perfect Egg

 

• Butter (or cooking spray)
• 1 egg
• 1-2 tsp water
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Crack the egg into the pan. Once the white of the egg is no longer transparent, add the water to the pan and cover it with a lid. 

Cook for about 1 minute or until the yolk is clouded over. Don't overcook or the yolk will be hard. Season with Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.

I served my over-easy egg on top of an English muffin with a piece of bacon on it. Enjoy!

Sloppy Joes

• 1 1/2 lbs of ground beef 
• 1 small sweet yellow onion, diced
• 1/4 orange bell pepper, diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried mustard
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 cup of ketchup
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp water
• Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook for 3-4 minutes, making sure to break it up into crumbles.

Add the onion, celery, garlic, and bell pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes or until soft. 

Drain any grease then add ketchup, brown sugar, and water then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Stir and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy.

Quinoa with Caramelized Red Onion, Bell Peppers, and Garlic

 

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 3 small baby bell peppers, diced
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup of quinoa
• 2 cups of water
• Parsley  

 

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and bell peppers; cook for 10-12 minutes or until the veggies are tender and golden brown. While the veggies are cooking, prepare the quinoa per instructions.

Once the peppers and onions are tender and golden brown, add the minced garlic and stir constantly for 60 seconds; remove veggies from heat and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.

Combine the cooked quinoa with the caramelized vegetables, mix thoroughly. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Enjoy.

Tomato, Zucchini, Squash and Caramelized Onion Gratin

• 6-7 large Roma tomatoes, sliced
• 1 large zucchini (or 2 small ones), sliced
• 1 large yellow squash (or 2 small ones), sliced
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 clove of garlic, sliced very thin
• 1/4-1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 2-3 leaves of basil, chopped for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat a large and deep baking dish (I used a large corning ware casserole dish) with olive oil cooking spray.

Slice the zucchini, yellow squash, onion, and tomatoes into thick slices.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once the pan is hot add the onion slices and sauté for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and caramelized- make sure you season with sea salt to taste. Add the garlic to the onions and sauté, stirring frequently for 60 seconds then remove from heat and let cool.

Layer the dish with first tomatoes then yellow squash, a bit of Parmesan then the layer of caramelized onions and garlic, then the zucchini, and finally the last layer of tomatoes. I seasoned each layer (except the onions) with a little bit of sea salt and pepper. Top with the remaining Parmesan cheese and then sprinkle the dried basil on top and cover with a lid or tin foil.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove the lid or tin foil and broil for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown and crispy on top. Let cool for a few minutes. Garnish with fresh basil. Enjoy.

M & M Cookies

• 1 1/2 cups of flour
• 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups of m & m's, divided

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silpat mat.

Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl then set aside. 

Beat together the melted butter, brown sugar, white sugar, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla with a mixer until creamy.  

Gradually add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture until just mixed. Stir in most of the m & m's by hand. 

Drop by the spoonful onto a greased or lined baking sheet.  Push more m & m's into the top of each cookie.

Bake for 14-17 minutes or until the edges look golden brown. 

Cool on the baking sheet for at least 4-5 minutes (so cookies can set) before moving to a rack. Enjoy.

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

• 12 button mushrooms, stems removed
• 2 tsp olive oil (divided)
• 2 tbsp sweet yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup of lump crab meat
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (divided)
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• Squeeze of fresh lemon juice, optional
• 1/4 cup of panko crumbs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Coat a round baking dish with cooking spray.

Remove the mushroom stems and dice them finely.  

Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat then add the onion and diced mushroom stems.  Cook for 2-3 minutes or until tender and soft; add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute.  Remove from the heat and let cool.

Combine the crab meat, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, most of the fresh parsley, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, and a dash of lemon juice in a bowl.  

Add the cooked mushrooms and onion mixture then gently stir until well combined.  Fill each mushroom with the crab filling until overflowing; repeat with the remaining mushrooms.  Place the mushrooms into the prepared baking pan.

Combine the panko crumbs with the remaining teaspoon of olive oil and the last bit of parsley then mix until well combined.  Sprinkle the panko crumbs evenly on top of each mushroom.  

Place into the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender and the panko is golden brown.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy.

Pan Grilled Ginger-Honey Pork Tenderloin

• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled & grated
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• Garlic powder, to taste 
• 1 pork tenderloin, silver skin removed

Combine the ginger, honey, lemon juice, and soy sauce together in a bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth.

Heat a grill pan over medium heat and coat well with cooking spray.  Season the pork with sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, and garlic powder to taste.  

Add the pork to the grill pan; cook the pork, turning occasionally, so all sides are cooked evenly while basting frequently with the sauce.  

Cook for 15 minutes or until the meat thermometer registers 145 degrees or until the desired degree of doneness.   Remove the tenderloin from the pan and set it aside.  

Pour the remaining sauce into the grill pan and boil for a minute, stirring constantly.

Let the meat rest for 5 minutes before slicing and drizzling the slices of meat with the remaining sauce. Serve immediately.  Enjoy.

Chicken and Grilled Corn Tortilla Soup

• 7 cups of water
• 1 chicken carcass, skin removed (I left some of the thigh meat on for more flavor)
• 2-3 tbsp chicken bouillon granules
• Handful of cilantro
• 1 Anaheim pepper, seeds removed and chopped
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1-2 tsp cumin, to taste
• 1/2 - 1 tsp dried oregano, to taste
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Combine all of the ingredients together in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat.  Cover and simmer for 6 hours, stirring occasionally.  

Taste and re-season with seasonings if needed/desired. Strain the broth through a very fine mesh strainer.  Let the broth cool for 10-15 minutes then remove the layer of fat off of the top of the broth.

Other Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 6 corn tortillas
• 1 cup of frozen corn
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• Leftover roasted chicken breasts, diced
• 1 avocado, diced
• Cotija cheese, grated
• Fresh cilantro, chopped

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  

Spray both sides of each corn tortilla with cooking spray.  Lay them on top of each other, then carefully cut them into thin strips.  Spread them out on a baking sheet that is coated in cooking spray.  Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper.  

Place into the oven and bake for 7-10 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and let them cool.

While the tortilla strips are baking, heat a grill pan over medium-high heat.  Coat with cooking spray and once the pan is really hot, add the corn.  

Let the corn sit for 2-3 minutes without stirring; season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste then stir and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until the corn is cooked through and has grill marks.

Ladle the broth into a bowl.  

Add some leftover roasted chicken breast, grilled corn, and diced avocado to the soup then top with tortilla strips, cotija cheese, and cilantro.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy.

Chocolate, Banana, and White Chocolate Chip Muffins

• 1/2 cup of butter, softened
• 3/4 cup of brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 3 very ripe bananas, mashed up
• 2 cups of flour
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup of white chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees then coat a muffin pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs, bananas, and vanilla then continue beating until well combined.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together, mix well. Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture and stir until just combined. Add the 3/4 cup of white chocolate chips then gently mix them into the batter.

Spoon the batter evenly into each muffin tin. Add the last 1/4 cup of the remaining white chocolate chips equally to each muffin, pushing them in gently.

Place into the oven and bake 22-25 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let the muffins cool on a rack. Slather with butter, if desired, and enjoy!

Baked Egg with Tomato and Dill

• Cooking spray
• 2-3 grape tomatoes sliced in half
• 1/4-1/2 tsp dill
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp milk or heavy cream
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a small ramekin with cooking spray.

Place a couple of tomatoes and some dill into the ramekin. Crack an egg into the ramekin, being careful not to break the yolk. Add the milk, a few more tomatoes, and dill to the top. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.

Place onto a baking tray and cook for 5 minutes; Turn the oven to broil and cook for another 5 minutes or until the whites are set but the yolk remains soft. Remove from the oven and serve immediately. Enjoy.

Cherry Chocolate Kiss Cookies

• 1 cup of softened unsalted butter
• 1 cup of powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp maraschino cherry juice
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 2-3 drops of red food dye (optional)
• 2 1/4 cups of flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup of maraschino cherries, chopped up
• White sugar, to roll the cookies in
• 36 chocolate kisses

Beat the butter with a mixer until creamy and smooth. 

 Add the powdered sugar, maraschino cherry juice, vanilla extract, and red food dye (if using); beat with a mixer until smooth. 

 Mix the flour and salt together then pour in batches into the dough. Mix with the beater, making sure to wipe the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. 

 Add the cherries and mix well with a spoon. Place the dough into the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silpat mat.

Roll the cookie dough into small balls then drop into a bowl of sugar; roll to coat evenly. Place the balls on the cookie sheet about 2 inches apart; press your thumb down in the center of the cookie gently. Repeat.

Place into the oven and bake for 13-14 minutes. Remove them from the oven and immediately place a kiss in the center of each cookie. Let them set up on the baking sheet for 3-5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool.

Soy Sesame Sugar Snap Peas

• 1 1/2 cups of sugar snap peas
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 clove of garlic, minced

Heat a skillet over medium heat. 

Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, and garlic together in the skillet and mix well. 

Add the sugar snap peas then stir to coat evenly. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the skillet and serve. Enjoy!

Asian-Glazed Chicken Thighs

• 2 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp sriracha sauce (more if desired)
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• Cooking spray

Combine the vinegar, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, sriracha sauce, and garlic together in a large zip lock bag. Add the chicken thighs and place them into the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a roasting pan with tin foil then place the roasting rack in the pan. Coat the roasting rack with cooking spray.

Pour the marinade into a small saucepan over medium-high heat and boil for 2 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat; set aside.

Place the chicken thighs on the roasting rack; baste the chicken with the marinade. Season lightly with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Place into the oven and cook for 10 minutes; baste. Bake an additional 10 minutes; baste. Bake for the last 5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through; baste.

Let stand 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Drizzle with the sauce from the bottom of the roasting pan. Enjoy.

Pork Fried Rice

• 1-2 tbsp canola oil
• 4 cups cold rice - made the day before and refrigerated
• 3-4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 2 green onions
• Leftover Garlic Crusted Pork Roast, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 3 eggs, slightly beaten
• 3 tbsp soy, to taste
• 1/2 tsp of white pepper

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Once cooked, remove bacon from the pan and drain on a paper towel. Crumble and set aside.

Remove all but 2 tsp bacon grease from the skillet then add 1-2 tbsp of canola oil to the pan. Add the garlic and ginger to the pan. Sauté for 60 seconds then add the rice, crumbled bacon, green onion (keeping just a few for garnish), diced pork roast, soy sauce, and white pepper. Mix the rice thoroughly.

Add the beaten eggs to a separate large warmed skillet coated with cooking spray heated over medium heat. Cook for 10-20 seconds on each side, flipping it like a pancake, until thoroughly cooked. Remove from pan and cut into small pieces (I used my pizza cutter).

Gently mix the sliced egg into the rice. Taste and add more soy sauce or white pepper if needed. Remove from heat, top with the few remaining green onions and serve. Enjoy!

Baked Donuts with Chocolate Glaze

Donuts:

• 1 cup of flour
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Coat the donut baking tray with cooking spray.

Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Add the buttermilk, egg, vanilla, and melted butter. Mix until well combined.

Transfer the batter into a large zip lock bag. Snip off a corner of the bag and pipe the batter evenly into a 6 cup donut pan. 

Bake for 9-10 minutes, or until the dough is set and springy (they won't be golden brown). Let them sit for 1-2 minutes then place the donuts on a baking rack to cool a bit.

Chocolate Glaze:

• 2 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 oz semisweet bar or chocolate chips
• 1 cup of powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp hot water
• Sprinkles for garnish

While the donuts are baking prepare the glaze.

In a heatproof bowl over simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate chips (if using a bar, chop them into small pieces).

Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and hot water until smooth.

To glaze the donuts, dip each one face-down into the glaze. 

Immediately garnish with sprinkles then let them cool for a few minutes on a wire rack right side up. Enjoy!!

Garlic Crusted Pork Roast

• 2 lb pork top loin roast
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp of Snider's Prime Rib and Roast Seasoning (or your favorite steak seasoning)
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Note: I always let my roasts sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before cooking. 

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. 

In a small bowl mix the seasonings, olive oil, and garlic until well combined. Rub over the entire pork roast evenly then place in a roasting pan with the fat side up. I use an electronic meat thermometer with an alarm (I highly recommend getting one - it makes life so much easier) which is inserted in the center of the pork roast.

Bake the roast for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce heat (without opening the oven door) to 325 degrees then continue roasting for about 25 minutes or until the thermometer reads 150 degrees.

Remove from the oven and let it rest for at least 7-10 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!

Side Note: Some people feel that cooking pork to 145 is ideal but with my two young kids eating it I prefer being a little safer and cooking it to 150 and it still turns out moist, tender, and so juicy.

Roasted Green Beans

• 1/2 lb of fresh green beans, ends trimmed
• 1-2 tsp olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• Garlic powder, to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil then coat with cooking spray.

Trim the green bean end then wash well. Place the green beans on the baking sheet then drizzle them with olive oil. Season the beans with sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, and garlic powder, to taste.

Place into the oven and roast for 7-8 minutes or until crisp-tender.

Swedish Meatballs

• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced VERY finely or grated
• 1 tsp butter
• 1/4 cup of milk
• 2 slices of bread, crusts removed, bread cut into pieces
• 1 egg
• 1 lb of ground beef (93/7)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 1/2 tbsp flour
• 2 cups of beef stock, warmed
• 1/4 cup of sour cream
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 2 tsp of lingonberry, cranberry, red currant, or raspberry jelly, more or less, to taste (optional)

Sauté the onion in 1 tsp of butter over medium heat until softened, about 3-4 minutes.

While the onions are cooking, mix the bread pieces with the milk then set aside for a few minutes until soaked through. Once it is soaked, pulverize with an immersion blender or food processor (it will be goopy). Pour into a large bowl.

Add the onions to the bread mixture along with the eggs, ground beef, salt, nutmeg, cardamom, and pepper. Using your hands, mix well until the ingredients are well combined.

Roll the meat into balls and place it onto a plate. I made 18 meatballs but you can make them smaller or larger to suit your needs.

Heat 3 tbsp of butter to a large skillet over medium heat. When the butter has melted add half of the meatballs to the pan (don't overcrowd the pan). Brown the meatballs slowly on all sides. Be gentle when you turn them so they don't break apart. Do not cook the meatballs all the way through, only brown them at this stage. Once browned, remove them to a plate and cook the remaining meatballs.

Once all of the meatballs are cooked and the skillet is empty, add the flour to the same skillet. Whisk the butter in the pan (from cooking the meatballs) with the flour until it is the color of coffee with cream; this is a classic roux. As the roux is cooking, heat the beef stock until warm. When the roux has cooked to the coffee with cream color, add the warmed beef stock a little at a time. Keep stirring and adding stock slowly until the sauce because silky.

Add the meatballs back to the sauce and turn the heat down to low. Cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes.

To finish the sauce, remove the meatballs to a serving bowl then add the sour cream and (if using) jelly to the sauce and stir until well combined. Taste the sauce and add more salt and pepper or jelly if needed. 

Serve the meatballs and sauce over egg noodles or mashed potatoes. Enjoy!

Frittata with Jalapeno Chicken Sausage, Spinach, Roasted Bell Peppers, and Feta

• Cooking spray
• 3 chicken jalapeno sausages, sliced
• 1/4 cup roasted bell peppers, diced
• 1/2 cup of baby spinach, chopped
• 2-3 tbsp feta cheese
• 7-8 eggs
• 2 tbsp milk
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a tart pan with cooking spray.

Heat a skillet that has been coated with cooking spray. Once the skillet is hot add the sausage and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until golden brown.

Place half of the sausage, roasted bell pepper, spinach, and feta into the bottom of the tart pan.

Mix the eggs with the milk until well combined then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Pour the egg mixture into the baking dish then place the remaining sausage, roasted bell pepper, spinach, and feta on top.

Place into the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before cutting. Enjoy!

Spinach Lasagna Soup

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 4 turkey Italian sausage links, removed from casings
• Dash of crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp of dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
• 1 small sweet yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 15 oz cans of diced tomatoes
• 6 cups of chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 6 oz campanelle pasta, cooked per instructions
• 2 cups of fresh baby spinach
• 2 1/2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped (divided)
• 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese
• 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, shredded

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausage, with casings removed, and stir with a heavy spoon to break the meat up into crumbles. 

 Add the onion, crushed red pepper flakes, oregano, and crushed fennel seeds then cook for 3-4 minutes or until the meat is cooked through and the onions are softened. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the diced tomatoes, chicken broth, bay leaf then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Cover and simmer for an hour.

Cook the pasta per instructions then drain and set aside until right before serving. Combine the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, 1/2 tbsp of basil together in a bowl then season with a bit of sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Set aside.

Once the soup has simmered for an hour, taste and re-season if needed. Add the cooked pasta, spinach, and remaining basil to the soup. 

Ladle into bowls then top with a dollop of the ricotta mixture. Serve immediately. Enjoy.