The Best Breakfast Casserole

Just prepare all of the ingredients (except the eggs and the cheese) the day/night before and in the morning, scramble the eggs, pour it over the casserole, sprinkle a generous amount of cheese, and bake at 400 degrees until it has browned and has cooked through.

Easy enough, right?

1. Boil potatoes until cooked through. Peel, cut, and arrange them at the bottom of a casserole dish

 2. Sauté bell peppers and add over potatoes.

 3. Sauté onion and zucchini and add it to the casserole. 

 4. Sauté spinach and add it.

 5. Any sausage that you like can be added...or maybe even bacon too...make sure to cook it first.

6. Scramble eggs and pour it all over the casserole. Add cheese and bake it.

Add or remove whatever veggies you like, make it your own!

Pear and Plum Tart

I had a large bowl of plums and pears so thought, why not combine them to make a yummy tart?
I used a pre-made pie crust and made a granola-like crumble to go on top.

I peeled and thinly sliced two pears and two plums. I mixed in 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and a few tablespoons of honey- it depends how tart or sweet your fruits already are. 

I also added in a handful of golden raisins and some sliced almonds. For the topping, I used about 3/4 cup of raw oats, a couple tablespoons of brown sugar, 1/4 cup cold butter, and a couple teaspoons of cinnamon.

I baked it for about 20-25 min, at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Jello Lemon Slices

Now that summer is approaching, there is no easier dessert to help cool you down than some Jello. These Jello lemon slices are pretty and simple to make, especially if you're already buying lemons to make lots of lemonade! By replacing a portion of the "cold water" needed to make the Jello with your choice of alcohol, you can spike these babies up. Anything from vodka to tequila to peach schnapps would work, based on the Jello flavor you are using. I usually use 1/2 cup cold water and 1/2 cup of the alcohol when I spike them but you can see how strong you want the alcohol to be. 


First, clean out your lemon halves and set them into a cupcake tray. Next, make your Jello and fill your lemons. Refrigerate until firm. Yup, it's that easy.

Once your Jello is firm, you can remove the lemon halves and slice them into wedges. And they are ready to eat. 

Open-faced Breakfast Sandwich

For someone who does not exactly love eggs, I thought this breakfast sandwich was one of the best breakfast combinations I have ever had. Seriously. I should make this more often.....

Ingredients:

1 hard-boiled egg, sliced
1/2 an avocado, mashed
1 slice of whole wheat toast
a few fresh basil leaves
a couples slices of tomato


Toast the bread and spread the avocado. Add basil, egg slices, and tomato. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Pretty Chocolate Covered Apples!

With summer coming up, a light and refreshing chocolate covered apple just might be the perfect dessert. I used a branch from the apple tree in my garden to give the plain chocolate covered apple a more festive look. Now, not only do they taste yummy, these apples have a gorgeous appearance and can even be used decoratively!

First, I washed and the cleaned the apples and the branches, making sure the apples were dry. Then, I twisted the branch where the stem of the apple would have been.

So, I made three apples that were black and white chocolate covered. For these, I first dunked them in white melting chocolate and then apple toasted coconut at the tops before the chocolate dried.

Next, I dunked these apples into melted milk chocolate, about halfway up the apple.

I made a fourth apple, a red one, that was just covered in milk chocolate. I rolled this one in some crushed roasted peanuts for more flavor and texture.

Aren't they so pretty??

Creamy Vegetable Soup

It may not be autumn, but a taste of this soup will transport you to a time when nights were long, leaves were falling, and you were cuddling up at home. I had a leek at home and couldn't think of a more delicious way to enjoy it than in a warm bowl of soup. The leek, in combination with the nutmeg and the allspice created a flavor worthy of seconds....and maybe thirds....who's counting anyway?

To start off, I roasted all of my vegetables in the oven. Then I made a roux and added the roasted vegetables. I also added the allspice and the nutmeg at this point. Once the vegetables were coated I added the chicken broth and water and let everything come to a boil.

Next comes the fun part, the immersion blender. 

This is what it looked like when I was done blending. 

I then added the half and half and the milk and let it cook for another couple of minutes. And that's it! Your soup is now ready to be consumed.

Creamy Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

1 leek

1 white onion

4 cloves of garlic

1 potato

1 zucchini

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 teaspoons allspice

2 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 cups of chicken broth

1 cup water

1/4 cup half and half

1/4 cup whole milk

salt and pepper to season

Make sure your leek is cleaned well and dirt-free. Cut up all vegetables into chunks and place veggies on a baking sheet with parchment papper. (You may want to cut your leeks into bigger pieces due to the fact that they will cook faster than the other veggies.) Spray veggies with cooking spray and season liberally with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Roast them in the oven at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes or until they start to brown. 

Once your veggies have roasted, start making your roux in a pot by adding the butter, the olive oil, and the flour. Next, add the roasted veggies as well as the allspice and ground nutmeg. Stir until the vegetables are coated.

Add the chicken broth and water and let everything cook together until it comes to a boil. Turn the heat off and carefully use your immersion blender to blend all of your vegetables in the broth. Make sure everything is combined well and that you don't have chunks of vegetables.

When everything has blended turn the heat back on and add the half and half and milk. Stir to combine and let cook for another couples of minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Greek Yogurt Marinated Chicken Breast

It's tangy. It's fresh. You'll want more but you won't feel guilty. This yogurt marinated chicken is an easy way to add tons of flavor to any Greek/Mediterranean salad or sandwich. With just a few ingredients, an ordinary chicken breast is transformed into a gift from the gods. Trust me, it's so good and so simple that you'll probably be enjoying it pretty often. Lucky for you, the recipe is pretty simple and consists of kitchen staples. 

I recently added it to a Mediterranean salad I made consisting of grilled vegetables and a spring salad mix. I topped the salad with some feta and an eggplant and tahini spread.
I've also used the chicken in a Greek wrap with some roasted red bell peppers and a yogurt and garlic sauce. It's a very versatile recipe that can be used in many different ways. Enjoy!

Greek Yogurt Marinated Chicken

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast, cut into strips

2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt

2 teaspoon dried oregano 

salt and pepper to season

2 cloves garlic, minced

olive oil

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except the olive oil and place in refrigerator for at least one hour. 

Add olive oil to a nonstick pan and add chicken. Cook until ready.

Note:

I don't really measure when I cook, so these are just approximations. Feel free to add more or less based on what looks right.