(only for the pucker loving) Lemon Squares

I can't take credit for this recipe, at all. I've tried dozens of lemon square recipes over the years and never loved any of them. The crust was either too soggy, or rock hard, and so often the lemon filling would be bland and get a crust over the top, neither of which is appealing. Then, I picked up the America's Test Kitchen Spring Entertaining magazine and there it was, the perfect lemon square recipe. At least for me.

Be warned, this baby is sour, but only the filling. The crust is light and sweet and just crispy enough, and that counters the tart lemon curd beautifuly.

These aren't Oliver approved though, even though I made them specifically for him. This is a child whose favorite snack at a restaurant is the raw lemon slices. Like, he eats them clean. I'm not sure what the deal is: were they too tart for him?  too sweet? Or was it just too close to bed time and he was already fussy? Yeah, I'm leaning toward that last one too.

Enough jabbering!

Creamy Lemon Squares

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 20 minutes + 15 minutes
Makes: 9 generous squares

Ingredients:
 
For the crust:
1¼ c all purpose flour
½ c icing sugar
12 tbsp cold butter, cut into 12 pieces
pinch of salt

For the lemon curd:
4 large eggs
3 egg yolks
1 c white sugar
pinch of salt
1 tbsp grated lemon zest
⅔ c lemon juice (about 4 large lemons squeezed)
2 tbsp butter, cut into 2 pieces
2 tbsp heavy cream
icing sugar for dusting

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350˚F. Line a 9" square baking pan with 2 strips of foil so that you have an overhang of a couple of inches on all four sides.

2. Start with the crust. In a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar and salt a couple of times to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal (about 15 one second pulses). You want it to look powdery but hold it's shape when pressed together between your fingers. If it isn't, add 1 more tbsp of butter and pulse a few more times.

3. Press the crust mixture into the prepared pan and bake for about 20 minutes, until light golden brown (check it at 15 minutes to be safe).

4. While the crust is baking, start making the curd. Zest and juice your lemons. In a medium saucepan whisk together the eggs, yolks, sugar and salt. Add the zest and juice, then cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. This takes about 8 to 10 minutes. You want the curd thick enough that when you put a spoon in it and draw a line through the curd stuck to the back of the spoon, nothing bleeds into that line. THICK!

5. Pour the curd through a strainer into a medium bowl to get out the zest and any cooked bits of egg. Don't skip this step! Once you strain it you'll see why (and all kinds of junky stuff you couldn't see in the curd in the pan). Stir in the butter and heavy cream, then pour the strained curd over the hot crust and return to the oven for another 15 minutes, until set.

6. Let the pan cool for at least an hour on a cooling rack before removing the squares (via foil sling). Dust the top with icing sugar, and enjoy!

NOTE: These will last for up to 3 days in an air tight container in the fridge. That is, if no one know they're there, because for lemon lovers, they'll be gone in seconds!

Home Made Flakey's

I really wasn't sure what this was last night, and it took me looking at the pictures this morning again to figure out what exactly I'd concocted. What it was was a flakey, and a delicious one at that! Don't be scared off by the strange line drawings, it was easier to draw it out then explain it, and this really is one of the easiest treats to make!

Home Made Flakey's

Prep Time: 10 minutes (unless you make your own curd)
Bake Time: 20 minutes + 5 minutes
Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:


1 sheet of pre-made puff pastry dough (in the freezer asle)
1 egg, beaten
large decorating sugar
½ c lemon curd, berry curd, or jam of your choice
2 egg whites
pinch of cream of tartar
¼ c of sugar

Directions:


1. Pre-heat your oven according to the directions on the box of puff pastry (usually 350°F), and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2. Unroll the sheet of pastry, and following the diagrams below, cut into four rectangles and extra edging pieces. Brush the edges of all pieces with the beaten egg, then place the edging pieces onto the main squares. You're basically framing the squares of puff pastry to make a little "boat" once it cooks.

3. Brush the edges again with the beaten egg, then sprinkle with the large decorating sugar. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden and puffed.

4. While the pastry is baking, make the meringue. Beat together the egg whites and cream of tartar until starting to foam. Gradually add the sugar, then continue to beat until stiff peaks form.

5. When the pastry is cooked, push down the inside of the "boats" with the back of a spoon. Split the curd or jam between the four "boats", spreading in an even layer. Top with meringue, then return to the oven for an additional 5 minutes, until the peaks are just turning golden.

Enjoy!

 Puff Pastry Cutting Diagrams:

Start out with a whole sheet of pastry

Cut into quarters.

Here are the quarters.

Cut the edges of each of the quarters like this.

Discard the filled in squares, you don't need them.

After brushing the edges with the beaten eggs, lay the cut edges on top of the main square as shows above. Then, brush these edges with egg again and sprinkle with the sugar.

Gone in a Blink Nacho Dip

This is a favourite amungst both my side of the family, and Bo's. My mom's got her version, my Nana has her's, and Jenny's got her's too. Now, I've finally got my own!

This isn't to say that everyone else's wasn't good enough for me. The issue was that no one could ever remember exactly what portions they used of the ingredients, which meant that 50% of the time it was great, and 50% of the time it was either too runny, or too hard.

So, I made it a couple of times, and actually remembered to measure what I was throwing in, and I've finally got it down. Yes!

Worlds Best (and easiest) Nacho Dip

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Chill Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 6 - 8

Ingredients:


1 pkg cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
½ tbsp taco seasoning (optional)
1 jar salsa
1 ½ c shredded cheese (I like a mix of cheddar and mozzarella)

Directions:


1. Shred the cheese that you want to use.

2. Put the cream cheese in the bowl of a food processor and mix until smooth. Add the sour cream and taco seasoning and mix until well combined.

3. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly in the bottom of a glass baking dish. Top with the salsa, then with the shredded cheese. Chill until the cheese firms back up a bit, about 30 minutes. If you're in a rush, it's find to eat right away.

Enjoy!

NOTE: There are all kinds of other things you can add in here, like freshly chopping jalapeños, onions or peppers. I prefer to leave it as is, and just bump up the flavor by using home made salsa when I have an extra jar lying around.

Best (indoor) Burgers

Griddle Burgers

  

These burgers are my absolute favorite to make year round. I'm not big on the super thick home-made style burger full of onions and spices. I like my burger meat thinish and tasting like meat. 

Then I cover it with mustard, ketchup, relish, mayo, tomato and sometimes dill pickel. Maybe I'm not such a purist after all.

Bo was nervous the first time I said I was making these, but he was a quick convert. Sure, we still BBQ in the warm weather for a change sometimes, but it snows here a lot, and who wants to go 6 months without a decent burger! Did I mention that this will taste just like the burger from that little mom and pop dinner that's been in business for 80 years? It will. The key is to steaming it for the last couple of minutes, and getting a few crispy pieces on the edges from cooking on top of it's own fat. Ignore how gross that sounds and remember: crispy edge bits!

If you want to be really adventurous you could sauté some onions on the griddle first, then cook the burger on top of that. I haven't done this yet because I like having one meal that I can do from start to finish in less then 15 minutes. On day though :)

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutse
Serves: 4

Ingredients:


1lb lean ground beef
4 cheddar cheese slices
Salt
Pepper
4 Burger buns, buttered and lightly broiled to toast

Directions:


1. Pre-heat your griddle (or frying pan) to medium-high heat. Roughly split the ground beef into four equal portions.

2 portions shown.

2. Roll each portion out between plastic wrap until about ½" thick. Generously salt each side with salt and pepper.

3. Put the burger on the griddle and cook for 3 minutes on the first side. Flip. Cook for 1 minute on the second side, then top with cheddar cheese and cover for another 1 to 2 minutes.

3 minutes on first side.

Flip, then cook for 1 minute.

Add cheese slices.

Cover to steam and cook for 2 minutes.

Done!

Enjoy!

2 Tomato Salads

Here are two of our favorite summer salads. Nothing beats bright, fresh, ripe tomatoes, and once you start pairing those with the tang of viniger and the crunch of cucumber. It's over!

Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Salad with Balsamic Glaze

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:


1 or 2 large beefsteak tomato
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 ball fresh mozzarella cheese
Fresh basil (about 5 leaves)
Balsamic reduction glaze
Sea salt

Directions:


1. Cut the beefsteak tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese into six ½" thick slices. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half.

2. Place the tomato slices around a plate, and top each one with a slice of cheese then toss on the cherry tomatoes. Tear the fresh basil into small, bite size pieces, and sprinkle over the tomatoes and cheese. Drizzle on the blasamic glaze and sprinkle lightly with fresh ground sea salt.

Enjoy!

NOTE: I'm lucky here in Canada because our grocery gain (Loblaws) carries a store brand PC balsamic glaze that's fantastic. If you're not so lucky to find one to keep on hand in the fridge, don't fret because it's a BREEZE to make yourself. Here's how:

Balsamic Glaze Recipe

Prep Time: 1 minute
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes, give or take
Makes: ¼ - ½ cup of glaze

Ingredients:

1 cup balsamic viniger
1 tbsp honey (or white sugar, or brown sugar)

Directions:


1. In a sauce pan over medium heat combine viniger and sweetener. Boil over medium heat until reduced by 50 to 75%.

This is delicious over meat, salads, and even ice cream.

Tomato and Cucumber Salad

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:


1 large beefsteak tomato
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 cucumber
White vintager
salt

Directions:


1. Cut the large tomato and cucumber into bit size pieces, cut the cherry tomatoes in half.

2. Put all pieces in a glass bowl (never metal, it will end up tasting tinny). Add white vinegar (about ½ a cup) and salt (about 1½ tbsp). Toss together and taste, adjusting your flavoring as needed.

Chicken with 40 Cloves

Chicken with 40 Cloves 

This is one of Bo and my favorite "nice" dinners. By "nice" I mean better then meatloaf and not cooked often enough. Really though, it's so easy to make, and now that I've figured out a version with chicken pieces as an alternative to a whole chicken when you're in a bit more of a rush? Well, it's pure gold! Keep this is the back of your mind for company too, it looks quite impressive with no effort past the initial 10 minutes on the stove top!

Also, do NOT be scared by the name, even if you're not a garlic person. The flavor added to the chicken is so mild and delicate because the garlic turns sweet from slow roasting in the braising liquid.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1hour 10 minutes (chicken pieces) or 1 hour 40 minutes (whole chicken)
Serves: 4

Ingredients:


1 whole chicken (whole, or cut into 8 pieces. you can also just buy chicken thighs or breasts, bone-in, skin on)
4 large garlic heads worth of cloves, peeled (this will net you around 40 cloves)
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup chicken stock (sub water if you don't have stock on hand)
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 large sprigs of fresh thyme
salt
pepper

Directions:


Pre-heat your oven to 350°F and generously sprinkle your chicken with salt and pepper on all sides.

In a dutch oven over medium-high heat melt the butter together with the olive oil until searing hot. Add your chicken and brown on all sides (about 3 minutes per side). Remove chicken to a plate.

 
Drain all but 1 tbsp of accumulated liquid from the pan, then add garlic cloves and cook for a couple of minutes, until starting to become fragrant but not browning.

Turn off the heat and add your chicken back to the pot, on top of the garlic. Pour the chicken stock and lemon juice evenly over the top of the chicken, then add the thyme sprigs. Cover with the lid and bake until the thickest part of the thigh registers 180°F (a whole chicken will take about 90 minutes, chicken pieces about 45 minutes).

Let the chicken rest on a plate for ten minutes, tented in foil, before carving.

Enjoy!

Note: Do not throw out the garlic from the bottom of the pan after cooking. If you do this I will have to come to your house and call you nuts! Slice up and lightly toast a baguette, then spread the soft, sweet roasted garlic cloves on it. Or, mash some up and make a quick vinaigrette out of it. Or, mash some up and mix with some extra virgin olive oil, grated Parmesan cheese, a splash of balsamic vinegar, salt and Italian seasoning, then dip some bread in it. Your options are endless.

The only option I won't let you have is to throw it out!

Show Stopper Roast Chicken

I call this my show stopper because is tastes like I put hours of planning and effort into figuring out the perfect combination of accouterments to highlight the bird, when really, I got lucky about 5 years ago on my first shot and haven't looked back. Sure, I've tried variations, but I always come back to this.

Unless it's summer time.

Then it's all about the beer can.

Or the rotisserie!

Did I mention that this is a breeze to pull together too?

No?

It's a breeze to pull together!

Show Stopper Roast Chicken

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 2 hours +/-
Serves: 4, but they'll fight over it

Ingredients:


1 lemon, sliced into ¼" rounds
8-10 sprigs fresh rosemary (just buy a pack at the store and use it up)
1 medium sweet onion, sliced in half, then each half into 4 chunks
6 tbsp butter, softened
garlic powder
salt
pepper
olive oil

Spice Rub:
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp old bay seasoning



Directions:


1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and mix together your spice rub.

2. Rinse your chicken, then pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the cavity of the bird liberally with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Stuff the cavity with 1 tbsp of butter, 3 sprigs of rosemary, and some lemon slices and onion chunks (roughly 2 of each).

3. Loosen the skin from the breast meat and the legs. Rub ½ tbsp of butter under the skin of each leg, and 1 tbsp of butter under the skin of each breast. Rub the remaining two tbsp of butter all over the outside of the skin. Finally, rub the spice rub over the buttered skin. Yumm.

4. Place the remaining onion chunks, lemon slices, and rosemary sprigs around the perimeter of your roasting pan. Place the chicken, breast side up, onto a roasting rack in the pan. Sprinkle a bit of kosher or fresh ground sea salt over the top of the chicken.

5. Bake at 350°F until the thickest part of the breast registers 180°F on a thermometer. Half way through baking (1 hour in), drizzle some olive oil over the top of the chicken (1-2 tbsp). Be sure to let the chicken rest for 15 minutes before carving or else the meat will lose its juices and you'll be eating dry bird.

My Cheddar (not Bay) Biscuits and My (not Bisquick) Biscuit Mix

 

So, I'm pregnant, and being so I get cravings. Frequently this time around, and a couple of weeks ago all I wanted were the Red Lobster Cheddar Bay biscuits. I'd been down this road before, and I've tried many of the online versions only to be disappointed, so at least I knew what not to do.

I pulled out the standard ingredients, including biscuit mix, only I didn't have any biscuit mix. Dun dun dun.

Panic like whoa.

See, I live in a small town. We have 2 restaurants that are really more like diners (and one of them only sells chicken wings, but there's a third going in now, woot!). To actually get to a red lobster is a 30 minute drive each way, and I was already in my pajamas (something I tend to get into 0.34 seconds after getting home from work). So, my only option was to make the biscuits from scratch. Or go to the grocery store (please recall pajama statement above).

So, I started hunting online for a biscuit recipe, but instead of finding a biscuit recipe, I found a biscuit mix recipe, and it ended up being awesome! I would link it, but I can't remember where it was, and I forgot to favorite the page. I'll try to figure this out later though, because they deserve all the credit!

Enjoy! I have 3 times since I figured this out (please remember I'm pregnant), and now because I'm typing it out, I'm pretty sure they just got added to the menu tonight. I'm sure they'll work with Asian marinated pork tenderloins!

Cheddar (not Bay) Biscuits

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 17 minutes
Makes: 12 large biscuits

Ingredients:

Biscuits:
2½ c biscuit mix
4 tbsp butter, straight from the fridge cold
¾ c whole milk, cold
½ tsp garlic powder
1 heaping cup grated medium cheddar cheese

Topping:
4 tbsp butter, melted
½ tsp dried parsley flakes
1 tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp salt

Directions:


1. Preheat your oven to 400°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Combine the biscuit mix, butter and cheese with a pastry blender (or cut in with a couple of knifes or forks, I highly recommend getting a pastry blender though!). You want the butter to be in pea sized pieces mixed with the flour.

3. Gently stir in the milk and garlic powder. Don't over mix this or the biscuits won't be fluffy

4. Use a ½ cup measuring cup to scoop up the mix and place onto the prepared baking sheet (you're hands will get a little messy here.

5. Bake for 15 - 17 minutes, until the tops of the biscuits begin to turn a light brown

6. While the biscuits are baking, mix all the topping ingredients together. As soon as the biscuits come out of the oven, use a pastry brush to brush the topping onto the top of each biscuit. Don't be shy here!

NOTE: You can also make smaller, ¼ cup sized biscuits. Just decrease the time in the oven by a few minutes and keep your eye on them. I like the big ones because then I say that I only ate 2 (or 3, or 4) of them, instead of 4 (or 6, or 8).

Pantry Biscuit Mix

This is fantastic because you just store it in a large airtight container in a cool, dry place, or the freezer, for up to 8 months! I found this mix to make biscuits far superior to the store-bought brand...but that's just my humble opinion.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Makes: 11 cups of mix

Ingredients:


9 c all purpose flour
¼ c baking powder
1 tbsp salt
2 c shortening

Directions:


1. Add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles course crumbs. Store until needed.

Nan's Buttertarts

Buttertarts

This is my great-grandmothers recipe for buttertarts, and it's so simple that I almost feel like they can't possibly be as good as they are. And they are good. I'm currently trying to find a fair to enter them in (because yeah, on my bucket list, right next to making it into the Guiness Book of World Records for anything, is to win a blue ribbon at a country fair. I think these are my ticket).

I made these a week and a half ago, and I know that I've got at least one more pack of frozen tart shells in my freezer, so it's been a battle of the wills to not make at least another dozen. Can this (with it's butter and milk) count as a serving of dairy? Half a serving?

Oh yeah, these are definitely Oliver approved too!

Without further ado...

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 28 minutes
Makes: 24 tarts (standard size)

Ingredients:



2/3 c butter, softened
2 c brown sugar
2 eggs
4 tbsp milk
2 tsp vanilla
walnut pieces (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 450°F and prepare your tart shells.


2. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy


3. Add the eggs, milk and vanilla and mix until well combined.


4. Drop a few nuts (if using) into the bottom of your prepared tart shells (or your tenderflake ones from the freezer, like I do). Fill each shell with 1 tbsp of filling

5. Bake at 450°F for 8 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (do not remove the tarts) and continue baking for another 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown.


NOTE: At 15 minutes, your filling will be runny, at 20 minutes it will be firm. I'm a firm filling person (as were the folks here at the office, who have been harassing me all week to bring in more), so I strongly suggest going that route.

Zucchini Bread

Chocolate Zucchini Apple Bread

I'm asking a favor today: Don't just me because I give this to Oliver for breakfast, and snack, and just whenever he wants it. Ignore the chocolate and focus on the fact that it's full of zucchini and applesauce. And it's delicious. So, so delicious!

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 60 minutes
Makes: 2 (9" x 5") loafs

Ingredients:

2 tbsp butter, melted
4 tbsp cocoa powder
3 eggs
2 c white sugar
½ c vegetable oil
½ c apple sauce
3½ - 4 c grated zucchini
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¾ c semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:


1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (hello Pam) two 9" x 5" loaf pans.

2. In a small dish, mix together the melted butter and 2 tbsp of the cocoa powder.

3. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, oil, grated zucchini, vanilla, cocoa powder and the cocoa powder butter mixture.

4. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and chocolate chips so that the chips are well coated in flour. Stir the flour mixture in the zucchini mixture until well combined, then pour into the prepared loaf tins.

5. Bake for about an hour, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Notes:


1 - You can also pour this into 4 of the smaller aluminum loaf pans you buy in the foil aisle at the grocery store, then freeze the cooked loafs. These smaller loafs take 40 minutes to bake.

2 - You can substitute the 2 tbsp melted butter and 2 tbsp of the cocoa powder for 2 unsweetened chocolate squares (1 oz each), melted. I just find it easier to use the cocoa powder and butter.

Tips & Tricks: By adding the chocolate chips to the dry ingredients and giving it a good stir to make sure they're well coated in flour, you stop them from sinking in the batter as the loafs bake!

Gnocchi

Brown Butter Fried Gnocchi

Absolutely my new favorite side dish. Absolutely!

Prep Time: 5 minutes to get water boiling
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4 as a side

Ingredients:


1 pkg gnocchi (just buy the shelf stable kind, it's great!)
3 - 4 tbsp butter
fleur de sel (or fresh ground sea salt)

Directions:


1. Get a pot of water boiling and add half the package of gnocchi. Cook according to directions (boil for about 3 minutes, until they start to float). Be careful not to over cook of they'll be too mushy. Remove the cooked gnocchi and repeat with the second batch.

2. While the first batch of gnocchi is boiling: In a frying pan over med-high heat melt the butter until starting to brown. First it will foam, then when the foam goes it'll start to brown and you'll see lots of little tiny brown bits form. Yumm.

3. Add the cooked gnocchi to the pan and fry, stirring frequently, until the outside is golden brown and crisp. Sprinkle with the slightly bit of salt. Enjoy!

Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake

Texas Sheet Cake

Can I put this under snacks? Because seriously, I could graze on it all. damn. day.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 10 (unless I'm there, then pretty much only me)

Ingredients:


Cake
2 cups flour
2 cups white sugar
¼ tsp salt
7 tbsp cocoa powder
1 cup butter (16 tbsp or 2 sticks)
1 cup boiling water
½ cup buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
½ tbsp espresso powder (optional)

Frosting
1 cup finally chopped pecans, toasted (optional)
14 tbsp butter (1¾ stick)
6 tbsp cocoa powder
6 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
3½ cups confectioners sugar

Directions:


1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt.

3. In a saucepan over med-high heat, melt the butter, then stir in the cocoa. Pour in the boiling water and boil, stirring for about a minute, then take it off the heat and pour it over the flour mixture. Give it a good stir.

4. In a small bowl, mix together the buttermilk, eggs, baking soda and vanilla. Stir this into the chocolate flour mixture.

5. Poor into a sheet cake pan and bake for 20 minutes.

6. While the cake it baking, make the icing. In a sauce pan over med-high heat melt the butter, then stir in the cocoa powder, stir to combine, then take off the heat. Add the milk, vanilla and confectioners sugar, stirring well to combine. Stir in the pecans. Pour the icing over the hot cake.

TRICK: If you don't have buttermilk, simply put 1 tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar into your measuring cup, then fill up with regular milk and give it a quick stir. Let it sit for 5 minutes and, presto, buttermilk!

NOTE: This cake does fit in a sheet pan (think for jelly rolls), but barely. Take your time with the icing, you'll have to scoop it back onto the cake as it approaches the edges. It's fine if some hits the counter though, because then you can just eat it yourself!

Credit where it's due: I originally got this recipe from http://thepioneerwoman.com then made a few of my own changes.

Breakfast Loafs

Breakfast Loafs (aka Breakfast Muffins)

I got the idea for this one last week from a poster on the bump. I couldn't find a recipe on-line, so I had to wing it, but was pleasantly surprised! This is another Oliver approved breakfast!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4 (makes 8 mini loafs)

Ingredients:


1 box of chicken stove-top stuffing mix
1 pkg of frozen sausage mixture (it comes in a tube, no casing)
1 tsp Italian seasoning
¼ tsp poultry seasoning
½ tsp old bay seasoning
¼ tsp black pepper
4 eggs
¾ cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 green onion, diced thinly (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:


1. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Grease (hello Pam) a mini loaf tin pan or large muffin tin pan.

2. Make the stuffing as per the box directions. While the stuffing is resting, brown the sausage in a medium fry pan over med-high heat along with the Italian seasoning, poultry seasoning, old bay seasoning and pepper. Remove the cooked sausage from the pan and drain any excess fat.

3. In each loaf pan, place ¼ cup of the stuffing mixture, then top with ¼ cup of sausage. Crack an egg into 4 of the loaf pans and sprinkle a little bit of salt and pepper on top of the egg. Top each of the loafs with some grated cheddar cheese diced green onion.

4. Tent with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil, poke the egg yolks (if you don't want them runny), and continue to bake for 5 more minutes, or until the eggs are completely cooked and the cheese is melted.

NOTE: Feel free to crack an egg on each of the loafs. With the egg, one loaf is a large enough serving for someone, as long as there's some fruit or something on the side. We each ate 1 loaf with egg, and 1 loaf without.

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie

I've spent a couple of weeks on this now, and finally have it to the point where I think it's perfect, there's nothing else to add or do to it (such a relief). I'll probably try to figure out how to freeze it at some point, but for now I can't stand not cracking into it as soon as it's out of the oven. Enjoy!

Prep Time: 40 minutes
Bake Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 8

Ingredients:


3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup frozen green peas
1 can corn niblets
2 cups potatoes (white or yukon gold), peeled and cubed
½ cup celery, diced
4 cups chicken broth

2/3 cup butter
1 small onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2/3 cup flour
½ tsp old bay seasoning
½ tsp poultry seasoning
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp celery seed
1 cup milk
1/3 cup heavy cream or ½ and ½ cream
2 packages of pillsburry pre-made pie crusts (4 crusts total)
1 egg, beaten

Directions:


1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

2. In a large saucepan, combine the chicken, carrots, peas, corn, potatoes, celery and chicken stock. Stir to ensure everything is covered with the stock. Cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain into a colander set over a bowl to retain the stock for later. Set the chicken mixture and stock aside.

3. In the same saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and then cook the onions until translucent and softened. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 15 seconds. Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, old bay seasoning, poultry seasoning, garlic powder and celery seed. Whisk in the chicken broth, milk and cream in 4 batches, ensuring that the mixture is well combined between each addition. Simmer until starting to thicken, then remove from heat.

4. Roll two of the pie crusts together, creating a large rectangle. Fit the pie crust into a 9" x 13" baking dish, ensuring at least a ½" overhang all around. Brush the crust with the beaten egg, then pour the chicken and vegetable mixture into the crust. Evenly pour the sauce over the chicken mixture, and use a wooden spoon to move the filling around to make sure everything is covered.

5. Roll the last two pie crusts together, then top the dish, sealing and crimping the edges. Brush the top crust with the beaten egg and poke several small slits into the top crust to allow steam to escape.

6. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 45 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Pizza Rolls

Pizza Rolls (aka Pizza Fingers)

These were my favorite things to order at a restaurant called Melanie Pringles in the town I grew up in (I think it's still there). When we moved, I found them at M&M Meats, but then they stopped making them. I had no choice but to figure out the recipe on my own. Lucky me it was ridiculously easy, and they freeze well. Woot!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:


1 package large won-ton wrappers (16 count)
1 package pre-sliced pepperoni
Motzerella cheese, grated
2 small cans of pizza sauce
Any other toppings you want
1 tbl cornstarch mixed with ½ cup of water

Directions:


1. Pre-heat your deep fryer to high, or get a couple of inches of oil in a deep pot (If using a pot, prep the rolls first, then heat your oil and cook, never leave hot oil with your back turned).

2. Lay out 4 won-ton wrappers at a time. Ust a basting brush to brush the water/cornstarch mixture around all four edges, about ½" wide (this helps the edges stick). Place pepperoni, about 1½ tbsp sauce and 2 tbsp motzerella onto the center of each won-ton.

3. Now it's time to roll them up. First, fold the two corners in where the filling is. Flatten the edge as much as you can. Then roll one of the remaining corners over, and press it down along the edges. Finally roll up, and pinch any edges/ends that you can. FYI - There's usually a diagram on the back of the won-ton wrapper to follow (I'm sure I haven't done a good job of describing it here!)

Note:  You can cook right away, or just cover them with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge until you're ready to cook. I usually prep them the morning that I'm going to cook them, so that it's nice and quick later on. You can keep them in the fridge for up to a day, any longer and I would cook/freeze.

4. Fry the rolls in three batches of 6 (in a deep fryer) until golden brown, 3-5 minutes. Let cool 5 - 10 minutes before eating, the filling will be VERY hot. I like to dip them in the leftover pizza sauce, but it's gotta be warmed.

Apple Spice Breakfast Cake

Apple Spice Breakfast Cake

I mean, what kid won't get excited when you tell them that they get to have cake for breakfast!
The next time I make this I think I'll double it, and back a bunch of little ones in mini loaf pans. I'll update when I do with times and such.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 8 (large pieces)

Ingredients:

3 cups finely chopped apples
1 pkg ( 14 oz / 400g) spice cake mix
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup wheat bran
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup milk
2 tbsp brown sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9" square cake pan.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together 2 cups of the apples, cake mix, wheat germ, wheat bran and cinnamon. Stir in the milk until just blended. Spread the cake pan.

3. Top with the rest of the apples and sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the top.

4. Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Move to a wire rack to cool