confetti egg strata

 

This breakfast casserole brings back good memories.  I had to text my friend Melissa to get it from her so I could make it for family when they were in town.  Melissa used to make it with ham but since I had just made a ham breakfast casserole I went with sausage this time.  Either way is delicious.

confetti egg strata (Melissa got it from Pampered Chef)

8 ounce (1/2 loaf) Italian bread, cut into 1" cubes

8 ounces ham, cut into 1/2" cubes (I used a pound of sausage this time)

1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 cup red or green peppers, chopped

1/2 cup green onions, sliced

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

10 eggs, lightly beaten

3 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Cut, slice, chop and beat separate ingredients.  Grease 9x13 pan.  Layer half of bread, cheese, ham, mushrooms, peppers and onion in pan.  Repeat.  In bowl with eggs, whisk in milk and seasonings, blend well.  Slowly pour egg mixture evenly over layered ingredients.  Cover with aluminum foil, refrigerate several hours or overnight.  Remove foil.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake 55-60 minutes or until strata is set and the top is golden brown.  Serves 12.  

soft peanut butter cake (vegan)

 

I recently made this cake for a peanut butter lover (whose sister is vegan) and it was a hit!  The cake is actually so soft you would never guess this is a vegan recipe.  Someone in the family drizzled a little chocolate over the top of his which was a great idea.

soft peanut butter cake (short girl tall order)

2/3 cup plant based milk (I used almond milk)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup creamy unsalted peanut butter

1/2 cup olive oil or any neutral oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups pastry flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

frosting

1/2 cup vegan butter

1/4 cup creamy unsalted peanut butter

2 tablespoons coconut cream (I omitted because we didn't have it)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

roasted peanuts, as a topping, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line an 8x8 pan lightly.  Set aside for later.

Add the plant based milk and lemon juice to a large mixing bowl and whisk together.  Let sit for 2-3 minutes to curdle.

Next, add the sugar, creamy peanut butter, oil and vanilla to the bowl and whisk together.  Then, add in the dry ingredients starting with the pastry flour and then adding the baking powder, salt and baking soda.

Mix into a thick batter.  

Pour the batter into the pan and put into the oven.  Bake for 30-32 minutes or until cooked through.

Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.  Then carefully remove to a wire rack or pedestal plate to cool.  Let cool completely before frosting.

Make the frosting by adding the butter to a bowl and using an electric mixer to whip for a minute or two until fluffy.  Add the creamy peanut butter, coconut cream and vanilla to the mixing bowl.  Whip with the butter or another minute or two until smooth.

Gradually whip in the powdered sugar until incorporated.  Once all the powdered sugar has been mixed in, whip it a little longer to make it extra fluffy.

Spread onto the cake and top with roasted peanuts.

rotisserie chicken vegetable soup

 

I needed to use up the leftover rotisserie chicken in the fridge so found this recipe.  It's so simple and tastes really good.  I altered the recipe to cook in the crock pot for hours to meld the flavors together more. 

rotisserie chicken vegetable soup (the cozy cook)

1 pound rotisserie chicken, chopped

1 tablespoon butter

1 yellow onion, dced

1 cup carrots, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

7 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)

1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables (I used peas and green beans)

seasonings

1 teaspoon dried parsley (I used 1/4 cup fresh parsley)

1/2 teaspoon EACH: dried basil, oregano, mustard powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the onions, carrots and celery and soften for 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and seasonings.  Stir to combine.

Put the chopped chicken into the crock pot.  Add the vegetables with seasonings.  Add the broth and frozen mixed vegetables.  Turn the crock pot onto HIGH.  Cook for at least several hours.

Note: Next time I'll add some zucchini to the soup and sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese over the top.

chocolate chocolate chip waffles

 

This is a really delicious waffle recipe.  The batter even looked silky and delicious.  Highly recommend.

chocolate chocolate chip waffles (Costco magazine, February 2024)

1 1/2 cups flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate chips

whipped cream, fresh berries for topping

Preheat the waffle maker.  Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cocoa in a large bowl.  Make a well in the middle of the ingredients and set aside.

Separate the egg yolks from the whites.  In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites with a mixer until fluffy.  In another bowl, mix the egg yolks, milk, butter and vanilla extract.  Fold in the egg whites, leaving it lumpy.  Add the chocolate chips.  When the waffle maker is hot, spray with cooking spray.  Ladle batter, about 2/3 cup per waffle, into the waffle maker.  Cook the waffles until crisp.

Serve hot with whipped cream and fresh berries.  Makes about 5 waffles.

thai inspired chicken meatballs

 

Hall of Fame!  These meatballs were delicious.  They were perfect, actually.

thai inspired chicken meatballs (St. George Lifestyle Magazine)

1 pound ground chicken

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 scallions, chopped (chopped red onion works well too)

4 tablespoons breadcrumbs

1 whole egg

2 tablespoons red curry paste

1-inch ginger grated

1 bag baby spinach

1 can coconut milk (I used light)

1/2 cup chicken stock

3 tablespoons parsley, minced (I didn't have so omitted)

juice of 1 lime

steamed rice for serving

Saute scallions, 2 teaspoons minced garlic and 2 teaspoons minced ginger in a saute pan until fragrant.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl combine chicken, breadcrumbs, egg, cilantro and onion-garlic mixture.  Mix gently and form into small meatballs.

Saute meatballs in skillet over medium heat until nicely browned.  Transfer to a plate, leaving drippings in the pan.  Add remaining garlic and ginger.  Saute until fragrant.  Add curry paste and stir to combine.  Add coconut milk and chicken stock and bring to a simmer.

Return meatballs to the broth and simmer until meatballs are cooked through.  Add lime juice, spinach and chopped parsley and heat through.  Add a little salt if necessary.  Serve over steamed rice.

tandoori chicken for naan wraps

 

Again, my oldest daughter gave my youngest daughter a dinner idea and it sounded so good I wanted to make it right away.  When my youngest daughter made her wrap she said, "Mom this is so good.  It's my favorite dinner."

Instead of a naan wrap, I ate mine sort of deconstructed and enjoyed how the flavors came together.  Of course I enjoyed mine with fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, some homemade raita sauce, store-bought garlic hummus and some Asian slaw that I threw together.  Not exactly traditional but I love lots of sauces and lots of flavors.

tandoori chicken for naan wraps (moribyan)

1.5 pounds chicken breast or chicken thighs

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup plain greek yogurt

1 teaspoon ginger powder (if you have fresh, use 1 tablespoon minced)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 teaspoons garam masala

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 tablespoon turmeric

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

2 tablespoons lime juice

Combine chicken, yogurt, ginger, garlic, spices and lime juice.  Mix well and let marinate at least 30 minutes.  The longer the better.

In a large skillet heat the oil and add the chicken.  Cook 10 minutes on each side until browned and cooked through.

Assemble wraps using mini naan bread, cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes and homemade raita.

homemade raita sauce

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/4 cup shredded cucumber

pinch of cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine and enjoy!

copycat Costco stuffed peppers

 

My youngest daughter got some dinner ideas from my oldest daughter and one of them was Costco stuffed peppers but instead of buying them I found this delicious copycat recipe.  Now, I don't know if they are like Costco's recipe or not but the recipe is awesome.  The only substitution I made was ground chicken instead of ground beef to lighten it up.  They were perfect.  We enjoyed them with a dollop of light sour cream on top.

copycat Costco stuffed peppers (copy me that)

3 bell peppers, halved lengthwise and stem removed

1 pound ground beef (I used quality ground chicken)

1 cup cooked rice

1/2 cup onion, chopped (I used 2 tablespoons dried onion flakes to save time)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 can petite diced tomatoes

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Place bell peppers in a casserole dish.  Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a large skillet start to brown the ground beef.  Add the chopped onion and garlic.  When the meat is just about cooked through add the rice, chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper and diced tomatoes.  Cook until everything is cooked through and nice and hot.  Turn off the heat.  Scoop the filling into the peppers.  Top with shredded cheese.

Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake for 50-55 minutes.