Mmmmm...breakfast

Just a quick little post to share another tasty dish with you all.  :)  I first tried this yummy breakfast about a month ago thanks, again, to PW.  It was fairly easy to whip up, and the fact that I could make it ahead of time and then just pop them in the oven (as many as I needed) and have them ready in 5-10 minutes was a huge plus for me!

English muffins, eggs, bacon, cheese, garlic powder, mayo, dijon, worcestershire....strange combination?  Maybe.  Delicious?  Absolutely!  My entire family got the opportunity to enjoy....

Make-Ahead Muffin Melts

PW's photo spread of these beauties was enough for me but wowee, once I tasted them, I was hooked.  I'm not a big mustard person but the dijon was just the flavor these babies needed.  Ree is absolutely right...you can't leave it out.  They just wouldn't be the same! 

Here's my one sad shot from my iPhone...haha...enjoy!

Pesto Platform

Sorry to be away so long folks!  It's been a busy summer but I'm back and have so much to catch you up on!  I wanna start with my simple pesto recipe that I will build off of for the rest of this week.  If you like pesto, you'll love these recipes!  Let's get started!

So I had a TON of basil ready to go in my garden a couple weeks ago so I decided it was time to harvest and put it to good use...just enough for a great big batch of pesto!  My pesto calls for walnuts and pine nuts but if you would prefer a walnut free version, there are plenty of others out there to choose from!

Perfect Pesto

1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 Tbls. minced garlic (more if you like)
5 cups fresh basil leaves
pinch of salt
generous amount of fresh ground black pepper (I said generous, not crazy)
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups EVOO (I went for the full 1 1/2 for this batch)
1 cup parmesan cheese

Process nuts and garlic in your food processor before adding basil, salt, and pepper and continuing to process.  Slowly add in oil through the processor's spout while the processor is on for perfect blending.  Once all oil is incorporated, add cheese and process one last time!  (If you have a mini-prep processor, you'll be happy to know this whole batch will fit if you add your basil in two additions.  You'll also want to add your oil in about three separate additions since you have to stop the processor to add.)

Serve immediately over pasta or store in the fridge for a week or two with a thin film of oil on top (it will create one for itself in time but it never hurts to add a little drizzle once you have it in its storage container.) 

Next up...more ways to use your pesto!  Stay tuned! :)

Berry Coffee Cake, Berry Good!

Let's face it, holidays can be rough on the waistline.  This Easter, I made an attempt at finding a way to sneak a healthier treat in without losing any of the yummy-factor. :)  Luckily the internet is full of healthy recipes these days...the tricky part is weeding out the boring ones to find recipes that actually taste good.  I wanted to share this recipe sooner but hesitated before trying it myself.  Luckily I hit the jackpot on the first try!

This recipe came from http://www.americanprofile.com/ which highlights the very best parts about America, including food.  They have a whole section of recipes I can't wait to browse through.  For now, I give you...

Mixed Berry Whole-Grain Cofee Cake

3 Tablespoons butter
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour (yes...flour again)
1 cup whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup skim milk
1 Tbls baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 (12 oz) bag frozen, unsweetened mixed berries, thawed and drained (or 2 cups fresh)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (I omitted these)

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix butter, oats, 1/4 cup flour, and brown sugar in small bowl with a fork or pastry cutter until crumbly; set aside.  Combine flours, sugar, oil, milk, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and egg in a large bowl.  Beat mixture with wire whip or mixer 1-2 minutes, until well blended.  Stir in mixed berries.  Spread half of the batter in pan and sprinkle half of the oat mixture on top.  Add remaining batter and sprinkle with remaining oat mixture and chopped walnuts (if you are using them).  Bake 40-45 minutes in a 9x9 pan or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Whole wheat, berries, oats...yumm yumm!  This is a treat you can feel good about sinking your teeth into!

Healthy Doesn't Have to Be Boring

...or bland, or gag-inducing, nor does it have to leave you hungry!

I discovered Kalyn's Kitchen months ago when some family members were on the South Beach Diet and I was looking for a side dish to bring to my parents' for dinner.  I found a Spicy Sweet Potato Fries recipe that I made...boy were they spicy (and yummy!)  I added her blog to my Google Reader and told my mom where I had gotten the recipe, then all but forgot about it. 

Fast forward a few months to January when my mom brought the Healthy Hummus to CID's Trivia Night and my mother-in-law asked my mom for the recipe.  Lucky for me, my mom decided to share the hummus recipe AND this tasty main course that she found on Kalyn's Kitchen that had quickly become a favorite in her house:  Pork Chops with Balsamic Glaze.  Whether or not you are a fan of balsamic (I didn't think I was...) I would HIGHLY recommend trying this.  It cooks up super fast so it's perfect for a weeknight or when you're having guests over and don't want to spend the entire evening in the kitchen. 

Serve it up with two or more of the following:  steamed broccoli or cauliflower, roasted sweet potatoes with rosemary, a salad with light dressing, or "grilled" (in a grill pan) mixed veggies and you have one heck of a healthy and delicious meal! 

Penne with Spicy Vodka Cream Sauce

Quick share of one of my all-time favorite recipes! 

Penne with Spicy Vodka Cream Sauce

2 Tbls. extra virgin olive oil
3/4 lb salsiccia
1 tsp. minced garlic
crushed red pepper flakes (to taste...I go a little crazy)
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
2 Tbls. vodka
1 lb. penne pasta

Brown sausage in olive oil then add garlic and red pepper flakes.  Add crushed tomatoes and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, cook noodles.  (Back to the sauce.)  Add cream and vodka and bring to a boil.  Add cooked pasta and heat through for about a minute.  Enjoy!

This is one of my husband's absolute favorite dinners...it makes great leftovers for lunches or more dinners so you can enjoy it again!  Pretty low fuss (especially if you have a splatter screen like mine!)

Holy Smokes Rachael Ray

Just spent some time on Rachael Ray Magazine's website and am dying to try some of these recipes. 

Sweet Potato Chicken Quesadillas

Seared Scallops and Tenderloin Steaks with Manhattan Sauce  (gonna need a special occasion for this!)

Drunken Risotto with Sausage and Spinach (definitely making this one this week cause I have everything!)

Smoked Mozzerella and Chicken Sandwiches with Italian BBQ Sauce

There were 4 or 5 more that sounded yummy but I thought I would let you check them out for yourself.  Maybe something that didn't catch my eye will catch yours!