Caprese Egg Sammy

one of the best trio's known to [wo]man. 

This one is pretty simple folks and it is happy-dance good. I may or may not have actually done a little happy dance while eating this guy late Saturday morning. Just sayin'... there's a strong possibility! It's that good. 

Caprese Egg Sammy 

recipe inspiration from The Curvy Carrot's Caprese Eggs Benedict

recipe = 1 sandwich 

• 1 poached egg 
• not sure how to poach an egg? check out this awesome how-to from the Smitten Kitchen
• 1 slice of tomato (heirloom or beefsteak)
• 1 slice mozzarella 
• 2-3 basil leaves, thinly sliced 
• 1 english muffin, divided and toasted
• 1 tbsp of butter spread of choice (I'm partial to Earth Balance)
• s + p to taste 

pretty self-explanatory. 

toast your english muffin. spread your buttery spread. poach your egg(s).

layer english muffin with tomato slice, mozzarella slice, and place poached egg on top.

sprinkle egg with salt and pepper. finish with basil on top. 

This stuff is ___________.  I'll let you fill in the blank. 

It's gluten free, lactose free, and egg free [vegans unite!]. 

With all those things "missing" you'd think it would taste like __________. 

I'll letcha fill in that one too. But seriously trust me when I say it's one of my favorite discoveries!

Try it!

Whoops. I think I drooled a little... 

Cheesy Chicken and Sausage Bake

I've noticed recently that I seem to start a lot of my posts about the weather. I've come to two possible conclusions about this...Either I am well on my way to early-bird-special status and have nothing better to talk about besides the weather. Or the weather usually dictates my mood and food choices. Lets go with the latter option, mkay? The truth is the weather really does affect me. It affects my mood and it affects what I am in the mood for. Take for instance Sunday evening. It was cold, wet, and rainy all day. For dinner I was in the mood for something warm, comforting, and tasty! This cheesy pasta combo was just that. As my father would say, "it hit the spot!"

check out that cheesy-goodness!

Cheesy Chicken and Sausage Bake
serves 4-6

• 1 lb gemelli pasta [penne or rigatoni would work well too]
• 2 tbsp EVOO, separated
• 2 links of chorizo sausage, sliced
• 3 cups chicken, cooked and cubed
• 2 cups jarred marinara
• 8oz [reduced fat] cream cheese
• 2 tbsp red pepper flakes
• 3 tbsp Italian Seasoning
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3-4 cups baby spinach
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced 
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• s+p to taste 

1. begin by boiling water for pasta and pre-heating oven to 375 degrees. 
2. add pasta and cook 10-12 minutes, or until pasta is al dente. drain and rinse with water. 
3. meanwhile, begin sauteing onions and garlic with EVOO [1 tbsp] over medium heat. after about 2-3 minutes add sausage. cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring well. then add spinach, sprinkle with lemon juice and the remaining EVOO. season with s+p. let simmer.
4. in a large bowl place cream cheese + marinara. add cooked pasta and chicken and mix until all of the sauce is combined.[the heat from the pasta should melt the cream cheese so it blends together nicely!]
5. remove spinach and sausage mixture from stove, add to pasta mixture. before stirring, add red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning. stir altogether. [take a whiff...yep-gonna be good]
6. add pasta mixture to a olive oil greased casserole dish. cover with cheese and more Italian seasoning if desired. bake for 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted. 

this pasta bake is a triple threat.

it's cheesy, savory, and spicy.

cheesy thanks to the cream cheese & melted mozzarella.

savory thanks to the Italian Seasonings & baby spinach.

and spicy thanks to the red pepper flakes & the smoky chorizo sausage!

a triple-threat is bound to get a winning reception.{and a standing ovation}

make this and share.

you'll make new friends & keep the old ;)

Cheesy Quinoa + Broccoli Bake

A new twist on a classic. That's what I love to do! Take something traditional like mac + cheese for instance, and make it something totally new--but based on the same principle. In this case I swapped the elbow macaroni for tri-colored quinoa [yum!], added bacon + broccoli, and made my own spicy cheese sauce from scratch. No easy-mac, mystery powdered cheese here. Nope, no-siree! Don't get me wrong, back in the day ['which was a Wednesday'-DC] I ate my fair share of easy-mac. Usually in college, after coming home from the bars easy-mac was just that...easy! A little water, a little powder [hmmm] and ding- it's ready! It did its job...now easy-mac has gone and grow'd up! It's time for a healthier, fresher take on a yummy classic. Let's go!


Cheesy Quinoa + Broccoli Bake 

• Cheese Sauce
• 1 tbsp flour 
• 1 1/2 tbsp butter 
• 2/3 cup milk [Almond Milk works great!]
• 2 tbsp plain cream cheese
• 1 tbsp chili garlic sauce
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella [skim] cheese 
• 2 cups quinoa, cooked
• 2 cups broccoli florets, cooked + chopped
• 3-4 strips of bacon, cooked + chopped 
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella

1. start by rinsing  your quinoa [2-3 times] and cooking it by following the directions on the box. 
2. meanwhile pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. start making your cheese sauce by starting with the classic "roux" [butter, flour, milk].
3. begin in a small sauce pan by melting the butter over med-high heat. once butter is melted, slowly start whisking in flour. once flour and butter have created a thick paste, slowly whisk in milk. bring to a low-boil and continue whisking occasionally. once mixture has thickened, start adding mozzarella cheese. continue stirring and add nutmeg, chili garlic sauce, and cream cheese. continue stirring until blended well, smooth + dreamy! [it's slightly pink...I know!]
4. in a large bowl combine, broccoli, bacon, quinoa, and cheese sauce. add salt + pepper to taste. 
5. spoon quinoa mixture into a large casserole dish that has been greased with olive oil spray. sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese on top. bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melty and quinoa is bubbling. 

roux [rue] is that you?

oh hey dreamy cheese sauce. 

vegetarian? peskatarian? skip the bacon. more for me!

cheesy, melty, healthy[er] twist on a classic. 

be easy. 

Me Gusta, Tostadas

I like toast. Apparently that is what 'me gusta, tostadas' directly translates to. While this statement is true [I do love me some toast!], I really like this tostada recipe that I adapted from Ms. YUM-O herself, Rachael Ray.

Tostadas with Fresh Salsa 

serves 4 Adapted from Every Day with Rachael Ray 

• corn or vegetable oil, for frying
• 4 corn tortillas (6 inches) 
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 3-4 small red potatoes, cooked-halved + quartered 
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 plum tomatoes, seeded + finely chopped
• 2 jalapeno chili peppers, seeded + finely chopped
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup chicken broth 
• small handful of cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• s + p
• 1 1/2 tbsp of butter
• 1 tbsp flour 
• 2/3 cup of milk [ I used Almond Milk, and it worked great!]
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese [feel free to use whatever cheese you'd like, cheddar would work great too]
• Greek Yogurt for garnishing 

mmm. fresh salsa! 

1. start by putting together the salsa. combine tomatoes, jalapeno [just one], onion [half], cilantro, and lemon juice. set aside. 
2. next, begin browning ground turkey in a large pan over med-high heat. 
3. once browned, add potatoes making sure to get them brown as well.  
4. then add cumin, chili powder, garlic, the remaining jalapeno and onion, and tomato paste. plus, s + p to taste. 
5. stir and combine all of the ingredients until well mixed, then add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. 
6. while simmering, in a small sauce pan create your cheese sauce by melting the butter and slowly whisking in the flour. once these ingredients are combined, slowly start adding the milk while continuing to whisk. once mixture becomes thick, begin adding the cheese. stir until all the cheese it melted and blended well. [slow + steady with this process!]
7. transfer meat mixture to a bowl to cool. 
8. heat a thin layer of oil in the pan to quickly fry the tortillas. 1-2 minutes on a side should do the trick! 
9. once finished frying, layer your tostadas up with your tortilla, then meat mixture, cheese sauce, fresh salsa, and top it off with a dollop of greek yogurt! 

YUM-O is right!

a little messy, but sooo worth it. 

ahh muy bueno! 

Eggplant Mozzarella with Roasted Asparagus

Like eggplant parmesan? Well, you're going to loooove eggplant mozzarella. Imagine ooey gooey melted mozzarella layered on top perfect prosciutto, bold marinara, and crispy-crunchy eggplant. Did I mention all of this is on top of roasted asparagus. Yeah-- this combo is a winnner!! 

oh my. 

Eggplant Mozzarella with Roasted Asparagus

serves 4 

• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 tbsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
• 1 eggplant, pealed and sliced
• 8 slices of fresh mozzarella 
• 8 slices of prosciutto 
• 2 cups of your favorite jarred marinara [mine is Wegman's Grandpa's Sauce]
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 large bunch of fresh asparagus
• EVOO 
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

1. pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. 
2. clean + snap asparagus. place in oven safe baking dish. drizzle with EVOO, sprinkle with s+p and lemon juice. roast for 15-20 minutes, or until bright green + tender. 
3. meanwhile, sprinkle eggplant slices with salt to draw out the moisture for 30-50 minutes.
4. rinse eggplant slices off with water + pat dry. 
5. next, mix bread crumbs, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and Italian Seasoning in a medium bowl with a large opening. 
6. heat a thin layer of EVOO in a large pan over med-high heat. 
7. begin breading eggplant by dipping in egg wash and then into bread crumb mixture. repeat with each eggplant slice. 
8. place eggplant slices in pan and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. 
9. then reduce heat, spoon marinara over each piece of eggplant, place a piece of proscuitto on top of marinara, and finish with the mozzarella on top. 
10. for you veggie lovers out there--skip the proscuitto part [and save it for me!]
11. finally, remove asparagus from oven, and turn the broiler on high. 
12. place pan with eggplant stacks under broiler to melt the mozzarella. 
13. to serve, layer asparagus with the eggplant stacks on top. 

sprinkle with chopped parsley, if you're feeling fancy!

ya dig? dig in. 

xoxo

pizza party!

last night some girlfriends came over and we had ourselves a little pizza party ! I provided the pizza crusts, sauces, cheese, and they brought toppings to share. it was such a nice mid-week break. nothing like pizza, wine, and giggly girls to make things all seem right with the world!

we used sandwich thins for pizza crust--they make perfect mini pizzas!

[[only 50 calories per slice + 100 % whole wheat!]]

for pizza sauces we had pesto + homemade tomato sauce

[1 can tomato paste + 1 tbsp italian seasoning, 1 tbsp garlic powder, s+p]

toppings included:

sliced black olives, chopped green pepper, chopped yellow onion, 

pepporoni slices, sliced baby bella mushroom, sliced cherry tomatoes, baby spinach,  

shredded mozzarella cheese, shredded mexican-blend cheese, and fresh cilantro

preheat oven to 350 degrees.

choose your pizza sauce, spread on pizza thin, and layer with desired toppings!

[the more the yummier!]

sprinkle toppings with Italian seasoning for a little extra kick!

place pizzas on foil lined pan. spray foil with a non-stick olive oil spray.

bake until cheese begins to melt + crust is crispy!

the possibilities are endless--enjoy!

Light + Loaded Baked Spaghetti

Punxsutawney Phil.


So the little guy saw his shadow. [how he could see jack amidst the flashing photogs is beyond me!] "Six more weeks of winter," they say. More like 6 six weeks of winter. Not sure about where you are, but around these parts our winter has been down right crummy. If it's going to be winter, this gal would much rather it be the snowday- baby it's cold outside-hot chocolate drinking- kind of winter. Our winter has been up, down and all around, causing barometric pressure headaches and pre-mature bud-bloomin'. 


enough weather chittie-chat. 
on to things that matter now---dinner!


Tonight I used a little inspiration from Paula Dean's son. He recently re-did one of her high-calorie [diabetes-causing] dishes to make it healthier. I like! I added my little flair to it + I have to say it turned out pretty delish! 

Light + Loaded Baked Spaghetti

• 1 lb sweet Italian chicken sausage, casings removed
• 1 yellow pepper, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 7 oz whole wheat thin spaghetti, cooked
• 28 oz crushed tomatoes
• 3 cups fresh baby spinach
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 6 oz baby bella mushrooms
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp EVOO
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tbsp red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. Cook pasta al dente. 
2. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
3. Sauté onions with garlic and EVOO in a large pan over medium-high heat.
4. Add chicken sausage. Break-apart as it cooks. 
5. When sausage is browned, add peppers, carrots, and mushrooms. 
6. Sprinkle with italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and s + p. 
7. When vegetables are slightly softened; add crushed tomatoes, and spinach.
8. Let simmer until spinach is wilted. 
9. Add spaghetti to pasta sauce in pan. 
10. Transfer half pasta mixture to greased casserole dish. 
11. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the mozzarella.
12. Add remaining pasta mixture on top of cheese. Layer top with remaining cheese.
13. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes. 

~~~

this meal + a glass [or 2] of pinot noir + couch date with the hubs =
one happy little lady

TGIAF!!
xo