Potato-Crusted Quiche

INGREDIENTS:

1-2 medium size russet potato, peeled and sliced

2-3 tbsp olive oil

1.5 tsp salt, divided

1/2 tsp pepper, divided

1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

5 eggs

1 c milk

1 tomato, finely diced

2-3 jalapeños, seeded and finely diced

1/2 c green onions, sliced

1/2 c bacon, cooked and chopped

1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400℉ 

Place sliced potatoes in a bowl and add olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and the Parmesan cheese.  Mix well so potatoes are well coated.  Line a glass baking dish with the seasoned potato slices.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Meanwhile  mix the rest of the ingredients together (begin with the eggs, milk, salt and pepper, whisk well, and then add the veggies and cheese.  Pour egg-veggie mixture on top of the potatoes and return to the oven for another 30 minutes.  Enjoy!

 

Healthy Banana-Oat Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

2 (ripe) bananas
1 c old fashioned oats
1/4-1/2 c walnuts (chopped)
cinnamon

In a bowl smash the bananas.  When done, add the oats, walnuts, and sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon for more flavor.  These cookies have no added sugar so the riper the bananas the sweeter your cookie.  If your bananas aren't as ripe as you wished, drizzle a little bit of honey to sweeten the mix.  Drop spoonfulls of your cookie mix unto a cookie sheet (spray your cookie sheet to avoid them sticking to the pan.  I used a silicone mat on top of my cookie sheet so I didn't have to spray it.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes.  Makes 12 cookies.  Enjoy!

Capirotada (Mexican Bread Pudding)

This is my mom's Mexican bread pudding recipe.  This is not only delicious but it also makes your kitchen smell fantastic!  You will note in the ingredients that some ingredients are optional.  My mom always adds them but my kids are not big fans of raisins so it's not a must to add.  The same with the dates, but I think they are a great addition.  I also substituted honey for the sugar, but either one is fine.  A definite must try!

INGREDIENTS:

5 Bolillo rolls (You can also use french bread, about a loaf or loaf and a half)

2 tbs vanilla

1 cup chopped dates (optional)

1 can sweetened condensed milk

3 eggs

1/2 cup melted butter

1 cup raisins (optional) 

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup sugar or honey

5 cups of milk

sprinkles ;)

Rip the bread into large chunks and place them in a large mixing bowl.  In the blender mix: vanilla, eggs, butter, honey, sweetened condensed milk, and some of the milk.  Pour mixture on top of the bread.  Add dates, coconut, raisins and the rest of the milk.  Add the milk slowly.  You want everything to be pretty moist, if 5 cups of milk is not enough to moist all of the bread then add some more.  Once everything is well mixed, place mixture in a greased 9x13 baking dish.  Sprinkle top with sprinkles! Bake at 350 degrees fahrenheit for about an hour or until set.  Enjoy!

Buttermilk Syrup

1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cups buttermilk (or 3/4 cups milk + 1 Tbsp of lemon juice, mix and let sit for 5 min. before adding to recipe)
1/2 cup butter
2 Tbsp corn syrup
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla

Combine all but vanilla in a large sauce pan.  Bring to boil over medium low heat.  Don't boil hard or it will go brown.  Simmer for 7 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Stir in vanilla.  Serve over pancakes or waffles or even over ice cream!  Stores in the fridge for a couple weeks.

Brazilian Stuffed Bread

In Brazil, when you have visitors over, it's pretty much tradition to sit down and "tomar um lanche", which is literally translated to "take a lunch", but it's a way to say eat a snack, or have some tea (if you're from Europe).

And this bread is just perfect for that. I would say, in a typical Brazilian home, you would have as an afternoon snack: some bread (from french bread to cheese bread), cake, and Coca-Cola (okay, maybe Guaraná). Just kidding, but it is very common.



This recipe is so easy, the hardest part really is just waiting patiently for the dough to rise. AND you may just have all the ingredients in your pantry.

Ingredients:

- 3 to 3 1/2 C Flour (Start with 3 and keep adding until it doesn't stick to your fingers anymore)

- 4 tbsp. Oil (I think I used canola)

- 2 tbsp. Sugar

- 2 Eggs

- 1 tsp. Salt

- 1 C water

- 1 tbsp. Yeast

- Mayo

- Shredded Parmesan Cheese

You can use anything to put inside the bread, here are some suggestions:

- Muzzarella chesse, diced tomatoes, and basil

- Pepperoni and cheese

- Just Cheese

- Ham, cheese, tomato, onions, and oregano (I made this one and it turned out delish, except I used some left-over salsa fresca since I didn't have any more onions and it turned out pretty good)

You can also use any kind of meat like salami, turkey, hot dogs (this would need to be chopped)...Just use your imagination!

Put all of the ingredients in a large bowl, except for the water and yeast. In a small bowl, add water and yeast and let it sit for a few minutes (while you mix everything else in the large bowl).
Add the water and yeast to the large bowl and mix it all up with your hands.
Flour a flat surface and knead the dough for a few minutes.
Cover and let it rise for at least 30 minutes (I would do about 45 minutes).
While the dough rises, you can prepare your toppings. Make sure to chop everything up, except the cheese, if it's already grated.
Separate the dough into two equal pieces. Open one in a rectangle, spread the mayo, add chesse and other toppings. Roll it up lengthwise. It doesn't need to be rolled up super well, I usually only do it a couple times. Spread some more mayo on top of the bread and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. You can also add parsley on top to make it look prettier, or, in my case, to differentiate from the other bread, which had a different topping. Make sure you pinch the ends so the cheese doesn't run out. Repeat everything with the other piece of dough and put it in a floured (spread butter first, and then the flour) cookie sheet.

Bake for aproximately 40 minutes at 350 F.

German Pancakes with Coconut Syrup

We made these for Christmas with the egg nog added in and they were delicious! We make them all the time without the egg nog and they are just as good. My family calls them Monster Pancakes because of they way they grow so big in the oven.


MONSTER PANCAKES

6 Eggs
1 C. Milk (Replace 1 cup of milk with 1/2 cup low fat milk and 1/2 eggnog to reduce thickness and add 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg)
1 C. all-purpose Flour
1/2 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 tsp. Salt (reduce to 1/4 tsp. if using salted butter)
4 Tbs.  Butter, melted

Place the eggs, milk, flour and salt in a mixing bowl; mix thouroghly. Pour the melted butter into an ungreased 9x13x2  baking dish; add batter. Bake, uncovered, at 425 degrees for 16-18 minutes. Make sure to monitor the oven so the tips of the pancake don't burn. You will know when it's cooked when the tips of the pancake begin to lightly brown.

Dust pancake with confectioner's sugar; serve immediatly with the syrup (see recipe below or use your own). It is also good to use whip cream and berry jam or peaches.


Butter Cream Syrup (Coconut or other flavoring)

1 C. Butter
1 C. Sugar
1/2 C. Buttermilk
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Coconut Flavoring (optional or any other flavoring that you want)

Heat butter, sugar, buttermilk, baking soda and flavoring by slowly bringing to a boil (it will foam, so be sure to put in large sauce pan). Take off heat.

Granola

Here is another delicious recipe from our family cookbook, homemade granola. I've been enjoying this over a bowl of fruit and yogurt and it's so yummy. My husband is really bad at eating breakfast and he also hates cereal, yet he's been eating this granola with milk a few mornings in a row. I'm telling you is good!

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 c brown sugar
1/3 c oil
1/3 c honey
5 c old fashioned oats
1/2 c raisins
1/2 c dry milk
3/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/2 c coconut

Mix sugar, oil, and honey in a saucepan. Heat until the sugar is dissolved. Combine dry ingredients in a large cake pan. Pour sugar mixture over dry mixture and mix well. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for ten minutes. Let cool in pan. Store in airtight container. Enjoy!!!

Butterscotch Cinnamon Rolls

This is another recipe found in my family cookbook. It was super fast and easy to make and most importantly...it was really good.

INGREDIENTS:

1 c chopped pecans

28 frozen Rhodes rolls

3 oz pkg regular butterscotch pudding mix (dry, do not use instant)

1/2 c butter

3/4 tsp cinnamon

3/4 c brown sugar

Place nuts in bottom of greased bundt pan. Add rolls. Sprinkle pudding over top. Melt together in saucepan the butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Pour over rolls. Leave rolls out overnight to rise. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 to 30 minutes.

Note: Try and assemble everything late at night. I started mine about 9pm and by 7:30 am, the rolls had risen so much they were overflowing.

Apple Pancakes

This is a recipe found in a family cookbook. We tried it a couple of weeks ago while we had some family over. They turned out really good!

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 c flour

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp baking powder

4 tbsp sugar

2 c milk

2 eggs

4 tbsp oil

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

3/4 c apple sauce

****

Mix dry ingredients, set aside. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, milk and oil. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well. Cook pancakes and top with cider sauce. Enjoy!

Cider Sauce

This is a syrup for apple pancakes

2 c sugar

4 tbsp cornstarch

4 c apple juice or cider (or apple sauce)

4 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 c butter

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Boil in sauce pan until thick. Pour over apple pancakes.

Apple Walnut Cinnamon Rolls

I got this recipe from Food Network as I was walking on the treadmill one day. Not a good thing to watch while you are hungry and exercising:) but anyways thought I would try it. This was my second try. The first time I used Grands Cinnamon Rolls and they are too big. You have to use the smaller ones. They are really fast and easy so they are good for breakfast!!!

1 Granny Smith Apple
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
3/4 cup Walnuts (my kids don't like nuts so I don't do quite that much and add them later)
2 TBS. Butter (melted)
2 Tubes (8 count) Cinnamon Rolls
1 container Frosting
1/4 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
2 Tbs. Water

Slice Apple into small pieces. Add brown sugar and walnuts and mix together. Butter 12 ct. muffin tin with butter. Place a small amount of Apple mixture in each tin and place cinnamon roll, cinnamon side down, in each tin on top of apple mixture and press down. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 min. Let sit for a few minutes and invert onto a cookie sheet. Mix frosting with water and pumpkin pie spice. Drizzle over cinnamon rolls and enjoy:)

Baked Rice Pudding

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked rice

1/2 cup raisins

1/3 cup melted butter

2 cups milk

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

Cinnamon

Directions:

Combine raisins, butter and rice. In separate bowl, combine milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt. Stir into rice mixture. Pour into buttered baking dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake at 350 for 20-30 min until set.

Baked French Toast Casserole

This recipe by Paula Deen is great if you don't want to spend much time in the morning preparing breakfast because you prep it the night before and then just pop it in oven in the morning. Great for a big group and extra yummy!

Ingredients:
1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
Butter, for pan
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt
Praline Topping, recipe follows
Raspberry Syrup, recipe follows

Directions:
Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch thick each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices.
In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 45 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with Raspberry Syrup.

Praline Topping:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Spread over bread as directed above.

Raspberry Syrup:
1 cup raspberry preserves
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons raspberry liqueur (recommended: Framboise)

Combine ingredients in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir until warm and thinned out like syrup.

German Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 c flour
1 c milk
4 eggs
1/8 tsp salt
3 tbsp butter


Heat oven to 425 degrees. While oven pre-heats, mix all ingredients except for butter (don't over mix). In a large baking dish place butter and melt in oven (watch it so it doesn't burn). Pour mix over melted butter and bake for 20-23 minutes. Serve with fruit and syrup

This is what the pancake looks like when you pull it out of the oven, all puffed-up.