Sausage and Sun Dried Tomato Egg Bake

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If you are looking for the perfect dish to serve for Easter brunch, here you go.  We love to have this on our “breakfast-for-dinner” nights paired with a green salad and it’s also a great one to make on Sundays and reheat for quick breakfasts throughout the week.  This is my go-to when we have overnight guests in town or when I am hosting a brunch…the meat mixture can be cooked, assembled and chilled the day before so all you need to do is whisk the eggs/cheese/milk and pour it on top right before baking.  This savory, gooey goodie is always a hit around here.

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Sausage and Sun Dried Tomato Egg Bake

adapted from this recipe

Note:  If you are making the meat mixture a day ahead of time just store it in the fridge in the buttered dish…that way all you have to do is pour the egg mixture over it before baking.  This may require a few additional minutes of baking as the meat has been chilled.

Ingredients

1 Pound Ground Breakfast Sausage

1/3 Cup Chopped Onion

1/3 Cup Chopped Oil Packed Sun Dried Tomatoes

2 Tablespoons Fresh Chopped Parsley

1 Cup Chopped Fresh Spinach, optional

6 Large Eggs

3 Large Egg Yolks

1 Cup Half and Half

1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream

1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella

1 Cup Shredded Parmesan

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 and butter a 9×13 baking dish.  In a large skillet cook the sausage over medium high heat until beginning to brown, breaking up with the back of the spoon, about 8 minutes.  Add the onion and cook until beginning to soften, about 4 additional minutes. Add the sun dried tomatoes and cook for one minute, stirring often.  Stir in the parsley and spinach, if using, and remove from heat.  Pour in the bottom of the buttered dish.

In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, yolks, half and half, cream, cheeses and salt.  Pour over the meat mixture and give it a stir. Cook in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the top is beginning to brown.  Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.  Serves 6-8

 

Mediterranean Chicken with Garlic Sauce

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If you have ever eaten at a Lebanese restaurant or been blessed enough to experience schwarma I’m sure you’ll catch my drift here.  That garlic sauce?  Obsessed.  Like, eat-it-with-a-spoon-obsessed.  It’s tart and bold
and has the perfect bite to it…and quite frankly you could put it on top of anything and it would be delicious.  But over this grilled chicken?  Accompanied by this juicy, simple tomato salad?  My gosh, people, it’s almost unacceptable it tastes so good.

Traditional Lebanese garlic sauce is made with vegetable oil, garlic and lemon….but emulsifying the oil and lemon juice can get a bit tedious and the results are so inconsistent; not to mention that vegetable oil isn’t necessarily the most healthy.  So, in an effort to simplify the process, health it up and make it no-fail each and every time I came up with my own non traditional recipe that truly tastes just as good.  We use this sauce for so many different things.  It’s fabulous with any grilled meat or fish, works beautifully as a dressing for green salads and makes a great dip for veggies, pizza, anything, really.  Now I must warn you…it is spicy.  Not burn-your-mouth spicy but it has a strong bite to it from the garlic.  Feel free to use 2-3 garlic cloves instead of 4 if you are afraid it will be too much bite for you..4 is great for us, even my 2 year old loves it.

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This is such  a simple, quick meal and pairs beautifully with rice or roasted potatoes…perfect for welcoming the spring sunshine.

Mediterranean Chicken with Garlic Sauce

Note: four cloves of garlic will give you a pretty big bite in this sauce..i stick with 3 for my family and it’s still very garlicky..but if you’re feeling edgy, use four;)

Ingredients

For the Garlic Sauce

3-4 Cloves Garlic, see note above

1 Cup Whole Fat Greek Yogurt

2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice

1 Tablespoons Mayonaise

3/4 Teaspoon Salt

1/3 Cup Olive Oil

For the Tomato Salad

1/2 Cup Chopped Cucumber

1/4 Cup Thinly Sliced Red Onion

3/4 Cup Halved Cherry Tomatoes

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1/8 Teaspoon Black Pepper

1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Parsley or 1 Teaspoon Dried Parsley Flakes

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

For the Chicken

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Greek Seasoning

1 Pound Chicken Breast Filets

Directions

For the Garlic Sauce

Place garlic in the bowl of a food processor or blender and process until the garlic is finely chopped, about 30 seconds.  Scrape the sides of the bowl to get the garlic pieces to the bottom and add the yogurt, lemon juice, mayonnaise and salt and process until combined, 30 seconds.  With the motor running, stream in the olive oil slowly and process until completely combined, about 1 minute.

For the Tomato Salad

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

For the Chicken

Preheat the grill over medium high heat.  Sprinkle the chicken with Greek seasoning, drizzle it with olive oil and toss to coat evenly.  Grill the filets for 8 minutes or until cooked through, flipping once after 4 minutes.  Remove from heat, top with tomato salad and drizzle with garlic sauce.  Serves 2-3.

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

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Just like your favorite Asian restaurant but at home…and so much more healthful.  Fun enough for serving as an appetizer at a cocktail party and quick enough for a weeknight dinner.  Yum yum dim sum (well, not really, but I kind of like the way it sounds).

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For tips and tricks on storing fresh ginger root see this post

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Simplified from this recipe

Ingredients

1/2 Cup Tamari or Soy Sauce

3 Tablespoons Honey

1 Tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Mirin (sweet rice wine…available in Asian section of most grocery stores)

1 Tablespoon Fresh Grated Ginger

Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

3 Tablespoons Sesame Oil

1 Pound Ground Chicken

2 Cloves Garlic, grated or pressed

4 Green Onions, thinly sliced

1/4 Cup Chopped Water Chestnuts

Leafy Lettuce, for serving

Directions

In a small bowl whisk together the tamari or soy sauce, honey, rice wine vinegar, mirin, ginger and red pepper flakes; set aside.  Heat the sesame oil in a a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the chicken and cook, breaking it up with the back of the spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and green onion and sauté for 1 minute.  Stir in the water chestnuts and pour in the sauce.  Bring to a simmer and cook until heated through and the chicken absorbs most of the sauce, about 5 minutes.  Serve on top of leafy lettuce.  Serves 3-4 as a main course.

Charred Brussels Sprout Salad

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Nick and I hit up one of our favorite date night spots this past weekend and let me tell you.  I am just never EVER disappointed with a single darn thing this place has to offer.  The atmosphere is just perfect…lively, casual and filled with food lovers alike.  The service?  Impeccable.  Every.  Single.  Time.  And the food?  Oh the food.  If you haven’t checked it out and you are in the Minneapolis area I highly suggest you do.  It is truly special.

When Nick and I do dinners alone we tend to order quite a few different items to share so that we can have a little taste of everything…I may or may not be as good at sharing as he is when it comes to food 😉  But when we ordered the Charred Brussels Sprout Salad the server was kind enough to take it upon herself to have it split into two servings, on two plates, for us.  I’m not sure if its because she felt bad for my husband after seeing me devour the lamb tartare the course before or because she just knew that this salad was so over the top that my husband and I could have caused a scene arguing over who gets the last bite.  Nonetheless, we were both speechless.  Crispy, caramelized brussels paired with smokey pancetta, tart chèvre cheese and tangy yet sweet vinaigrette?  Heaven on earth.

As I was meal planning on Sunday I asked Nick what sounded good this week.  “Ya know, you mentioned wanting to try to replicate that brussels sprout salad at home…that sounds really good”, he said. Darn it, he wanted to eat that dish again?  Arm twisted.

I figured there couldn’t have been much to it…I’d simply roast the sprouts like I typically do only slice them thinly with a knife before hand which would equal more of a charred flavor versus roasting them whole.  Then all I needed to do was tie in some greens, pork fat and goat cheese and a sweet, tangy vinaigrette, to boot.  I opted for bacon instead of pancetta because I already had some in the freezer and added a roasted chicken breast to the top to make it a balanced meal.  So so delish, you guys.

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Charred Brussels Sprout Salad

Ingredients

1 1/2 Pounds Brussels Sprouts, ends removed and sliced thin

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar

6 Ounces Mixed Greens

4 Ounces Goat Cheese, crumbled

4 Slices Bacon, cooked and crumbled

Roasted Chicken, optional, for topping

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard

2 Teaspoons Pure Maple Syrup

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

Pinch of Black Pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 and place sliced brussels sprouts on a baking sheet.  Drizzle 3 tablespoons olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the sprouts and toss well with your hands.  Spread them out in a single layer and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until tender and lightly charred, stirring once in the middle of cooking.

While sprouts are roasting whisk together the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijon, maple syrup, salt and pepper.  Toss the mixed greens with the vinaigrette and distribute the greens among plates.  Top with charred sprouts, goat cheese, bacon and chicken, if desired.  Serves 6 as a side dish, 2-3 as a main dish.

 

Spinach Salad with Roasted Salmon and Maple Vinaigrette

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Well, apparently it took this salad to get me off my butt and get more than one post in per week.  I’m now questioning myself.  Maybe the reason I have only been posting once a week is not because I don’t have time.  Maybe it’s not because I typically only have one hour of the day to myself and I need to fill it with obligatory household duties. Perhaps it’s because the food I have been cooking isn’t need-to-post-immediately material?  I just made this dish last night and I truly couldn’t wait to pass it on to you (yes, a randomly thrown together meal actually turned out amazing on the first try-tickled pink).  The household crap can wait…this is an urgent matter.  Make this salad.  Just do it.  It’s so savory and so sweet and so salty and just plain awesome.  And the crispy skin on the salmon?  My gosh.  And now that I am one hour behind in household chores I expect you to come over and get them done for me.  No need to knock…just let yourself in.  And would you mind stopping to pick me up a latte on your way?  xo

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Spinach Salad with Roasted Salmon and Maple Vinaigrette 

Ingredients

For the Vinaigrette:

2 Tablespoons Stone Ground Mustard

2 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/3 Cup Olive Oil

For the Salad:

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 (4-6 ounce) Salmon Filets, skin on + salt and pepper

6-8 Ounces Baby Spinach

4 Slices Nitrate and Nitrite Free Bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 Hard Boiled Eggs, sliced in half

1/4 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese

1/3 Cup Walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.  In a small bowl whisk together all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette.  Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a oven proof skillet over medium high heat.  Season both sides of the salmon with salt and pepper and place the salmon skin side down in the pan.  Cook the salmon for 5 minutes (do not move the salmon) and then transfer the pan to the oven and cook it for 5 additional minutes or until desired doneness.

Toss spinach with the dressing and divide among two plates.  Top with bacon, eggs, parmesan and walnuts.  Place the salmon filets on top of the salads and serve.  Serves 2

Quick Ham and Bean Soup

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Lets do a little mathematics, my dear friends:

Ham hock + beans + simmering all day = my heart runneth over.

The same taste as the previous equation + minimal work + no time at all = my heart runneth over.

Same results?  I choose the latter.

The first time I made this I was looking for a way to use up leftover baked ham and it has become a staple in our meal rotation ever since.  You will be shocked at how something so quick and simple can yield such flavor.  And by the way, stop picking on me and making me do your math homework for you…next thing you know you’ll be stealing my lunch and shoving me into lockers.  Not okay.

Quick Ham and Bean Soup

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Small White Onion, chopped

2 Carrots, chopped

6 Cloves Garlic, chopped

2 Teaspoons Dried Thyme or 2 Tablespoons Fresh Chopped Thyme

3/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper

1 (15 Ounce) Can Petite Diced Tomatoes

2 (15 Ounce) Cans Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed

3 Cups Chicken Stock

2 Cups Diced Ham

2 Teaspoons Stone Ground Mustard

1/2 Cup Cream

Fresh Parsley, for garnish *optional

Salt to taste

Directions

Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium high heat.  Add the onion and carrot and sauté until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, thyme and pepper and sauté 1 minute.  Stir in the tomatoes, beans, chicken stock and ham and bring to a boil; turn down the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.  Stir in the mustard and cream, simmer for 5 additional minutes and season with salt, if needed.  Serves 4

Perfect Oven Ribs

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We love ribs around here.  I’ve been making this recipe for quite some time and it just never disappoints.  If you think ribs are only for the outdoor grill (I once did, too) this recipe will change your mind.  It’s beyond simple to prepare and the result?  Gooey, sticky, fall-off-the-bone, finger-licking heaven.  If she doesn’t convince you of it I don’t know who else can..

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Perfect Oven Ribs

Slightly adapted from this recipe

Note:  You can use your favorite prepared barbecue sauce for this but I prefer to make the one below…it is so simple, tastes amazing and contains less sugar than most prepared versions

Ingredients

2 1/4 Pounds Baby Back Ribs

1 Large Clove Garlic, peeled

1 1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Course Ground Black Pepper

1/8 Teaspoon Ground Cloves

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 12 Ounce Bottle Of Beer (any kind works here-I typically use a Belgian Wheat)

For the sauce:

1 Cup Ketchup

1 Cup Peach or Apricot Preserves (no sugar added)

3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 300.  Lay the rack of ribs on a baking sheet (meaty side up) and rub the garlic clove all over them on both sides; set the clove in the pan next to the ribs.  Sprinkle the top of the ribs with salt, pepper and cloves and then rub the seasonings into the meat.  Drizzle the oil over the top and then pour the beer over the top of that.  Cover tightly with heavy duty foil and bake for 2 hours or until the meat is very tender.

For the sauce:

Pour the juices from the pan into a small sauce pan and add the ketchup, preserves and lemon juice.  Boil over high heat until sauce thickens, about 25 minutes, whisking occasionally.

Preheat the broiler and flip the ribs over on the baking sheet so that the meat side is down.  Brush with the sauce and put under the broiler for five minutes.  Turn the ribs over, brush with more sauce and place under the broiler again for 7-8 minutes or until they start to char.  Remove from the oven and serve with the remaining sauce.  Serves 4-6

Roasted Buffalo Chicken Salad

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Time consuming dinners are becoming a little more challenging during the week in our house…I’ve been saving those for the weekends these days.  This buffalo chicken salad recipe has been used and abused around here during the week because it is so incredibly quick and simple and, well, it’s basically buffalo wings on crack which equals beyond delicious.  I use the help of store bought wing sauce most of the time and if you’re really struggling for time you could always use a store bought roasted chicken but this method for roasting the chicken is incredibly simple and the taste beats out any store bought chicken you can buy.  Bar grub perfected at home…just how we like it.

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Roasted Buffalo Chicken Salad

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

Salt + Black Pepper

1/2 Cup Buffalo Wing Sauce

6 Ounces Mixed Greens or Romaine

3/4 Cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved

1/2 Cup Grated Carrot

1/2 Cup Crumbled Bleu Cheese

1 Green Pepper, chopped

1 Avocado, diced

1/3 Cup Ranch Dressing

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 and season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.  In an oven proof skillet heat olive oil on medium high heat.  Add the chicken and cook, top side down, until you get a nice sear on top, about 4 minutes.  Flip chicken over, transfer to the oven and bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes.  Let the chicken rest and cool for ten minutes after taking it out of the oven so the meat can absorb all of the juices.  Slice the chicken, pour the buffalo wing sauce over it and stir it in the pan.  Set aside.

In a large bowl add the greens, tomatoes, carrots, bleu cheese, green pepper and avocado.  Pour the ranch dressing over the top and toss gently with your hands.  Distribute the salad onto plates and top with the roasted buffalo chicken.  Serves 2-3

Latest and Greatest

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Happy Thursday, my dears!

Quick note…if you are interested in following an awesome new blog that I am THRILLED to be a part of now is your chance.  Twin Cities Moms Blog.  The name is a bit deceiving…there is definitely a ton to offer for those of you who are not moms and do not live in the Twin Cities.  It is a bit of a variety blog…there are 13 contributors, including myself, and two amazing co-founders who saw the need for such a site here in the Minneapolis area.  Each contributor is so talented in their own way and shares such great ideas with regard to DIY projects, fashion, parenting tips and perspectives, health and beauty, recipes, restaurants to visit, date night ideas, happenings in the area, the list could go on and on and on..and you’re seriously going to dig it.  Such a fun new adventure for me…I’d love for you to come along for the ride!

Here is a link to my article about coconut oil that was published on the site today…thought it would be fitting to share it with you, my fellow food and health enthusiasts.  Hope you’re staying warm and cozy…and if you are in a location that requires cooling off please do not tell me that or it may make me turn on you 😉

xo

PS Follow us on Facebook, too!

The Nourished Smoothie

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My darling friend and neighbor, Heather, stopped to say hi as I was out shoveling the other day.  She is about as supportive with this blog as they come…always sending me cute messages about how she made and loved a recipe and giving me pats on the back that are priceless, in my opinion.  As she pulled away I mentioned to her that I am always open to suggestions and ideas for things she would like to see more of on the blog (that goes for all of you as well…I LOVE direction-even if my husband may disagree). Oddly enough she sent me a message later suggesting the idea of a smoothie recipe.  This is so incredibly coincidental because Georgia and I have been playing with smoothie recipes for the last week…trying to mix up something we both really love.  Great minds think alike, Heather 😉

Let me start off by telling you I have been boycotting smoothies for years.  I had straight up no time for them.  I mean, come on…I’d so much rather eat my food than drink it.  And then my second child came along. And my 2 year old became a 2 year old. And I’ve become desperate.  Desperate for quick, simple, easy, on the go options for breakfast.  My poor daughter is on the verge of turning in to a hard boiled egg, I swear.  You see, often times we are rushing out the door about 5 minutes late before we’ve even left the house.  I’m nursing one kid in an attempt to fill him up before we leave (because as you can see from my previous post he’s extremely malnourished) and the other is taking her socks and boots off before we can get out the door.  So I finish feeding Jude, put him in his carseat, go put Georgias socks and boots back on along with her coat and hat, get my own winter gear on, get Jude out of his carseat and changed because of course he pooped the minute I got him in, put him back in his carseat, put Georgias hat and boots back on again (this time I can usually catch her before she gets everything off), get the car started, get back inside to find that Georgia has taken her boots off again, put her boots back on, get the car packed up, put the kids in the car and this is when I realize I need to get Georgia something to eat.  She’s not a big breakfast eater but we try to have at least a little protein to get our day started.  I’d like to let you know on a side note that the other day as we pulled out of the driveway I felt I had an eyelash in my eye so I pulled the mirror down to find Georgias “princess crown” on top of my head.  In addition to the above process, I also now attempt to check myself in the mirror before getting in the car myself. If you could see me today you’d find that I rarely stick to that.

So, after telling you about our total debacle of an attempt to get out the door I need to tell you that these smoothies have saved me.  I typically make them up either the night before or in the morning before the kids get up, store them in the fridge and they are all ready to go as we rush out the door.  They are so incredibly simple and yummy…they’ve converted me to a smoothie lover.  Through our week of testing out recipes I learned that I absolutely positively can not stand seeds in my smoothies so most berries were out.  This recipe was the winner for both of us.  The peaches and banana are an awesomely sweet combination, the spinach simply adds color and nutrients without effecting the taste and the coconut milk and yogurt provide healthy fats, protein and give it an amazingly smooth taste and texture.

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On another side note…here is the view from our living room window today.  We are supposed to get 10 more inches.  Im considering putting tequila in my smoothie tomorrow.

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The Nourished Smoothie

Ingredients

1 Cup Frozen Peaches

1 Cup Spinach Leaves

1 Banana

3/4 Cup Greek Yogurt

1 Cup Unsweetened Coconut Milk

1 Tablespoon Honey, optional

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a blender; blend until smooth.  Serves 2