Breakfast Casserole

Some of you know that I am a recipe tester for Clean Eating Magazine.  What does that mean?  It means that I get a list of new recipes to try out and give feedback.  Well, I tried it out and I am going to share it with you.

The first recipe on the list appealed to me because it gave me another use for the tomatoes growing like crazy in my garden.  I had most of the ingredients listed, but decided to just substitute what I didn't have.  Here is what what I did:

Cube 5 cups of bread and put it in a sprayed casserole dish.  

Brown 1/2 a pound of turkey sausage (I used ground turkey and seasoned it well) and 1/4 cup diced sweet onion in a pan.

Mix 1 1/2 cups of skim milk, 6 egg whites, 1/8 cup Pecarino Ramano (used Parmasean since that is what I had on hand), and 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley.  The recipe called for mixing all of this in a blender with 1 re-hydrated chipolte pepper, but since I was making it for the family, I omitted that for the kids.  I did add salt and pepper, about a teaspoon of each.

Add the turkey mixture to the casserole dish.

Add sliced tomatoes to cover on top of the casserole and push them down into the mix.  The recipe called for 2 large plum tomatoes, but I used Roma's since that is what I had on hand...about 4-5.  

Sprinkle a 1/2 cup of Pecorino Romano cheese on top.  (Again, I used Parmesan.  I think the Pecorino would have added much more flavor.)

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 40 minutes.  

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Guinness Milk Chocolate Ice Cream

Oh how I love ice cream!  Chocolate is my favorite and anyone who knows me knows I love Guinness.  So when I saw this recipe on the Full Time Foodie blog, I knew I would be making it!  And quick!  I printed the recipe right off of her site, and so it began.  She got the recipe from The Perfect Scoop by Dave Lebowitz. 

Lets get started!

Finely chop the chocolate and put at the bottom of a bowl and put a strainer on top of it.  I used these milk chocolate chips because the store I was at did not have the bars of chocolate.  I would have preferred the bars.  

Warm the milk sugar and salt in a medium sauce pan.

Separate and whisk together 4 egg yolks.

Pour the warm mixture over the egg yolks, stirring constantly.  

Pour mixture back into the sauce pan and heat on medium, stirring frequently.  Stir until it thickens and coats the back of the spatula.

Pour custard through the strainer and stir chocolate until melted.

Add the Guinness and Cream.  The recipe only calls for 3/4 cup....so DRINK THE REST. 

Transfer to an ice bath to cool the mixture.

I used my Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker.  I keep that round piece you see on the right in my deep freezer for just this occasion!  

The frozen piece goes inside of the machine, then you put the "mixer blade" inside of it.

Pour in the chocolate mixture and put on the lid.

Turn it on and let it do it's magic.  It takes about 25-30 minutes depending on how cool the mixture is to begin with.

Soft serve ready....

I put mine into 1 cup containers and put them in the freezer.  Wait till you see what I did with one of them!  I will post that at a later date!

I know you are thinking, "does it taste like Guinness?  Because I don't like beer."  No, it does not.  The stout adds a rich flavor to the chocolate.  If you love chocolate ice cream...give it a try!

Here is the link to the recipe:  Full Time Foodie Blog

As I previewed my blog, I started wondering if I could substitute Baileys for the cup of heavy cream.  I think I will give it a whirl and invite the girls over soon for a movie and ice cream!

Sweet and Salty Party Mix

All I can say is, no matter who you are, you will not stop eating this!  I made this to snack on at Bunco and it was AWESOME!  This is a Pampered Chef recipe that is very easy and worth making!

Mix the popcorn, pretzels, peanuts and chex cereal to a bowl.

Make the caramel sauce and add it to the dry ingredients.  Mix it completely and pour it onto two parchment lined stones or sheet pans.

Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes.

YUM!!!


Sweet & Salty Party Mix
adapted from The Pampered Chef 
(recipe found in Fall/Winter 2010 catalog)


1 pkg microwave popcorn (5 cups popped)
3 cups mini pretzels
2 cups dry-roasted salted peanuts
2 cups oven-toasted rice cereal squares
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup corn syrup
1 tsp baking soda

1.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Combine popped popcorn, pretzels, peanuts and cereal in a large bowl, set aside.  Combine butter, brown sugar and corn syrup in saucepan.  Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil.  Continue to cook without stirring for 3 minutes.  Remove from heat, carefully stir in baking soda.

2.  Pour caramel sauce over popcorn mixture; stir until evenly coated.  Spoon mixture onto two large bar pans or sheet pans.  Bake 30 minutes.

3.  Transfer mixture to large piece of parchment paper and cool completely.  Break mixture into clusters as it cools.  Serve.

Yield:  12 cups
This recipe can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days.
Pecans, walnuts or macadamia nuts can be substituted for the peanuts, if desired.

Omelet for Two

Let me start by saying I love weekend breakfasts with the family.  We sit and take our time and talk about what we are going to do that day.  However, sometimes the kids are in a hurry to get outside and play, and my husband and I can enjoy a nice quiet breakfast together.  I love those days too!

This recipe came from Ina Garten.  I do love every cookbook that I have of hers.  And I do have EVERY COOKBOOK.  Even one with her signature!  I know whatever I make will be good!  This recipe can also be found online at:  www.foodnetwork.com

I chopped four slices of Canadian bacon.  The recipe called for regular bacon, but I don't buy it and just substituted with this.  Use what you like.

Brown the bacon in a skillet for about 5 minutes and set aside.

Saute onion and potato in an oven safe skillet for 10-15 minutes.

In the meantime scramble the eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a bowl.  Add scallions and cubed cheese.

Put bacon back into the skillet with the potatoes.

Add egg mixture to potato and bacon.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.

Cut into four pieces and enjoy!

I didn't have the cheddar cheese, so I used colby jack and it was delicious!

Serve with whole wheat toast.

I couldn't resist adding that my husband made us all lunch that day, since I was getting some business work done around that time.  He made us mini roast beef sandwiches:

What a sweetie!  : ) 

Cornmeal-Crusted Roasted Ratatouille Tart

This recipe comes from Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave cookbook.  I have always wanted to make ratatouille and when I saw this tart recipe and a garden full of veggies, I couldn't resist.  The crust is made of cornmeal, which is something I've never tried before.  I loved this!  My family did too.  I hope your family enjoys it as well.  Here is what I did:

Prepare the cornmeal crust and press it into a tart pan with removable sides.

Place foil on top of the crust and pie weights (or weigh it down with uncooked rice).  Place on a sheet pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. 

Saute two shallots in olive oil.

Slice eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes 1/4 inch thick.  Brush with olive oil and add salt and pepper to veggies.   Roast in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.  (To cut these I used a mandolin to ensure they would be the same size and cook evenly.)

Remove sheet pans and allow to cool for at least five minutes.

Lay the eggplant layer in the bottom of the tart pan.

Add mozzarella and basil on top of the eggplant.

Next layer the zucchini slices.

Sprinkle shallots on top of the zucchini.

Another layer of cheese and basil.

Add the roasted tomatoes next.

Add remaining mozzarella cheese, basil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Let the tart rest on a cooling rack for 5 minutes.

YUM.

I served it with grilled flank steak.  To prep the flank steak, I scored it on a diagonal (both ways), which is what gives the look of the X marks on the steak.  I added seasonings, fresh lime juice and olive oil.  Placed it in a Ziplock bag and let it set for an hour.  Turned the gas grill (MY FREE GRILL THAT I WON) on to medium.  Grill it on both sides for about 4 minutes per side.

All I can say is give it a try!  You will not be disappointed!

You can find the recipe here:  www.foodnetwork.com