Potato & Egg Hero

Potatoes and eggs are such a great weeknight meal. They are quick and easy to prepare, it is super cheap and it is easy to throw together with items you normally keep in the pantry. Potatoes and eggs are a staple in any Italian kitchen for these reasons exactly.

Recipe yields 2 heroes

Ingredients
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 14.5 oz cans new potatoes
Salt & pepper, to taste
12 jumbo eggs
2 Italian bread heroes

Peel and slice the potatoes into 1/4" thick slices. Heat a large skillet with oil and place the potatoes in an even layer. If all the potatoes do not fit, you can cook them in batches.

Cook the potatoes until browned and crisp. Season with salt and black pepper, to your liking. Return all the cooked potatoes to the skillet (if you had to cook in multiple batches) and crack the eggs right into the cooked potatoes. Break the yolks and begin to scramble the eggs so they cover the potatoes.

Cook for 3-5 minutes until the eggs are cooked through. Slice the Italian bread and place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes so it is toasty. Pile high the potato and egg mixture. Serve with a side of ketchup, tomato sauce or any other sauce you may prefer. Enjoy!

Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

A simple side dish often goes unnoticed, but when it is as delicious as this one, it can make all the difference to your meal. Plain and ordinary mashed potatoes get a make-over with this cheesy upgrade.

Recipe yields 8 servings

Ingredients
2 lbs potatoes
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup Velveeta
2-3 tbsp butter
Salt & pepper, to taste

Peel potatoes and cut into cubes. Add to a large stock pot and cover with water. Bring water to a rolling boil and cook potatoes until soft throughout. Drain and return softened potatoes to the pot. Using a hand masher (or a fork) mash potatoes until most of the chunks are removed.

While the potatoes were cooking, prepare your cheese sauce. To a small sauce pot, add heavy cream and Velveeta. Stir until cheese is melted and you have a smooth mixture. Let simmer for 5-6 minutes to thicken.

Add cheese mixture and butter to the pot of mashed potatoes and stir in to combine well. The potatoes should become creamy. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and more butter, as needed to create a smooth texture.

Transfer potatoes to a large serving dish. Enjoy!

Carrot & Zucchini Cake Bars

During this time of year it is so easy to over indulge in all the sweets, cookies and cakes around the house. This a recipe for a great treat that fulfills the want for something sweet, but sneaks some healthy vegetables in, too. I have always been a lover of carrot cake and these little bars and the perfect size for that sweet (but not excessive) treat.

Recipe yields 16 bars

Ingredients
2 large eggs
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
1 cup shredded zucchini
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp baking soda

Frosting:
8 oz light cream cheese
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 tsp lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the eggs, brown sugar, oil, honey and vanilla extract.

Shred the carrots and zucchini. Fold them into the mixture along with the walnuts. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, ginger and baking soda. Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just incorporated, being sure not to over mix.

Pour batter into a well greased baking pan (13X9). Bake for 25-28 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the pan. In the meantime, combine all ingredients for the frosting and mix together using a hand mixer or your stand mixer.

Cut into bars and top with the frosting. Enjoy!

The Story on Oats

Some of you may ask yourself what the deal is with oats. What are the different types? Does it really matter what the recipe calls for? Can't I just use what I have on hand? It all ultimately comes down to the way they are cut.

So these are all very valid and common questions, so I am hoping to shed some light onto the whole situation and let you in on a little secret (which will save you money and hassle in the end).

Old Fashioned or Rolled Oats (My personal favorite)

Old fashioned oats are the biggest of the oats. The key here is that the oats are rolled and not cut. They hold their shape and remain visible in your recipes and often result in a chewier product. My suggestion is to ONLY buy old fashioned oats when you are at the store. The reasoning for this is because you can quickly and painlessly turn old fashioned oats into quick oats with a few pulses in the food processor. As such, a batch of old fashioned oats will serve all of your baking and cooking needs.

Quick Oats

These oats are similar to old fashioned oats but have been cut down into smaller pieces making them easier and quicker to cook. When using quick oats in a recipe, it provides for more substance but without a chewiness that comes from the larger oats.

Steel Cut Oats

The key difference to steel cut oats is that they are actually groats. Groats are oats after they have been cleaned, toasted and hulled. The groats are then cut into pieces, instead of rolled. As a result, this type of oat is much chewier and takes a longer time to cook a break down. Steel cut oats are not ideal for baking as they do not break down during the cooking process as easily as the rolled oats.

I hope this helps you with your questions and you know exactly what to grab next time you are looking to make a batch of oatmeal cookies.

Chicken Sausage & Lentil Salad

So I clearly let myself go during the month of November. I am sorry to all of you who were missing my posts. Life has been very busy and unfortunately has gotten in the way of my posting schedule. But no excuses! Due to some current changes, my posting will likely become less frequent then everyone is used to, but I am going to do my best to crank out at least two posts a week. With that in mind comes this dish of sausage with lentil salad. I love lentils anytime of the year, but there is something so warm and hearty about them for winter time. The salad is easy to whip up and you can either grill or pan fry the sausage to add on top. If you are at all health conscious, you can always substitute the sausage for some grilled chicken.

Recipe yields 6 servings

Ingredients
1 1/4 cup green lentils
1 bay leaf
3 tbsp olive oil
1 cup fennel
1 medium yellow onion
1 large carrot
1 rib celery
4 cloves garlic
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
12 chicken sausage
Salt & pepper, to taste

Finely dice the onion, carrots and celery.

Thinly slice the fennel and mince the garlic.

Cook those sausage!

Saute all of your vegetables in a drop of oil to soften them up.

Cook your lentils in a large pot with the bay leaf and 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer for 20-25 minutes.

Drain them when they are done and remove the bay leaf.

Now that your vegetables are cooked...

..toss in the lentils. Add in your seasonings and give it all a gentle stir (red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt & pepper). You don't want to smoosh everything.

Remove to a serving dish and top with the sliced sausage. Enjoy!

Shredded Pork Chili

I love the idea of the crock pot, but I don't use it half as much as I should. This winter, I am determined to change that. It is so simple to set it and forget it - and you are rewarded with a delicious meal come dinner time.

Recipe yields 8 servings

Ingredients
3 lb pork shoulder
28 oz can red kidney beans
14 oz can black beans
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
6 oz can tomato paste
1 medium yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt

Rinse and drain the beans and add to your crock pot.

Top with the tomatoes, stock and tomato paste. Chop the onion and garlic and add it to the crock pot with your spices. Give everything a good stir and add the pork.

Cook on low for 10 hours. When the time has come, remove the pork from the pot and shred into bite sized pieces using a fork. Return the shredded pork to the pot and mix together. Serve over rice or with tortilla chips. It would also be really good on top of a baked potato. Yum! Enjoy!

Shrimp & Corn Chowder

This corn and shrimp chowder is made extra hearty by the use of potatoes and extra delicious by the flavor of bell pepper and leaks. The combination of flavors adds depth and will definitely impress all of your dinner mates. This is a great way to use up the last of the fall root vegetables coming through your kitchen.

Recipe yields 6 servings

Ingredients
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 small leeks
1 large baking potato
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups corn kernels (I used 4 ears of corn)
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1 sweet orange pepper
1 lb medium shrimp, cleaned with the tails off
1 tbsp lemon juice
Dash of hot sauce

Peel and dice the potato into small cubes. Thinly slice the leeks, removing the rough green part and discarding.

Remove the corn kernels from the ears of corn (if you are using fresh).

In a large stock pot, melt the butter and add the leeks. Cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are fragrant and softened.

To the pot, add the potato, corn and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer, cooking for 15 minutes. Be sure to stir the pot occasionally!

Thinly slice the orange pepper.

Combine the half-and-half and cornstarch in a small bowl and slowly add to the pot, stirring it in as you add it to avoid clumping.  Add the peppers and the Old Bay seasoning and return the pot to a simmer.

Add the shrimp and stir until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Cut the heat and stir in the lemon juice and hot sauce. Give it a taste and add another dash of hot sauce if you prefer a little more kick. Remove to serving bowls and enjoy!

Dirty Graveyard Pudding Cups

Happy Halloween! This is one of my all-time favorite Halloween party treats from when I was a kid. It is super simple to make, and probably doesn't even count as an actual recipe, but I will take it. If anything on this blog deserves it's own post, this is definitely one of them. You can change and decorate these however you like. Get creative and make them extra spooky!

Recipe yields 10 cups

Ingredients
2 boxes Jell-O Instant chocolate pudding
4 cups milk
24 Oreo cookies
1 bag gummy worms
10 Nilla Wafers
Chocolate icing or gel (for decorating)

Prepare the chocolate pudding as directed on the package using milk. Using a food processor, crush the Oreo cookies into crumbs. You can also arrange the cookies in a bag and go over them with a rolling pin. Line up your cups. In the bottom of each cup add a spoonful of pudding. Top with a layer of cookie crumbs and a worm. Repeat with another layer of pudding, some 'dirt' for the top and another worm peaking through. Decorate your Nilla wafers as tombstones and arrange in the top of each cup. Enjoy!

Kale & White Bean Soup

Another hearty and warming soup to add to your fall/winter arsenal. This soup is packed with nutrients from the kale and has plenty of protein to fill you up from the beans. The soup comes together in less than 30 minutes, so it is a perfect pick-me-up for a cold Sunday afternoon.

Recipe yields 8 servings

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 bay leaf
1 medium yellow onion
4 cloves garlic
2 carrots
8 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock if you want to make this vegetarian)
2 cans Cannellini beans
1 large bunch kale
4 medium tomatoes (I used a mix of red and orange for an array of colors)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Chop the onion and carrots and mince the garlic. Add to the pan with a drop of olive oil and cook until softened. Toss in the bay leaf.

Add the stock to the pot and bring to a boil. Roughly chop the kale and rinse the beans. Dice the tomatoes. Lower heat to a simmer and add kale, beans and tomatoes.

Simmer for 20 minutes to allow the kale to soften. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Cut the heat and stir in the grated cheese.

Ladle into serving bowls and serve with extra cheese for topping. Enjoy!