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Spinach & Mozzarella Grilled Bagel Sandwiches

12/29/2016

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Spinach & Mozzarella Grilled Bagel Sandwiches

Prep Time: 5 Min

Cook Time: 3 - 4 Min

Preheat the grill.

Slice open the bagel and line 4 slices of cheese around the bottom half of the bagel. Avoid the centre so cheese doesn’t melt out and muck up the grill.

Place desired amount of fresh spinach over the cheese on the bottom half.

Spread the ricotta cheese along the top half of the bagel and sprinkle with red pepper flakes, sea salt, and pepper. Line 4 more slices of mozzarella around the top half of the bagel.

Close the bagel and set on to the grill. Close and grill 3 – 4 minutes until sandwich is crispy and cheese is melty.

Remove the bagel from the grill and ENJOY

Open the bagel and line the top half with either fresh, medley tomatoes or a spread of home made tomato sauce. Close up and ENJOY!

Grocery List
PER SANDWICH

12 Grain Bagel (or bagel of choice)
8 Thin Slices Mozzarella from the brick
1 Tbsp. + Ricotta Cheese
Fresh Spinach
Red Pepper Flakes
Sea Salt / Pepper

Optional – Thinly sliced Medley Tomatoes, Pureed Tomato Sauce

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Baked Cream Corn

12/27/2016

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Baked Cream Corn

Prep Time: 15 Min

Cook Time: 50 Min

Set a small frying pan to medium heat and add some EVOO. Dice the Italian sausage and add to the pan with a pinch of sea salt. Fry 3 – 5 minutes stirring often until sausage is browned and crispy. Strain sausage bits on to a paper towel lined plate.

Preheat oven to 375 F

In a medium sized mixing bowl, add the whipping cream, flour, eggs, and milk. Whisk vigorously to avoid clumps. Slowly whisk in the melted butter until fully added. Add the corn, jalapeno, pepper, and ½ the sausage bits and cheese. Season with sea salt / pepper and stir to combine.

Spray a 1 ½ qt. baking dish with cooking spray. Pour the corn mixture in to the baking dish and use a spoon to evenly distribute the veggies. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and sausage bits.

Place in to the oven to bake for 45 – 50 minutes until brown on top and fluffy in appearance.

Remove from the oven and cool 10 – 15 minutes.

Serve and garnish with sliced green onions. ENJOY!

Grocery List

1 Spicy Veggie Italian Sausage
½ Red Bell Pepper, diced
1 Jalapeno, seeded and diced
3 1/3 C Corn – Frozen, Fresh, or Canned (drained)
1 ¼ C 2% Milk
¼ C Whipping Cream
1 C AP Flour
2 Eggs, beaten
¼ C Unsalted Butter, melted
2 C Old Cheddar, grated
Sea Salt / Pepper
Green Onions - Garnish

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Red Lentil Daal

12/22/2016

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Red Lentil Daal

Prep Time: 30 Min

Cook Time: 40 Min

In a medium sized pot, combine the rice and about 4 c cold water. Season liberally with sea salt and set to medium high. Once boiled, reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer 30 – 40 minutes until fluffy and cooked. Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Cover and cool 1 – 2 minutes.

*Continue the following steps as the rice cooks

In a large, deep frying pan begin heating the EVOO on medium heat. Once heated, add the spice blend and bloom the spices 1 minute. Add the celery and onion along with a pinch of sea salt. Stir and cook 5 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and continue cooking another 2 minutes.

Pour in the crushed tomatoes, coconut milk, and dry red lentils. Continue bubbling away on just below medium heat for 20 minutes or until lentils are tender and cooked.

Transfer the Daal to a large mixing bowl. Using an Immersion Blender, puree the “lentil sauce” until thick. Taste and adjust sea salt if desired. Return to the pan on low heat.

For service, ladle the Daal over a few scoops of the brown rice and finish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley. ENJOY!

Grocery List

¼ C EVOO
1 Yellow Onion, diced
2 Stalks Celery, diced
3 cloves Garlic, minced / pressed
798ml can Crushed Tomatoes
400ml can Coconut Milk
2 C Low Sodium Vegetable Stock
1 ½ C Dry Red Lentils
2 C Brown Rice
2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
Spices

1 ½ Tsp. Curry Powder
1 ½ Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
1 Tsp. Ginger Powder
1 Tsp. Ground Coriander
½ Tsp. Pepper
½ Tsp. Cardamom
½ Tsp. Cumin
½ Tsp. Ground Cloves
½ Tsp. Cinnamon

Sea Salt
Fresh Parsley - Garnish

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Breaded Mac & Cheese Bites

12/19/2016

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Breaded Mac & Cheese

Prep Time: 15 - 20 Min

Chill Time: 30 Min

Cook Time: BAKE - 20 Min
FRY - Approximately 6 Min

Start by removing the mac and cheese from the refrigerator. It should be fairly solidified after refrigerating overnight.

Set up your breading station. Fill 3 bowls with the flour, milk, and crumb combination. Use a Tbsp. to scoop away at the mac and cheese. With every scoop, start by coating the mac in flour dusting off excess followed by a dip in the milk and coating in the crumbs.

Once breaded, transfer the mac bites to a parchment / tinfoil lined baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes.

At this point, you can choose to FRY or BAKE your mac and cheese bites.

FRYING (best option) Fill a large frying pan with enough vegetable oil to nearly submerge the bites. Set to medium heat and allow to heat thoroughly. Sprinkle a few crumbs in and if they start bubbling the oil is ready. Drop the bites in one by one making sure not to over crowd them cooking in 2 batches if necessary. Cook about 2 – 3 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove the bites and place them on a paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and dried parsley prior to serving. ENJOY!

BAKING Preheat oven to 400 F. Remove the bites from the freezer and give them a generous spray of cooking spray. Place in the oven to bake for 20 minutes until crispy and brown on the outside. Don’t worry about the bites bursting, a little spillage is acceptable. Remove from oven and season with a pinch of sea salt and dried parsley. ENJOY

Grocery List

1 ½ C Prepared Mac & Cheese, refrigerated overnight
½ C AP Flour
½ C + 2% Milk
½ C Seasoned Bread Crumbs
¼ C Corn Flake Crumbs
Sea Salt
Dried Parsley

Their different shapes give them a bit of charm.

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Ravioli A La Veg

12/15/2016

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Ravioli A La Veg

Prep Time: 25 Min

Cook Time: 25 Min

Get a large pot of cold water on the stove on medium high heat. Once boiled. season liberally with sea salt and cover until ready.

Start heating the EVOO on medium heat. Add the onions and season with sea salt and pepper. Sauté 4 minutes and stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes. Sauté another 2 minutes stirring occasionally.

Add the mushrooms, dried basil, fresh thyme, and Italian seasoning. Stir and continue cooking 3 minutes covered.

Add the zucchini, tomatoes, and a good pinch of sea salt. Cover and continue cooking 5 minutes stirring occasionally.

Stir in the fresh spinach, vegeta, and fresh / squeezey basil. Cover and reduce heat to medium low.

Add the ravioli to the boiling, salted water. Stir to break the noodles up. Boil approximately 4 – 5 minutes or until tender.

Strain the ravioli directly in to the pan of vegetables. Fold the ravioli in to the cooked down vegetable “sauce” until everything is evenly distributed.

Plate the ravioli and crumble feta over each serving. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and ENJOY!

Grocery List

450 g Fresh Ravioli (I used Spinach & Ricotta)
1/3 C EVOO
1 Yellow Onion, diced
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Pint Medley Tomatoes, quartered (smaller if tomatoes are larger)
½ C Button Mushrooms, chopped
1 Zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
3 C Fresh Spinach
1 ½ Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
½ Tsp. Fresh Thyme
1 Tsp. Squeezey Basil or 2 Tsp. Fresh Basil, chopped
1 Tsp. Dried Italian Seasoning
1 Tsp. Dried Parsley
½ Tsp. Dried Basil
¾ Tsp. Vegeta Seasoning
¼ C Feta Cheese, crumbled
Sea Salt / Pepper
Fresh Parsley, chopped - Garnish

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Creamy Peas & Potatoes

12/12/2016

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Creamy Peas & Potatoes

Prep Time: 15 Min

Cook Time: 25 - 30 Min

Add the potatoes to a medium sized pot gilled with cold, salted water. Set to high and boil about 15 – 20 minutes until tender.

**Continue as potatoes boil.

Set a large frying pan to medium and add the butter. Once nearly melted, add the onion, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of sea salt / pepper. Sautee 5 or 6 minutes.

Stir in the cloves and continue cooking another minute or so. Reduce the heat to medium low. Stir in the flour quickly and continuously stir the onions / flour until they stop bubbling as rapidly. Cook stirring occasionally for 3 – 4 minutes.

Whisk in the milk and increase the heat back to medium. Bring to a boil whisking often. Once boiled, stir in the cream & garlic powder. Grate fresh nutmeg directly in to the sauce and season with sea salt / pepper (approx. ½ Tsp. each or to taste). Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until potatoes are cooked.

**If the sauce thickens too heavily, add a tbsp. of cold milk at a time until the consistency you desire is achieved.

Strain the potatoes and add them directly to the cream sauce along with the fresh peas. Stir everything to combine and continue simmering 6 – 10 minutes.
Transfer the creamy potatoes & peas to a serving dish and garnish with fresh, chopped parsley. ENJOY!

Grocery List

1 Yellow Onion, diced
3 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
1 Tbsp. AP Flour
680g Mini Red Potatoes
1 ½ C Fresh Peas, shelled
1 C 2% Milk + 1 Tbsp.
¼ C Whipping Cream
½ Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
½ Tsp. Garlic Powder
Pinch Ground Cloves
Sea Salt / Pepper
Nutmeg
Fresh Parsley

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Creamy Mac N Cheese Stuffed Skins

12/8/2016

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Creamy Mac N Cheese Stuffed Skins

Prep Time: 25 Min

Cook Time: 1 Hr

Preheat the oven to 400 F

Scrub the potatoes thoroughly and pat them dry with paper towel. Use a fork to pierce the largest and thickest portion of each potato. Transfer the potatoes to a baking sheet and drizzle each potato with EVOO. Use a silicone brush to coat them evenly in oil.

Place the potatoes in the oven to bake for 35 – 45 minutes until pierced easily by fork.

Once cool enough to handle, slice the potatoes in half and cupping them between the top of your palm and fingers, scoop out the insides leaving the skin intact. Discard or refrigerate the potatoes for future use. Return the skins to the baking sheet flesh side down and use the brush to sop up oil from the pan and coat the skins again. Place in the oven to bake 5 – 7 minutes.

With 20 minutes remaining in the cook time of the potatoes, bring a large pot of cold water to a boil on medium high heat. Season liberally with sea salt and stir in the pasta. Boil to al dente per package directions. Strain and set aside.

In a small sauce pot, start melting butter for the roux over just below medium heat. Once melted, reduce heat to medium low and whisk in the flour continuing to whisk regularly until the heat has reduced. Simmer 8 – 10 minutes stirring often and watching for unwanted browning / darkening. Whisk in the milk and cream until blended and return the heat to just below medium. Once the milk and cream start to boil, reduce heat to medium low and continue stirring until simmering begins. Simmer about 5 minutes.

Stir in the cream cheese and slowly start stirring in the shredded cheese until all the cheese has been added and is melted in to the sauce. Once melted and creamy, stir in the cooked macaroni noodles and add the salt & pepper. Taste and adjust salt / pepper to taste.

Spoon the creamy mac in to the skins until stuffed and mounding in the centre. Sprinkle each skin with the seasoned crumbs and return the stuffed skins to the oven for 5 minutes.

Switch to broil at 500 F and brown the top of the skins for about 2 minutes. Keep a close eye to avoid over browning.

Remove the skins from the oven and transfer them to a serving platter. Sprinkle with fresh, chopped parsley and serve.

Grocery List

EVOO
7 medium sized Yellow Fleshed Potatoes (Russets would work as well)
1 ½ C Dry Elbow Macaroni
2 Tbsp. Seasoned Italian style Bread Crumbs

2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
2 Tbsp. AP Flour
1 C 2% Milk
½ C Whipping Cream
1 heaping Tbsp. Cream Cheese
1 C Mozzarella, shredded
1 ½ C Medium Cheddar, shredded
1 Tsp. Sea Salt
1 Tsp. Pepper

Fresh Parsley, chopped - Garnish

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Creamy Cauliflower Soup

12/6/2016

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Creamy Cauliflower Soup

Prep Time: 15 Min

Cook Time: 30 Min

Start melting the butter in a large saucepot on medium heat. Add in the EVOO as well as the celery & onion. Season with sea salt & pepper and cook 5 minutes stirring often.

Stir in the cauliflower along with ½ Tsp. sea salt & ¼ Tsp. pepper. Continue cooking 3 – 4 minutes.

Pour in the milk and vegetable stock. Once the soup boils, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer about 15 minutes until all vegetables are tender.

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until thoroughly blended and creamy. Season with 1 Tsp. sea salt and ¾ Tsp. pepper. Pour in the cream and stir to combine. Return the soup to medium until it bubbles and then reduce the heat to low.

Grate in the fresh nutmeg (approximately ¼ Tsp. Start grating in one spot on the outer corner and grate in a clockwise motion working your way to the middle.) Taste and adjust salt / pepper if desired.

Serve each bowl with some sliced green onion and shredded medium cheddar.

ENJOY!

Grocery List

1 Head of Cauliflower, chopped in to smaller florets
2 small Yellow Onions, chopped
3 Stalks Celery, chopped
2 C 2% Milk
2 C Low Sodium Vegetable broth
½ C Whipping Cream
¼ C Unsalted Butter
1 Tbsp. EVOO
1 ½ Tsp. Sea Salt +
1 Tsp. Pepper +
¼ Tsp. Nutmeg

Sliced Green Onions, Shredded Cheddar - Garnish

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Tomato Salad Stuffed Muffins

12/2/2016

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Tomato Salad Stuffed Muffins

Prep Time: 20 Min

Cook Time: 25 Min

Preheat the oven to 350 F

Combine the ingredients for the salad in a small mixing bowl and stir together. Sprinkle with sea salt / black pepper and set aside.

Mix the flour, salt, pepper flakes, and baking powder & soda in a medium sized mixing bowl.

Using a liquid measuring cup, fill with the milk first. Crack the egg in to the milk and whisk together. Melt the butter in the microwave for about 30 seconds and slowly pour it in to the milk / egg mixture whisking while pouring. Once combined, pour the wet mix in to the dry ingredients and use a spatula to fold the ingredients together until combined.

Spray the inside of 9 muffin tins with cooking spray and start by spooning 1 Tbsp. of batter in to each slot. Use a teaspoon to scoop the tomato salad in to the centre of each scoop of batter. Use your fingers to gently press the salad down in to the batter.