Stuffed French Toast

Sep 8, 2011 by lovelypantry

 

I love a good breakfast. The only thing is, I don’t want to spend too much time preparing it. But sometimes, you need to put in the extra effort and do something special for your family. Which is why I prepared Stuffed French Toast using French Bread.

Ingredients:

1 Loaf French Bread

1 Laughing Cow Cheese Wedge

1/4 Cup Peanut Butter & Co. Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter

[Honestly, you can stuff it with anything you like: Jam, Cream Cheese, Marmalade etc]

2 Eggs

1/4 Tsp Cinnamon

1/2 Cup Milk

2 Tbsp  Butter

 

Directions:

Slice each piece of bread about 1 1/2 – 2 inches thick. Using a pairing knife, cut a pocket into the side of each piece of bread – just big enough to fit a teaspoon inside.

Carefully spoon your filling of choice into the pockets of each piece of French Bread.

In a separate dish, whisk eggs, cinnamon to get rid of any clumps, then add milk. Whisk to combine. Soak each piece for a few seconds on each side. Do not over soak!

In a skillet, melt butter. Place each piece of bread in the skillet. Cook for about 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown.

 

Serve with fresh fruits and maple syrup. You’re family will enjoy this. This is how I got my kids to eat eggs.

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Roasted Chicken & Potatoes

Aug 30, 2011 by lovelypantry

 

Have you ever had company over and didn’t have a clue what you were making for dinner? This happened to me recently. I did not plan for company that night, but thankfully had some drumsticks ready to be cooked. I reached in my cupboard and found a cookbook called Easy Chicken 🙂 It had the recipe I needed based on the ingredients I had available. There is though, that nervousness when you try something for the first time and share with friends. Essentially you’re winging it. If you like taking chances and trying recipes for the first time with visitors, well here’s a safe bet. Of course, this is my own version of the recipe.

 

I had no idea how this meal was going to turn out, but based on the ingredients alone and my track record for selecting tasty meals –  I knew it would be good. And it was. I’d prepare this again in a heartbeat.

Enjoy!

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Sacchettini & Spinach

Aug 1, 2011 by lovelypantry

Oh how I wish I could say that I made this from scratch. However, I`m prone to pick up frozen pasta occasionally. There are so many to choose from and the varieties are so visually appealing. On a recent trip to the supermarket, I picked up a packet of Chicken and Bacon Sacchettini. These little pasta are beautiful and they taste great too. I simply followed the cooking instructions on the packet and served it over a bed of steamed spinach. The final touch was just a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Now that`s what I call an easy mid-week meal! Sensible portions with well planned sides, wont break the scale.

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Chocolate Oatmeal Banana Bites

Jul 28, 2011 by lovelypantry

 

You’ll hear me say quite often, that I love different. When I came across this recipe on Marmande In The Kitchen‘s blog, I knew I had to try it. I’m always looking for neat little treats for my family that tastes great and won’t harm them in the long run. Believe it or not, these little bites have no Eggs, Butter, Flour or sugar – which are basics in making baked items. Now, I did make some changes but it tasted awesome just the same. The original recipe called for Coconut Oil so I will try to use it when I make it the next time. Oh and guess what? I made my own Almond Meal! You should try it! Really!

As always, I used what I had available. I had some Sliced Almonds, so I put it in my Magic Bullet for a few pulses until I achieved the desired result and quantity. I had dark chocolate chips in the pantry. I did try the frosting, and it was great but I felt that the bites were good enough on their own. So here’s my amended recipe:

 

Ingredients:

3 Large, very ripe bananas, mashed

1 Tsp vanilla extract

¼ Cup Olive Oil

2 Cup Rolled Oats

2/3 Cup Almond Meal

½ Tsp Cinnamon

½ Tsp Allspice

½ Tsp Salt

1 Tsp Baking Powder

2/3 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 24 hole mini muffin pan.

Mix to combine, the bananas, vanilla, and olive oil in a large bowl.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, almond meal, coconut, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and baking powder.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients along with the chocolate chips and stir until just combined.  The dough will be fairly loose and wet.

Spoon the mixture evenly into the muffin tray and bake for about 15 minutes.  Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then cool completely on a cookie rack. If you can wait that long.

 

Enjoy!

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Blueberry Muffins

Jul 18, 2011 by lovelypantry

My children are aware that I can cook and bake so it does not surprise me anymore when they request (or demand) that I make something for them. Not buy. Make. Blueberry muffins were requested of me this time. I grabbed my Cupcakes & Muffin Recipe Book and got to work. I love that the recipes are simple and that I have so many to choose from – 200, in fact. This is actually a condensed version of the book. The larger book had 1000.  They tasted great and as usual, disappeared overnight.

Ingredients:

6 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled

2 Cups All Purpose, Unbleached Flour

1 Tbsp Baking Powder

A Pinch of salt

1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar

1 Cup Blueberries (I used fresh, but you could use frozen too)

2 Eggs

1 Cup Milk

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

Finely grated rind of 1 lemon

 

Directions:

I recently purchased a muffin tray with square compartments instead of the traditional circles so I was happy to use it. I like different.

Preheat oven to 400F. Grease a 12 hole muffin pan. Sift together flour,  baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar and blueberries.

Place eggs in a large bowl and beat lightly, then beat in the milk, oil, vanilla and lemon rind. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the beaten ingredients. Stir until just combined – do not overmix! This will cause the muffins to have a very firm texture. Spoon the batter into the muffin pan, divided evenly.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until well risen, golden brown, and firm to the touch. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

Enjoy!

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