Figure Friendly Berry Parfait

I was trying to think of a light and healthy breakfast dish, and for some reason quiche and french toast just didn't seem to fit the bill =) Then I remembered how much we used to love eating yogurt with granola, and with a few fruits and finishing touches thrown in, I ended up with a delicious dish that's just as appealing to look at as it is to eat, and you don't have to feel guilty afterward which only makes it that much better! Here's a dish you can make not only for breakfast, but you could make it in a large dish as I did, and have it as a quick snack or even as a light dessert. You can have fun with this dish and add your own favorite fruits=) The best part of all, this is a cinch to make, it only takes 5 minutes and it's great any time of year.

Figure Friendly Berry Parfait

Ingredients

3 lb. low-fat vanilla yogurt

2-3 cups low-fat granola of your choice

1 tsp. water

1 29oz. can sliced peaches (in their own 100% juice, drained)

1/2 lb. fresh strawberries, sliced

6 oz. fresh blackberries

Cinnamon

Directions

In a large pyrex, layer about 1" of yogurt (keep about 1/2 cup of yogurt on reserve for garnish). Next layer granola, completely covering the yogurt, then layer peaches, strawberries, and then blackberries. Place reserved yogurt in a cup with a pouring spout and add to it no more than 1 tsp. of water. Whip it until it's thin and just runny. Lightly drizzle over the top of the dish and then dust it lightly with ground cinnamon.

Amy Deas' Sweet Potato Bake

My girlfriend, Amy, made this dish for our Thanksgiving get together, and these potatoes were definitely a highlight of the night. These smooth and creamy potatoes, topped off with a sweet and crispy topping, is sure to satisfy any home-cooking craving you might have. Try this recipe for a new take on veggie's with Amy's Sweet Potato Bake =)

Sweet Potato Bake

Ingredients:
-4 c. sweet potatoes cubed (5 lrg potatoes baked @375 for 1 1/2 hours.
Boil or bake potatoes and scoop pulp out for a smooth creamy dish.)
-1/2 c. sugar
-2 eggs beaten
-1 tsp.vanilla
-1/2 c. milk
-4 tbs. butter softened
-1/2 tsp. salt
-1/2 c. packed brown sugar
-1/3 c. all purpose flour
-3 tbs. butter chilled/slightly softened
-1/2 c. chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In large bowl, mix sweet potatoes, sugar, eggs, vanilla, milk, butter, and salt until smooth. Transfer to baking dish. (9x13)In medium bowl, mix brown sugar, and flour. Cut in the butter until the mix is course. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle the mixture over the sweet potato mix. Bake for 30 minutes or until topping is lightly brown.

Serves 8-10 as a side

Classic Tomato Bruschetta

Wow, it has definitely been some time since my last blog post. Oh, how the holidays come and go and leave the winter months feeling like a blur =) Well, I have not forgotten one of my first loves, even in the midst of this crazy season. In fact, even though I have forgotten to write about it, I have been storing them up for when I finally have time to write to you again - and here we are =)

So here is a new addition to my recipe book, and it's actually an original. Well not an original thought =) just an original compilation of measurements, I guess you could say. That's right, I've finally come up with one all on my own. After watching the movie, "Julie & Julia", and seeing her eat a variation of this classic Italian antipasti, I could help but wonder if I could make it look just as good - and of coarse, make it taste as good as it looked. Well, I hate to toot my own horn, but this one came out pretty good ;)

Hope you enjoy this rich, rustic Italian side or appetizer: Tomato Bruschetta... Here's to you Julia =)

Tomato Bruschetta

3 Tbsp. Olive oil

4 Tbsp. butter

1 Can diced tomatoes

1 small onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

**Handful of fresh basil, chiffonade

1 tsp. sugar

salt and pepper

French baguette, sliced diagonally in 3/4" slices

Olive oil

**If you don't have fresh basil, then you can use an organic basil paste in it's place. I've used it before, and it packs a huge amount of flavor! I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND NOT using dried basil. For this recipe, because there are so few ingredients, it's imperative that what you do use is fresh for the best possible flavor.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Add olive oil & butter to a medium saute pan & heat on medium heat until butter is melted. To it, add onions and saute until they become tender and translucent. Add garlic and saute for another minute or two or until the garlic becomes aromatic and tender. Add tomatoes, basil, sugar, pepper and season generously with salt. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer and reduce the heat to low. Continue heating for about 10-15 minutes, allowing all of the flavors to marry and the sauce to thicken slightly. Remove from heat and allow to rest for at least 5-10 minutes (this will allow the sauce to thicken slightly as well.) Meanwhile, lay the slices of bread on a cookie sheet and using a brush, coat them evenly on both sides with olive oil. Bake them in the 375 degree oven for about 5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown on both sides. The finished result should be a firm & crunchy toast, almost like a giant crouton, mmm! Top off each slice of bread with a generous helping of the tomato topping and serve as an antipasti or as the perfect side to any Italian dish.

Hope you enjoy this simple and super easy recipe..... oh, and "bon appetit"

Serves 4 as an appetizer or side

Fried Sweet Potato Chips

Six words: easy, yummy, crispy, kid friendly & delicious!! Looking for a fun side to serve alongside your favorite BBQ, burgers or brats? Well here's a simple solution =)

Fried Sweet Potato Chips

Ingredients

3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and washed

vegetable or canola oil

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Directions

In a small bowl, combine dry spices. Set aside.

Using a mandolin or vegetable peeler, slice potatoes thinly creating thin round discs. (If you have a five sided grater, you may have a side for thinly slicing cheeses. I use this to slice my potatoes and it works out great! You can also use it for making au gratin potatoes. You gotta put a little elbow grease into it, but it's much cheaper than buying a mandolin =)

In a medium to large pot, fill it about 5" up the side with oil. Heat oil on medium high heat until it reaches about 360 degrees. Add potatoes to hot oil, working in small batches, being sure not to overcrowd the pan. Fry potatoes for about 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove potatoes with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel-lined cookie sheet to drain. (Spread them out evenly to ensure they get an even amount of seasoning). While they're still hot, immediately season generously with dry spice mixture - you should use up about 3/4 of your spices by the time you're finished. Continue this process until all of your potatoes are fried to crispy perfection and then munch away!! These are hard to stop eating once you start =) Enjoy!

Serves about 4 people as a side

Guy Fieri's Bacon Tomato Pasta

If you like bacon, and you like pasta, you're going to love this dish! One of the reason's I love watching Guy's show on the Food Network is because everything he makes is always a little bit on the naughty side, and always rich and full of flavor. Try out this recipe, and I promise you'll love it =) Now I do make a few small adjustments to this recipe when I make it, so I made some small side notes if you want to try it my way. Either way, this dish is de-lish!

Bacon Tomato Pasta

Ingredients

2 tablespoons kosher salt

16 ounces spaghetti pasta

1 pound thick-cut bacon or pancetta, chopped

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

*3 tablespoons butter (I like to add it for extra richness!)

1 cup red onion, diced

1 teaspoon red chili flakes

3 tablespoons garlic, minced

2 cups Roma tomatoes, diced

1/4 cup red wine (*I just leave it out b/c I don't keep any on hand & it tastes great w/o it)

4 tablespoons basil, chiffonade (*if you use dried basil, I would definitely use much less, maybe only 1 Tbsp... but I don't know why you'd want to do that ;)

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a large stock pot, boil 3 quarts of water, when boiling add 2 tablespoons kosher salt and the pasta and cook until the pasta is al dente.In a large saute pan over medium heat, add bacon and saute until bacon is crispy. Remove bacon to drain on a paper towel-lined plate and remove 3/4 of the bacon fat from the pan.

Add extra-virgin olive oil, *butter, onions, and red chili flakes. Cook until onions are translucent, add garlic, cook for 2 minutes then add tomatoes. Saute for 5 minutes, then deglaze with wine.

Drain pasta and add to the tomato mixture pan. Add basil and bacon. Toss with Parmesan, and add salt and pepper, to taste.

Serves 4-5 as an entree

Ina's Potato Salad

I scribbled down this recipe while watching Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa, one day on the foodnetwork. She is one of my favorites! A lot of her recipes are made with classic, every day ingredients and this potato salad is the perfect example of just that.
This potato salad is like no other I've ever tried. When I think potato salad, I usually think of mushy potatoes drowning in mayo and mustard - which is why I usually would say I don't like it. But this recipe is one I'll make as a side any time of year. This warm potato salad is simple, with few ingredients, giving it a classic potato taste you'll love. If you like potatoes, you've got to try:

Ina's Potato Salad

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 3 pounds small white potatoes ( I prefer/use Yukon Gold as they are much waxier and hold together very well when cooked)
  
• Kosher salt
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion

Directions

Place the potatoes and 2 tablespoons of salt in a large pot of water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are barely tender when pierced with a knife. Drain the potatoes in a colander, then place the colander with the potatoes over the empty pot and cover with a clean, dry kitchen towel. Allow the potatoes to steam for 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, dill, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Set aside.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in quarters or in half, depending on their size. Place the cut potatoes in a large bowl. While the potatoes are still warm, pour enough dressing over them to moisten. Add the celery and red onion, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Toss well, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Libby's Pumpkin Roll

I made this recipe to the tea. Although, I'm certainly not a master baker, this recipe couldn't have come out better. The moistness of the pumpkin cake was perfect to keep it looking neat and fancy. This looked like a bought it at the store when I was finished making it - and for me, that's NOT normal! =) So here it is.

Libby's Pumpkin Roll

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar (optional)

Directions

1. PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle towel with powdered sugar.
2. COMBINE flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts.
3. BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.
4. BEAT cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake; remove towel. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This recipe is so easy, it's almost embarrassing to admit! If you know how to open a can, then here's the recipe for you =) Even though this soup takes 5 minutes to throw together, the flavor tastes like it took hours. This is the perfect substitute to chili when you're looking for a hearty winter stew! Enjoy this rich and delicious Chicken Tortilla Soup all winter long.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

2 cans black beans (rinsed and drained)
2 cans golden corn (drained)
2 lg. cans white chunk chicken breast
1 lg. jar of your favorite salsa
5 cups chicken stock
1 taco seasoning packet

Garnish
sour cream
shredded co-jack cheese
tortilla chips

Directions

Throw everything in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to low. Allow it to simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. Serve in bowls with a generous dollop of sour cream, a handful of shredded cheese, and serve with chips for non-stop dipping! mmm!

Serves 6-8 as an entree

Easy Puffy Tacos

This is so easy you're not going to believe how easy it is, but it is so delicious, I'm sure you'll make it again and again! These puffy taco shells are not only a nice change from traditional plain, boring, flat tortillas, but the crisp and flaky texture is so buttery and delicious, you and the kids will love these! Here it is:

Puffy Taco Shells

Ingredients

Plain flour tortillas - fajita size (I use "mission". They crisp up nicely!)
Vegetable oil
Salt to taste

Directions

Fill a medium to large skillet with about 3/4" of vegetable oil. Heat on medium and wait until oil is nice and hot. (You'll know it's ready when you start to see little bubbles forming) Loosely fold the tortillas gently in half and grab the top, where the sides meet, with tongs. Gently lay the tortilla in the oil and brown all sides (It will brown fairly quick, within seconds so be sure to rotate the tortilla from side to side to avoid burning.) Once the tortilla is golden on either side, lay it upside down, as shown below and allow to drain on a paper towel. Immediately dust with salt and serve with your favorite fillings! Enjoy!

Sausage & White Bean Cassoulet

This chilly weather is the perfect time to practice making all your favorite soups and stews. If you like rustic, hearty soups, you'll love the Sausage & White Bean Cassoulet. This slow simmered soup is so rich and full of flavor, you'll look forward to the left overs =)

Sausage & White Bean Cassoulet

Ingredients

Sausage:
5-6 Sweet Italian Sausage links
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Vegetables:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
4 medium carrots, thinly sliced (about 1/4")
4 stalks of celery, also thinly sliced
6 large cloves of garlic, minced
2 large yukon gold potatoes, cut about 3/4" pieces
2 cans white cannelini beans (drained)
4 quarts good chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 sprigs fresh oregano
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 large bay leaf
salt and pepper

Directions

In a large stock pot, heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil on medium heat. Remove sausage from casings and saute it in oil, breaking it up into small pieces. Cook until there is no more pink left. Using a spoon, scoop out sausage and set aside. In same pot with heat still on, add remaining 1/4 cup of oil and to it add carrot, celery and onion. Season with salt and pepper. Saute mirepoix until golden around the edges. Add garlic and continue cooking for about 2 minutes or until the garlic becomes aromatic. Add chicken stock, scraping up all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan, and then continue to add the remaining ingredients one at a time and season generously with salt and pepper (be careful if you use chicken stock that may be high in sodium. If so, you won't want to add as much salt. I recommend cooking with low sodium chicken stock, so you can better regulate the saltiness of your soup). Let soup come to a boil, and then lower heat to medium low and allow the soup to simmer for about an hour or until potatoes are tender. Add sausage back into pot, stir together and cook for another 10 minutes to heat sausage through. Serve along side a fresh french baguette and enjoy.

Serves 8 - 10 as an entree