Breakfast casserole

 Hearty individual breakfast casseroles for all...

2 eggs

 1 slice of whole wheat bread torn into bite sized pieces

1 Morningstar Sausage link (thawed) cut into bite sized pieces

2 tbsp green onions sliced thin

1/4 shredded cheese

2 tbsp milk

salt (to taste)

pepper (to taste)

red pepper flakes (to taste)

cayenne powder (to taste)

small casserole dish

olive oil to spray on baking dish

1) Beat eggs, add pepper, salt, cayenne and red pepper flakes

2) add milk and green onions to the egg mixture, stir to combine

3) spray baking/casserole dish with olive oil

4) spread bread pieces on the baking dish, add sausage, sprinkle cheese, pour the egg mixture on top and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees (I don't like my eggs runny at all, at 30 minutes they are well done!)

5) let the casserole sit for about 5 minutes before digging in!

Thirst quencher...

Easy to make and REALLY good for you! I know this is pretty basic but it's SO good!

3-4 tsp of Teavana Huang Shan Mao Feng Reserve green tea

2-3 lemon slices

2-3 blackberries

ice

Stevia to sweeten

mint leaves to garnish

Let's quench this thirst!

1) Prepare tea as directed on the package

2) add ice

3) add lemons and blackberries

4) sweeten if you wish
5) throw some mint leaves on top so it looks pretty



Baked spaghetti

This baked spaghetti is so GOOD, I've been making it since 2001, it's one of those 'go-to' recipes.

Ingredients:

2 medium yellow onions chopped

1 large green pepper chopped

8oz baby Bella mushrooms chopped

10-12 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped (I LOVE garlic so I use a LOT, but you don't have to)

1 tbsp olive oil

2-3 tbs Italian seasoning

28oz can Muir Glen crushed tomatoes with basil

14.5oz Muir Glen diced fire roasted tomatoes

1/2 tbsp fresh cracked pepper

salt to taste

24oz whole wheat spaghetti, cooked, rinsed in cold water

10.5oz can condensed cream of mushroom soup

8oz shredded cheddar cheese

grated parmesan cheese for sprinkling on top of the spaghetti bake

1/2 cup sliced black olives

1/2 cup water

Let's cook shall we?

1) Add oil to a large pan, once hot, add onions, cook on medium heat, you don't want the onions to brown,

2) Add green peppers after 6 minutes, cook the onion and green pepper mixture on medium for about 5 minutes

3) Add garlic and cook for 1 minute

4) Add chopped mushrooms,

5) Add Italian seasoning

6) Cook and stir mixture often, the veggies will give off a lot of liquid and you don't want too much liquid or your sauce will be too runny. Once most of the liquid is gone...

7) Add both tomato cans, salt and pepper. Simmer the sauce for 30 minutes on low.

8) Let sauce cool a little before putting everything together

9) Take a large baking dish, spray with olive oil take half of the cooked spaghetti and spread it out

10) Add half of the sauce on top of the cooked spaghetti

11) Sprinkle 4oz of cheddar on top of the sauce

12) repeat the three layers (spaghetti, sauce and cheddar)

13) Add 1/2 cup water to the condensed cream of mushroom soup and mix well (till smooth) add dollops of this mixture to the top and spread it out evenly

14) sprinkle parmesan cheese

15) top with black olives

16) bake for 30 minutes on 350 degrees, till you see bubbling on the edges of the baking dish



Jeera chicken (Patel ground style)

Ingredients (for jeera chicken):

3-4 medium onions, chopped
2-3lbs chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
15 cloves of garlic, 1 inch piece of ginger, 10-12 hot green chili’s: throw these in a small chopper and pulse
1/2 cup of cumin seeds
4tbs oil
5-6 cloves
2-3 pieces of cinnamon
2 tsp ground coriander,
2 tsp ground turmeric,
ground cayenne to taste
3 (14.5oz) cans organic tomatoes
salt, to taste
One bunch fresh cilantro, chopped finely

Directions:

1) Take a large pot and add the oil to it, set it on medium heat
2) Add the cinnamon and cloves as soon as the oil warms up a bit
3) Add all of the cumin seeds, fry till seeds are golden brown
4) Add the onions and fry until golden brown
5) Add the chili’s, garlic and ginger mixture and fry for at least 5 minutes, making sure not to burn the garlic
6) Add the ground turmeric along with the ground coriander and ground cayenne, fry for 4-5 minutes
7) Add the three cans of tomatoes, lower the heat just a little and let this mixture simmer, you want most of the liquid from the tomatoes to evaporate at this point
8) Add the chicken and cilantro, stir to combine...cover your pot, let the chicken simmer on low for about 45 minutes, making sure you give it a good stir every now and then
10) Add salt to taste
Serves: approximately 4-5 people.

Tip: Paneer is a great subsitute for chicken, this dish would taste just as good with paneer

Spicy stuffed buns

Spicy stuffed buns

Ingredients:

2-3 big russet potatoes-cubed

1 medium yellow onion-finely chopped

1 carrot-finely chopped

1/2 cup peas
2-3 cloves garlic
1-2 green chili's very finely chopped
1 tbs canola oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
3 tbs finely chopped cilantro
pinch asafoetida
3-4 pinches turmeric powder
1-2 tsp cayenne powder (or to taste)
salt to taste
1/2 tsp lemon juice (the REAL stuff please...not the bottled stuff)

Directions:
1. On medium heat...in a pot add the canola oil, once the oil is hot add mustard seeds...
2. Once mustard seeds stop popping, add cumin
3. When cumin turns a pretty darker color add asafoetida
4. Add turmeric
5. Immediately add garlic (be careful, don't burn it)
6. Once the garlic is golden add green chilis, cook for 2 minutes
7. Add onions...cook until translucent
8. Next add carrots, peas and potatoes...stir, turn the heat to low, cover
9. After 15 minutes check to see if the potatoes are fully cooked, if not, cover and leave for 5 more minutes, just keep checking, you can always stick a toothpick in the potatoes.
10. Once potatoes are cooked add cayenne, salt, cilantro and lemon juice...let cool completely

Dough (for the bun) ingredients:

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter
1 package instant yeast
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs sugar
1 1/s tsp salt (or to taste)
some milk to brush on top of the buns for a lovely gloss and color
Directions:
1. In a glass bowl heat milk, water, butter and sugar until warm...add yeast and let sit for 10 minutes (when you stick your finger in the liquid it should feel very warm)...about 110-115 degrees (F).
2. Add flour, olive oil and salt to your stand mixer, make sure you have the dough hook attached...mix the flour, oil and salt.
3. Slowly add the liquid but not at once, let the mixer do the work for you...when a soft dough forms, place the dough on a counter and knead for 5 minutes...pour a little olive oil on the dough place it in a large bowl and cover with a lid or plastic wrap.

Now let's put it all together shall we?
1. Divide the dough into 4" balls
2. Roll each ball out into a 7" round
3. Spoon the filling in the middle
4. Gather all sides together at the top, press together to seal
5. Place seam side down on baking sheet
6. Repeat
7. Now cover the the buns with a large kitchen towel, place the baking sheet in a warm place...I just place it in my oven (COOL OVEN!!!)
8. After about an hour your buns will double in size, carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven
9. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
*When handing the buns please don't drop the baking sheet on the counter or they will DE-PUFF!*
10. Gently, brush milk on the buns (any pressure will once again "de-puff" the dough)
11. Bake 25-35 minutes...once the buns are golden brown on top, remove from the oven...
12. EAT!! :)

*you will have extra dough or filling...I freeze extras.

Super easy karahi chicken

Karahi chicken

This chicken is so easy to make, and tastes really good, especially if you enjoy spicy food.

Ingredients:

1lb chicken breast-cut into strips

1-1/4 cup chicken broth

2tbs canola oil

1 bunch green onions-chopped

5 cloves garlic-cut into thin strips

1tsp grated ginger root

1tsp crushed dried red chilis

2tsp lemon juice (optional)

2tbs cilantro-finely chopped

2tbs finely chopped mint

1 14oz tomato can

Directions:

1) Add 2tbs oil to a pot

2) Add crushed red pepper flakes (once the oil is hot)

3) Immediately add garlic, don't burn it!

4) Add ginger, saute for about 30 seconds

5) Add green onions saute until soft

6) Add chicken

7) When the chicken turns white, add tomato can and chicken broth

8) Add cilantro, mint and salt (and optional lemon juice)

9) Let simmer till sauce thickens

*Serve with roti's and rice

*I added ground cayenne and ground corianader to this recipe (to taste)

Chicken scampi (Olive Garden style)

Chicken Scampi

Chicken:

2 chicken breasts flattened using a meat mallet, cut into nugget sized peices

1 egg

1 1/2 cups Breadcrumbs (I make my own using whole wheat bread)

1 tsp Italian seasoning

Some olive oil for shallow frying

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 green bell pepper sliced

1/2 red bell pepper sliced

1/2 small red onion sliced thinly

Scampi sauce:

1 tbs butter

2 tbs very finely chopped garlic

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

3/4 white wine

1 cup chicken broth

white sauce (recipe follows)

White sauce:

3/4 cup hot milk

1/2 tbs butter

2 tbs flour

1/2 lb angel hair pasta, cooked al dente

Directions:

Chicken:

1) Add two slices of bread in a food processor and pulse till you get fine breadcrumbs, add Italian seasoning and pulse a few more times, place breadcrumbs in a medium sized bowl

2) Whisk the egg in a small bowl, add salt and pepper to taste

3) Add 4-5 chicken pieces into the egg

4) Place the egg drenched chicken into the breadcrumb bowl (coat each piece with breadcrumbs), then transfer to a rack or plate, do this to all the chicken pieces

5) In a large frying pan add a few tablespoons of olive oil (just a tiny bit we're not deep frying) and place 4-5 pieces of chicken into the pan, "fry" about 2 minutes per side, place on paper towel

6) Add green pepper, red pepper and red onion to the pan and saute, set aside

Scampi sauce:

1) Heat butter in a pan

2) Add garlic

3) Add red pepper flakes

4) Add Italian seasoning

5) TAKE THE PAN OFF THE HEAT, add the wine, return to cooking surface and simmer 5 minutes

6) Add chicken broth

7) Add white sauce

8) Let the sauce cook for about 30 minutes on low heat

White sauce:

1) Heat butter in a sauce pan

2) Add 2 tbs flour and cook for two minutes

3) Add hot milk and whisk

Serve:

1) Place angel hair on a plate

2) Place a few chicken pieces on top

3) Add pepper and onions

4) Spoon scampi sauce over everything!