My Favorite Breakfast Sandwich

It's the weekend! I love weekends. Don't you? On weekdays I usually have a thrilling breakfast of cheerios and yogurt! Very exciting! On the weekend I have more time and no where to be so I can make my favorite breakfast sandwich.
I am obsessed with english muffins lately so I made mine on a sourdough one today, but you can use regular bread if you prefer.
You can use any veggies or meat you like but here are my favorites,

1 english muffin or bread, toasted
2 eggs
1 tbsp of milk
1 green onion, chopped
2-3 mushrooms, slices thinly
2 slices of bacon (I like the turkey bacon, its less messy and quicker!)
salt/pepper

Other things I sometimes add, grated cheddar cheese, finely chopped red or green pepper, fresh herbs, diced ham, regular bacon, or a breakfast sausage patty.
add whatever you like.

crack the eggs into a bowl and add the milk and salt and pepper to taste. whisk well.
cook bacon in a small saute pan, remove and chop up. (drain any excess grease out of pan)
add a tsp. of butter to the pan. add in the veggies and saute till soft. Add in the egg mixture and put a lid on the pan until eggs are cooked, about 5 minutes. If you are adding cheese sprinkle on top in the last minute of cooking to melt.
Toast your english muffin.
Pile the cooked egg on the toasted muffin and enjoy!

A little ketchup for dipping and its the perfect breakfast!
Happy Weekend!
Jen

Brown Butter and Sage Pasta

If you are looking for an easy, quick but sophisticated pasta, this is for you.

It is perfect as a main dish with a side salad or you could make chicken breast or steak and use this as a side dish. Yum!

Here is what you need:

I have no idea what is going on with this picture, it uploaded all weird then flipped sideways and i can't fix it! but you get the idea!

1 pkg of fresh ravioli (or whatever stuffed pasta you like)

I used a spinach and cheese this time, but I have used butternut squash which is amazing and a mushroom flavor as well.

4 tbsp butter

8 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped

½ lemon, juiced

¼ cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Ok here ya go. Boil the pasta as directed. While it is cooking in a large saute pan melt the butter over med heat. Swirl it around a little until it turns a nutty brown color. Watch it closely, it happens quick once it goes. It will be kinda foamy and have a nutty smell.

Remove from heat and add sage leaves, stir them in until coated.

Then add the lemon juice. Drain the pasta and add it right to the butter sauce in the pan. Return the pan to medium heat and add the cheese. Toss to coat and serve immediately.

This is so good! You will love it and it took all of 8 minutes.
Jen

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

A couple weeks ago I shared my all time favorite cookie recipe with you Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. Now I am going to share my Sweets favorite cookie!

They are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. The sweet raisins and the cinnamon are the perfect combo!

You will need:

½ cup plus 6 tablespoons of butter, softened

¾ cup packed brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ( I use a heaping tsp, He loves cinnamon)

½ teaspoon salt

3 cups Quaker Oats

1 cup raisins

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of a stand mixer cream the butter and both sugars together until creamy. Add in eggs 1 at a time beat until incorporated. Add vanilla.

Add in flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, mix well. You will need to scrape down the sides of the bowl a couple times its a thick cookie dough.

Stir in the oats and raisins.

Drop by the rounded tablespoonful onto silpat lined cookie sheets.

Bake 8-10 minutes until lightly browned. Cool for a minute on the cookie sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store in a tightly covered container for the day or two it will take you to eat them all!

Jen

Pasta a la Stan

Stan is my Dad.

My dad cooked a lot when I was growing up. My mom is a nurse and worked a lot of shift work, so Dad made a lot of dinners for my sisters and I.

My Dad is a Hunter and a Fisherman and he is a very good cook! He has been cooking since he was young.

This is one of his signature dishes. I remember him making it for us when we were kids. My Sweet loves it! Its one of his favorites. It's MAN food!

Plus is is super easy and quick so another perfect weeknight dinner.

I have modified the recipe a bit over the years as my tastes have changed.

Ok here it goes its really easy!

What you need:

1 lb. of ground beef

1 envelope of dry onion soup mix

1 540ml can of diced or whole tomatoes (I like the flavored chopped kind, the spicy red pepper one is good, adds a kick, or the Italian spice or roasted garlic, or plain, use whatever floats your boat)

1 can full of water

2 cups of uncooked shell shaped pasta

¼ cup ketchup (this is one of my add ins. I like the extra tomato flavor it gives, you could use a 1tbsp of tomato paste if you had some)

1 tsp of hot sauce (this is totally optional)

Fresh ground pepper to taste

½ cup of fresh grated Parmesan cheese (use the real stuff not the kind from a can its WAY better!)

1-2 cups of grated mozzarella cheese, grated.

Brown the hamburger in a large skillet that has a lid. Once the burger is browned nicely add the onion soup mix and some pepper. Now add the can of tomatoes, the ketchup a can of water and the hot sauce. Add in the noodles and stir. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes or so until the pasta is cooked. You may need to add a little more water throughout the cooking just keep an eye on it. If it looks dry and the pasta isn’t cooked yet add a touch more water.

Once the pasta is cooked stir in the Parmesan cheese. Then sprinkle the mozza on top put the lid on and let the cheese melt.

Serve with a nice green salad.

Quick, easy and hearty! Thanks Dad!!

Jen

Chocolate Ricotta Icebox Cake

I hope you all had a good Valentine's Day. Did you get flowers or chocolates or kisses? Any of which would be good on any day really!!

I made this dessert to celebrate the occasion.

We don’t really do much around here for Valentine's day but I thought it was a good excuse to make this amazing cake.

Ingredients:

 Nonstick cooking spray

14 ounces of semisweet chocolate (do not use chips)

2 containers (15oz each) part skim ricotta cheese, room temperature

¾ cup heavy cream

1 package (9oz) chocolate wafers (about 44 cookies)

First prepare the pan. Remove sides from a 9-inch round springform pan. Place a sheet of waxed paper over the bottom, leaving an overhang; lock sides onto bottom, firmly securing paper. Spray inside of pan with cooking spray. Line the sides with a strip of waxed paper.

Make the chocolate ricotta mixture. Break 12 oz of chocolate into a double boiler. Cook stirring occasionally until chocolate is melted. 5-7mins.

In a food processor, blend ricotta until smooth. About 1 minute. Scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add the melted chocolate and blend until smooth. In a large bowl beat cream until stiff peaks form. With a rubber spatula, gently fold into the chocolate-ricotta mixture.

Assemble cake: arrange half of the cookies in an overlapping pattern to cover the bottom of pan. Spoon half the chocolate-ricotta mixture on top of cookies, smooth the top. Cover with remaining cookies, top with remaining chocolate mixture and smooth top. Cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate at least 6 hours up to 2 days.

Before serving, release sides of pan and remove waxed paper from sides. Using bottom piece of waxed paper pull cake onto a platter. With a metal spatula life cake and remove wax paper. Using a vegetable peeler shave remaining 2 oz of chocolate over cake. With a knife dipped in hot water, cut cake into 10 slices. Wipe off knife and dip in hot water after each slice.

My Valentine loved this dessert!
It was quite simple and it tastes like you spent hours making it!
Which is what we want right, to make people think we slaved all day in the kitchen!
It took me half an hour to put it together I spent the rest of the afternoon watching PVR'd episodes of Grey's Anatomy and Parenthood, which made me very happy!

Jen