Category Archives: Recipes

My Favorite Recipes of the Week: Breakfast

I look online for recipes…like A LOT. Most often I use them as ideas. I’m not very good at following directions. I like to make recipes my own. I decided though that since I find SO many great recipes in my online adventures, that I should start sharing them with you!

Sometimes I make the recipes I find and sometimes I just drool over them and then forget them. Matt is always telling me I need to “make a list” because I am constantly showing him recipes online or trying a new one and then a month later he’s all, “Remember that one recipe with the chicken and the cheese…” Now I can keep better track for myself AND share them with all of you!

This week I had my eyes on breakfast treats. Here’s what I found!

I love these Cinnamon Toast Rolls by Circle B Kitchen.

Photo Courtesy of Circle B Kitchen

They look quick and easy to make as a weekend breakfast treat. I would probably use wheat bread just to pretend like it was healthy-ish. Or not.

I decided to make Stuffed French Toast for a church brunch last Sunday so I began scouring the internet for ideas. I came across this one and about died.

Banana Nutella Stuffed French Toast by 52 Sweet Treats

OH MY YUM. I tried it with strawberries and it was divine. Johnna’s version is dairy and gluten free so that is a huge plus for those of you who follow those diets! I made my version very full of dairy and gluten. 🙂

The other recipe I found is Stuffed French Toast which I found through Tasty Kitchen (my new obsession). I made this one with blueberries but I think it would be equally amazing with strawberries as well! I guess I’ll have to make it twice. Darn.

From Girli Chef, I present to you Cinnamon-Sugar Pull-Apart Ricotta Bread.

Photo courtesy of girlichef.

There are so many words in that title that make me drool. This is a MUST try ASAP recipe for me and I will probably follow it exactly. I just can’t risk it not coming out perfectly on the first try. My taste buds would never forgive me!

So there are some of my must try and eat right away favorites from around the web!

What are your thoughts about my fave recipes posts? Should I post on the same day every week? What should I call it? Let’s give it a name!

Have a recipe you think I should share? Let me know! If you pass my rigorous standards of acceptance (makes me drool and lick the screen) then I’ll share your recipes too!

Looking forward to sharing more and hearing your faves too!

Pesto Tortellini with Chicken and Veggies

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This dish is YUM. I just can’t think of anything else to say about it! It would be equally as good without the chicken for a meatless meal as well. Unfortunately for me, my husband does not know that the words meatless and meal can be used together. But anyway….

Pesto Tortellini with Chicken and Veggies

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil 1 pound chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces 1 cup chicken broth (or more as needed)
1 package (9 ounces) of cheese filled tortellini (I also like to use the spinach filled kind)
2 zucchini, sliced 1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced 1/4 cup basil pesto freshly grated Parmesan cheese Heat oil in a skillet or pot (you are going to need a decent sized pan!). Cook chicken until brown then remove from skillet. (OR use chicken from your freezer that you have already cooked to save time!) Add broth and tortellini to pan, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 8 minutes or until tortellini are tender. You may need to add more broth as it simmers to keep the pasta moist. Add in chicken, zucchini and bell pepper and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally and adding broth if needed until the vegetables are crisp-tender and chicken is no longer pink, about 3-4 minutes. Toss with pesto and sprinkle with cheese. Think, man that Tasha has some good recipes, I’m going to have to send her chocolate. Enjoy! Check out Beauty and Bedlam for more Tasty Tuesday recipes! Also linked to Blessed with Grace Tempting Tummy Tuesday and!!! A Southern Fairytale Because I like to share

Recipe: Mexican Lasagna

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This is one of my family’s favorite meals. If you have a small family, you can freeze the uneaten half. We always end up wiping out the whole thing though! Also can be prepared and frozen to be baked at a later time!

Mexican Lasagna

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cups salsa
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbs taco seasoning
6 soft shelled tortillas (8 inch) I like to use whole grain ones for a healthy oomph!
1 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded cheese

Grease 9×13 baking dish (I use my Pampered Chef stone that is really seasoned so I don’t have to grease mine) You can also line the pan with foil instead. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Brown ground beef with onions in a large skillet. Drain. Add salsa, beans, seasoning; mix well.

Arrange three tortillas in a single layer on bottom of baking dish. Cover with layers of half each of the meat mixture, sour cream and cheese. Repeat all layers. Cover with foil.

Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes or until casserole is heated through and the cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting to serve.

Top with shredded lettuce and tomatoes.

Enjoy!

Salsa Chicken

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A quick and easy way to prepare chicken is to freeze it with a marinade and then on the day you need it, take it out in the morning and let thaw in the fridge. By dinner time the chicken will be thawed and soaked in the marinade! Just pour the chicken and sauce into a baking dish and bake at 375 degrees until cooked through (the time will depend on how thick your chicken breasts are).

Here I froze chicken breasts in salsa and teriyaki sauce.

I use salsa, italian dressing and teriyaki sauce the most often for marinades. Here is the “recipe” I use for making Salsa Chicken.

I’ll thaw the chicken and place in a baking dish at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes. I’ll then top the chicken with cheese and bake for another 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. I’ll serve with spanish rice (which is basically rice and salsa mixed together!) and a vegetable. Because the chicken is baked and the salsa is full of veggies, it can actually be quite good for you! (assuming you don’t overdo the cheese and smother it with sour cream as I sometimes do!)

Cookbook Recommendations

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Need a good cookbook? There is nothing more valuable in a kitchen than a dependable cookbook. Here are a few that I would recommend:

How to Cook Everything (Completely Revised 10th Anniversary Edition), Completely Revised 10th Anniversary Edition: 2,000 Simple Recipes for Great Food by Mark Bittman

The Bread Lover’s Bread Machine Cookbook by Beth Hensperger

Fix-It And Forget-It Big Cookbook: 1400 Best Slow Cooker Recipes by Phyllis Pellman Good

Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food by Jessica Seinfeld

Betty Crocker old school cook books – look at the library or at yard sales. I don’t really like the newer ones because they use too many “pre-made” ingredients. The older ones from back in the day are full of good old fashioned, made from scratch, but still simple recipes.

Visit My Amazon Store for more of my favorite things for the kitchen!

What are some of your favorite cookbooks?

I have not been compensated in any way for these recommendations, however the links provided are Amazon Affiliate links.

One Pot Chicken, Veggies and Brown Rice

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When I’m not using freezer meals for dinner and I have time to cook a more time consuming meal, this is a go-to recipe for me. But when you read how easy this recipe actually is, you might call me a liar, because it’s actually not time consuming at all, it just tastes like it!

One Pot Chicken, Veggies and Brown Rice
Ingredients:
1 tbs olive oil
4 chicken breasts (you can also use bone-in pieces of chicken if you like!) cut in halves or thirds
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 large onion, 2 celery stalks, 2 medium carrots, cut into chucks
A little garlic for flava
About 1 cup chicken broth
1 cup cooked brown rice

Heat the oil in a deep pot. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place in hot oil.

Cook until golden brown on both sides, about 10-12 minutes.

Add the vegetables and broth. You can use more or less broth depending on how you want this dish to turn out, soupish, chunky soupish or just veggies and rice. Yes, soupish is a word.

Cover and let simmer over medium-low heat for about 15-20 minutes or until the veggies are soft enough for ya.

Serve over cooked brown rice and enjoy!

Chewy Granola Bars

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My kids like to eat. Often. So snack time is a very big deal. They love granola bars but the boxed ones can be filled with more sugar and preservatives than I care to feed my starving ~~zoo animal~~ boys. The ones that are organic and wholesome can cost you an arm and a leg and sometimes even an eyeball, so I decided a long time ago that homemade granola bars were the way to go! I’ve tried a bazillion different recipes and this one is the result of many kitchen experiments and my family’s favorite!

Chewy Granola Bars

Ingredients:
3 cups oats
2 cups puffed wheat cereal (you can use rice krispies, but they puffed wheat cereal is a way healthier option)
(OR you can use 5 cups of just oats, no cereal)
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup honey
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup nuts, dried fruit, or chocolate chips (or a combination of any of them!)

Mix all dry ingredients together.

Mix all wet ingredients together.

Mix all together. Then add nuts, fruit, etc and fold in.

Pour onto cookie sheet(If you are using a regular cookie sheet, I would advise lining it with wax paper because these puppies are sticky! I use my nicely seasoned Pampered Chef Bar Pan and they come out perfect every time!). Press down firmly until the entire pan is covered and the granola is packed down.

Bake at 325 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. That time is up for debate though because my oven is like a box of chocolates: you never know what you’re gonna get. So just watch them carefully and remove when they are nice and golden brown, like this:

Be careful not to overcook or they will not be chewy! And your husband who hates crunchy granola bars be will be severely disappointed and insist you use a timer next time instead of just “smelling for them.”

Oh, is that just my husband? OK, sorry.

Score the bars while warm and then let cool. These can also be frozen if your family will not eat the whole batch before they go stale. Which I haven’t had to do in a good couple of years.

Check out Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays for more great recipes!

Homemade Waffles

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Waffles: Another great way to start the day! Be sure to double the recipe so you have extras to freeze!

Homemade Waffles

Ingredients:
2 Cups Homemade Biscuit Mix
1 1/3 cups milk (or more if needed)
1 tbs Milled Flaxseed
2 tbs water
1 egg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
splash of vanilla extract (optional)

This will make about 4-5 waffles, depending on the size of your waffle iron and how thick you make your waffles. I doubled it and got 9 good sized waffles out of it.

Stir ingredients together until well blended. Pour onto waffle iron. (I have this one and it works great.)

Be careful not to pour too much batter or you will have this result:

Whoopsie!

Cook on waffle iron until done (about 4 minutes). Some waffle irons have indicator lights for when they are done, mine is not fancy like that, but I can tell when it’s done because it will steam and when you open it, nothing sticks and it looks nice and brown, like this:

Enjoy!

Love these kid’s dishes?

I reviewed them here at Bellaziza’s Favorite Things a super long time ago, but check them out of you like them!

To freeze your extras: Place on a cookie sheet or baking rack and freeze. Once frozen, store in airtight, freezer safe container. Stick in the toaster or microwave to warm up just like you would the boxed kind!

Applesauce Muffins

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The original recipe for these muffins are from Deceptively Delicious, but I don’t do very well with following recipes exactly, so here is my twist on it!

Applesauce Muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup carrot puree
1/4 cup Agave Nectar
2 tbs milled flax seed
1/4 cup water
1 egg

Mix dry ingredients together.

Mix wet ingredients together in a separate bowl.

Mix all ingredients together.

(I know, this is hard, please try to follow along!)

Pour into muffin tins, it makes 12. I usually use a heaping 1/4 cup measuring cup and it fills the muffin tins perfectly!

Crumbly Topping: (you know, the best part!)
2/3 cup oats
2 tbs brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp flax seed
2 tbs butter, melted

Mi topping ingredients together and sprinkle evenly over muffin dough.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 18-20 minutes.

Enjoy, knowing this muffin is actually good for you!!!

Heavenly Popcorn

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This recipe has been floating around our family and always shows up at get-togethers. If you haven’t already read my Disclosure you should read that first and then come back to finish reading this recipe!

OK, now that you know of my love for junk food and understand that I will post some yummy not-so-good-for-you recipes here and there, let’s get on to the recipe.

Heavenly Popcorn

Ingredients:
3 bags of popcorn
24 ounces white chocolate or white bark
Misc yummy additions – mine include peanuts, toffee bits and M&Ms

Pop popcorn and cool. Be sure to pick out any unpopped kernels. Biting into one of those as you ~~shove it down your mouth~~ eat lady-like bites can break a tooth!