Green Smoothie | Kale & Mango

This time of year it's always nice to have something bright and refreshing for breakfast or a snack. I love green smoothies because they are a great vehicle to get your dark healthy greens masked by a fruity flavor. I combine raw kale, fresh orange juice, and mango in this smoothie. It may sound funny being green but trust me, once you try this smoothie you will be hooked!

Ingredients

2 cups Raw Kale or Spinach

1/2 Mango {frozen or fresh}

1/2 cup frozen Strawberries {any frozen fruit works}

3/4 Orange Juice

2 TBS ground Flax Seed

Fresh Orange or Lime Zest

Directions

Blend all ingredient in a blender and serve!

Photos by Mary Banducci Photography

Mary and I will be sharing more refreshing and healthy recipes this week between Sweet Roots & Alisa's Garden.

Pear Galette

A galette is the french word for a "freeformed" pie or cake with fruit and a crust. I whipped this up with ingredients I had on hand the other day for a styled inspiration shoot with Mary Banducci Photography and the Attic. 

Ingredients

3-4 ripe Pears

{any fruit would do}

1/2 cup Sugar

2 tsp Cinnamon

1 recipe of pie dough

1 egg

Pie Dough

1 1/2 cups Flour

3/4 butter or Crisco

1 tsp Salt

2 tsp Sugar

ice water as needed

To Make:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix your pie dough with a fork in a large bowl. Roll out into a rough circular shape. This does not need to be perfect. We are going for a rustic look. 

Slice your fresh fruit and arrange in a circular pattern on top of the pie dough. 

Sprinkle generously with sugar and cinnamon. 

Fold the edges of the dough around the fruit. This can be pretty rough and rustic looking!

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Half way through the baking brush the crust with one beaten egg. Continue to bake until golden. 

This is the perfect pastry to accompany a breakfast, to be a dessert, or a quick snack to whip up for unexpected guests this holiday season!

Enjoy!

Eggs Benedict with Spinach & Pesto

This is my favorite breakfast! I definitely prefer savory breakfasts over sweet ones. This one even get's you two servings of vegetables in before lunch time!  Instead of including a slice of ham I substitute with sauteed spinach and a few slices of tomato. I also spread the english muffin with pesto instead of butter to add that fresh basil flavor. The hollandaise sauce and the runny egg are my favorite parts!

This recipe definitely takes some patience but I hope even the beginner can make it by following my steps below. It is definitely worth the time and effort!

 

This is a slightly complicated dish to make because you want all of your items hot at the same time. 

First prepare your cooking area. 

Materials & Utensils

Cookie Sheet

Sauce Pan

Small Glass {heat proof} Bowl

Medium Non-Stick Skillet

Slotted Spoon or Wok Strainer

Whisk

Cutting Board

Knife

You will want to slice and set the eight english muffin halves on a cookie sheet and toast. You also may want to slice your tomatoes  & chives and get your pesto ready to spread at this point.

You will need a separate set up of a saucepan with a glass bowl on top to make the Hollandaise.

You will need a nonstick skillet to poach the eggs. 

Ingredients

{serves four}

4 English Muffins

8 Eggs

2 Tomatoes

4 cups Raw Spinach

1 TBS Olive Oil

1 tsp Salt

1 cup Fresh Pesto 

{I got mine at Costco}

1 TBS White Vinegar

Chives

Paprika

Hollandaise Sauce

4 egg yolks

10 TBS Butter

{cut into slices or cubes}

3 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice

1 tsp Salt

{hot water on hand}

To Make

Stage 1:


English Muffins:
Toast the english muffin halves in the broiler for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Turn the heat off and keep them in the oven to warm


Stage 2:


Spinach:
Saute spinach in nonstick skillet with olive oil and salt. Place all of the leaves in the skillet over medium heat. Place a lid on them and let them wilt. They will drastically reduce in size. Remove from skillet and set aside for serving. This whole process takes about 2 minutes.


Stage 3:


Hollandaise:
1.Start the Hollandaise sauce by adding about 1-2 inches of water into the bottom of saucepan. Bring water to a simmer. Reduce heat to low. 


2.Place egg yolks into bowl and whisk until they are slightly airy and lighten in color.


3.Place the bowl over the simmering water and continue to whisk for 3-5 minutes until they are thickened and almost doubled in volume.


4.Remove bowl from heat and whisk in the butter, lemon juice, and salt. Use immediately or keep over simmering water until ready to use. 


*Before you poach the eggs slice your tomatoes and spread each half of english muffin with pesto and set nearby. 


Stage 4:


Poached Eggs:


1. Fill non-stick skillet with 1-2 inches of water. Add a splash of vinegar.
2. Bring water to an "almost" simmer. Do not let it fully boil. You want the water to be at the place between simmer and boil.
3. Crack your eggs one at a time into small bowls. This makes it easier to drop into the water.
3. Once you reach the almost boiling stage use your slotted spoon or wok strainer to swirl the water.
5. Slide your egg out of the small bowl into the swirling water. 
6. Allow it to cook in the water for 3-4 minutes depending on how runny or hard you like your eggs. 
7. Remove with slotted spoon and place directly onto your prepared english muffins.
*You can poach more than one egg at a time if you have a large enough skillet to be more efficient.


Here is a great visual tutorial for poaching an egg. This is how I learned but slightly changed things up a bit. Once you learn you'll want poached eggs on everything!


Stage 5: 


You now have your english muffin, pesto, tomato, and egg ready to go. Whisk the hollandaise sauce again. If it is thick or clumpy add a few teaspoons of hot water (from your egg pan or pan below) and whisk to thin it out.
Spoon the Hollandaise sauce over the eggs and sprinkle with chives and paprika. 


Now you are ready to serve and enjoy! It's so delicious!

 All photos courtesy of Mary Banducci Photography

Baked French Toast with Blueberries

This is a great breakfast you can make the night before and then bake in the morning. It is pretty much "French Toast Casserole."

I prefer to use a bread like french bread. Brioche would be ideal for this, however, finding day old Brioche in this town in a pinch is not realistic unless  you make it. So regular old grocery store french bread works great, too!

 

Ingredients

1 loaf French Bread

6-8 Eggs

1 1/2 cup Milk

{rice, soy, or coconut work in this recipe, too}

2 tsp Vanilla

1 tsp Salt

2 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 Fresh or Frozen Blueberries

Maple Syrup to Serve

To Make:

Slice bread to desired thickness and arrange in a baking dish.

In a large bowl whisk together eggs, milk, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla. 

Pour egg mixture over bread. Sprinkle with blueberries. 

At this point to you refrigerate for 1-2 hours or overnight. 

To Bake:


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


Bake the casserole for about 20-25 minutes or until egg mixture is set. 


Serve warm with maple syrup or honey!

Enjoy!

Bacon & Egg Cups

This is a recipe my mom created! I jazzed it up a little with some onion, chive, and Siracha flavors!

It is quick and easy and a great on-the-go breakfast but also great for special occasions, too!

Ingredients

{makes 12}

6-8 Raw Tortillas 

{I get mine at Costco but cooked ones will work, too}

1 dozen Eggs

4 Scallions

6 slices Cooked Bacon

 {or 3/4 cup Real Bacon Bits}

3/4 Shredded Cheddar Cheese 

{any cheese will do}

3/4 cup Milk

1 tsp Siracha Chili Paste 

{optional}

2 tsp Salt

4 TBS finely diced Chives

To Make:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Slice Tortillas into quarters and line each greased muffin cup with slices. I make mine decorative by letting the corners stick up out of the muffin cup. Bake for 5-10 minutes if using raw tortillas. 

In a large bowl whisk all eggs. Then mix in remaining ingredients.

Use a 1/2 cup measuring cup to pour batter into each tortilla shell.

Bake for 20-22 minutes or until centers of each egg cup is set. 

Sprinkle with fresh chives and serve warm!

Enjoy!

All photographs by Mary Banducci Photography

Overnight Oatmeal {GF|DF|SF}

This is a perfect "make ahead" meal if you know you're going to have a busy day. You throw all ingredients into the crock pot before you go to bed and let it cook on low all night. 

I unintentionally made it gluten, dairy, and soy free. It turned out great...so rich and creamy! Any milk can be used and regular whole oats are great, too.

This is what I plan for breakfast when I am scheduled to work as a nurse. It's perfect for starting out my 13+ hour days. It's hearty and keeps me full for hours. 

Ingredients

2 cups Gluten Free Oats 

{or regular oat but not instant}

4 cups Rice or So Delicious Coconut Milk

{any milk can be used}

+ a little extra before serving

1 can Coconut Milk

{I prefer the kinds from Asian markets like the one seen above. There is almost no "water." It's mostly cream.}

3/4 cup Brown Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

2 tsp Salt

1 Apple, diced

1/2 cup Dried Cranberries

Toppings:

Dried Cranberries or Raisins

Fresh Fruit or Dried Fruit

Pecans, Walnuts, Flax

Brown Sugar or Maple Syrup

To Make:

Dump all ingredients except toppings into a crock pot. Mix with a wooden spoon. 

Cook in crock pot on low (6-8 hours) overnight. 

To Serve:

Mix the oatmeal mixture in the crock pot. Add a splash or two of milk if it became thick. 

Serve warm with your favorite toppings.

Thanks Mary Banducci Photography for the photos!

Best Bran Muffins

Mary and I had a breakfast day all day on Saturday. We made about five different breakfasts to share with you this week in preparation for Christmas morning. 

This first recipe is more of an "on the go" breakfast idea. This is a family favorite on my mom's side. It is included in Nana's cookbook and the recipe box she made for me. 

Usually I really don't like bran muffins. They sound so dry and unappetizing. These, however, are moist and decadent. I also typically don't like to use pre-packaged ingredients but this recipe is an exception. I have not found a good substitute for the bran cereals and honestly I don't want to. Once you try this recipe you will realize how delicious the cereals and buttermilk make it. 

Ingredients

1 cup Nabisco Bran or Grape Nuts Cereal

1 cup Boiling Water

2 cups Kellogg's "All Bran" Shredded Cereal

2 cups Buttermilk 

{Bulgarian Cultured Buttermilk is the best}

1 1/4 cup Sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup Butter

2 1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

{you can see from the middle picture how the batter should look after being refrigerated overnight: moist and spongy}

To Make:

Soak Nabisco Bran or Grape Nuts in boiling water in a separate bowl while you mix the remaining ingredients.

{I could not find any Nabisco cereal in my grocery store. Grape nuts are a similar texture and shape so that's what I substituted}

Mix the butter, sugar, eggs, and buttermilk in a standing mixer or by hand. Add the baking soda, salt, and flour. Mix again.

Add the soaked bran cereal and the dry Kellogg's shredded cereal at the end.

Optional: add raisins, cranberries, cinnamon, nuts.

{I chose to stick with Nana's traditional recipe of no add-ins this time but any type of nuts or berries or fruits would be great!}

Refrigerate batter overnight for best results.

When ready to bake preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place 1/2 cup of batter in each greased or papered muffin tin.

Bake for 20 minutes or just until the tops do not "jiggle" anymore. You don't want to over bake these muffins or they will dry out.

The batter can be stored in refrigerator for up to two weeks.

All photos thanks to Mary Banducci Photography

Peach Coffee Cake | Perfect Sunday Brunch

This coffee cake makes the perfect weekend brunch or snack! And it was a great way to use up some of the summer fruit I canned last August. I used peaches in the coffee cake but pears, apples, blueberries, or any fruit you have make it moist and delicious! The recipe is a combination I invented of all of our favorite recipes. My Nana has a great Cowboy Coffee Cake that is crumbly and made in a bunt pan and Kyle loves his family's recipe with peaches on the bottom. You probably have most of the ingredients already in your pantry & refrigerator. Make a big batch...it goes fast!

Ingredients

1 quart diced peaches, drained

or your favorite summer fruit

Cake:

1 1/2 sticks butter

1 3/4 cup sugar

3 cups flour

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 1/4 cup whole milk or sweetened condensed milk

3 whole eggs, beaten until fluffy

Topping:

1 1/2 stick butter

3/4 cup flour

1 3/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsp Cinnamon, Nutmeg, or your favorite combination of spices

Optional: 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Directions

Beat the 3 whole eggs in electric mixer (or with immersion blender with whisk attachment) until they are fluffy and have doubled in size. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients alternately with the milk.

Fold in the peaked whipped eggs at the end.

Spread your sliced peaches (or any fruit) in the bottom of a buttered casserole dish. (I used a 9x13 but a pan a little larger or two 9x9 pans may work better)

Spread the cake mixture on top.

In the bowl of your mixer or by hand, combine the ingredients for the topping: flour, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts (optional).

Sprinkle this crumbly topping on your cake batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes until the center is set and a knife comes out clean.

Serve warm! Enjoy!