Christina's Overnight Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole

from Our Best Bites

6-8 slices bread
about 1/4 C softened butter (just for buttering the bread slices)
4 C grated cheese (Colby Jack, Pepper Jack, Cheddar or some combination)
12 oz pork sausage, browned and drained if necessary
1 4 oz or 7 oz can green chiles
6 eggs
2 C milk
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dry mustard

Lightly butter one side of each slice of bread. Place bread butter side down in a 9×13 baking dish. I usually need 6 pieces of bread, plus 1 cut in half to finish up the bottom row. You just want the bottom of the pan covered with no big gaps.

Grate your cheese and sprinkle it evenly over the top of the bread.  Spread the browned sausage on top of that, and top with the green chiles.

In a medium sized mixing bowl whisk eggs. Add milk and then seasonings and whisk to combine well.  Slowly stir the egg mixture while you pour it evenly on top of the assembled casserole. You’ll want to keep stirring or else the spices will all gather in one spot and drop onto one single piece of casserole.

Cover well and place in the refridgerator overnight.

In the morning preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Pop the casserole in there and bake (uncovered) for 50-60 minutes. You’ll want the center to be set and the outside edges to be golden brown. It’s important to let it cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into it or it will just fall apart.

Christina's Cranberry Almond Tarts

adapted from Smitten Kitchen

pie crusts

1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into eight pieces
1 cup granulated sugar
1 3/4 cup frozen cranberries
2 cups unblanched sliced almonds (NOT slivered or chopped)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Measure the cream and butter into a saucepan and heat it over low heat. When the butter has melted completely, remove from heat.

2. To make the caramel, spread the sugar evenly in a perfectly dry, deep 10-inch skillet and place it over medium-low heat.

3. The sugar should turn straw-colored, then gold and then a nutty-brown caramel after about 10 minutes (DO NOT OVERCOOK). If the sugar cooks unevenly, gently tilt or swirl the pan to evenly distribute the sugar. Remove from heat and slowly whisk the cream and butter into the sugar, which can splatter as the cream is added (long sleeves are a good precaution). If the caramel seizes, return it to the heat and continue to stir until it is smooth and creamy. Strain the caramel into a bowl and cool it for 30 minutes.

4. Stir the frozen cranberries and the almonds into the caramel and mix until all the fruit and nuts are coated. Spoon the filling into the partially baked tart dough mounding toward the center.

5. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the juices and the caramel are bubbling slowly around the edges. Remove from the oven and let stand for 1 hour, then gently lift the tart ring off the pastry.

6. Carefully transfer the tart to a serving platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Christina's Pie Crust

adapted from MADE


(makes 4 single crusts)

4 cups flour
1 Tbl sugar
1 Tbl salt
1 3/4 cup butter
1 TBSP vinegar
1 egg
1/2 cup cold water

Mix flour, sugar, and salt. Cut-in the butter with a fork or food processor.

In a separate bowl mix vinegar, egg, and water. Add it to the flour mixture, stirring with a fork until moistened. Use your hands to mold into 4 equal balls. The dough may be frozen and thawed for future use.

When ready to bake a pie, flour your surface and roll the crust starting from the middle and moving out, till it's about 2 inches larger than the size of your pie dish. Remember when working with pastries to handle it as little as possible so the gluten doesn't become overworked and tough.

Gently roll your dough into a loose log or around your rolling pin (this is the easiest way I've found to transfer it into the pie pan). Lay it in the pan, unroll the crust, and gently fit it in-place--don't pull or tug on the crust. Use a knife to trim the uneven edges, leaving about a 1-inch overhang. Tuck the overhang under on the edge of your pan. Then use your fingers to pinch the edges for a decorative finish.

Christina's Apple, Chard and Mushroom Quiche

source unknown

• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 1 large Vidalia or other onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup (4 oz.) shredded ruby Swiss chard
• 1 cup (about 2 oz.) thinly sliced mushrooms
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• ½ cup chopped apple
• 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup shredded Jarlsberg or Swiss cheese
• ½ cup milk
• 1 9-inch deep-dish pie crust, unbaked

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Heat oil and butter in large skillet over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and sauté onions until caramelized, about 15 minutes.

3. Add Swiss chard, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium, and cook, stirring often, until mushrooms and chard are soft, about 7 minutes.

4. Combine apples, flour and nutmeg in mixing bowl, and toss to coat apples. Combine eggs, cheese and milk in separate bowl, and beat until ingredients are well blended. Fold in apple mixture.

5. Spoon chard mixture into pie crust. Pour egg-cheese-apple mixture over top.

6. Bake 35 to 45 minutes, or until cheese mixture is set and top is browned. Cool slightly before slicing, and serve. 

Christina's Parmesan Fries

from playwithsugar.com

1 pound of medium russet potatoes (approx 3 medium potatoes)
1 1/2 TBSP of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 tsp Dried Thyme
1/4 tsp Dried Oregano
1/8 tsp Dried Rosemary
1/4 tsp of Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp of Old Bay Seasoning
2 TBSP of Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

*Preheat oven to 425.
*Wash and cut potatoes into 1/8ths.
*Place on a cookie sheet that has been lined with foil (I used Reynolds Release foil so that they will not stick, but you could also either use non-stick cooking spray or lightly grease the top of the foil with extra virgin olive oil).
*Mix all of the spices and the parmesan cheese in a small bowl.
*Place all of the potatoes (remember we are talking about one pound at a time) into a gallon size freezer bag, add olive oil and the parmesan cheese/spice mixture to the bag.
*Seal the bag and shake until the potatoes are evenly coated.
*Once thoroughly coated dump onto the prepared cookie sheet and spread in a single layer.
* Bake 30-45 minutes or until tender and lightly golden brown. (Baking times will vary depending on the amount of fries that you make and the size that you cut them). For the ones shown in the picture they were baked at 425 for 45 minutes.

Christina's "Green Noodles" (Spinach and Avocado Pasta)

from Perry's Plate

6-8 ounces of pasta
2 Tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
pinch of salt, more to taste
3-4 big handfuls of spinach (about a 10-12 ounce bag)
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into large chunks
1 handful fresh basil (optional)
1/2 cup grated fresh Pecorino-Romano or Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

Get the pasta cooking in a very large pot of salted boiling water. When it's finished, drain pasta from the pot, setting aside about 1/2 cup of pasta water. Return pasta to large pot and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and the spinach to the saucepan (Yes, the pan will be full. Just stuff it all in.) Cover pot and reduce heat to medium-low. Let the mixture cook for about 4-5 minutes or until the spinach is completely wilted.


Add the yogurt, avocado, and 2-3 Tablespoons of reserved pasta water to the spinach mixture (also basil if using). Stir it a bit, then buzz it up with an immersion blender. (If you don't have one, transfer to a food processor or a blender. Blend well, and return sauce to the pot.) Stir in the cheese, and add more pasta water if it seems too thick.


If your pasta is still hot, simply toss the pasta and sauce together in a large serving bowl. If it's not, then combine the past and sauce in one of the pots (preferably the larger one) and cook over medium low until everything is hot. Add salt and pepper, to taste and serve with a sprinkle of grated cheese.


Add fresh tomatoes to garnish or other fresh/sauteed veggies.

Christina's Double Philly Cheesesteaks

adapted from Our Best Bites


2 lbs. steak (any cut)
2 Tbsp. butter
1 green bell pepper
1 medium yellow onion
White cheese (mozzarella or Swiss or provolone or Monterey Jack)
Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Cream cheese (4 oz?)Cholula hot sauce (optional)
8 Hoagie rolls

Thinly slice bell peppers and onions (preferably in the food processor). Set aside. Thinly slice frozen meat (again, food processor). Set aside. Heat 2 Tbsp. butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add steak and stir-fry. Season heavily with salt and lots of freshly-ground pepper. When meat is about half-cooked, add peppers and onions. Stir occasionally, cooking until meat is cooked through. Season with hot sauce to taste.

Slice buns, smear with cream cheese and spoon steak mixture inside. Top with cheese and place under broiler for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted and bread is slightly toasty.

White Chocolate Cheesecake

• one chocolate crust
• 4 (1 ounce) squares white chocolate

• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese

• 3/4 cup white sugar

• • 3 eggs

• • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Directions

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Wrap the outside of a 10 inch springform pan with foil. Grease the inside of the pan.
• Place the cream cheese, sugar, and flour in a mixing bowl and cream until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape bowl.
• Melt 4 ounces of the white chocolate. With an electric mixer on low speed, mix melted white chocolate into cream cheese mixture. Keeping electric mixer on low, slowly beat in the vanilla and 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Blend well. Pour mixture into the prepared springform pan.
• Place cheesecake pan in a water bath filled with warm water. Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 50 to 60 minutes, or until center of the cheesecake is just firm. Cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Refrigerate until set before removing from pan.

Tomatillo-Ranch Salad Dressing

adapted from Our Best Bites

1 Cup Buttermilk

1 Cup Mayo

1 Pckg. Dry Buttermilk Ranch dressing mix

2 Tomatillos (husked)

2 Jalapenos

½ Bunch cilantro

Juice from ½ Fresh Lime

1 Clove Garlic

Puree all ingredients in blender for 30 seconds.  Refrigerate until chilled.

Christina's No-Curry-Paste Curry

1 can coconut milk
1 TBSP red curry powder
1 tsp yellow curry powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cumin
salt to taste
cayenne pepper to taste

Mix it all together and you have curry!

Christina's Sour Cream Dip with Tomatoes and Chiles

1 pint sour cream

1/2 tsp onion salt

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

2-4 large tomatoes, diced

1 can diced green chiles

Mix the sour cream with all the spices until well mixed. Stir in the tomatoes and chiles. Chill at least one hour before serving. Serve with tortilla chips.

Christina's Milk-Cooked Macaroni and Cheese

source unknown

1 lb macaroni noodles
4 cups milk (about 16 oz) , or more if needed
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus additional for final season later
generous dash of nutmeg
2 cups grated cheese, any one or combination
additional toppings: bacon bits, bread crumbs, chopped parsley, diced tomatoes (optional), red bell peppers, broccoli florets
black pepper to taste (optional)

1. Place raw elbow macaroni in colander and quickly rinse under water. Let drain.
2. In large sauce pan, add milk, raw elbow macaroni, salt, butter, mustard powder and nutmeg.
3. On medium heat, slowly bring milk/macaroni mixture to a simmer, stirring the macaroni frequently as it comes up to a simmer. This will separate macaroni and keep them from sticking together. DO NOT LEAVE THE STOVE! The milk mixture will come to a boil very quickly and leaving it unattended will leave a big mess on your stove stop.
4. Once mixture comes to a simmer, immediately turn down heat to LOW. Macaroni will slowly cook in the milk. Having your heat too high will evaporate the milk too quickly!
5. Continue to stir the mixture frequently so that macaroni will cook evenly and absorb milk evenly. If you don’t stir your mixture frequently, you will get a big clump of macaroni in the end! Stir, stir stir!
6. Cook for about 15-20 minutes or until milk has been fully absorbed. If more milk is needed, additional 1/4 cup milk at a time for final cooking. Increase the heat if your macaroni doesn’t absorb fast enough. 
7. When milk has evaporated, stir in grated cheese of your choice. Stir the  cheese evenly into the macaroni.
8. Turn off heat. Place lid on top of pan and cover for about 5 minutes. This rest period will allow macaroni to plump up and absorb any excess milk.
9. Take a final taste and add additional salt to taste. Before serving, stir one final time to mix everything together.

Serve immediately.

Christina's Spiced Roasted Tomato Soup

adapted from 101 Cookbooks


56ish ounces fresh tomatoes (roughly 8 large)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, olive oil, or coconut oil
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
3 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chile flakes (less if feeding it to kids)
1 14-ounce can coconut milk

To serve: any of the following that sound good to you - cooked brown rice, lemon wedges, toasted almond slices, pan-fried paneer, fresh thyme or oregano, oregano drizzle, a poached egg

Slice tomatoes in half, seed and place cut side down on baking sheet. Roast at 275 degrees for a few hours. Remove from oven.

In a large pot over medium heat melt the butter. Add the onions and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions really soften up - 10 minutes or so. Not so much that they brown, just until they're completely tender and unstructured.

Stir in the curry powder, coriander, cumin, and chile flakes, and cook just until the spices are fragrant and toasty - stirring constantly at this point. Just 30 seconds or so. Stir in the tomatoes and 6 cups of water. Simmer for fifteen minutes or so, then puree with a hand blender until smooth. Add coconut milk.

We served this over brown rice with spinach. Yummy!

Christina's Sweet and Sour Chicken

adapted from $5 Dinners


1 lb chicken breast, diced
1/2 onion, diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 diced green or red bell pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon corn starch
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks, with juice or fresh
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
frozen mixed veggies

1. In large skillet over medium high heat, brown the diced chicken pieces and onion in oil.
2. Add diced bell pepper and garlic and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes.
3. In small bowl, whisk together corn starch and soy sauce, then pour the mixture into skillet along with the pineapple chunks, pineapple juice, vinegar, brown sugar, and ginger. Stir together and bring just to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5-10 minutes, or until sauce reaches desired consistency/thickness. Stir in frozen veggies and heat through. Serve over hot rice.

Christina's Double Coconut Muffins

from Smitten Kitchen


1/2 cup virgin coconut oil
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 cup full fat Greek-style yogurt, at room temperature is best (or use coconut cream)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature is best
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut, divided

Preheat oven to 375°F. Either grease 10 muffin cups with butter or coconut oil, or line them with papers.

In a small saucepan, warm your coconut oil just until it melts. It should still be on the cool side.

In a medium bowl, whisk together your flours, baking powder and salt. Stir 1/2 cup shredded coconut. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, sugar, coconut oil, yogurt and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients until just combined. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups then sprinkle the top with remaining 1/4 cup coconut, about 1 to 2 teaspoons on each.

Bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out batter-free, about 20 minutes. Transfer muffins to a rack and let cool.


You could make mango-coconut muffins by adding a cup or so of diced mango chunks to the batter; pina colada muffins would use the same volume of pineapple chunks. You could replace the yogurt with mashed banana or banana puree to make a banana-coconut muffin and if you’re into that whole lime-in-the-coconut thing, you could add a teaspoon of lime zest. Chocolate chips? (1 cup), Macadamia nuts? (1/2 to 3/4 cup, toasted and chopped). If adding a moist ingredient like mango or pineapple, reduce the amount of yogurt or coconut cream by 1/3.

Christina's Slow Cooker Yogurt

source unkown

8 cups milk (the more fatty the milk, the richer the yogurt will be)
1/2 already-made yogurt for starter

Put milk in crockpot. Turn on low for 2 1/2 hours. Let sit for 3 hours. Remove about 2 cups of milk from the crock pot and stir in the starter. Add it all back into the crockpot and cover with a lid. Wrap a large towel around the crockpot (helps it keep its warmth longer) and let sit overnight. In the morning, you'll have plain yogurt!

To make other flavors, add in sweetener/vanilla/fruit at the end or use as a base for savory sauces, etc.

Christina's Quinoa with Avocados, Beans and Corn

1 cup quinoa
1 cup frozen diced green or red bell pepper
1 cup frozen corn
2 cups cooked black beans
1/4 cup lime juice
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped (free from the garden)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 avocado, diced

In a large skillet, saute the green pepper, corn and black beans.

Once softened, add the lime juice and cilantro.

In a saucepan, cook the red quinoa as directed on the package.

Once cooked, mix the quinoa in with the sauteeing veggies.

Dice up an avocado.

Serve the avocado on top of the quinoa and veggies.

Christina's Breakfast Quinoa

2 cups almond milk, rice milk or water

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Zest from 1 orange (I didn't have one, so I used 1 TBSP orange concentrate)

1 cup quinoa

3 T honey

1/4 C pecans, walnuts or almonds

fresh or frozen fruit (optional)

yogurt, milk or cream (optional)

Bring liquid and quinoa and cinnamon (and orange) to a boil, then set heat to medium low for 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let rest 5 minutes. Add fresh berries. Top with nuts and honey, fruit and yogurt. Yummy!

Christina's Super Green Breakfast Smoothie

1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup chia seed gel
2 cups loosely packed spinach
1 beet (root and leaves)
8 baby carrots (or one large carrot)
1 8 oz can pineapple in juice
1/3 cup raw cashews
2 frozen bananas
honey to taste
frozen blueberries to taste

Blend it all together!

Christina's Honey Whole Wheat Bread for Sandwiches

source unknown 

3 tablespoons yeast
4 cups really warm water
1/2-3/4 cup honey
8-10 cups whole grain wheat flour (freshly ground if possible)
1 TBSP kosher salt
2 TBSP vital wheat gluten (optional)
2 TBSP flax seed meal (optional)
2 TBSP wheat germ (optional)
butter

1. Grind wheat.
2. Add yeast, water, and honey then gently mix.
3. Let rest for 5 minutes until yeast foams.
4. Then add salt and everything else.

5.  Then add flour, I add a cup at a time until it pulls away from the side of the bowl. 
7. Knead for 4-6 minutes. This dough is really sticky and you are going to think that you need to add more flour, but you only want to add enough flour that the dough barley pulls away from the bowl.
8. Let dough rise for 15 minutes.
9. Butter the bread pans (I do 2 9x5 pans and 1 8 1/2x 4 2/12 inch pan) and your hands. Punch down the dough well.
10. Form into loafs and put into greased loaf pans. 
11. Let rise in pans for 30 minutes.
12. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.
14. Remove from pans after 10 minutes and let cool on a cooling rack.