Lunch

Potato and Broccoli Frittata

December 17, 2020 By Janie-Jean Leave a Comment

Frittatas are all about a technique that’s hard to screw up and are easily customizable. I like to follow this simple formula to make the perfect frittata. Eggs plus meat plus veg plus cream plus cheese. You can substitute as you see fit but this is literally all you need. I have prepared a special gift for you, a free printable/wallpaper featuring the Frittata Formula. Now the power is in your hands whenever you crave this eggy goodness! CHEERS!

Frittata Formula Phone Wallpaper
Frittata Formula Desktop/Printable

If you’re curious about the 12 Things I learned in 2020, you can check it out here in our “Fearless Living” thoughts for this month! I would love to hear what you have learned this year in the comment section!

Ingredients:
8 to 10 small waxy potatoes (about 1 ounce each), scrubbed and quartered
1 cup vegetable or another broth or use salted water if you don’t have on hand
1/4 cup olive oil
4 slices of bacon, cooked till crisp and crumbled or finely chopped
8 ounces (usually 1 bundle) broccoli, trimmed and sliced into thin florets
1 small red or white onion, thinly sliced
8 large eggs
1/4 cup of heavy cream
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
1.) In a medium size bowl, whisk together the eggs and cream. Salt and pepper to taste. If you need some guidance I would start with a big pinch or about ½ a tsp of salt. Same with the pepper. You want to make sure that you pepper the eggs till you can visibly see the pepper grinds in the egg cream mix when whisked together. Add in about half of the grated parmesan cheese and mix until incorporated.

2) First step is to prepare veggies. Turn the heat on to medium in a 12 inch, oven proof frying pan. Once the pan is warm pour in your cooking liquid (chicken or veg broth…or salted water) and add in your potatoes, cut side down. Bring the liquid to a boil, then turn it down to a simmer. Let the potatoes simmer for about 10 minutes or until most of the liquid has absorbed and potatoes are tender.

3) Add olive oil, broccoli and onions to the pan and saute over medium heat. You want to make sure everything gets tossed in the oil. Then cover your pan with a lid or a piece of aluminum foil, turn the stove down to medium low and let the vegetables cook for 4 minutes till the broccoli gets crisp (or fork) tender.

4) If you’re using bacon, now is the time to evenly sprinkle bacon bits into the mix of vegetables. Then you’re going to take your egg mix and pour over the vegetables. Go ahead and use your spatula to move things around gently so that everything is evenly distributed. Make sure your heat is medium low. Now we are going to recover the mix with our foil and allow the egg mixture to bake on the stove top till it is mostly set. WHat do I mean by “mostly set?” I would monitor every 5 minutes or so and take a peak. Give your pan a jiggle and watch the center. If it looks liquidy then I would let sit covered a little longer, but if if only wobbles slightly then we’re ready for the broiler. (**See the video for a visual**) While you’re eggs bake on the stove, pre heat your broiler and set the oven rack about 6 inches away from the top of the stove.

5) Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top and place in the broiler. Keep a sharp eye on it. If you don’t, things could go south real fast. This will take about 5 minutes, but what you are looking for is a beautifully golden brown top and the eggs to be set all the way through. Once you’ve achieved this, it’s time to take the pan out of the oven, turn off the broiler and set on a cooling rack or trivet to cool for a bit. Once cool you can use your spatula to remove the frittata from the pan onto a serving plate and cut into quarters or eighths like a pizza. Enjoy immediately or at room temperature, Chef’s choice!

BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

November 15, 2020 By Janie-Jean Leave a Comment

This is the recipe that jump started my love of cooking. It’s a simple recipe, but it introduced me to new ingredients that I was afraid to use and opened my mind to the possibilities of experimenting in the kitchen. If you’re looking to grow, it’s ok to start small. When we start small, we grow in grace! If you want to read more thoughts on small beginnings, click here! Otherwise…

Fire up the griddle…we’re making quesadillas!

BBQ CHICKEN QUESADILLAS

Ingredients:
1 Burrito size flour tortilla
1 Boneless, skinless chicken breast- cooked and sliced into 1/4″ slices or shredded
1 Jalapeno pepper- veined, seeded and finely diced
1/4 cup BBQ sauce – your choice, we like “Sweet Baby Ray’s”
1/2 cup Shredded cheese- I used half a block each pepperjack and extra sharp cheese. You could also use a Mexican cheese mix that is pre-shredded or whatever meets your taste preference.
1/4 cup Cilantro, roughly chopped (optional: ok, I know this ingredient has a polarizing taste depending on your genetics. If you like it, definitely use it. If you don’t like it, don’t use it. If you’re not sure you like it, try it!)
Butter or spray oil for pan greasing

Directions:

1) Preheat pan over medium low heat. Lay one flour tortilla flat on a clean work surface.
2) ASSEMBLE: On the lower half of the burrito lay out 5-6 slices of chicken leaving a one inch border to the edge of the burrito. Sprinkle the diced jalapeno over the surface of the chicken to your taste preference. Drizzle your favorite BBQ sauce over the chicken and pepper evenly and then sprinkle your cheese on top. *If you’re using cilantro you would sprinkle on top of the cheese. Fold the empty top half of the burrito on top of the layers you just built and lightly smoosh down.
3) GRILL: Melt a tablespoon of butter OR lightly spray a 12″ pan with oil. Once melted place assembled quesadilla into the pan. Allow to toast over medium heat till golden brown (about 5 minutes). Using a spatula or tongs, gently flip quesadilla to the other side and toast until the bottom is golden brown (about 5 minutes) and the cheese is melted all the way through. Keep your eye on this so it doesn’t burn.
4) EAT: Once toasted, remove from the heat and place on a cutting board. Allow it to cool til you can touch the surface of the tortilla with your fingers. Slice the quesadilla into wedges (about 3-4). Serve immediately alongside sour cream and salsa for dipping. And if you’re feeling extra saucy- try it with guacamole and a couple dashes of hot sauce! Enjoy!

Pulled Pork BBQ Quiche

June 5, 2017 By Janie-Jean 1 Comment

Can you believe it’s June already?! And you know what that means….FATHER’S DAY IS ALMOST HERE!

Do you know what you’re getting Dad?

If that question causes you to panic, grab a paper bag and hear me out…you are not alone!

I mean how many ugly ties or decorated mugs does your Dad really need? (News flash- NONE!)

Ok breathe, because Janie-Jean did a little research on what Dad’s really want for Father’s Day and it is something YOU can totally pull off…a delicious day of eating!

Now before you go calling all around town to order food for Dad stop and think to yourself “Is it possible I could create a meal or meals that satiate Dad’s appetite?!”

I am hear to say YES, YES YOU CAN! So I have took it upon myself to come up with some delightful recipes that are approachable, decadent, and oh so delicious! Today we are going to start off with breakfast! You have got to start the day off right and there is no better way to start the day than with Quiche.

I know what you’re thinking…”Girl please, quiche is more a Mother’s Day thing!”

Well watch and learn my friends because I believe that yes, Quiche can be manly and worthy of a masculine day such as Father’s Day. Especially when it’s stuffed with layers of Pulled Pork BBQ.

Think you can handle that? Let’s begin our journey with a delicately, flaky crust.

Have you heard of the book “Art of the Pie” by Kate McDermott? If you have not, go to the store and buy a copy…or if you’re cheap like me, borrow it from your local library. Seriously, this book is life changing and quite possibly the best Christmas gift I’ve ever received (and that includes the puppy I got in high school…it’s that good folks!)

If you want to up your pie making game with practical skills for several different pie doughs and fillings along with successful recipes that allow wiggle room to let your freak flag fly GET THIS BOOK! Ok, now I am going to show you how to make one of her pie doughs using my handy food processor.

The first key component in making pie dough is CONFIDENCE! If you approach your kitchen with any sort of anxiety, that emotion will transfer to our ingredients. Pie dough may seem intimidating but girlfriend let me assure you that NOTHING is impossible…YOU GOT THIS!

OK all you need to make pie dough is flour, salt, butter, water and leaf lard. If your first thought is “what the heck is leaf lard?”…let me clue ya, it’s an amazing animal fat that works wonders to develop a delicately, flaky crust. It’s awesome! I bought mine here but I have been told that butcher shops may have some to spare if you ask nicely…

Now where were we? Ah yes, now that we have our ingredients we need to get them ice cold… even your tools (the colder the better).. colder = flakier so I let my ingredients hang out in the fridge or freezer for about 30 minutes to an hour including my food processor bowl and blade.

Once everyone is frigidly cold, dump flour, salt, butter, and leaf lard into the bowl of your food processor. Pulse 15 times till it looks like little pea sized flakes of sand.

Add 4 tablespoons of ice water pulse 10 more times. Add 4 more tablespoons of water and pulse until the dough just begins to come together.

Pour the dough onto a floured surface and split in half. Gently press both halves into chubby discs, wrap in saran and pop in the fridge for a little rest… it’s so hard to be pie dough (insert heavy sigh)!

After an hour roll out one disc of pie dough on a lightly floured surface to about 12 inches in diameter for a 9 inch pie. Place the rolled dough into the pie plate, gently press it in and crimp the edges. Allow the pie shell to hang out in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Just enough time to prep the oven and filling.

The star of today’s quiche is pulled pork. It’s a great leftover recipe for those moments in your life when you have ample amounts of pulled pork in the fridge. This happens more often than not so I am always looking for ways to use it up. For a great pulled pork recipe the Pioneer Woman has a fantastic one.

Take about 2 cups of leftover pulled pork and dress it to your taste with your favorite barbecue sauce. Being a Cincinnati girl myself I had to use our staple, Montgomery Inn Sauce…. So good!

The other key ingredient to this quiche is the super rich sour cream custard which is the perfect companion to the pulled pork. All you need is eggs, sour cream, heavy cream, whole grain mustard and a dash of nutmeg. Hallelujah!

This custard is rich, velvety smooth with a little zing from the mustard… it’s knee buckling good.

Now that we have the two main components and a preheated oven we are ready to assemble and bake!

The layers go pulled pork, sliced scallions, extra sharp cheddar cheese, custard Bake!

The quiche will bake for about 40-45minutes in a 350 degree oven. You really want the final product to get golden brown and set in the middle. If you have to let it go longer, allow to bake in 5 minute increments till you achieve the final result you desire!

The rich custard is the perfect vehicle for the zing of the BBQ dressed pork flecked with the subtle hints of onion and sharp cheese. If brunch were a father’s day tradition, this would be a show stopping main course… heck you could eat it all day long!

But in all honesty dad deserves more doesn’t he? So be sure to tune in later this week for a smoking’ hot dish dad will give rave reviews… Loaded, Smoked Twice Baked Potatoes.

Yes, you read that right….and I’ll see you Wednesday!

Love ya!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Pulled Pork BBQ Quiche

Author: Janie-Jean

Ingredients

Pie Crust
2 ½ Cups All Purpose Flour
½ teaspoons kosher salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into tablespoon size pieces
8 tablespoons (112 grams) rendered leaf lard, cut into tablespoon size pieces
½ cup ice water plus 1-2 tablespoons more as needed
Additional flour for rolling
Quiche filling
2 cups prepared pulled pork
½-1 cup Favorite BBQ sauce (or more depending on preference)
2 scallions thinly sliced
¾ -1 cup shredded Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
3 eggs
1 cup + 2 Tbs sour cream
½ cup +1 Tbs heavy whipping cream
Salt
Pepper
1 tsp whole grain mustard
Dash of nutmeg

Instructions

To make the pie crust: Place flour, salt and fat into the chilled bowl of the food processor. Pulse 15 times till the butter and leaf lard are worked into the flour to form crumbs the size of peas and oat flakes. Add in 4 tablespoons of ice water. Pulse 10 more times. Add 4 more tablespoons of ice water. Pulse 5 more times until the dough just starts to come together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface to finish the dough off by hand, forming two equal sized “chubby discs.” Wrap well in plastic wrap then place in the fridge to rest for about an hour.
When the dough is finished chilling in the fridge, take out one dough disc and gently roll out on a well floured surface. You’ll need to work efficiently so that the dough doesn’t get too warm. When the dough is 1 to 2 inches larger than your pie pan you’re ready to place in the pie pan or tin (whatever you have!)
Carefully lay the pie into the pan and gently press into the pan allowing the excess pie dough to hang over the sides. Go around and trim the excess pie dough so that only about ½ “ -1” excess hangs over the edge. Take the excess and fold it under so that it is between the pie pan and the pie dough. You will want the edge of the pie to be slightly above the pan. If at this point your dough seems a bit warm or hard to work with allow to chill in the freezer for 5 minutes. Crimp the edge of the pie by taking the knuckles of your pointer and middle finger on your right hand and the tip of your thumb on the left and press keeping the dough edge in between the knuckles and allowing the tip of the thumb to press and pinch to form a crimp. Repeat till the entire pie edge is crimped. Place in the freezer for about 10 minutes while you prepare the filling and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
For the filling: Dress your prepared pulled pork with your favorite BBQ sauce to your taste preference. I only used about ¾ cup but if you like it saucier then go ahead and add more. In a separate bowl prepare your custard by whisking the eggs, sour cream, cream, mustard, salt, pepper, and a dash of nutmeg. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
Once the pie crust has finished chilling in the freezer layer the filling in the following order: BBQ pulled pork, scallions, shredded cheddar cheese, and then pour the custard all over the filling.
Bake in the oven for about 40-45 minutes until the top is golden brown and the center is set. If you need to cook longer please do until you have a golden brown top. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes so the quiche can cool and set before digging in!
ENJOY!

Butternut Squash Soup with Cheesy Herb Croutons

October 31, 2016 By Janie-Jean Leave a Comment

Hello dear friends! Today marks the beginning of a new mini-series I like to call Janie-Jean’s Flavor Savor!

This series will highlight one ingredient or flavor in three separate posts featuring different ways to cook them. Some recipes will be traditional. Some will be a little outside of the box. And then there will be some featuring my favorite ways to eat!

My hope for this series is for you to find new ways to shine in your kitchen. We all get stuck in a rut sometimes, so let’s brainstorm and come up with new ideas and share them with our community of home cooks. Are you up for the challenge?

This week’s featured ingredient is…BUTTERNUT SQUASH!

Why? You may wonder…well it’s in season. This particular squash is so versatile. And as you will witness this week, this particular squash can be savory and sweet.

Today we are going to start with my favorite way to eat Butternut squash…or in this case sip. We are making Butternut Squash soup with apples and homemade, herby, cheesy croutons!

Butternut Squash soup, for me, is that quintessential fall flavor. It’s delicately sweet with notes of savory depending on how you like to season it. Today’s soup is made even sweeter with apples and balanced with the saltiness of the homemade croutons. Let’s begin!

First we are going to create the base of the soup’s flavor by sweating some onions in a large dutch oven over medium heat until the onions are very tender. Then we’ll add diced butternut squash, diced apples and some chicken stock to the mix.

When it comes to chicken stock, I would typically buy it from the grocery store; however, this time around I decided to go wild and make my own stock from a simple recipe thanks to smitten kitchen. After experiencing how simple and delicious it was I don’t think I can go back to store bought. Home made stock and store bought stock have a different consistency and while both finished products will taste fine, I found I enjoyed the consistency of the home made stock way more.

Regardless, “you do you”…choose your own adventure. If you want to stay with what you know right now that is totally fine. Now where were we…OH YEA! Cook the squash, apples and stock covered in the dutch oven until very soft.

Meanwhile, let’s make the croutons. Cube some crusty artisanal bread and lay out in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with sage and salt then toss to coat evenly. Then go ahead and bake in the oven until lightly golden and crisp. Shred some parmesan on top of the hot croutons. Toss to coat evenly then set aside for later….BOOM! Croutons!

When the squash and apples are tender, it’s time to puree them using an immersion blender. If you’re like me, and you broke your immersion blender from too many soup purees….or just don’t have one at all. Never fear, just use a blender or food processor and puree in batches.

The point is we want our soup to be smooth and creamy. Do whatever you got to do to make that happen!

Return the puree back to the pot as well as another cup or two of your chicken stock to reach your desired consistency. Finish the soup by seasoning with salt, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne pepper.

Pour into bowls garnish with croutons and enjoy sipping (or slurping) your new favorite taste of fall!

The Butternut Squash is velvety smooth and the sweetness is heightened by the apples. Plus the croutons you readily made make the soup feel special and comforting! SWOON!

A recipe like this is a great reminder of the deliciousness of simplicity. No fancy bells and whistles here…just seasonally, good food!

Tune in next time for a more challenging take on BUTTERNUT SQUASH…the Ravioli!

I already can’t wait! See you Wednesday!

Love,

Janie-Jean

Butternut Squash Soup with Cheesy Herb Croutons

Author: Well Plated by Erin

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium, yellow onions, chopped
About 5lbs butternut squash, peeled and diced into chunks
3 large apples (I used Fuji, but a mix of sweet and tart apples whatever floats your boat), peeled, cored, and roughly chopped
4 Cups chicken stock (homemade or store bought), divided
1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
5 cups 1- inch cut bread cubes from a crusty loaf of bread (ie- sourdough bread, Italian loaf or whole grain artisanal bread)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh sage
½ teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a heavy bottomed stock pot of dutch oven heat the olive oil over medium. Add the onions and cook until very tender. This should take about 10 minutes.
Add the Squash and apples to the pot, then stir in 2 cups of the chicken stock. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook until the squash and apples are very soft- about 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the croutons by placing the bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with the sage and salt, then toss to coat evenly. Make sure the bread cubes are in one even layer then bake in the oven until lightly crisp and brown about 10-12 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, toss to distribute evenly then set aside until ready to serve.
When the squash and apples are tender, puree the soup until smooth using an immersion blender or in batches using a blender or food processor. Return the puree to the pot, add a cup of the remaining chicken stock then stir adding the final cup of stock until the desired consistency is reached. Season with salt, nutmeg, black pepper and cayenne.
Serve hot, garnished with the sage croutons. Enjoy!

50 Pastas – Red Pepper Sauce

March 2, 2015 By Janie-Jean Leave a Comment

50 Pastas – Red Pepper Sauce

In case you were curious….yes, I live with an opinionated toddler. Daily I am intrigued by the logic he juggles in that massive brain of his determining what he likes and dislikes…mom’s do you feel me?

I seriously think he spends half of his nap time thinking up mind games he can play on Mommy to make his evening more “eventful”….there’s not enough wine in the world some nights…OY!

Recently, my son has decided he does not like the taste of Red Bell Peppers….WHAT?!

What’s not to like?…they’re crunchy, they’re sweet, they’re juicy…need I go on?

Luckily there is a sauce for that. A light, savory brightly flavored pasta sauce to win over any opinionated patrons at your dinner table…

Mom’s unite…let’s prove their taste buds wrong with this delightful pasta sauce, shall we?

The red bell peppers and garlic are broken down into bite sized pieces…all the better to cook you with my dears!

Toss them into a pan over medium-low heat with some butter and thyme. Cover and cook until nice and tender. This is when the synapses in your brain begin to fire as you realize this intoxicating smell is about to fill your belly with comfort and love…it’s divine!

Now it’s time to puree the heck out of these tenderized vegetables….almost like a red pepper smoothie, but we won’t slurp this down just yet. We need to add a few extra ingredients to enhance the flavors being created at the moment.

Return the pepper puree back into the skillet used before, turn up the heat to medium and stir in a squeeze of lemon juice. Never underestimate the power of a good lemon squeeze…it has a way of awakening the flavors you are blending and making them happy to please your palate. Don’t be stingy…just do it!

Simmer the pepper sauce until it is thickened then toss in some cooked noodles…like tagliatelle or fettuccine. I would say any long, string-like noodle would go great with this sauce. I especially liked the long flatter noodles with this allowing more surface area for the sauce to grab on to.

Season with some salt to taste and garnish with a dollop of sour cream when ready to serve.

All I am going to say is, my son’s plate…EMPTY! Yea that’s right Little Lew…who’s yo momma now?!

Time to tackle the next challenge…how to rekindle his love for eggs…If you’ve got a suggestion, let me know in the comments below! Or if you want to say “Hi There!” that would be cool too!

Take Care!

Janie-Jean

50 Pastas - Red Pepper Sauce

Ingredients

4 Red Bell Peppers chopped
1 teaspoon garlic chopped
1 teaspoon thyme
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 lb tagliatelle or fettuccine
Sour Cream, for garnish

Instructions

In a skillet over medium-low heat melt the butter and cook the peppers, garlic and thyme covered until tender. Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processer and puree until smooth. Return the pepper puree back to the skillet. Turn up the heat to Medium and stir in some lemon juice. Simmer until thickened. Toss in some cooked tagliatelle (or fettuccine). Season with salt and top with a dollop of sour cream.

Monte Cristo Casserole

January 21, 2015 By Janie-Jean Leave a Comment

Monte Cristo Casserole

This casserole….where do I begin? First of all, I should say I’ve never been a fan of the label “casserole” for any dish because my mind instantly equates it to “Glorified Leftovers”…this casserole is NOT!

Think of this as the most delectable morsel of food you’ve ever encountered…well that may be going a bit far….change that to “the most delightful dish that could fit into any part of your day and therefore changing the course of time!” (That’s better!)

The taste is familiar, the time is minimal and the payoff is magical. It’s everything I want in a dish and it all begins with the simple sandwich. Making a sandwich is a craft…in fact it’s probably the only craft I could score an A plus grade! Don’t take this step lightly for it is the foundation of all that is holy in this dish!

Welcome to my corner…let’s craft!

Build your sandwiches in the following order…spread some Dijon mustard on one side of a piece bread. Delicately lay a couple slices of ham on top of the mustard stained bread. Top with two slices of Muenster cheese. Spread some cherry jam on one side of another piece of bread then top the sandwich cherry side down. Set aside and repeat! (I got about 6 sandwiches out of my one loaf of sourdough bread).

Slice each sandwich in half and set aside! In a medium sized bowl crack three eggs and beat them slightly with a whisk. Stir in some half and half, sprinkle with salt, pepper and a touch of nutmeg.

Now dip baby dip… each sandwich half into the custard mixture and place in a greased baking dish “shingle-style!”

Pour the remaining custard over the shingled sandwich halves and let sit overnight so that the bread can fully absorb the custard. You should be getting real excited right now. Brunch is practically at your fingertips and you won’t even break a sweat because we are planners baby…momma didn’t raise no fool!

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 and bake the casserole covered with aluminum for 30 minutes. Take off the aluminum cover and bake an additional 15 minutes uncovered or until golden brown (my oven took a little longer than that). Brown food is tasty food…so let it toast!

Slice and serve the sandwiches with your favorite hot sauce if desired. The smoky ham and gooey muenster cheese are perfectly complimented by the tartness of the cherry jam with the perfect zing from the Dijon…all packaged between two slices of sourdough bread…this is the best craft I’ve ever made!

Happy Brunching/Lunching/Dinnering/Breakfasting?!

Love ya!

Janie-Jean

Monte Cristo Casserole

Author: Inspired by: Michael Symon’s “Ham and Cheese Sandwich Casserole”

Ingredients

1 loaf Sourdough Bread cut into ½ inch slices
1 lb Thinly sliced Deli Smoked Ham
1 lb Muenster Cheese, sliced
½ cup Dijon Mustard
½ cup Tart Cherry Jam
3 eggs
2 ½ Cups half and half
2 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp of freshly grated nutmeg
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Hot sauce (optional)

Instructions

Make ham and cheese sandwiches: spread some Dijon mustard on one side of a piece of bread, layer a couple of slices of ham on top of the mustard, add a couple slices of cheese, spread the cherry jam on another piece of bread then top the sandwich with the bread slice, cherry side down. Continue this process till all the sandwiches have been built (I got about 6 large sandwiches out of my loaf). Cut all the sandwiches in half. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with butter.
In a separate bowl combine the eggs, half and half, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Dip each sandwich, front and back in the egg mix. Place each sandwich like shingles in the prepared baking dish. Pour the remaining custard over the sandwiches in the baking dish. Allow to sit overnight so that the bread will have the opportunity to soak in the custard really well.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake the casserole covered with aluminum foil for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for 15 minutes more or until golden brown.
Slice and serve the sandwiches with your favorite hot sauce if desired! Happy Brunching!

50 Pastas Garlic Oil Pasta

December 3, 2014 By Janie-Jean Leave a Comment

50 Pastas Garlic Oil Pasta

No doubt, last week was all about the turkey and stuffing but today let’s enjoy a dish where the star is one of my favorites…GARLIC! Lots and lots of GARLIC!!!

Two of my favorite foods come together to make one carbo-loaded dish that will make your head spin with satisfaction. Plus it’s stress free…can’t get any better than that!

Let’s break it down!

Garlic is the star of this recipe and we are using 8 (+) cloves sliced. I may have used more than that because I am a garlic fanatic. Just make sure the minimum amount used is 8 cloves.

Cook in 1/3 cup of olive oil over medium-high heat. Stir often to make sure that the cloves turn a beautiful golden brown color. Burnt garlic is no bueno.

Season with salt and red pepper flakes then add 1 cup of the pasta water. Allow to simmer till reduced by half. Honestly, I am so ready to dive in to this pot head first, but that would be bad…a trip to the ER should not be the result of this dinner. Hang on we are almost home!

Toss in cooked linguine, chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese and stir until all the noodles are enveloped by the garlicy goodness!

I had good intentions of serving these noodles with a side of green beans or a bright arugula salad, but they were halted by this dish. This is a bowl of heaven…no sides required.

I would also be remised if I didn’t mention that the leftovers (if you have any) are delightful with toasted panko breadcrumbs topped with a fried egg housing a rich, runny egg yolk. My mouth just salivates as I daydream about yesterday’s lunch.

Happy Carbo-load!! In other news…has anyone gone Christmas shopping? I am in desperate need of gift ideas with a great deal to match… Let me know what you’ve found!

Love ya,

Janie-Jean

50 Pastas Garlic Oil Pasta

Ingredients

8 Garlic Cloves, sliced
⅓ cup Olive Oil
Salt
Red Pepper Flakes
1 lb Linguine cooked according to package
1 cup reserved pasta water
½ cup chopped parsley
½ cup grated Parmesan

Instructions

Cook pasta according to the package instructions.
Meanwhile, cook the sliced garlic in the olive oil over medium-high heat until golden. Be sure to stir often in order to prevent the cloves from burning. Season with salt and pepper flakes. Add 1 cup of reserved pasta water to the pan and allow to simmer till it is reduced by half.
Toss in the cooked linguine, parsley and parmesan. Stir until noodles are evenly coated with the garlic sauce. Serve with a side of green beans, arugula salad or just on its own for a major carbo-load!

50 Pastas Bacon Parsnip

October 28, 2014 By Janie-Jean Leave a Comment

50 Pastas Bacon Parsnip

OK, so this happened…

I drove my son and I to the local grocery store to pick up a few things for dinner that evening. At this particular establishment you have to pay a quarter to use one of their grocery carts…which I am perfectly ok with.

So quarter in one hand and “Little Lew” in the other we start walking toward the store when an older couple unloading their cart asks if we needed one and if we would like to use theirs. Why yes, that would be splendid. How nice, I thought to myself, it’s wonderful when fellow citizens like to help each other out by sharing the load of paying 25 cents for a shopping cart. I loaded “Little Lew” in the front of the cart, placed our bags in the back of the cart and proceeded to thank the couple again for their generosity.

“That’ll be a quarter” the woman said.

I proceeded to laugh it off like she was joking….she wasn’t joking.

“No seriously, it’s 25 cents” she said pointing at the small sign on the shopping cart.

Stunned and wide eyed I handed her the quarter I had been warming in my left hand unsure of how to respond. She snatched the quarter from my hand and shouted “WOO HOO!” THEN she skipped off and drove away in her BMW…

…ok so maybe it wasn’t a BMW but that would have made the story more funny…anywho, people can leave me a little miffed sometimes, but who knows…maybe she needed that quarter more than me.

So let’s make a pasta dish with bacon and parsnips and forget this whole thing happened…

Slices of thick cut bacon are chopped and cooked in a heavy bottom pan with some olive oil. Make sure those tender morsels get nice and crispy…it’s the only way to eat bacon in my book!

Toss in your chopped parsnip pieces and cook until softened. According to the sign at Meijer parsnips can be used as a replacement for potatoes…so if you are in the mood to lighten up your mashed potatoes consider these cuties.

Stir in some cooked orecchiette, grated parmesan and parsley till well combined. Finish with a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. Paired with a side of roasted veggies like cauliflower and broccoli this dinner is served!

It’s amazing what kind of flavor can be developed with such few ingredients. This pasta dish is so simple yet so decadent at the same time and we didn’t even break a sweat!

Ready to move on from today’s scerfuffle, I raise my fork to you and say “Don’t sweat the petty stuff…and for darn sake DON’T PET the SWEATY stuff!” (Sheesh!)

Love you guys!

50 Pastas Bacon Parsnip

Author: Food Network Kitchens

Ingredients

6 strips of bacon, chopped
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Parsnips, chopped
1 lb of orecchiette pasta
½ cup parmesan, shredded
½ cup parsley chopped
Pinch of grated nutmeg

Instructions

Cook the bacon in the olive oil over medium heat till nice and crisp. Toss in the chopped parsnips and allow it to cook and soak in that bacon fat flavor. Meanwhile cook the orecchiette pasta according to the package instructions. (Remember, 1 minute less than the package directions equals “al dente”). Once the parsnips have softened stir in the orecchiette pasta, parmesan and parsley till evenly combined. Finish with a pinch of grated nutmeg and serve immediately.

Parsley Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing

October 8, 2014 By Janie-Jean Leave a Comment

Parsley Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing

In my past life I was a waitress in a Mediterranean restaurant. Let’s just say it was a learning experience.

I can honestly say though that I grew to love the flavors of this cuisine. We served Kabobs, stuffed grape leaves, hummus, Baba ghanoush and SHWARMA!! Oh how I love Shwarma!

One item on the menu boasted to be the “Healthiest Salad in the world” called Tabouleh: a parsley salad mixed with diced tomatoes and dressing. While I don’t quite understand what makes it the healthiest in the world, it’s still pretty darn tasty!!

Today I have a spin off of the traditional Tabouleh that I found in a Food and Wine Cookbook. It’s the perfect pairing of greens for this lemony Tahini dressing. PLUS it goes great with our Garlic Chickpea pasta!

In a dry pan, toast some walnuts til they are golden brown. Set them aside and allow to cool on a plate!

Meanwhile, assemble the dressing by combining garlic, lemon juice, and some Tahini paste. Season to taste with salt and pepper. This dressing is so silky and packs a flavor punch!

In a separate bowl toss together some flat leaf parsley leaves that have been chopped along with some thinly sliced scallions. I love how green this salad looks!

Sprinkle the walnuts over the salad. Pine nuts would be a great substitution here too!

Then toss the salad with the Tahini dressing until coated evenly! I love how the dressing coats the side of the glass bowl…I like to think of it as food art!

The flavors of the Mediterranean culture are so very interesting to the palate! When I take a bite of this salad, I remember how special these flavors are to me. Flavors that are, in my opinion, the unsung heroes of the culinary scene!

Go ahead and be adventurous today and give this recipe a shot! If parsley is not your thing, you can totally use other peppery greens like arugula and watercress. To me, what really screams Mediterranean in this recipe is the dressing!

Enjoy!

Love,

Janie-Jean

Parsley Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing

Author: Janie-Jean

Ingredients

¼ cup walnuts chopped
¼ cup tahini paste, at room temperature
1 ½ Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
2 Tbs water
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, thick stems discarded
4 scallions, thinly sliced crosswise

Instructions

Toast the chopped walnuts in a small skillet over medium heat. Shake the skillet occasionally, until the walnuts are golden brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.
To make the dressing, mix together the tahini paste, lemon juice, garlic, and water. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
In a medium bowl, toss the parsley with the chopped scallions and walnuts. Add the tahini dressing and toss together well. Serve immediately.
**If you’re not into eating parsley you could try this with other peppery greens like arugula, watercress, or escarole. This would also go pretty well with Kale.

50 Pastas Garlic Chickpea

October 6, 2014 By Janie-Jean Leave a Comment

50 Pastas Garlic Chickpea

I could not get out of bed this morning. Let’s face it…it’s MONDAY…why is this day the hardest one to face?

Well before we get wrapped up in the “Monday Blues” let’s give ourselves something to look forward too at the end of the day like this Garlic Chickpea Pasta.

It’s easy, light and I bet you have most of the ingredients in your pantry right now. No worries, I know Monday’s are exhausting…Janie-Jean’s got your back we’ll get through it together!

Brown the chickpeas in the olive oil over medium high heat. WORD OF WARNING- be sure to pat the chickpeas dry! If they aren’t you’ll be dodging sprays of hot oil…I hate it when food fights back!

Once the chick peas are browned add in your garlic clove slices and cook those till they are a nice golden brown. Meanwhile, start cooking your rigatoni according the package instructions. Reserve ½ a cup of pasta cooking water and drain the rest.

Add the pasta water to the chickpea mixture and allow it to reduce by half. Toss in the arugula and lemon zest until well coated with the sauce. Pour mixture over the cooked noodles and toss together. The garlic flavor permeates the sauce and the texture of the browned chickpeas is delightful!

This is the beauty of simplicity!

In a flash, dinner is ready and Monday’s don’t seem so bad anymore…ok ok….at least dinner is ready!

Paired with a delicious salad starring Parsley and an exotic Tahini Lemon dressing this dinner will transport you to your happy place where the “Monday Blues” can’t find you!

Stay tuned…next time we’ll dissect this delightfully satisfying salad…Parsley’s not just for garnish anymore! Til then, let’s raise a glass and a fork to toast the beginning of a new week! May it be full of wonderful surprises, delicious food and love…LOTS of love!

Love you friends…CHEERS!!
Janie-Jean

50 Pastas Garlic Chickpea

Author: Janie-Jean

Ingredients

8 Garlic Cloves, sliced
⅓ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 (15oz) cans of Chickpeas, drained, rinsed and patted dry
Salt
Red Pepper Flakes
½ cup of pasta water
1 lb Rigatoni noodles
6 Cups Arugula
Zest of 1 lemon
Parmesan cheese (for garnish)

Instructions

Heat the Olive oil over Medium-high heat then add the chick peas. Cook the chickpeas until they are brown. Once browned toss in the garlic slices and cook until the garlic turns golden. Meanwhile cook the Rigatoni according to the package. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water and add that to the garlic chickpea mixture. Cook until reduced by half. Toss in the arugula and lemon zest then pour over the cooked rigatoni. Mix together thoroughly and serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese if desired!