Bagel French Toast

Another favorite from my friend, Joy and her cookbook Bliss
Bagel French Toast

4 - 6 Large cinnamon, blueberry or plain bagels
(I used cinnamon sugar crunch bagels, found at only at Smith's)
4 to 8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup fresh or frozen berries
12 eggs
2 cups milk
1/3 maple syrup

Cut up bagels into cubes and place in a buttered 9x13 dish. Cut up cream cheese and place over bagels. Sprinkle berries on top. Mix eggs, milk and syrup. Pour over bagels, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake 30 minutes more.

Serve with following Berry Syrup - or one of your favorites.

Berry Syrup
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 cup water
1 cup mixed berries (fresh or frozen)
1 Tbsp butter

Mix sugar, cornstarch and then water. Boil over medium heat for 3 minutes, mixing well. Stir in berries and reduce heat. Simmer 8 -10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted. Serve warm.

Tortellini Soup

1 lb mild italian sausage, brown and drained
1 c chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 c water
5 c beef broth
1/2 c white grape juice
1 c sliced carrots
2 c crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
8 oz tomato sauce
2 cups tortellini noodles
3 Tbsp chopped parsley
fresh grated parmsean to sprinkle on top

In the same pan you cooked the sausage in, saute onion, garlic and green pepper. Add all but tortellini, parsley and cheese. Bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer 30 minutes. Stir in tortellini and simmer 30 more minutes. Serve with cheese and parmesean.

Strombolis - Again

Since this is a remake, click the following for the recipe

I used a different salami this time and I didn't like it as much. Let me know what changes you want from last time, if any.

Peaches & Crepes

Crepes are the old standby in my world of meals. This week, instead of the yummy Nutella, I decided to send peaches (which are in season) and this yummy butter sauce & whip cream for dessert, for a change. Next time, I'll send the Nutella!

Butter Sauce (to go over peaches):
1/2 C butter
1 C sugar
2 tsp flour
2 egg yolks
2/3 C evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla
pecans (opt)

In small sauce pan, combine ingredients well, boil until thickened. (Watch closely, it will scorch).

Caribbean Tacos

This is another borrowed recipe from my friend Angie McReaken who found it on the Enlightened Homemaker's Blog. It feels healthy and is a bit distant from the original taco. I love the sweet of the mango, or in this case the peach, and the crunch of the cabbage. The lime adds an extra zing, also.

I cooked my chicken in the crockpot (another lesson Angie has taught me), drizzled with olive oil and some sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Put it on high for 3 -4 hours. The chicken comes out so moist and tender, and then I shred it with 2 forks, while it's hot. It shreds so fast!

Caribbean Tacos
4 Tbsp Honey
3 Tbsp Fresh Lime Juice
1 Tbsp Oil
2 tsp Chili Powder
1 - 1 1/2 lbs cooked & shredded chicken

Mix the honey, lime juice, oil and spices. Toss in the chicken.

I quadrupled this recipe for our dinner group and used 8 lbs of chicken. Next time, I might want to times the flavoring by 5.

I bought the fresh made tortillas from the Neighborhood Walmart on 193 and sent the following fixings:
Shredded green cabbage
Avocado
Fresh cilantro
Sliced grape tomatoes
Shredded lettuce
Diced peaches (mango substitute)
Homemade Salsa (recipe to follow)

In the feedback, let me know if you had enough tortillas and the fillings (I counted and scooped the chicken but it didn't look like that much in the bag). What did you think of the peaches vs mango? Did your kids eat it? (my kids did, without some of the fillings and with the leftover cheese and sour cream from Jodi's meal yesterday). Are there any other fillings you wish I would have sent? And any suggestions for a side dish - I felt like all the fillings were sides, hence the sherbet.

"Chili's" Salsa
14.5 oz. Rotel* (mildest)
14.5 oz. Diced peeled tomatoes
1/4-1/2 c. Diced sweet onion
3/4 t. Garlic salt
1/4 to 1/2 t. Cumin
1/4 t. Sugar
Juice of 1/2 Lime Cilantro
3-4 Roma tomatoes diced

You can put it in your food processor for Chili's consistency or leave it chunky or do 1/2 & 1/2

The *Rotel is a can of tomatoes and chiles, I have never noticed this brand before, but there they were - in the tomato section, like they've always been there.

Meat and Cheese Stromboli - from Rachel Ray

Don't let these babies intimidate you - they are SUPER easy. (Don't tell my dinner group. I want them to think I work harder than they do.)

1 tube refrigerated pizza dough
2 Tbsp corn meal

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat the counter with the cornmeal. Remove dough from container and roll out. Cut the thin rectangular dough into 4 equal pieces.

24 slices of pepperoni, big ones
8 slices of Genoa salami
6 slices of turkey pastrami
6 slices of provolone

Cover each piece of dough with 6 slices pepperoni (spread out, will overlap a little), 2 slices of Genoa salami, 1 slice of turkey pastrami, 1 and 1/2 slices of provolone. Roll each piece on an angle from corner to corner making a long roll that is thicker in the middle and thinner on each end.

Extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
2 tsp Italian seasoning blend
2 Tbsp grated parmigiano
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Brush rolls with EVOO then mix the remaining ingredients in a small cup; sprinkle and pat the mixture into the dough.

Bake until evenly golden, 12 to 14 minutes, then serve. If desired, serve with a tomato sauce, similar to spaghetti sauce.

For those who don't like the spicy kick, replace the salami and turkey pastrami for smoked turkey or another preferred meat.

For our dinner group I did not use red pepper flakes. Just a little makes it super spicy.