Quick Curry Breakfast Pitas

I saw this basic idea in a Racheal Ray magazine and tweaked it since my family is into curry. You can leave it out and only use salt and pepper or sub in any other curry you have on hand. Experiment!

1 Tbsp butter
6 eggs
1 tsp red curry paste (or other curry powder)
dash salt
1/4 c shredded white cheese (mozzarella or queso fresca)
2 8" pitas
1/2 c plain yogurt (I like Greek)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp chopped parsley or cilantro

1) Make yogurt dipping sauce: combine garlic, yogurt and lemon in a small bowl and set in refrigerator to blend.
2) Make eggs: melt butter in a small pan, add curry and heat until fragrant. Crack eggs into pan and scramble with the spatula, so there are still unscrambled whites. Season with salt and sprinkle with cheese.
3) Assemble pitas: heat pitas in microwave for 15 seconds each. spread half the yogurt sauce inside each pita, fill with the egg and cheese mixture and top with herbs. Serve with remaining yogurt sauce for dipping.

Makes 2 pitas

Coconut Waffles with Strawberry Syrup

Super amazing yet simple breakfast from Better Homes and Gardens! It's pictured with chocolate syrup and almonds, and has flake coconut in the batter; but since I don't like flake coconut and prefer fruity breakfast fare, I altered the recipie a bit. You can do any fruit syrup, we thought pineapple would be a fun one to try!

1 3/4 c flour

2 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp baking powder

3 eggs

1 14 ounce can unsweetened coconut milk

6 Tbsp melted butter

*optional 3/4 c shredded coconut


1. In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and a dash of salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside. In another medium bowl lightly beat eggs; stir in coconut milk and melted butter. Stir in coconut. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be slightly lumpy).
2. Pour 12 cup batter onto grids of a preheated, lightly greased waffle baker. Close lid quickly; do not open until done. Bake according to manufacturers directions (about 3 minutes or until golden brown). When done, use a fork to lift waffle off grid. Repeat with remaining batter. Drizzle baked waffles with topping, sprinkle with almonds, and top with whipped cream or dust with powdered sugar. Serve warm. Makes 8 waffles.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Ingredients:
3/4 lb. Penne Pasta (cooked al dente)
3 Lg. Chicken Breasts (brushed with olive oil and cajun seasoning.  Grilled and sliced into small strips)
Bacon (cooked and crumbled)
2 Tb. Olive Oil
1 Red Bell Pepper (sliced small)
20 Mushrooms (sliced)
3 Green Onions (sliced)
2 C. Heavy Cream
1/2 tsp. Dried Basil
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
Parmesan Cheese

Instructions:
Pre-slice all veggies and cook bacon before you start cooking. 
Prepare chicken and noodles.  While pasta is cooking, add olive oil to large pot.  When hot, add veggies and saute 4-5 min.
Reduce heat, add cream and seasonings.  Simmer on low 5 minutes.
Carefully add chicken and pasta just prior to serving.
Serve with parmesan cheese.
*if it's too runny, you can add a flour/milk mixt. to thicken.

This makes a lot.  I would say it serves about 6-8.  It's soooooo yummy!

Maple Glazed Chicken

This is a super simple fall fave that I discovered in the Food Network magazine. I wasn't a fan of the roasted apples for dinner, but you need them for flavor, so I added baby carrots and ate the apples with vanilla ice cream for desert. I was pretty proud of myself. : ) This serves 4-6, depending on how much people eat.

2 lbs chicken breasts, cut into large chunks

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 apples, cut into wedges

8 shallots, quartered lengthwise

1/2 lb baby carrots

1/4 c fresh sage, torn

1/2 c c chicken broth

1/4 c maple syrup

1/4 c apple cider vinegar

1) Pat chicken dry and season with salt. Heat a large heavy skillet over high heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and cook undisturbed, until browned and crisp, about 5 min.

2) Turn chicken and add apples, shallots, carrots and sage. Reduce heat to med high and cook until chicken is browned on the bottom, 5 min-ish.

3) While the chicken finishes make the glaze. Combine chicken broth, maple syrup, vinegar and 1/2 tsp salt. Add the mixture to the skillet and boil until reduced by three quarters, 3-5 min.

Homemade Hot Pockets

I've discovered homemade hot pockets. My He-man husband is not a fan of taking leftovers to work for lunch, but he likes the convenience of these! I usually make three or four different kinds and freeze them in individual bags so he can quickly grab one or two in the morning on his way out the door. The fun thing is you can put whatever you want in them and they *almost always turn out fabulous! Here are the basic instructions and some of our favorite fillings.

Basic Homemade Hot Pockets

Refrigerated french bread dough or puff pastry

butter

1 egg, beaten

filling

1) Preheat oven to 375

2) Roll dough out and cut into 6 rectangles.

3) Place filling in the center of each rectangle. Brush edges with egg and fold dough like an egg roll. Place seam side down on a baking sheet.

4) Brush tops with butter and bake for 15-20 min, until golden brown. Eat immediately or let cool and freeze for later!

To Reheat

Bake frozen hot pocket at 400 degrees for 10 min, or microwave for 2 min 30 sec, until heated through.

Here are some suggested fillings, feel free to experiment!

Pizza Pockets

Sausage

pepperoni

marinara sauce

mozzarella cheese

Chicken Margarita Pizza Pockets

fresh mozzarella

fresh basil leaves, shredded

cherry tomatoes, halved

marinara sauce

grilled chicken, sliced

Croque Monsieur

Ham

swiss or gruyere cheese

Steamed asparagus

Thai Chicken

1/4 lb shredded cooked chicken

1/4 c shredded carrots

1/4 c cashews or peanuts

2 Tbsp cilantro

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 Tbsp apricot preserves

2 tsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Combine ingredients in a frying pan and cook until heated through and flavors are combined. Serve with Peanut sauce!

Curry Chicken

1 pkg cream cheese

1 Tbsp milk

2 Tbsp apricot preserves

1 c cooked shredded chicken

1/2 c cheddar cheese

1/4 c cashews

3 Tbsp green onions

2 tsp curry powder

1/4 c chopped almonds

Combine cream cheese, milk, curry powder and apricot preserves; mix in remaining ingredients. Top finished pockets with an egg wash and chopped almonds before baking!

Thai Chicken Pizza

Love, love, LOVE Thai food and psedo-Thai food; ergo this pizza is one of my faves. I make up a bunch of the sauces and freeze them, they are great as salad dressings or on pasta as well as on the pizza! In a pinch, you can purchase peanut sauce rather than make your own, but I really love the flavor of this California Pizza Kitchen knockoff. The Lime-Cilantro dressing is only a drizzle, so leaving it off won't ruin the pizza, but I think it adds that extra lime boost, plus of course it means I can have it on salad the next day. : ) Any oil can be subbed for sesame oil, but it will alter the taste slightly.

Peanut Sauce

1/4 c creamy peanut butter

2 Tbsp teriyaki sauce

2 Tbsp hoisin

1 Tbsp granulated sugar

2 Tbsp water

1 Tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp soy sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsp minced onion

1 tsp minced gingerroot

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender, pulse until smooth. Pour sauce into a small sauce pan and heat until warm but not boiling. Boiling will make it lumpy. Sauce should darken a little through heating.

Lime-Cilantro Dressing

1/2 c veg oil

1/4 c rice vinegar

1/2 c chopped cilantro

1/4 c minced red bell pepper

1/4 c honey

4 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp lime juice

2 cloves garlic

dash salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender, blend until smooth. Chill until ready to use.

Pizza (makes 1 15" pizza)

1 crust (homemade, refrigerated Pillsbury pizza dough, 15" ready made crust or four 8" pitas for individual pizzas)

1 boneless skinless chicken breast

1 1/4 c grated mozzarella

1 ball fresh mozzarella

1/4 c carrots, julienned or shaved

1/2 c bean sprouts

2 green onions, sliced

2 Tbsp chopped cilantro

1 Tbsp chopped peanuts or cashews

1) Prep crust.

2) Brush chicken with sesame oil, season with salt and pepper and grill. Slice chicken when cooked. Chicken may also be marinated in the Peanut sauce and grilled.

3) Make Pizza: Spread Peanut sauce on crust, sprinkle a light layer of grated mozzarella over sauce. Top with chicken, carrots, bean sprouts, green onions and nuts. Finish with the rest of the grated mozzarella and slices of fresh mozzarella.

4) Bake for 10-12 min at 475 degrees.

5) Garnish with cilantro, drizzle with Lime-Cilantro dressing, cut and serve!

Chorizo Potato Soup

My culinary masterpiece: Chorizo Potato Soup. I like smoked cheddar cheese and cilantro for garnishes, but feel free to experiment with other toppings, like tortilla chips, chopped tomatoes or bacon! According to my hubby; "everything is better with bacon." : )

2 large yellow potatoes, peeled and chopped

7 oz chorizo sausage

2 medium leeks

½ c cream

1 Tbsp butter

2 cans chicken stock (3 ½ cups)

Green onions/chives, green parts sliced

Grated smoked cheddar cheese

Slice white parts of leeks and wash well in a shallow bowl. Cook chorizo in butter in a medium saucepan until it begins to brown, about 5 min. Add leeks and cook until wilted, 2 min more.

Add potatoes and chicken stock, cover and simmer for 20 min, or until potatoes are tender.

Add cream and stir. If thicker soup is desired, puree 1 cup of soup in a blender and add 1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/8 cup water. Return pureed soup to pot with cornstarch mixture and let simmer 5 min longer, or until desired thickness is reached. Divide into four bowls and garnish with chopped green onions and shredded smoked cheese.

Serves 4.