Scrumptious Sundays

Fun preschool snacks.  Gavin & Liam each took treat bags to their friends at school with a note telling them they were thankful for friends.  These were all so easy and so fun to make!

ACORNS

Ingredients:

Chocolate Chips

Nutter Buter Bites

Hersey's Kisses

The bite size cookies and Hershey's kisses have almost the exact same quantity in each bag.  Maybe a few leftover kisses to munch on while you assemble.

1. Melt 1/2 of the chocolate chips to use as your glue.  
2. Dip the Hersey's kiss in the melted chocolate and stick to the Nutter Butter bite.  
3. Let cool.  
4. Add the chocolate chip to the top of the cookie; it helps if the melted chocolate has cooled a bit so it doesn't run off the side.

TURKEYS

Ingredients:

Reese's Mini Peanut Butter cups

Candy Corn

Whoppers

Double Stuff Oreo

White Frosting

(Black Frosting if you wan tot add the eyeballs)

1. Open the Oreo, apply 6 candy corns to the stuffing.  Add white frosting to reapply the cookie.
2. Put a liberal amount of frosting on the bottom of the feathered Oreo, apply to a flat Oreo for the base.  If it won't stay you need more frosting.
3. Cut the Reese's so it will lie flat (this works best if they have been chilled in the fridge for a while)
4. Use frosting to apply the Reese's and the Whopper for the head and body of the turkey
5. Cut the remaining Candy Corns to make wings, a nose, and little turkey feet, apply with white frosting.
6. Lastly you can use a combination of white and black frosting to create the eyes.  I used a toothpick but wasn't super happy with the crazy eyes.  I made another batch and left the eyes off, they were just as cute.  You can also purchase candy eyes at a store like Michaels (or maybe use mini chocolate chips)

 We put a Turkey and a few acorns in a clear cellophane bag and delivered to school just before Thanksgiving. Don't forget to make enough to share with the teachers and other staff!  Everyone LOVED them!!  

We already have our Christmas treats planned - reindeer pops coming soon!

Scrumptious Sundays

Mushroom Pappardelle
(made this one up on my own)

Large container of mushrooms, washed & sliced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp crushed red chiles
salt & pepper
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 lb pappardelle noodles
1/2 c. toasted hazelnuts, chopped
handful of shaved parmesan cheese
8 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Cook pasta in salted boiling water.  While pasta is cooking heat olive oil in a large sauté pan.  Once pan and oil are hot add the mushrooms.  Fry fast, tossing once or twice, then add garlic and chiles.  Season with salt & pepper.  Continue to sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly.  Turn off heat and add lemon juice.  Toss  & season with additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Toast hazelnuts, roughly chop and set aside.  Chop parsley.  Combine pasta and mushrooms, toss until mixed well.  Sprinkle with parsley, hazelnuts, and parmesan cheese.  Toss gently to mix all ingredients. Garnish with parsley and parmesan.

Scrumptious Sundays

Overnight Oats (serves 2)

1 c old fashioned oats (uncooked)

2 c milk (dairy, almond, or coconut)

2 Tbsp Chia seeds

1 small very ripe banana (mashed)

1/8 c chopped walnuts

2 Tbsp goji berries (or any berry dried/fresh)

1/4 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp ground flax seed

Variations:  add peaches, grapes, dried apples or any combination of chopped fruit (dried or fresh)

Combine everything.  Store overnight (or at least 6 hours) in refrigerator.  The oats will soak up the liquid so no cooking is needed.  If you want a hot breakfast simply warm the oat mixture on the store or in the microwave.  Add a few drops of honey if more sweetness is desired.

Our favorite so far has been using fresh raspberries and almost milk.  Lots of variations (even chocolate milk?) to try!! I use a mason jar to put it in, and have eaten it up to 3 days after I made it.  Texture was still fine.  Got 3 ready-made breakfasts out of it.  Jason says he feels like it fills him up longer than a protein shake.

Scrumptious Sundays

Spicy Basil Chicken

Super, duper easy!  Great backup recipe when you don't know what to make for dinner. 

 Even little Liam liked the spicy chicken.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons canola oil

1/4 cup minced shallots

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

6 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces 

1 tablespoon fish sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons lower-sodium soy sauce

1 1/4 teaspoons chile paste with garlic (such as sambal oelek)

1 teaspoon water

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup sliced basil leaves 

Preparation

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallots and garlic to pan; cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add chicken to pan; cook 13 minutes or until chicken is done. Combine fish sauce and the next 6 ingredients (through salt) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add fish sauce mixture to pan, and cook for 1 minute or until mixture thickens, stirring to coat chicken. Remove from heat. Stir in basil.

Scrumptious Sundays

Creamy Corn Risotto
Cooking Light August 2013

Ingredients

1 large red bell pepper

4 cups fresh corn kernels (about 6 ears)

1 3/4 cups 1% low-fat milk 

2 tablespoons butter, divided

2 1/2 cups unsalted chicken stock

1/2 cup chopped onion 

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 cup uncooked Arborio rice or other medium-grain rice

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

1/4 cup dry white wine 

1/2 cup sliced green onions

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler to high.

2. Cut bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 8 minutes or until blackened. Wrap peppers in foil; let stand 5 minutes. Peel and chop.

3. Combine corn, milk, and 1 tablespoon butter in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer; cook 10 minutes. Stir in stock; keep warm over low heat.

4. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; swirl to coat. Add onion and garlic to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in rice, salt, and black pepper; sauté 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in wine; cook 30 seconds or until liquid almost evaporates, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in 1 1/2 cups corn mixture; cook 3 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Reserve 1/2 cup corn mixture. Add remaining corn mixture, 1 cup at a time, stirring frequently until each portion of corn mixture is absorbed before adding the next (about 20 minutes total). Remove pan from heat; stir in 1/2 cup corn mixture, bell pepper, and green onions.

Scrumptious Sundays

Homemade Bread

6 cups flour

3 Tbsp Yeast

1 Tbsp Salt

3 cups water

Is it really that simple?  Pretty much.  We've started making a fresh loaf of bread every Sunday.  Haven't bought bread for months now.  Homemade anything is so much better anyway!  The process really doesn't take as long as you would think, and you don't need a bread machine.  We cook ours in a dutch oven cast iron pot by Staub.  These pots are ridiculously priced, but I finally broke down and bought one, and every Sunday am reminded how much I love it!

From ingredients to dough to a masterpiece....

Scrumptious Sundays

Wild Mushroom Risotto
from QCOM
1 Tbsp EVOO
2 Tbsp Truffle Olive Oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup arborio rice
2 cups sliced mushrooms your choice
1 cup dry white wine
20 oz hot chicken broth
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1 tsp sea salt or to taste
freshly ground pepper

Heat olive oil and truffle oil in a 4 qt sauce pan on medium high heat.  Add chopped onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Mix in 1 c rice and cook 1 minute.  Add mushrooms and wine and stir until wine is absorbed into rice.  Add chicken broth one ladelful at a time, stirring between additions until the broth is absorbed. Rice should be al dente.  Melt in mascarpone cheese.  Salt & pepper to taste.  Serve finished with truffle oil.

Scrumptious Sundays

Turkey Meatballs
This recipe was altered from a Williams-Sonoma recipe

2 large eggs, beaten
3 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese (1 cup)
3 garlic cloves, minced
6-8 sprigs fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 plaine fine bread crumbs
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Mix all ingredients together. Form into 1- 1 1/2" meatballs.  Place on cookie sheet and bake 20-30 minutes.  Add meatballs to your favorite marinara sauce and serve over pasta.  So easy, healthy, and delicious!!

Scrumptious Sundays

Shadow Glen Cooking Class = aka Date Night

(I have recipes for all if anyone is interested)

Double Tomato Bruschetta

Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates (that we put in the salad)

Goat Cheese Date Salad

Butternut Squash Risotto

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

 

Tarte Aux Poire

Scrumptious Sundays

Pasta Primavera

Fresh & flavorful, this pasta primavera chock full of vegetables makes a lovely entree for spring.  A combination of equal parts milk and cream, half and half creates a silky, full-bodied sauce.

Yields 4 servings (2 c. ea); 9 WW points plus

Every time I see this picture I want to make this recipe.  So colorful, and tasty!

Ingredients

2 cups green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise

2 cups broccoli florets

1/2 cup (1-inch) slices asparagus (about 2 ounces) $

6 ounces uncooked fettuccine

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2 cup fresh or frozen green peas

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

2/3 cup half-and-half

1 teaspoon cornstarch

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup (1 ounce) shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation

1. Cook green beans in boiling water 1 minute. Add broccoli and asparagus; cook 2 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove vegetables from pan with a slotted spoon; place in a large bowl. Return water to a boil. Add pasta; cook 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and add to vegetable mixture.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup onion, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper; sauté 3 minutes or until onion begins to brown. Add peas, and sauté 1 minute. Add tomatoes; sauté 2 minutes. Combine half-and-half and cornstarch, stirring with a whisk. Reduce heat to medium. Add half-and-half mixture and salt to pan; cook 1 minute or until sauce thickens, stirring constantly. Pour sauce over pasta mixture; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with basil and cheese. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

Calories: 338

Calories from fat: 29%

Fat: 10.8g

Saturated fat: 4.7g

Monounsaturated fat: 4.4g

Polyunsaturated fat: 0.8g

Protein: 13.7g

Carbohydrate: 49.6g

Fiber: 7.1g

Cholesterol: 20mg

Iron: 2.9mg

Sodium: 607mg

Calcium: 205mg

Scrumptious Sundays

Penne Rigate with Spicy Sausage 

and Zucchini in Tomato Cream Sauce

Serves 4, 45 minutes; 12 WW Points Plus

Courtesy of Cooking Light Magazine, October 2012

Ingredients

8 ounces uncooked penne rigate pasta

6 ounces hot turkey Italian sausage, casings removed

12 ounces zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch slices

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

3 garlic cloves, minced

Dash of sugar

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 (28-ounce) can no-salt-added whole tomatoes

2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Cooking spray

3 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided (about 3/4 cup)

1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated and divided (about 1/4 cup)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; set aside.

3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage to pan, and sauté for 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Using a slotted spoon, remove sausage from pan. Wipe drippings from pan with a paper towel. Add zucchini to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until crisp-tender, stirring frequently. Add oregano and next 4 ingredients (through sugar); sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add vinegar; cook for 30 seconds or until the liquid evaporates. Drain tomatoes in a sieve over a bowl, reserving 1 cup tomato liquid. Crush tomatoes with hands, and add to zucchini mixture. Add reserved 1 cup tomato liquid; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove pan from heat; stir in cream. Add pasta and sausage to tomato mixture; stir to combine.

4. Spoon half of pasta mixture into an 11 x 7-inch glass or ceramic baking dish, or divide half evenly among 4 individual dishes coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle 1 ounce mozzarella and 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano over pasta. Top with remaining pasta mixture; sprinkle evenly with remaining 2 ounces mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until browned and bubbly.

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

Calories: 450

Fat: 14.1g

Saturated fat: 6.8g

Monounsaturated fat: 3.8g

Polyunsaturated fat: 1.5g

Protein: 26.9g

Carbohydrate: 55.6g

Fiber: 5g

Cholesterol: 60mg

Iron: 5.2mg

Sodium: 508mg

Calcium: 347mg

Scrumptious Sundays

Gnocchi with Yams, Kale & Sausage

One of Jason's favorites, and every time we make it we are reminded what a quick & easy recipe this is.

1 lb potato gnocchi (we buy whole wheat)
2 bunches kale, washed rubs cut out (or use spinach leaves)
1 large yam
1 garlic clove
1 lb spicy chicken or turkey sausage, sliced
EVOO
Kosher salt & black pepper

Preheat oven to lowest setting.  In nonstick pan, saute the gnocchi in olive oil until crisp and golden brown.  Season with salt & pepper.  Place gnocchi in an oven-safe dish (that holds at least 2 quarts) and place in the warmed oven.  Next you can cook the sausage in the same pan you used to cook the gnocchi or grill it on the BBQ (we prefer BBQ, always tastes better).  Slice the sausage and add to gnocchi in oven.  With sausage drippings or a bit more olive oil add the garlic, kale and yams to the pan; season with salt & pepper.  Cook until the yams are tender but not mushy, about 12 minutes (great to do while sausage is on BBQ).  If the pan gets too dry you can add some water to the pan.  Mix into the oven-safe dish with gnocchi and sausage.  Can be served immediately or held for later in the warming oven.  Leftovers can be refrigerated or frozen for another meal (my personal favorite).  Reheating in the oven works better than the microwave.

Yields 6 servings; 8 WW points plus
recipe courtesy of Rebecca Reichardt of Woodland, CA

Scrumptious Sundays

Eggplant Lasagna

4 WW points plus

I adapted this recipe from one that a friend gave me; this is how we make it.
2 eggplants, sliced 1/4 thick
8 oz fat free ricotta cheese (Trader Joe's has the best)
1 jar marinara sauce (check your sauces most are less than 2 grams of fat, but some are 10+)
2 cups fresh spinach
9 oz, part-skim mozzarella cheese
Fresh garlic, 3-6 cloves
Fresh basil, one bunch
Fresh ground salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Arrange eggplant slices on baking sheet, spray with olive oil, sprinkle with salt & pepper.  Bake eggplant 20-25 minutes.  If you have 2 ovens great, if not you'll probably have to do 2 batches. Tip*I bake the eggplant ahead of time, the day/night before so it's one less step come dinner time.

While eggplant is cooking combine ricotta cheese, garlic (minced), basil (chopped) in a bowl.

Now the layering...we treat each slice as the base of an eggplant lasagna tower (rather than layering like traditional lasagna).  Spread a small amount of marina on the bottom of your 9x13 pan.  Eggplant, spoonful of ricotta mixture, eggplant.  You should have 12 individual stacks.  Now layer the entire pan with 1 cup of the spinach, and top with 1/3 jar of marinara.  Repeat:  Eggplant, ricotta, eggplant, spinach, marinara, eggplant, ricotta, eggplant, spinach, marinara.  Top with freshly sliced mozzarella.

Bake 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.  let cool approximately 10 minutes.  It may be watery because of the spinach, so use a slotted spoon to serve.  Delicious and only 4 fabulous WW points plus per stack.

Scrumptious Sundays

Chicken Pot Pie

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

1 1/2 cup carrots

3 medium potatoes

1 1/2 cup mushrooms

1 1/2 cup broccoli

(you can pretty much use any veggies you like, this is what we had on hand and it turned out delicious)

2 chicken breasts

3 cups chicken broth

1/3 cup flour

1 refrigerator pie crust

1 egg white

1 Tbsp skim milk

Recipe makes 8 servings; 5 Weight Watcher Points Plus

You can cut the recipe in 1/2 for a smaller portion, but we found the leftovers were just as good so this recipe is actually doubled.

 Sautee all the veggies for 3-5 minutes; add the chicken and cook until chicken is no longer pink

Combine flour and chicken broth; add to veggie mixture - heat until boiling and begins to thicken.

 Pour everything into a glass or stone baking dish.  Cover with pie crust, fold the crust over the edge of the pan to seal the dish.  Combine egg white and skim milk and brush over the top of the crust (this is what gives it that golden brown delicious look).  Cut slits in the crust, bake for 30-40 minutes.  Let stand for a good 10-20 minutes...it will still be plenty hot!  If you don't let it stand it will be soupy rather than creamy.

The first time we made this I accidentally forgot the chicken (DUH!); it was still delicious.  So it can also be a great vegetarian dish if you don't want to add the meat.  Such a healthy spin on some great comfort food that is usually loaded with fat.

Delicious for all ages (even the baby ate it - couldn't get enough of it)

Scrumptious Sundays

Roast Pork Tenderloin with Plum BBQ Sauce

Cooking Light

The Plum BBQ Sauce is the secret ingredient.  You really can put it on anything...it even made our broccoli taste better.  Easy and delicious!!

Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 1/2 pounds black plums, quartered and pitted
• 1 star anise

Pork:

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 (1-pound) pork tenderloins, trimmed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons canola oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add sugar and the next 10 ingredients (through star anise); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes or until plums break down and sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. Discard cloves and anise.
2. Preheat oven to 450°.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle pork evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Add pork to pan; sauté 7 minutes, turning to brown on all sides.
4. Transfer pork to a foil-lined jelly-roll pan; coat with 1/2 cup plum sauce. Roast pork at 450° for 15 minutes. Remove pork from oven. Turn pork over; coat with an additional 1/2 cup plum sauce. Roast 10 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of pork registers 155°. Remove from pan; let stand 10 minutes. Slice crosswise. Serve with remaining plum sauce.

Scrumptious Sundays

Another successful recipe from Runner's World magazine.  We made this last night for Jason's pre-race dinner.  It was so, so, so good.  And now Barb has leftovers for the week too.  For our non-meat lover friends, you can substitute the chicken for spinach and mushroom...we'll try that one next.

Quick, Creamy Chicken Lasagna

• 15 lasagna noodles (we used whole wheat), cooked al dente
• 4 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
• 12 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup chicken or veggie broth
• 3 cups marinara sauce
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400°F. Combine chicken, basil, 8 ounces of cream cheese, and 1/4 cup broth. Mix remaining 4 ounces cream cheese with 1/4 cup broth in a small bowl; set aside. To assemble, spread 1/3 cup marinara on the bottom of baking dish, then assemble 4 layers in the following order: 3 lasagna noodles, 2/3 cup marinara, 1 cup chicken filling, 3/4 cup mozzarella, and 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Top with remaining 3 noodles, the cream cheese-broth mixture, 3/4 cup mozzarella, and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Cover with cooking spray-coated foil and bake until bubbly, about 45 minutes. Leaving lasagna on same rack, turn oven to broil. Remove foil and broil until lasagna is golden brown, 5 minutes. Remove from oven; let sit for 10 minutes. Serves 12.

Scrumptious Sundays

Scalloped White Truffled Pommes Anna

Very fancy name, pretty easy recipe.  Prep time was more than let's say mashed potatoes - but these were pretty and so yummy.  We even had the leftovers for breakfast the next day.  Jason made the dish on NYE and it turned out fantastic!  Unfortunately dinner on NYE was a little hectic while trying to put 2 little ones to bed, so we didn't get a picture.  This picture and recipe is courtesy of Cooking Light magazine.

Ingredients

2 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 

Cooking spray

2 1/2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices

2 1/2 teaspoons white truffle oil, divided

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Combine 2 teaspoons thyme and kosher salt in a small bowl.

3. Drizzle butter into a 10-inch cast-iron skillet coated with cooking spray. Arrange a layer of slightly overlapping potato slices in a circular pattern in pan; sprinkle with about 1/2 teaspoon salt mixture and drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon truffle oil. Repeat layers 4 times, ending with truffle oil. Press potato mixture firmly to pack. Cook over medium-high heat for 6 minutes without stirring.

4. Cover with foil, and bake at 450° for 20 minutes on bottom rack in oven.

5. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife. Loosen edges of potatoes with a spatula or knife. Place a plate upside down on top of pan; invert potatoes onto plate. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon thyme.

Scrumptious Sundays

Apple-Cinnamon Bundt Cake

Cooking Light October 2011

We decided to try a new recipe for Christmas Day; it was SO worth it.  As far as cakes go I would say this was fairly labor intensive.  Took a while to get all the pieces moving - but the end result was delicious.  Another bonus is it could be made a day ahead of time.  It was just as moist and delicious as if it had just come out of the oven.  One thing we liked best was that it wasn't too too sweet.  After a large Christmas dinner who wants a big, sweet, filling dessert.  This went great with a cup of tea/coffee.  Can't wait to eat more later in the week.

Ingredients

Filling:

1. 1 1/2 cups diced peeled Granny Smith or other tart apple
2. 1/2 cup apple cider
3. 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
4. 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick

Streusel:

1. 1/2 cup walnuts
2. 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3. 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
4. 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

Cake:

1. Baking spray with flour 
2. 3/4 cup granulated sugar 
3. 1/2 cup butter, softened
4. 2 large eggs 
5. 1 large egg yolk
6. 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
7. 9 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 cups) 
8. 2 teaspoons baking powder
9. 1 teaspoon baking soda 
10. 1/4 teaspoon salt
11. 1/2 cup fat-free milk
12. 3/4 cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt
13. 1 teaspoon powdered sugar

The Labor Begins

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare filling, combine first 4 ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 20 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates and apple is tender, stirring occasionally. Cool to room temperature. Discard cinnamon stick.

To prepare streusel, combine walnuts and next 3 ingredients (through ground cinnamon) in a food processor. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal.

To prepare cake, coat a 12-cup bundt pan with baking spray. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add eggs and egg yolk, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean; add seeds to sugar mixture. Reserve bean for another use. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Combine milk and yogurt in a small bowl, stirring until smooth. Add flour mixture and milk mixture alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat just until combined.

Spoon one-third of batter into prepared pan; sprinkle batter with half apple mixture and half walnut mixture. Repeat layers, ending with remaining third of batter; smooth with a spatula. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs clinging. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes; remove cake from pan. Cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Ultimate test - even Gavin ate it and loved it (the non-bread of any kind eater)

Scrumptious Sundays

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Great dish for making ahead:  holidays, guests, arrival of a baby :)

You can prepare and cook it, then all you have to do is heat it up, thank you Giada!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 (1 1/2 to 2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
• We purchase already cut, cubed, and ready to cook at Costco or Whole Foods
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 amaretti cookies, crumbled
• Also known as Amaretto Cookies, not easy to find - call your grocery store first before driving all around town (like we did)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 cups whole milk
• We used 2% to cut down on a little of the fat
• Pinch nutmeg
• 3/4 cup (lightly packed) fresh basil leaves
• 12 no-boil lasagna noodles
• 2 1/2 cups shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan

Instructions can be found at the Food Network Site.

Scrumptious Sundays

Gruyere-Stuffed French Toast

DELICIOUS recipe from Cooking Light

Great meal for "Breakfast for Dinner"

We had it for breakfast, but it's very savory and would make a great change to the normal dinner routine.

Don't be intimidated; the ingredients and instructions look complicated - they aren't.  The most time consuming part is the Warm Apple Maple Syrup, but it's really easy!

Ingredients

1/4 cup apple cider 

1 teaspoon cornstarch 

2 teaspoons butter 

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots

2 cups sliced McIntosh apples 

1/4 cup maple syrup

6 (2-ounce) slices ciabatta bread

3 ounces Gruyère cheese, cut into thin slices

1/2 cup fat-free milk 

1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 large egg

1 large egg white

4 teaspoons butter, divided 

3 tablespoons chopped pecans, toasted

Preparation

1. Combine cider and cornstarch in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Melt 2 teaspoons butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallots to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add the cider mixture, apples, and syrup to pan. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low; cook 3 minutes or until apples begin to soften, stirring occasionally. Set aside, and keep warm.

2. Cut a horizontal slit through bottom crust of each bread slice to form a pocket; stuff 1/2 ounce cheese evenly into each pocket. Combine fat-free milk, buttermilk, and next 5 ingredients (through egg white) in a shallow dish, stirring well with a whisk. Working with 1 stuffed bread slice at a time, place bread slice into milk mixture, turning gently to coat both sides.

3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Melt 2 teaspoons butter in pan. Add 3 coated bread slices to pan, and cook for 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Repeat procedure with remaining 2 teaspoons butter and remaining 3 coated bread slices.

4. Place 1 French toast slice onto each of 6 plates; top each serving with about 3 tablespoons sauce and 1 1/2 teaspoons pecans.