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Weekend Breakfast

On the weekends when you have a chance to wake up slow, a great breakfast is the best weekend kickoff one can ask for. A breakfast casserole is easy to make and, if you don't have a full house, can provide leftovers breakfast during the week. Try this delicious and easy recipe for your Saturday or Sunday breakfast:

6 eggs
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 pound sausage (or bacon)
1 can crescent rolls
2 cups grated cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Grease a 9x13 inch pan. Lay crescent rolls flat on the bottom of the pan without making them into rolls. Brown sausage (or bacon) and put on top of the crescent rolls.

Mix the eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a small bowl and pour over sausage. Top with grated cheese.

Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Enjoy!

Dessert!!!

The best way to top off a delicious meal is with a delicious dessert. With Valentine's Day just around the corner, a red velvet cake is festive and delicious! Here is a great recipe that is well worth the time:

3 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

6 tablespoons red food coloring

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

eparatio

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and lightly flour three 9- by 2-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with waxed paper.

To make the cake: In a small bowl, sift the cake flour and set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a small bowl, whisk together the red food coloring, cocoa, and vanilla. Add to the batter and beat well.

In a measuring cup, stir the salt into the buttermilk. Add to the batter in three parts alternating with the flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overbeat. In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.

Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the layers cool in the pans for 1 hour. Remove from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

Frosting
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

reparation

In a medium-size saucepan, whisk the flour into the milk until smooth. Place over medium heat and, stirring constantly, cook until the mixture becomes very thick and begins to bubble, 10-15 minutes. Cover with waxed paper placed directly on the surface and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

In a large bowl, on the medium high speed of an electric mixer, beat the butter for 3 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar, beating continuously for 3 minutes until fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat well.

Add the cooled milk mixture, and continue to beat on the medium high speed for 5 minutes, until very smooth and noticeably whiter in color. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes (no less and no longer—set a timer!). Spread between cake layers and on cake.

Side Dishes

A good side dish can transform an average meal into a delightful dinner. Side dishes are also a great way to get the recommended servings of vegetables in to your meal. Filling half you plate with fruits and vegetables at each meal is a great way to ensure you are getting the recommended amount regularly.

Vegetables can be very exciting and tasty if prepared correctly. Here is a recipe for one of my favorites - Caramelized Cauliflower with Honey and smoked paprika. It has a lot of ingredients, and the come together for a delicious side dish.

3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tbs. unsalted butter

1 large cauliflower, about 3 lb., cut into 1-inch florets

Sea salt, to taste

1 shallot, minced

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. smoked sweet paprika

2 Tbs. honey

2 Tbs. water

1/2 lemon

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a large fry pan over medium heat, warm 2 Tbs. of the olive oil and melt the butter. Add the cauliflower florets, sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt and toss gently to coat the florets. Spread the florets into 1 layer and cook, without stirring, until the undersides are lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip each piece over and continue cooking, undisturbed, until evenly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Repeat until all sides are evenly browned, 3 to 5 minutes more.

Add the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil, the shallot, red pepper flakes and paprika to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallot is softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the honey and water and sauté until the liquid reduces to a glaze, 2 to 3 minutes. Squeeze the juice from the lemon half over the cauliflower, stir to combine and cook for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and black pepper.

Slow Roasted Tomato Pasta

Even though it hasn't felt like winter, I am still in the mood for slow cooked winter style meals. Slow cooked stews, roasted vegetables, and crock pot meals all make the house warm inside and outside. This weekend, I am planning to make one of my favorite recipes, slow roasted tomato pasta. Check it out:

3 pounds roma tomatoes, cored and halved lengthwise
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
6 whole peeled garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
12 ounces uncooked fettuccine
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shaved fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
3 tablespoons torn fresh basil

Preheat oven to 225°. Place tomatoes on a jelly-roll pan; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Bake for 4 hours. Heat a large skillet over low heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil and garlic; cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove garlic, and chop. Combine garlic, tomatoes, and red pepper in pan. Cook pasta in boiling water with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt for 8 minutes or until almost al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 3/4 cup cooking liquid. Increase heat to medium-high under tomato mixture, and stir in reserved cooking liquid. Bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes. Add pasta; cook for 1 minute, tossing to combine. Remove from heat; sprinkle with cheese and basil.

Using Ronzoni or other whole wheat pasta makes this meal healthful and delicious. Also, adding some grilled chicken gives it a little more substance and tastes delicious.

Do you have a favorite wintery recipe?

Breakfast of Champions

You've probably heard people say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. This a great cereal slogan and a great way to keep your metabolism firing on all cylinders. Think about it...if you eat dinner at 7pm on Tuesday, and skip breakfast on Wednesday, by the time lunch rolls around, it has been 17 hours since you last ate. Your body is clinging to everything you had for dinner and wondering when you will eat next.

The great thing about breakfast is that it can be whatever you want it to be. Really, eating just about anything for breakfast is better than skipping. Cereal, toast, yogurt, fruit, eggs or an omelet are all things that come to mind for a traditional breakfast. But, you don't have to eat breakfast foods for breakfast. If you don't like breakfast foods, you don't have to eat them. You can have a turkey sandwich for breakfast if that suits you. Just remember, anything is better than nothing!

Cooking after work

There is nothing better than coming home after a work and errands and cooking a healthful, hearty meal! Between finding new recipes online, borrowing cookbooks from the library, and sharing recipes between friends, there is never a shortage of great, new ideas to try.

Lately, I have been experimenting with different ways to prepare salmon. I usually enjoy grilling, but it becomes much less fun in the cold weather. This week, I tried a 2 parts brown sugar and 1 part Old Bay seasoning mixture blended on a salmon filet and grilled. This paired with grilled asparagus and cornbread muffins made for a delicious dinner. My only wish was that there would have been enough for leftovers.