25 Sep 2015

Favorite French Toast

by Warern van der Biezen | posted in: Breakfast, Favorite French Toast | 0

I love french toast. When I go out for breakfast, this is the first thing that I always check out on the menu. This french toast has a delicious cinnamon flavor. Cut the bread into strips and make French Toast Sticks, the kids will love it.

Ingredients

6 Slices of Bread
2 Eggs
¼ Cup Milk
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Cinnamon
Salt

Instructions

It is best to use stale bread. Stale bread will absorb the egg/milk mixture better than fresh bread. If you don’t have stale bread, you can slightly toast the bread.
In a bowl, mix the eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Whisk together until all the ingredients are combined.
Lay the bread in a baking dish and pour the egg mixture on top of the bread. Make sure that there is enough egg mixture to completely cover the top of the bread.
Let the bread sit in the mixture for 10 minutes. Meanwhile heat a griddle to 400°. Grease the griddle with cooking spray or butter.
Cook the bread on the griddle until it is brown on both sides.
Serve with Jelly or Jam, Syrup and powdered sugar.

25 Sep 2015

Chickpea Salad

by matt | posted in: Chickpea Salad, Salad | 0

This salad is really, really good. I made this for a birthday party and it was used as a side salad and a dip with nachos. The avocado give it a creamy taste while the almonds are nice and crunchy. The lime and cilantro are the perfect compliment to the chickpeas.

Ingredients

2 – 15.5 oz Cans Chick peas – rinsed
½ White Onion – chopped small
3/4 Cup Slivered Almonds – toasted
1/2 Cup Cilantro – chopped
2 Avocado – diced
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
Juice from 2 limes
2 tsp Salt
Pepper

Instructions

In a bowl, combine the rinsed chick peas, chopped onion, chopped cilantro, olive oil, salt, pepper and lime juice. Toss to combine all ingredients. Toast the almonds in a small pan over low heat. Add to chick pea mixture. Dice the avocado and add right before serving. Mix to blend all ingredients together. Season with additional salt and pepper.

25 Sep 2015

Spinach Salad

by matt | posted in: Spinach Salad | 0

This is a throwback recipe. My mother made this for the family when I was growing up. I loved it then and still do now. Using the bacon grease to make the dressing makes it unbelievably delicious.

Ingredients
8 oz Baby Spinach
3 Large Eggs
8 Slices Thick Cut Bacon
1 Small Red Onion
½ Cup White Mushrooms
Crumbled Blue Cheese

Dressing
3 TBSP Bacon Grease
½ tsp Dijon mustard
3 TBSP Red Wine Vinegar
1 tsp Sugar

Instructions
Place the eggs in a pot covered with cold water. When the water comes to a boil, turn off the heat and let them sit in the hot water for 20 minutes. Remove the eggs from the hot water and immediately cool with either ice or cold water. Peel and slice the eggs. Set aside.

Cook the bacon and drain on paper towel. Crumble the bacon and set aside. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the bacon grease.

Wash the baby spinach and remove any large stems. Drain and pat dry thoroughly. Place in a large mixing bowl. Slice the red onion very thin add it to the spinach. Clean the mushrooms and slice. Add the mushrooms to the spinach. Add the sliced eggs and crumbled bacon.

In the same frying pan that you cooked the bacon, add the reserved bacon grease. Over low heat, whisk in the red wine vinegar, sugar and Dijon mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the dressing over the spinach and toss to combine. Sprinkle the crumbled blue cheese over the top. Serve immediately.

25 Sep 2015

Cold Pasta Salad

by matt | posted in: Cold Pasta Salad | 0

This pasta salad is so good. You can make it ahead of time and it gets better and better the longer it sits. I make this as a side salad for most barbecues, and I have brought it to the beach for lunch. It’s great.

Ingredients

1 Lb Rotini Pasta
1 Pint Grape Tomatoes – sliced lengthwise
1 Can Small Black Olives – Pitted
6 oz, Feta Cheese
¼ Lb Sliced Pepperoni
½ Lb Hard Salami (Roll of Salami)
2 – 6oz Jars Marinated Artichoke Hearts
2 TBSP Chopped Basil
2 Cups Broccoli Florets – Optional
1 16oz Bottle Italian Salad Dressing
Salt & Pepper

Instructions

Boil Pasta following the package directions. Cook until al dente. Drain pasta and season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, add the hot pasta and ½ the feta cheese. Mix well. Add the grape tomatoes, olives, pepperoni, salami, artichoke hearts and cooked broccoli florets. Toss to combine all the ingredients. Add the salad dressing and the chopped basil. Mix thoroughly. Sprinkle the rest of the feta cheese on top before serving.

25 Sep 2015

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

by Warern van der Biezen | posted in: Broccoli and Cheese Soup, Soup | 0

This soup is creamy and full of flavor. The small chunks of broccoli give it a great consistency. Add some croutons or a piece of Italian bread and this will be a meal to remember.

Ingredients

4 Bunches of Broccoli
Olive Oil
6 Slices Bacon
1 Onion – chopped
1/3 Cup Flour
2 Cups half & half
4 Cups Chicken Stock
¼ tsp Nutmeg
3 Cups Cheese (cheddar or jack either one or a combination)
Salt & Pepper

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350º. Cut the florets from the broccoli stems. Discard the stems. Wash the florets and spread the them single layer on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes.

In a large soup pot, cook the bacon until it is crispy. Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate to cool. Once the bacon is cooled, crumble and set aside.

Add the chopped onion to the pot, and let cook until soft. Sprinkle the flour on the onions and whisk. Cook until the flour is starting to turn brown.

Add the chicken stock and the half & half. Stir to combine.

Add the nutmeg and the roasted broccoli. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes. Using an emulsion blender, blend the soup until you have the desired consistency. If you want the soup to be chunky, you may just want to use a potato masher instead of a blender. If you don’t have an emulsion blender, you can put the soup in small batches in a regular blender.Add the cheese and stir until it is completely melted. Simmer on low heat for an additional 20 minutes.

Garnish with crumbled bacon and shredded cheese.

Cooking