Fathers Day French Toast

So, with Father's Day coming up on Sunday, I though I would post a breakfast recipe since breakfast in bed is a Father's Day must.

Just because the kids are in the kitchen doesn't mean Dad should have to choke down scrambled eggs with shells mashed into them. This French Toast recipe is easy enough for the kids, and fancy enough for a special occasion.

Recipe:

2 eggs
2 oranges (zest and juice)
1 Tbs orange marmalade (optional)
1/2 cup whole milk
1 Tbs cinnamon
1 Tbs butter
5 Slices of bread (or less if you've got thick bread)

Mix the eggs, orange juice, orange zest, marmalade, milk and cinnamon together in a shallow bowl. Heat a frying pan to medium high heat and melt the butter. Soak the bread in the egg mixture on both sides until completely saturated. Then fry on 1 side for 2 minutes or until it begins to brown. Repeat on the other side until the bread is spongy. Transfer to a plate and serve with maple syrup or powdered sugar.

Mushroom Ravioli

Today I thought I would get fancy and make some mushroom ravioli.... drum roll please... from scratch!

That's right, I made the whole thing start to finish and surprisingly, it wasn't THAT hard. Although I have to admit that the process was certainly time consuming, it was well worth the delicious flavor and even more satisfying 5 euro grocery bill.

The way to the heart is through the stomach.

I've got the recipe for the pasta, filling, and a simple red sauce below, but it would work with a cream sauce as well as just being fried in butter and served with some cheese as an appetizer.

Bon Appetite!

Pasta:

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
3 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oil

Mix all ingredients together until it forms a grainy dough. Then kneed for 5-15 min until the dough is soft and elastic. Set aside while you make the filling.


Filling:

1 1/2 cups button mushrooms (chopped)
2 cups spinach
1/2 tbs butter
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 egg
Salt & Pepper to taste

Melt butter in a frying pan. Add mushrooms and cook on medium heat until just softened. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Wait until the mixture cools and pour into a food processor or blender. Add both cheeses, egg, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.


Process:

Divide pasta dough into four parts. Roll one part out on floured work surface. Place small, evenly spaced spoonfuls of filling on one side of the dough. Fold the dough over and using a ravioli stamp, cookie cutter or knife, cut out small raviolis. Repeat with remaining dough

Drop the ravioli into boiling water for 2-5 minutes or until it floats to the top. Serve with red, white or wine sauce.

Red Sauce (optional):

2 cans (32 oz) crushed tomatoes
2 tbs fresh basil
2 cloves garlic
1 small onion, diced
salt & pepper to taste

Fry garlic and onions in oil in a medium saucepan on medium heat until tender. Add the crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper and basil. Simmer 5-15 minutes.

Crustless Quiche Cups

Today I made a Key Lime Pie which called for 6 egg yolks, so I was faced with the question, "Will I have a heart attack if I eat this all in one sitting?" "What should I do with 6 egg whites?"

I thought of my sister and many of my teacher friends back in America, who are back for their first week of school and may be in need of some quick and easy breakfast/lunch ideas. So I decided to used my egg whites for good (Quiche cups) rather than evil (Meringue coated Baked Alaska) .

At around 100 calories each, I'd say these are the perfect back-to-school treat!

Healthy Summer Pasta Dish

I am all about easy, healthy pasta dishes and this one totally fits the bill! It has a bunch of delis ingredients (which you can sub with whatever you have around) and you won't spend hours sweating it out in the kitchen- even if it tastes like you did! Recipe after the jump!

Mexican Pizza

A combo of my favorite things- mexican food & pizza! I made up this recipe because I had extra pizza crust and, of course, had a craving for mexican.

Garlic Hummus Veggie Pizza

I am still on my pizza kick so when I saw this recipe I jumped on it. It turned out delish and was a total hit with the hubby! I may be a bit biased because I love garlic and hummus, but this is a great healthy twist for pizza.

YUMM-O

Chipotle Chicken Salad

I love salads for dinner, and this one has it all! It is super flavorful and has tons of yummy veggies and with the chicken in it, it has protein as well. It is super healthy and easy to throw together. You could easily throw in other ingredients into this salad as substitutes.  Read the recipe after the jump!

a little spicy and a lot healthy!

Healthy Summer Pasta Salad

This summer while you are heading off to all your BBQ's you can bring this healthy summer salad. This recipe is super easy and substituting some of the mayo for greek yogurt makes this recipe healthy (not to mention all the veggies!)

Broiled Salmon with Pesto Mayo

Okay I feel like this blog has turned all about food, but it's summer and I am always hungry now I have time to cook, which I won't once I am back to work. Anyway this is a healthy delish way to serve Salmon this summer!

DIY Clif Bars

On a recent trip to the states for my brother's wedding, my hubby had Clif Bars for the first time and fell in love. Of course we can't buy Clif Bars here, so we had to come up with our own recipe to make the chewy snacks. 

People need energy in Spain too...

Here's our home-made cliff bar recipe

Guacamole Bruschetta

I saw this recipe on pinterest and decided to make it at home with some spinach pasta. I modified the recipe with some of the things I had at home. It turned out amazing (as anything with avocado usually does) so I decided to share!

The other Hawaiian pizza

I am on a total pizza kick lately and this fun, different pizza will replace the regular boring Hawaiian pizza with unexpected flavors of grape and prosciutto.

grape and prosciutto subs in for ham and pineapple 

Simple Summer Pasta

The temperature is heating up and it makes me want to avoid heavy foods and concentrate on lighter, fresher, options. This pasta is great because it's healthy. delicious, and pretty simple to make!

Grown up english muffin pizzas

I love pizza, but my college days of eating pizza at 4am are over and I can't really get over my distaste of most fast food pizzas. However, I have come up with several more grown up versions of pizza that are simple, easy, and will totally fulfill your craving for pizza. 

Simple Shrimp Fried Rice

I can relate to Sarah's love affair with Mexican comida, because I've got a bit of a fetish myself... but with Asian food. I love the fresh combination of flavors and the healthy ingredients. However, sometimes I just want some comfort food, and let's face it... Asian food's got plenty of that as well. Here is my favorite recipe for fried rice. 

quick and easy!

Asian Veggie Spring Rolls

I made these spring rolls for a nice dinner at home with my husband. I was shocked by how easy it was, and how simple the ingredients were. Asian cuisine may seem like a daunting undertaking, but these rolls were as easy as making your own pizza!

a simple starter

Crockpot Chicken Taco Chili

Last night I made some delish crockpot chicken taco chili. Now as you may have guessed by my many posts concerning Mexican food I love to eat and cook mexican dishes. This recipe is super easy and healthy! Basically all you do is dump and bunch of stuff in a crockpot and then put some cilantro on top when it's done! Seriously it's that easy...

Red, White and Blueberry Dessert

In honor of Memorial Day here is a healthy retake on an all American dessert! I just recently made this for friends during a BBQ and it was a big hit, and best of all-- so easy and relatively healthy!

Damper, Mate

When I am in need of some fresh baked bread, I turn to the ever so easy, ever so hearty damper. This loaf is super simple, takes less than an hour to make from start to finish, and you can add just about anything you've got in your kitchen to it and it still tastes great. Damper is an Australian bread that was originally cooked over an open flame that had to be "dampened". You can make it as a loaf or smaller rolls. Check out the recipe from my husband's family in OZ:

A plain cheese damper fresh from the oven

Chicken Nachos

Living in Arizona I have come to LOVE any and all Mexican food. Tamales, burritos, tacos, I can't get enough of these delis dishes. The only problem is most Mexican food comes with a hefty serving of calories. One thing my hubby and I love to make at home is the Mexican staple- nachos. Now we have got this recipe down and make it for dinner all the time, but also it doubles as a great crowd pleaser for parties. The recipe cuts down on a lot of calories you would find in nachos at a restaurant!

Not-cho average meal!