Blueberry Pancakes

Blueberry Pancakes
Yield: 2-3 dozen

Ingredients:

3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
4 eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons of melted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp white vinegar
2 1/4 cup milk
2-3 cups frozen blueberries

Directions:

1. Separate your eggs, in two bowls, and whisk your egg whites into peaks. Set aside.
2. Melt your butter and slowly whisk it into your egg yolk.
3. Add your vinegar, milk, vanilla, and sugar to your egg yolk bowl.
4. Add in your flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and mix well.
5. Fold in your egg whites
6. Heat your griddle to medium and gently ladle out your batter. Sprinkle blueberries into the freshly poured batter. Once you see bubbles, flip your pancake. The pancakes should be a golden color.

I like my pancakes on the thinner side, as you can see from the picture, but if you like yours thick leave out the vinegar and 1/4 cup of milk. I topped these pancakes with a blueberry sauce I concocted. Here is the blueberry sauce recipe:

Blueberry Sauce:

Ingredients:
1 cup frozen blueberries
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions:
1. Put all ingredients in a microwaveable bowl and mix well.
2. Microwave for 1.5-2 minutes until warm.
3. With your fork, gently mash your blueberries extracting all that yummy goodness! Don't mash all the blueberries, but just enough to make your concoction saucy. Drizzle over your stack of pancakes and enjoy!

Baked Rigatoni

Baked Rigatoni

Yield: Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

2 lbs Ricotta Cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella (separated)

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese 

1 egg

6 cups homemade tomato sauce or sauce of your choice

1 box of Rigatoni

salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Cook your pasta in boiling water for 6 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. In your mixer, add the ricotta cheese, Parmesan, 1 cup of mozzarella, egg, and a dash of salt and pepper. Mix well with the whisk attachment for about a minute.
3. Detach your bowl and add your cooked pasta to the cheese. Incorporate all that cheesy goodness into the pasta.

4. In a 9x13 dish, add your tomato sauce. Pour your cheesy pasta mixture into the sauce and spread out.
5. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on top and cover with tin foil.
6. Bake at 400 F for 30 minutes with the foil on. Take off the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes to get the cheese extra yummy on top!

Yummy!!! So good! 

Seriously, if you love cheese, this is the dish for you! 

Double Chocolate Banana Nut Muffins

My cute baking buddy and taste tester!

Double Chocolate Banana Nut Muffins

Yield: 30-32

Ingredients:

4 very ripe bananas 

2 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup milk 

2 cups granulated sugar

3 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon of salt

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 bag Ghirardelli chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In your mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, add your bananas, oil, milk, sugar, and eggs and mix well for about a minute.

2. Add in your flour, salt, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, and cocoa and mix well for about 30 seconds. Your batter should be about as thick as pancake batter.

3. Remove your bowl and whisk and add in your nuts and chocolate chips. Swirl the whisk by hand to incorporate the chocolate chips and nuts.

4. Line your muffin tins for easy clean up and because the chocolate chips tend to sink to the bottom.

5. Use a 1/3 cup scoop to fill your cups.

6. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes.  

Yummy! Eat up! 

Chocolate and banana go hand and hand together, yum! I pretty much love every variety of banana muffin known to man so double chocolate it is! I love how moist and fluffy they are. Yumm!!!

Caesar Salad

Cesar Salad

Yield: Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 large head of Romaine Lettuce

1 baguette

1 tablespoon of fresh cracked black pepper

1 oz of anchovies

4 large cloves of garlic

1 lemon, juiced

1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard 

1/2 cup of olive oil

1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese

  

Directions:

1. Cut your baguette in half. Set aside one half to go with dinner. With the other half, cut into cubes. Toss them in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, coat well, and then bake at 400 F for 10 minutes.

2. Wash and chop your Romaine. Toss into your salad bowl and set aside.

3. With the rest of your ingredients add to a bowl and blend up well with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy. 

4. Toss your salad and add your croutons on top. 

5. Garnish with some fresh cracked black pepper and a sprinkling of  shredded Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Parmesan

Yield: Serves two

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breasts (about 1/2 a pound each)

1 teaspoon of salt

1 egg

3/4 cup of homemade breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon of dry basil

1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese

Two cups of homemade tomato sauce

Directions:

1. Heat your saucepan to medium and coat with olive oil.

2. Mix the herbs and breadcrumbs together and put on a plate next to your saucepan.

3. In a shallow bowl whisk your egg and salt.

4. Thoroughly coat each chicken breast in your egg and then move it to your breadcrumbs to coat. 

5. Cook each side of your chicken for about 2 minutes depending on how large. Each side should start to crisp up and turn a golden color.

6. In a baking dish, add your tomato sauce and chicken breasts. Sprinkle your cheese on top. Cover with foil and bake at 450 F for 10 minutes. 

7. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes. 

Enjoy your juicy chicken on a bed of yummy pasta! I made this recipe up as I went along. I used my husband and children as taste testers and it was both husband and kid approved! Enjoy!

Mini Pecan Pies

Mini Pecan Pies

Yield: 16 mini pie shells

Ingredients: 

16 individual pie shells

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/3 cup melted butter

3 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Bake your empty mini pie shells at 350 F for 18 minutes.

2. Chop your pecans and set aside.

3. Mix together the sugars, corn syrup, salt, cinnamon, eggs, and vanilla. 

4. Slowly beat in your melted butter.

5. Pour your mixture over the chopped pecans. Make sure not to over fill.

6. Bake at 350 F for 15-20 minutes. 

7. Enjoy! :)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I will post pictures of the feast I am prepping tomorrow! So far I have baked a cheesecake, a pumpkin pie, and these babies. I will be cooking a turkey for my very first time tomorrow. I am terrified! Wish me luck and good luck to you all too!!! :)

Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Tortellini

Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Tortellini:
Yield: Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 package of seven cheese tortellini
1 oz sun dried tomatoes (dried)
2 rotisserie chicken breasts (cooked)
4 cups of homemade tomato sauce (my recipe here)
1/2 cup of heavy cream
1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, heated on Medium, add your tomato sauce, diced chicken breasts, and diced sun dried tomatoes. Let simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Bring a large, salted, pot of water to a boil. Add your tortellini. Cook for 6 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3. Add your heavy cream and cheese to your tomato sauce mixture. Stir for 1-2 minutes until incorporated.
4. Add your cooked tortellini to your sauce. Turn off your heat and gently mix together for 1-2 minutes. Serve immediately.  Enjoy!

I came up with this recipe a couple nights ago on the fly. I needed to get dinner on the table fast because I had two melting down children who desperately needed food in their bellies. This whole dish took twenty minutes from start to finish to make. Paired with roasted asparagus and rolls, in the oven, dinner was ready! Both my children chowed down on the pasta and my husband devoured two large helpings like it was going out of style! I hope you all enjoy as much as they did!

Chloe chowing down! :)