I was in the mood for a filling and healthy breakfast so I decided to make a mini frittata just for me.  I had leftover steamed broccoli in the refrigerator along with a piece of bacon leftover from my kids breakfast and some sharp cheddar and threw them together with two eggs before baking them.  The mini frittata turned out light, fluffy, and very flavorful.  I’ve never had broccoli with eggs before and I am so glad I finally tried it because it was so good!  A nice & healthy breakfast that tasted delicious – you can’t beat that!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Coat a mini baking dish with cooking spray.

Mix the eggs with the milk until well combined then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.  Place a few pieces of steamed broccoli into the mini baking dish; add a little bit of bacon, and cheddar.

Pour the egg mixture into the baking dish then place the remaining broccoli, bacon, and cheddar on top.

Place into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and serve immediately.  Enjoy.

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Mini Baked Frittata with Broccoli, Bacon, and Sharp Cheddar

Yield: 1

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20-25 minutes

Total Time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1-2 tsp milk
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
2 tbsp broccoli florets, steamed & cut into small pieces
1 piece of bacon, crumbled
1 tbsp sharp cheddar, grated

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a mini baking dish with cooking spray.

Mix the eggs with the milk until well combined then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Place a few pieces of steamed broccoli into the mini baking dish; add a little bit of bacon, and cheddar. Pour the egg mixture into the baking dish then place the remaining broccoli, bacon, and cheddar on top. Place into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and serve immediately. Enjoy.

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

Side Note:  Thank you for your positive and encouraging words about the technical difficulties I am having here at For the Love of Cooking.  It’s been a stressful and frustrating process.  I am really hoping that all of the problems are fixed.  Hopefully the header will be up and running soon.

While looking on the Pioneer Woman’s site for the link to her baked French toast I came across this recipe for bruschetta that looked irresistible to me.  I just happened to have some left over French bread, some yellow & red cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil.  It was meant to be.  Truly.  I made this for lunch and it was so quick and easy I literally had it ready to eat in less than 10 minutes.  How great is that?  I loved that she sautéed garlic first and added it to the tomatoes – it gave them so much flavor!  It was such a light, healthy, and delicious lunch.  I think I may have it again tomorrow.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.  Remove the garlic from the skillet and place it into a bowl.  Place the pieces of bread in the skillet and cook each side for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown.

While the bread is cooking, slice up the tomatoes and basil then toss them together with the garlic.  Drizzle some balsamic vinegar on the tomatoes then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.  Spoon the mixture onto the bread.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy!

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Bruschetta

Yield: 1

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 5

Total Time: 10

Ingredients:

1 tsp olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
3 pieces of French bread (or baguette)
Handful of yellow cherry tomatoes
Handful of red cherry tomatoes
5-6 leaves of fresh basil, sliced into ribbons
2 tsp balsamic vinegar, more if desired
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Remove the garlic from the skillet and place it into a bowl. Place the pieces of bread in the skillet and cook each side for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown.

While the bread is cooking, slice up the tomatoes and basil then toss them together with the garlic. Drizzle some balsamic vinegar on the tomatoes then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Spoon the mixture onto the bread. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Adapted recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net
Original recipe by Pioneer Woman

UPDATE:

I am very sorry for all of the technical difficulties over the last few weeks. I am in the process of switching from a shared server to a virtual private server and my host has been having a lot of problems. I am hoping that once the header gets fixed that we will have no further problems… fingers are crossed! I am sorry for any inconvenience this has caused and I appreciate your patience. Getting the new website up and running has been extremely stressful and full of problems but I am hoping we will have all of the kinks worked out soon.  I know it will be worth all of this stress in the long run but at the moment all I feel like doing is SCREAMING!  Instead I am taking deep breaths and trying to stay calm – most of the time .  

I am re-posting this Cinnamon Baked French Toast because most of my readers never saw this recipe.  I will be back to posting a new recipe tomorrow if all goes well.  Thanks again for hanging in there with me!

I saw this recipe (orginally from the Pioneer Woman) on Two Peas and Their Pod and couldn’t wait to make it for my family.  It was great because I prepared everything the night before and popped it into the oven when we woke up the next day.  My son kept telling me how good it smelled while it baked and I agreed – it smelled delicious!  I planned on making it just for my kids & husband but I couldn’t resist and tried a few bites.  It was amazing!!!  I plan to make this whenever we have overnight house guests or for special occasions.  You can eat it plain but it tastes extra delicious drizzled with maple syrup.  My kids gobbled up the leftovers for breakfast the following day and said it was just as yummy! Make this dish, you won’t regret it.  Thanks Maria and Ree!

Side note to my sister Dana – you will LOVE this recipe!!!

Cut the French bread into large chunks then place them evenly into an 8×8 inch glass pan that has been coated in cooking spray.  Combine the eggs together with the milk, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and seeds from the vanilla bean.  To remove the vanilla seeds from the pod, slice the pod down the center lenghtwise being careful not to cut all the way through the pod.  Using a knife or your fingernail, scrape all of the seeds out from the center of the pod.  Whisk the egg mixture until really well combined then pour evenly over the bread cubes.  Cover with saran wrap and place into the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

In another bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and salt together.  Add the butter and cut into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or your hands until crumbly.  Cover with saran wrap and place into the refrigerator until ready to use.  When yo are ready to bake the French Toast, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Remove the baking pan from the refrigerator and sprinkle the top with the streusel mixture evenly.

Place into the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the French toast is set and golden brown.  Let it cool for a few minutes before slicing.  Top with butter if desired and drizzle with maple syrup.  Enjoy!!

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Yield: 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40-45 minutes

Total Time: 50-55 Minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 loaf of French bread, cut into large cubes
4 eggs
1 cup of milk (I used 2%)
1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp white sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, seeds removed

Streusel Topping:

1/4 cup of flour
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup of unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Directions:

Cut the French bread into large chunks then place them evenly into an 8x8 inch glass pan that has been coated in cooking spray. Combine the eggs together with the milk, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and seeds from the vanilla bean. To remove the vanilla seeds from the pod, slice the pod down the center lenghtwise being careful not to cut all the way through the pod. Using a knife or your fingernail, scrape all of the seeds out from the center of the pod. Whisk the egg mixture until really well combined then pour evenly over the bread cubes. Cover with saran wrap and place into the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

In another bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and salt together. Add the butter and cut into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or your hands until crumbly. Cover with saran wrap and place into the refrigerator until ready to use. When yo are ready to bake the French Toast, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the baking pan from the refrigerator and sprinkle the top with the streusel mixture evenly.

Place into the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the French toast is set and golden brown. Let it cool for a few minutes before slicing. Top with butter if desired and drizzle with maple syrup. Enjoy!!

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net
Original recipe by Pioneer Woman and Two Peas and Their Pod

I was inspired by a recipe I saw for lemon and chicken baked with orzo on Everybody Likes Sandwiches that looked simple and delicious.  I decided to add artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, tomatoes, and feta to make this dish extra special.  It was fun & easy to make, smelled terrific while it baked, and tasted wonderful.  My husband, my son, and I really loved it while my daughter said it was okay.  Oh well – I can’t please everyone all of the time.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat.  Season the chicken thighs with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.  Add the chicken to the Dutch oven once it is HOT. Cook one side of the thigh for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove the chicken thighs from the Dutch oven and place onto a plate.  Add the onion, garlic, oregano, and orzo to the Dutch oven then cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes.  Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and the chicken broth.  Place the chicken thighs and juices back into the Dutch oven along with the artichoke hearts, grape tomatoes, and kalamta olives.  Sprinkle half of the fresh parsley on top.

Cover with a lid and place into the oven to bake for 20 minutes.  Remove the lid and continue to bake for another 10 minutes or until the orzo has soaked up most of the liquid and the chicken is cooked through.  Sprinkle with the feta cheese and remaining parsley then serve.  Enjoy.

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Mediterranean Chicken and Orzo Bake

Yield: 4-5

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
5 Boneless and skinless chicken thighs
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
1/2 sweet yellow onion, sliced thinly
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 cups of orzo
Zest & juice of one lemon
3 cups of chicken broth
Handful of frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
Handful of grape tomatoes
Handful of kalamata olives
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1-2 tbsp feta cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Season the chicken thighs with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Add the chicken to the Dutch oven once it is HOT. Cook one side of the thigh for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the chicken thighs from the Dutch oven and place onto a plate. Add the onion, garlic, oregano, and orzo to the Dutch oven then cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and the chicken broth. Place the chicken thighs and juices back into the Dutch oven along with the artichoke hearts, grape tomatoes, and kalamta olives. Sprinkle half of the fresh parsley on top.

Cover with a lid and place into the oven to bake for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to bake for another 10 minutes or until the orzo has soaked up most of the liquid and the chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle with the feta cheese and remaining parsley then serve. Enjoy.

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net
Inspired by Everybody Loves Sandwiches

My daughter just sold Girl Scout cookies for her troop and she wanted to try to re-create the new lemon cookie they sold this year.  I found this recipe for Lemon Crinkles on Tasty Kitchen that looked great.  We decided to add more lemon juice and lemon zest to make these cookies extra lemony and delicious.  My daughter and I had a fun time baking these tasty treats together and they turned out amazing!  A perfect combination of lemon tartness with a soft & moist cookie covered in sweet powdered sugar.  They were a huge hit with the whole family.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with a silpat mat.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together with a mixer until creamy.  Add the vanilla, egg, lemon juice, and lemon zest and beat until smooth and well mixed.  Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together until well combined.  Slowly add the flour mixture to the lemon mixture until mixed.  The dough will be very sticky.  Place into the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes or until firm enough to roll into balls.

Roll the dough into small balls then toss in the bowl of powdered sugar until evenly coated.  Place the balls on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart.  Place into the oven and bake for 9-11 minutes.

Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack for at least 5-7 minutes to set and cool.

Serve the cookies immediately with a tall glass of ice cold milk.   Enjoy!

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Lemon Crinkles

Yield: 18 cookies

Prep Time: 15-20 minutes

Cook Time: 9-10 minutes

Total Time: 24-30 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of unsalted butter, softened
1 cup of white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp fresh lemon zest
1 1/2 cups of flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup of powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silpat mat.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together with a mixer until creamy. Add the vanilla, egg, lemon juice, and lemon zest and beat until smooth and well mixed. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together until well combined. Slowly add the flour mixture to the lemon mixture until mixed. The dough will be very sticky. Place into the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes or until firm enough to roll into balls.

Roll the dough into small balls then toss in the bowl of powdered sugar until evenly coated. Place the balls on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Place into the oven and bake for 9-11 minutes.

Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack for at least 7 minutes to set.

Serve the cookies immediately with a tall glass of ice cold milk. Enjoy!

Adapted recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net
Original recipe by Tasty Kitchen

It’s been cold and wet here for the past few days so I was in the mood for a big pot of soup.  I picked up some turkey Italian sausage and kale at the store then headed home to start cooking.  I added carrots, celery, and onion as well as garlic and white beans.   Both of my kids would rather it didn’t have kale but I personally love kale in soup so I threw it in there.  The soup turned out really hearty and flavorful – we all loved it, even the kids.  I ate some the next day for lunch and it was even better than the night before.

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the turkey sausage, casings removed, to the skillet.  Break up the meat with a spatula so it’s in small crumbles.  Add the onion and a dash of crushed red pepper flakes then cook for 3-4 minutes or until the meat is cooked and the onion is tender.  Add the carrots, potatoes, celery, and minced garlic; stir constantly for 1 minute.  Add the chicken broth then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.  Cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for one hour or until the potatoes and veggies are tender.

Add the kale and the drained white beans to the soup.  Taste and re-season if needed.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy.

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Sausage, Potato, Veggie, and White Bean Soup

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil
3 turkey Italian sausages, casings removed
1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
Dash of crushed red pepper flakes
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
3 yellow potatoes, peeled and diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
8 cups of chicken broth
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
2 cans of white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups of kale, chopped

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the turkey sausage, casings removed, to the skillet. Break up the meat with a spatula so it's in small crumbles. Add the onion and a dash of crushed red pepper flakes then cook for 3-4 minutes or until the meat is cooked and the onion is tender. Add the carrots, potatoes, celery, and minced garlic; stir constantly for 1 minute. Add the chicken broth then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for one hour or until the potatoes and veggies are tender.

Add the kale and the drained white beans to the soup. Taste and re-season if needed. Serve immediately. Enjoy.

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

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I was making a big pot of soup for dinner so I decided to whip up a batch of biscuits to serve with the soup.  I have a great recipe for flaky biscuits that I decided to add roasted garlic too. The roasted garlic flavor was subtle and really tasty. I also topped each biscuit with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper before they baked.  They turned out so fluffy and flavorful – they were especially good slathered in butter.  We all, kids included, loved these biscuits.

Prepare the roasted garlic.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silpat mat.

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles course meal. Place into the refrigerator for 10 minutes to chill. In a smaller bowl, combine the buttermilk and sugar then whisk until well blended. Add the buttermilk mixture and the roasted garlic cloves (removed from their skins) to the flour mixture and mix with your fingers until combined.

Place the dough on a well floured surface and knead 4-5 times. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 9 x 5 inch rectangle. Dust the top with flour then fold the dough crosswise into thirds (like folding a letter to fit into an envelope). Re-roll the dough into a 9 x 5 rectangle, dust the top with flour, and fold the dough crosswise into thirds again. Gently roll or pat the dough into a 3/4 inch thickness and cut with biscuit cutter to form biscuits. Place dough rounds 1 inch apart on the baking sheet.  Season each biscuit with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool two minutes on a wire rack then serve slathered with butter. Enjoy.

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Roasted Garlic Flaky Biscuits

Yield: 9

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 12-15 minutes

Total Time: 22-25 Minutes

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups of flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
5 tbsp butter
3/4 cup of low fat buttermilk
1 1/2 tbsp white sugar
1 head of roasted garlic, cloves carefully removed from their skins
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Directions:

Prepare the roasted garlic. (See link above).

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silpat mat.

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles course meal. Place into the refrigerator for 10 minutes to chill. In a smaller bowl, combine the buttermilk and sugar then whisk until well blended. Add the buttermilk mixture and the roasted garlic cloves (removed from their skins) to the flour mixture and mix with your fingers until combined.

Place the dough on a well floured surface and knead 4-5 times. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 9 x 5 inch rectangle. Dust the top with flour then fold the dough crosswise into thirds (like folding a letter to fit into an envelope). Re-roll the dough into a 9 x 5 rectangle, dust the top with flour, and fold the dough crosswise into thirds again. Gently roll or pat the dough into a 3/4 inch thickness and cut with biscuit cutter to form biscuits. Place dough rounds 1 inch apart on the baking sheet. Season each biscuit with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.
Place the dough on a well floured surface and knead 4-5 times. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 9 x 5 inch rectangle. Dust the top with flour then fold the dough crosswise into thirds (like folding a letter to fit into an envelope). Re-roll the dough into a 9 x 5 rectangle, dust the top with flour, and fold the dough crosswise into thirds again. Gently roll or pat the dough into a 3/4 inch thickness and cut with biscuit cutter to form biscuits. Place dough rounds 1 inch apart on the baking sheet. Season each biscuit with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool two minutes on a wire rack then serve slathered with butter. Enjoy.

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

I have two words for you… MAKE THIS!  I wanted a quick and tasty breakfast on Sunday for my husband and I so I went foraging through the refrigerator.  I had some crescent rolls to use up as well as bacon, eggs, chopped up green onions, and sharp cheddar cheese.  I decided to scramble the eggs and place them along with the other ingredients down the center of the crescent dough.  I cut the edges to make strips then “braided” them over the eggs.  This baked in less than 15 minutes and turned out terrific!  I ate a small portion and my husband finished the remainder – we both really, really loved it!  I can’t wait to make this again.

Remove the crescent roll dough from the container and roll into a ball.  Let it sit for 15 minutes so the dough is easier to use.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with a silpat mat.

Cook bacon, drain on a paper towel; crumble.  Heat a skillet over medium heat and coat it with cooking spray.   Whisk the eggs together with the milk, sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, and cayenne pepper, to taste.  Pour the egg mixture into the skillet. Constantly fold the egg mixture from the bottom of the pan to the top. This will keep it from overcooking and the middle section will stay soft and fluffy. Do this constantly for 1 or 2 minutes, or until the eggs are just set.  Don’t overcook – they will finish cooking in the oven.

Roll (or spread) the dough out on top of the silpat mat into a rectangle.  Sprinkle some cheese, green onions, and bacon down the center of the dough.  Add the scrambled eggs then the remaining cheese, green onion, and bacon on top.

Cut even slits on both sides of the filling with a pizza cutter. Fold the ends over the filling then starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle across the filling.

Place into the oven and bake for 13-15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let it rest for 1-2 two minutes before slicing and serving.  Enjoy.

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Breakfast Braid

Yield: 2-3

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 container of reduced fat crescent roll dough, rolled into a ball
Cooking spray
3-4 slices of bacon, cooked & crumbled
5 eggs
1 tbsp milk
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste
2-3 tbsp Sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tbsp green onion, sliced

Directions:

Remove the crescent roll dough from the container and roll into a ball. Let it sit for 15 minutes so the dough is easier to use. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with a silpat mat.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and coat it with cooking spray. Whisk the eggs together with the milk, sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, and cayenne pepper, to taste. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet. Constantly fold the egg mixture from the bottom of the pan to the top. This will keep it from overcooking and the middle section will stay soft and fluffy. Do this constantly for 1 or 2 minutes, or until the eggs are just set. Don't overcook - they will finish cooking in the oven.

Roll (or spread) the dough out on top of the silpat mat into a rectangle. Sprinkle some cheese, green onions, and bacon down the center of the dough. Add the scrambled eggs then the remaining cheese, green onion, and bacon on top.

Cut even slits on both sides of the filling with a pizza cutter. Fold the ends over the filling then starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle across the filling.

Place into the oven and bake for 13-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 1-2 two minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy.

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net