Jalapeno Popper Stuffed French Toast Waffles

Jalapeno Popper Stuffed French Toast Waffles... WHAT!?!

That's right. When the five year old said he wanted breakfast for dinner tonight I jumped right on it. He is going through one of those fun phases where he won't eat anything, except eel sushi (I know, right?) and mac and cheese.

I'm not a huge fan of breakfast, give me a protein shake or a kind breakfast bar any day, and I'm even less inclined to eat the usual sweet breakfast fare, but I wanted to accommodate my picky eater.

So off to Pinterest I went and found a recipe for french toast waffles. Bingo! My big kid loves waffles, but how could I turn this into something the hubs and I would eat.

I love jalapeno poppers and since you can turn cream cheese, jalapenos, and bacon into a filling for almost anything, why not french toast. 

We made a basic version of french toast for the kid, eggs, milk, cinnamon and sugar and dipped slices of bread into the egg mixture and cooked on the waffle maker. In a separate bowl we mixed the eggs for our adult breakfast for dinner and everyone was happy. 

For the filling:

4 oz Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 C shredded Cheddar Cheese
2 Jalapenos
3 Green Onions
2 pieces Bacon, crumbled

For the french toast:
8 pieces of Sourdough Bread
8 Eggs
1/3 C Milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and roast jalapenos for 15 minutes, turning them halfway through.
Meanwhile start cooking bacon (you know you want to cook extra to go with your waffles) and mix together 2 pieces of crumbled bacon with cream cheese, cheddar, and green onions. When jalapenos are finished cooking cut into medium sized pieces, and add either half or all the jalapeno depending on the spice level. 

Spread filling on 4 pieces of bread and top with remaining slices. Heat up waffle maker. 

Mix 4 eggs and milk with salt and pepper in a pie plate. Dip sandwiches into egg mixture and cook on waffle maker. Place done sandwiches in oven to keep warm. when sandwiches are done cook remaining four eggs sunny side up. Serve on top of  your jalapeno popper stuffed french toast. 

Carrot Raisin Muffins

Before embarking on a car trip to San Diego I thought these muffins would be the perfect breakfast to eat in the along the way. We like to get an early start and need something easy to store and eat in the car. You could certainly add nuts to these, I skipped them. The three year-old doesn't like nuts but he did give the nut free version a thumbs up.


Carrot Raisin Muffins
Makes 16 Muffins
3 large Carrots, grated (about 1 1/2 Cups)
1 C Raisins
1/2 C Plain Whole Milk Yogurt
1/2 C Maple Syrup
2 Eggs
1/3 C Sunflower Oil
2 C Unbleached White Flour
2 tsp Baking Soda
1 1/2  tsp Cinnamon


Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl beat together Yogurt, Maple Syrup, Eggs and Oil. In a small bowl mix together Flour, Baking Soda and Cinnamon. Mix dry ingredients into wet until just combined. Stir in Carrots and Raisins. Prepare two muffin tins, spray or line with cupcake papers. Fill  cups nearly to the top with muffin batter. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Cinnamon Raisin Oat Muffins

Don't you just hate when you can't find a recipe that you want to make? I couldn't find the recipe I was looking for, then the brand new bag of wheat bran I had in the pantry smelled off, so I decided to scrap my original plan and go rogue and I'm glad I did.
These muffin were born from what I had in the pantry and a desire to make them as healthy as possible. No refined sugars or oils here! They came out moist and flavorful, but I found their flavor improved overnight and the orange zest really shined.
Each muffin has 12 grams of fiber and only 10 grams of sugar so they are a healthy and delicious way to start the morning!

Cinnamon Raisin Oat Muffins
Makes 24 

3 oz Unsweetened Apple Sauce (I used one of the toddlers pouches)

3 Eggs

4 Tbs Blackstrap Molasses

1 C Non-fat Greek Yogurt

Zest of an Orange

1 C Orange Juice

2 tsp Cinnamon

2 tsp Baking Soda

1 1/2 C Oats that have taken a quick trip through the food processor to break them up a bit. 

2 C Whole Wheat Flour

1 1/2 C Raisins

Preheat oven to 350. Grease or line 24 muffin cups, set aside. In a large bowl mix together apple sauce, eggs, molasses and orange zest. Then add yogurt and orange juice. In a separate bowl mix together cinnamon, baking soda, flour and oats.  Mix wet and dry ingredients until they just start to come together. Then mix in raisins. Scoop batter into muffin tins about 2/3 full. Bake 18-20 minutes. 

Vegetable & Lentil Bolognese

There is an awesome recipe for lentil meatballs that we have been making for a while (and I linked it here) and I was actually planning on making tonight but things don't always work out as planned. The toddler has been in rare form today and there was no way I was pulling off the meatball recipe so I improvised. I can't give exact times for how long I sautéed everything because I was busy playing firefighter while making dinner. So embrace the craziness, crack open a bottle of red wine and make this recipe while saving the world. 

Vegetable and Lentil Bolognese

 Serves 8

1 C Lentils, Black or Green (red don't hold up well)

2 C Vegetable Broth 

1 Yellow Onion, finely diced

4 cloves Garlic, minced

8 oz Crimini Mushrooms, stems removed and diced

1 Zucchini, diced

1 C Red Wine, plus more for drinking!

1 Tbs Olive Oil 

2 tsp Oregano 

1 tsp Rosemary leaves 

1/5 tsp Thyme 

2 jars Pasta Sauce or 6 C homemade pasta sauce

Your preferred noodles for serving 

Cook lentils a few minutes less than package directions in vegetable broth to keep them firm. In a large skillet over medium low heat add olive oil and onion, cook until translucent. Add mushrooms and garlic continue cooking until onions begin to brown, then add zucchini. When zucchini is soft and onions are brown add spices, lentils and wine. Continue cooking until wine is absorbed. Add in jars of pasta sauce and serve over noodles. 
(This recipe freezes well so don't worry about making too much.)

Easy Everyday Pancake Mix

Who says pancakes have to be saved for special occasions like Saturday morning? My Easy Everyday Pancake Mix makes Monday morning pancakes possible!
I was tired of buying the over priced organic pancake mixes and making them from scratch every time was time consuming. Not to mention that I didn't want a huge batch of pancakes for just the toddler and I, so I came up with this mix based off our favorite pancake recipe. I just mix the dry ingredients together and store them in a quart jar. I have a piece of paper I keep under the ring on the lid with the ingredients for the mix on one side and the directions for making pancakes for two on the other so I am never searching for the recipes when I need them! You could make this with whatever flour you like, white, wheat or a mix (you could even make them with gluten free flour and add xanthin gum). I've even started making muffins with this mix, so look for those recipes in the future!




For Mix:
3 C. Organic Unbleached Flour
4 Tbs Evaporated Cane Sugar
4 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Sea Salt

Mix everything together and pour into a quart jar for storing.


For Pancakes...

If I want to just make enough for one or two people I add;

1/2 C Easy Pancake Mix
1 Egg
1/3 C Milk (cow, almond, cashew, whatever you desire)
2 tsp Oil or melted Butter
1/4 tsp Vanilla

For four People I double every thing but the egg:

1 C Easy Pancake Mix
1 Egg
2/3 C Milk
4 Tsp Oil or melted Butter
1/2 Tsp Vanilla

Stir together pancake mix and wet ingredients until lumps have disappeared.  In a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat drop desired amount of batter, I do tablespoons for silver dollar pancakes. When pancakes start to bubble, flip them.

(See how the left and right pancake have bubbles but the middle does not.) Another minute or so and they will be brown on the other side. Grab your syrup and dig in!

Harvest Time Apple Butter Bars

Fall is my favorite time of year. The rich smell of baked apples, pumpkin, cinnamon and cloves permeates the air. Every few years our apple trees go crazy and I'm trying to find new ways to use them. In 2011 I made cases of apple butter, apple sauce, apple juice and over 5 gallons of hard cider along with countless pies, granolas and bags of dried apples. I realized I still have a case of apple butter in the back of our pantry so I better use it up before the madness begins again. If you have never had spiced apple butter, I'm sorry and I will post my super easy crockpot apple butter recipe shortly!  If you don't happen to have any spiced apple butter you can certainly make this with applesauce using the changes I noted in the recipe. I'm making these as an easy breakfast for a picky toddler, so I didn't want something loaded with sugar but you could up the sweetness to your tastes.

2 C. Old Fashioned Oats

1 C. Whole Wheat Flour

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 C. Spiced Apple Butter

     Or 1 C Apple Sauce and increase spices to 2 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 tsp cloves. Add 2 Tbs Honey

1/2 tsp Cinnamon 

1/8 tsp Cloves

2 TBS Oil

1 Egg

1 C. Milk (I use almond)

1 C. Raisins

Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8x8 pan, set aside. In a large bowl combine oats, flour and baking powder. Add apple butter, spices, oil, egg and milk. Stir until just combined.

Stir in raisins.

Spread mixture into prepared 8x8 pan.

Bake 30-35 minutes

Zucchini Carrot Muffins

I've been trying to come up with some healthy portable snacks for the toddler lately. He loves fruit and string cheese but I don't want to give him the same thing all the time. I've noticed that the "healthy" packaged snacks fill him up but don't provide much in the way of nutrition or calories. Since he is a little underweight for his age (His Doctor said he doesn't have a "Doritos Belly" like most kids his age, I see that as a good thing) I wanted to make a portable snack that had some veggies and fats but wasn't full of sugar. Maybe I can at least give the toddler a healthy American muffin top! ;)

Zucchini Carrot Muffins

Makes 18 Muffins

3 small Zucchinis 

1 large Carrot

1/2 C Plain Whole a Milk Yogurt

1/2 C Maple Syrup

2 Eggs

1/3 C Sunflower Oil (Almond or Walnut would work well too if there are no allergies)

1 2/3 C Whole Wheat Flour

2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 heaping tsp Cinnamon 

Preheat oven to 350. Shred Zucchini and Carrot on a grater. In a large bowl beat together Yogurt, Maple Syrup, Eggs and Oil. Mix Zucchini and Carrot into wet mixture. In a small bowl mix together Whole Wheat Flour, Baking Soda and Cinnamon. Mix dry ingredients into wet until just combined. 

Spray two muffin trays with Spectrum Grapeseed Oil Spray. 

Fill 18 cups nearly to the top with muffin batter. 

Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Quinoa Fried "Rice"

This recipe is another whatever I have on hand goes in this recipe. Its a quick and easy one for us because we usually have everything handy in our pantry/ refrigerator. I also love that you don't have to have a certain set of ingredients for this. If you have a bag of frozen mixed veggies it would work great, those fresh veggies you bought with good intentions but have gotten a little wilted, perfect throw them in. you can even add leftover chicken or tofu. This recipe knows no season, whatever is in season is in our version of Quinoa Fried “Rice”.

Serves 5-6

1 C. Dry Quinoa
2 Tbs Oil
1 Tbs minced fresh Ginger
2 cloves Garlic minced
3-5 C any combination of chopped Veggies (3C if using Greens) Bell Peppers, Zucchini, Snow Peas, Carrots, Asparagus, Broccoli, Squash, ect
3 C Greens spinach, bok choy, kale, chard ect.
2-3 Tbs Braggs Liquid Aminos (we use as soy sauce)
Sirracha if desired

Tonight we had so many yummy veggies we left out the greens.

Cook Quinoa according to package directions. In a large skillet over Medium heat add 1 Tbs oil, garlic and ginger. Cook for 30 seconds,  then add Veggies cook until soft.

 Scoot Vegetables to one side of pan and add additional 1 Tbs oil to pan, add quinoa to empty oiled side of pan. Cook about 2 minutes, or until it starts to brown. Add in greens and mix everything together. When greens begin to wilt stir in Liquid Aminos.

Tonight's version has Beyond Meat Grilled Not Chicken Strips, Snow Peas, Asparagus, Red and Orange Bell Peppers and Yellow Crookneck Squash.

Grown Up Grilled Cheese #1

We recently started carrying raw milk and cheese from Meadow Wayne Dairy at our store and they have been sampling all kinds of yummy cheese. With the weather turning cold and lots of cheese on hand I had to make grilled cheese. I always have to put my spin on things so here is one of my recipes for Grown Up Grilled Cheese.

Smoked Mozzarella with Apples and Almond Butter (Sounds crazy, tastes delectable)

Serves 1

2 Slices any whole grain bread

2 tbs natural unsalted almond butter

1/2 apple-sliced

2 oz (about) sliced smoked mozzarella cheese

Butter or Butter it Up Spray

In a small skillet over medium low heat cook apple until soft, set aside. Butter or spray outside of bread.Spread 1 tablespoon almond butter on inside of each piece of bread, top with cheese and then apple. 

Place both pieces if bread butter side down on skillet over medium low heat. Put lid in pan to help melt the cheese, set timer for 2 minutes. Put both halves of sandwich together and cook additional 2 minutes each side or until melted and nicely browned.

  

Macaroni ala Madden

Now that Madden is getting older I am constantly trying to figure out what to feed him! I need to keep things soft and small, but I also want to make things that we can have for dinner too. I don't have time to make 2 dinners! I grew up eating Macaroni and Cheese out of the blue box. I am embarrassed to say I turned my nose up at my Grandmas homemade Mac and Cheese. Those little boxes of Mac and cheese sure can be convenient but they are loaded with garbage and I want better for my boy. 

Homemade Mac and Cheese is easier than it sounds and makes a huge pot for just a few dollars. I add veggies to everything and this dish is no exception. 

Makes 6 Servings

1 small zucchini diced

2 C broccoli florets Chopped

1 tbs butter

3 C shredded cheese (1 C Gouda and 2 C Cheddar)

4 tbs butter

1/4 c flour

2 1/2 C whole milk

1 tsp mustard powder (not prepared mustard!)

1/4 tsp onion powder

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

2 C dry elbow macaroni

In a large pot boil macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile sauté zucchini and broccoli in 1 tbs butter until vegetables are soft.

I cut the veggies very small and cook until very soft to make it easy for Madden to eat.

In large pot the macaroni was boiled in melt 4 tbs butter.

Pour flour into butter and cook until flour is golden brown.

Slowly mix in milk, making a thick gravy.

Stir in mustard powder, onion powder and pepper

then shredded cheese. 

Lastly mix in vegetables and macaroni. 

Chicken and Peanut Sauce

This is our go-to-don’t know what to make for dinner-too tired to think recipe. The sauce is super easy to throw together, and can be combined with lots of different vegetables and protein sources. Sometimes we make it with rotisserie chicken we pick up from the grocery store, sometimes we use tofu, tempeh or Gardein Chickn’ pieces. Stir-frys are our great fridge cleaning nights. Got spinach, kale or other greens, throw it in. Need to use up zucchini, green beans, carrots (or even frozen veggies in a pinch) chop them up. The beauty of this recipe is you can use whatever you have on hand and is easily doubled.

Asian Peanut Sauce
3 Tablespoons Natural Peanut Butter
3 Tablespoons Braggs Liquid Aminos
3 tablespoons Rice Vinegar
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/4 tsp hot sauce to taste

Pulse all ingredients in a small food processor. Set aside.

In a large skillet saute any combination of the following ingredients.

2 Cups chopped:
Zucchini, Carrots, Bell Peppers, Onion, Broccoli, Mushrooms, Asparagus, Celery, Green Beans, Brussel Sprouts

When browned add:
Cooked Chicken, Browned Tofu or Tempeh, Baked Gardein Chicken Pieces
And...
3 Cups Greens:
Baby Spinach, Kale, Mustard Greens, Arugula



When greens are wilted pour sauce over vegetables, stir and serve over noodles or on its own!

Stevia Sweetened Pumpkin Bread

The other day I received a call from a customer asking how she should bake a pumpkin bread with stevia. I was embarrassed that I could not give her a good answer. After a few failed attempts to make a sugar free black bean brownie I had given up on baking with stevia. After a little digging online I found a good looking conversion method for stevia which I shared with her. She was afraid to make something that wouldn’t turn out so she scrapped the idea. In my typical fashion I announced to my husband the next morning (he was barely awake) that after laying awake I had decided “ Today I will make a stevia sweetened pumpkin bread!” Those of you familiar with stevia know it can have an after taste. This bread does seem to lose it a bit overnight, so it is better the next day. I think the texture and taste of this bread out weigh the stevia taste and kept me coming back for more.

Stevia Sweetened Pumpkin Bread
Makes 6 Mini Loaves or 2 9x3 loaves

15 oz Canned Pumpkin
1 C Unsweetened Applesauce
1 1/2 TBS Liquid Stevia (I used Caramel Flavored for something fun)
1/2 C Sunflower Oil
4 Eggs
2/3 C Almond Milk
3 1/2 C Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
2 tsp Baking Soda
2 1/2 Tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
or 1 tsp cinnamon, t tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp cloves 1/4 tsp ginger

Preheat Oven to 350. Grease loaf pans, set aside. In a large bowl mix together pumpkin, applesauce, stevia, oil, and eggs. Next mix milk into pumpkin mixture. In a separate smaller bowl mix together flour, baking soda and spices. Add dry mixture to wet and stir until just combined. Divide batter evenly into pans.

(My Little Helper)
Bake small loaves for 30 minutes and large loaves 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

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