wash and trim eyes/blemishes from surface of potatoes. Cut into halves if potatoes are medium or quarters if they are large. Small potatoes can be left whole. Try to have the pieces/whole potatoes be about the same size.
Put potatoes in a pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork. They need to be soft enough to smash.
When potatoes are softened. Drain and allow steam to come off of them till the surfaces feel more dry.
Preheat oven to 400F.
On a sheet pan, place parchment paper or silicone mat, or spray with cooking spray.
Place the potatoes spread out on a the pan.
Using the clean bottom of a cup or jar, smash the potatoes to flatten. If they fall apart a little it is ok. Just reshape a little with a fork.
Melt 2 TBS butter and mix with the olive oil. Drizzle this over the smashed potatoes with a spoon. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top.
Bake until the potatoes are browned on top and bottom. Allow to cool.
To serve, chop green onions and serve with scoop of sour cream, or with a sauce of your choice. Enjoy!
Just under 1 Tablespoon of spice blend (1/2 tsp garlic, 1/4 dried thyme, 1/2 tsp curry powder, 1 tsp cumin)
1 can (15oz size) diced tomatoes (we used no salt added but any type is fine)
1/2 cup brown lentils, spread on a plate to check for rocks or debris, rinse before use
2.5 cups water (add more water at the end to create thinned soup, or eat as thick stew)
additional salt and pepper to taste (optional)
Pinch of red pepper flakes (add more to increase heat)
1/2 cup fresh kale cut out the rough stems and cut into bite sized pieces
1 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions:
Prep Lentils: Lentils: spread 1/2 cup lentil on a plate pick out debris and rocks if any, rinse.
Prep Veggie: Cut small 1/2 onion. Peel and wash carrot and cut into half circles. Wash Kale thoroughly, cut out stems and chop leaves into bite sized pieces.
Get lemon juice. Cut lemon in half. Wrap and save one half for something else in your refrigerator. Squeeze juice from the lemon into a cup. Set a aside.
Measure just less than one Tablespoon of the spice blend. If there is more, it can be added later if you would like it to be stronger flavor.
Open Tomato Can
Get cooking!
In a pot on the stove over medium heat. Melt butter. Add onion and carrot. Cook till translucent. Note: the butter will color the onion yellow so it might not look clear.
Add spice blend and pinch (or more) red pepper flakes. Let spices heat for just 30 seconds or so.
Add water, then tomatoes, lentils, heat till hot then cook for 25 minutes or until lentils are soft.
Add Kale and Lemon Juice, adjust salt level. Add a little more water to adjust to desired consistency. Cook for 5 minutes more, then serve.
Basil leaves can be stacked and rolled then cut into ribbons with a scissors or kitchen shearsfresh, chopped, and ready to gotomatoes cooked in olive oil till softened with a pinch of salt
Using vegetable oil, peanut oil, olive oil, butter, or any cooking fat, brush the top of the breadsticks lightly. This will make them brown more. This step is optional.
Put about 1/4 cup of cheese for each 2 breadsticks across top of breadsticks.
Add a pinch or two of the paprika garlic blend across the cheese.
Bake in the oven about 5-8 minutes till cheese is just starting to brown and bubble.
Cool slighty before eating. Serve with pizza sauce or a dressing like ranch if you prefer.
Spice up your weeknight pasta dish with this simple and easy Creamy Zucchini Fettuccine recipe! The star of this week’s dish is zucchini, accompanied by lemon, pasta, garlic, and Italian seasoning. This version of fettuccine pasta adds zucchini to the mix and cuts back on the cream, inviting a lighter and refreshing twist to a classic favorite. Pair with parmesan cheese and basil for a comforting pasta dish that can be made on a busy weeknight.
INGREDIENTS
½ box of Barilla Fettuccine Pasta (8 oz)
2 small zucchini, cubed
1 stick of butter (4 tablespoons)
3 cream cheese packets; more or less to taste
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 packets of crushed red pepper flakes
1 lemon, zested
2 packets of parmesan cheese
Italian seasoning to taste
all ingredientscubed zucchiniall ingredients prepped
DIRECTIONS
Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Salt the water liberally!
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain just before the pasta is finished so it won’t get mushy when you add it to the vegetable pan and it will get cooked a little more.
Meanwhile, melt one tablespoon of butter in a pan over medium heat.
Add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Let them sizzle for about 30 seconds to a minute.
Add zucchini to the pan and stir the vegetables to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally until some of the water has cooked off and the veggies are tender about 5-7 minutes.
Drain the fettuccine and add it to the pan along with the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, cream cheese, and parmesan.
Toss the fettuccine around the pan, and add salt and Italian seasoning to taste.
When finished, top with some more parmesan cheese and basil (optional)
Serve and enjoy!
cook garlic with crushed red pepper flakes + butteradd cubed zucchinicook together for 5-7 minutesadd cooked pasta + butter + cream cheesecook until butter + cream cheese are meltedserve & enjoy
TIPS & TRICKS
CREAM CHEESE
You can add more or less cream cheese to adjust the creaminess of this dish! You can also substitute cream cheese for heavy whipping cream.
PASTA
For this recipe, it’s recommended that you just slightly undercook the pasta. When you add to the vegetables they will cook more, so undercook them slightly to avoid overcooking the pasta.
In today’s recipe we substitute banana for oil and mayonnaise for egg. The muffins are still tasty. Ingredients:
Muffin mix
4 packets (about 3.5 Tablespoons) Mayonnaise
Water
1/4 cup smashed banana
Lemon (juice and zest from 1/2)
12 muffin cup liners
Directions:
Pre heat the oven to 400 degrees
Smash 1/4 cup banana till fairly smooth
Add muffin mix into a mixing bowl
Combine the water, mayonnaise, and banana into the mix
Wash and zest the lemon with a zester/grater, or use a knife to cut off just the most exterior yellow layer, leaving the white pith intact. Chop the lemon peel very finely. Add to the mixture.
Cut the lemon in half, and squeeze half a lemon into the mix (or to your liking, watch for seeds)
Add the poppy seed packet in and mix well.
Next scoop muffin mix into the paper muffin liners (mix should make 12)
Bake in the oven for 17-19 min or until golden brown on top
Let cool, and enjoy!
ingredientszest – slice just yellow layerfinely minceAdd lemon JuiceMix togetherBake and Enjoy
Once a family secret, this simple recipe displays the true beauty of brussels sprouts. Transform this winter vegetable into a nutritious and delicious dish that will warm up your winter!
Ingredients:
1lb Stalk Brussel Sprouts
1-1.5 cups halved grapes
Salt and pepper
(Add 2 tbsp of preferred oil)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 F
Rinse brussel sprouts and grapes
Cut brussel sprouts in half
Cut grapes in half (can leave grapes whole if desired)
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss or stir until well combined
Dump and spread onto pan, making sure and place in oven
Roast for 25-30 minutes, flip halfway through, stirring to mix juices, until brussels sprouts are soft and slightly browned! Leave longer for crispier brussels sprouts 🙂
Enjoy!
Steps with Pictures:
Rinse and halve brussel sprouts
Halve grapes
Mix in a bowl
Spread on a pan
Cook in oven at 400 degrees F until desired texture, leave longer for crispier!
From chewy spiced chickpeas in a rice bowl with veggies or a crunchy snack, canned chickpeas are versatile and affordable.
The recipe in this post is designed to show how you can get very different results using the same ingredient. Changing the cook time is the way to control the texture of the chickpea – 20 minutes results in a just slight color soft texture- to 50 minutes to get a dehydrated crunchy texture. For a sandwich or rice bowl I like the texture to be in the middle.
For authentic recipe techniques and spice blends I look to food bloggers sharing their wisdom. Richa, a food blogger from Bangalore India, shares well tested recipes her family loves. When roasting chickpeas she suggests adding spices in the last 10 minutes to develop a good crunch with a longer cook time while avoiding burning spices and losing flavor. You can see her recipe here:
Recipe: Simple Roasted Chickpeas – Choose your texture based on cook time.
Ingredients:
1 can chickpeas, 1 TBS Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper, curry powder to taste (curry powder may be hot or mild in your recipe kit)
Preheat oven to 400F.
Rinse and dry chickpeas. They roast best if they have most of the liquid dried off.
Mix chickpeas with 1 TBS oil and salt and pepper.
Spread on a sheet pan or in a glass dish.
Think about what texture you would like to achieve. If you plan to cook them for 35 minutes or less add the curry powder to the chickpeas and toss to coat. Put in the oven and set a timer. Give chickpeas a stir partway through. If you plan to cook them for longer than 35 minutes, set aside curry powder and 2 additional tsp olive oil. Cook chickpeas for 35 minutes stirring partway through. At 35 minutes, pull chickpeas from the oven, carefully add the oil and and curry powder. Return to the oven and cook till desired crunchiness is achieved an additional 10-15 minutes. Watch for them starting to smoke/get done faster, ovens vary.
Other suggested variations. If making a chewy chickpea, add sliced peppers and roast with the chickpeas. Serve with rice or on a sandwich : )
rinse and dryspread in single layer to bakefor short cook times add spices and oil to start, save spices for last 10-15 mins and add a little extra oil for longer cook timestexture by cook timeconsider adding chopped veggies like thinly sliced peppers or onions, -larger water containing pieces can make chickpeas less crispy- might want to cook veggies separately sometimesChewy chickpeas and peppersserving suggestion: Chewy chickpeas and fresh chopped veggiesserving suggestion: chickpea sandwich
Start your mornings off with this classic french toast recipe! It’s delicious, easy to make, and perfect for breakfast or brunch or just a sweet treat! This week’s dish features eggs, ground cinnamon, sugar, and brioche bread. With a few ingredients, this dish is great for utilizing pantry staples and can be even prepared and stored in advance. Pair with some fresh berries, bacon, or maple syrup for a delightful meal.
INGREDIENTS
4 eggs or ¾ cup of liquid egg substitute
2 tablespoons of cup sugar
1/2 cup of milk (optional, but recommended)
2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional)
1 half loaf brioche – 8 slices
Vegetable or olive oil for frying
all ingredientswhisk ingredients together
DIRECTIONS
In a shallow pan or bowl, mix together eggs, sugar, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla extract with a whisk. Stir well until everything is smooth.
Place bread slices into the egg mixture and soak for about 30 seconds to a minute. Make sure that the slice is completely saturated/soaked.
Heat a skillet over medium-heat heat and add some oil (a tablespoon or so) for frying.
Carefully place an egg-soaked brioche slice into the skillet and reduce stove heat to medium-low.
Fry for a few minutes on each side. You want the french toast to brown on one side before flipping, and then only flip once.
Once golden brown on both sides, remove from skillet. Repeat the frying steps for the remaining pieces of the brioche.
Serve while warm.
serveenjoy!
TIPS & TRICKS
COOKING THE FRENCH TOAST
You want to cook french toast on medium or medium-low heat. This allows the egg custard mixture to cook all the way through without burning the exterior. Cooking it too high will yield a cooked crust and raw inside.
MILK
For an extra creamy egg custard mixture, use whole cow milk! You can also use alternative milk, such as almond, soy, coconut, and oat milk (I personally love this recipe with oat milk!). Just be careful not to add too much milk, as it can make the egg custard will make it soggy.
FRENCH TOAST TOPPINGS
Here are some ideas you can try as toppings for your french toast: whipped cream, maple syrup, fresh fruits or berries, chocolate chips, nuts, peanut butter, Nutella, powdered sugar, and chocolate sauce.
VARIATIONS YOU MAY ENJOY
Try replacing the ground cinnamon with other spices, like pumpkin spice mix, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, ground ginger, apple pie spice mix, etc!
HOW TO STORE
Place in an air-tight container and store in the fridge for 3-4 days or place in the freezer (place parchment between each slice if you’re going to stack them) for up to 3 months.