Breakfast Pasta

I don't know why, but occasionally a strange idea occurs to me, like it did this morning.  And when the inspiration and urge strike... why not follow it through?

Hence, breakfast pasta.  Which pleased everyone but the 2 year old.. he isn't pleased with any food these days.

Ingredients:
3 large sausage links (I used chicken & spinach)
4 slices bacon (I used turkey thin & crispy)
1 onion, chopped
1 piece celery, chopped
1 tsp. parsley
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. butter
5 eggs
4 cups chicken broth
1 box quinoa veggie curl pasta
shredded cheese (optional)



In a small pot, bring chicken broth to boil.  Meanwhile, melt your butter in a large skillet and saute the onions and celery. In skillet #2, cook your bacon until crispy.  Once bacon is cooked, remove to a bowl and cook your sausage (as whole links).  In skillet #1, if onions and celery are about done, add parsley, black pepper, and eggs.  Scramble, then remove from heat.  Once chicken broth is boiling, add pasta and cook according to package directions.  Cut up bacon into tiny strips (I used kitchen scissors) and add to egg mixture.  Remove sausage from skillet and slice into medallions.  Add sausage also to egg mixture.  Mix it all up.  Once pasta is ready, drain.

To serve, put a scoop of pasta in a bowl, add egg mixture and mix up. Top with cheese.

YUM

Hungarian Paprikash

I'm not Hungarian, but any stretch of the imagination. And while most of the time I do try to post pretty authentic recipes on my blog, this one is not.  By any stretch of the imagination. But if I was reading a book about people eating Paprikash in Hungary.. this is what I think it would taste like.

This would be easily adaptable to the crock pot, but I did it on the stove top, because I finally was freed from being snowed in, and ran around all day before starting dinner. So this is my easy prep method instead.

Ingredients:
2 small onions
5 potatoes
3 cloves garlic
2 tbsp. Hungarian paprika
1 pkg. turkey sausage (I used sweet Italian)
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. black pepper
2 tbsp. olive oil
tomatoes-- about 3 cans (I try to avoid industrial canned tomatoes and was lucky enough to have a large mason jar of garden fresh canned tomatoes that my Mema & Pepa made me-- you can't get much better than that!!)
1 cup water

If you are in a hurry, prepare the potatoes as though you were baking them in the microwave, and in fact, microwave them until almost done.  Meanwhile, pour the olive oil in the pan and add the chopped onion and garlic, stirring consistently over medium heat.  Once the potatoes are about baked, dice them up and add to the pan.  Continue stirring, and let the potatoes start to form a crust.  Slice up your sausage and add on top (mine was still frozen).  Add the paprika, and mix well.  Reduce heat, and add tomatoes and water.  Cook over low heat for about an hour or until sausage meat is cooked, then season with salt and pepper. If you have time to cook longer, it will taste better!

Serve alone or topped with a dollop of sour cream.  Perfect for a winter day.

This is a hit with the whole family, not too spicy for anyone. If the hubby and I were alone, I might add 1/4 tsp. cayenne.  But the baby ate two bowlsful.

Kale Chips

I can't believe it! I just looked back and apparently have never shared the recipe for kale chips.  These have been another cold weather treat.... that have never, in my past two years of making them, lasted long enough for me to take a picture.

But this is a healthy, easy, tasty snack.  Did I mention easy?

What you need-- some fresh kale, some olive oil, some sea salt.

Directions:
Wash and chop your kale.  Drain in a colander and then dump in a bowl.  Pour some olive oil over it, a couple tablespoons worth, and toss.  Then sprinkle sea salt over, tossing again.  (The olive oil helps the salt stick.)


Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Dump the kale on the aluminum foil and bake for about 8 minutes on 375.  Then eat straight.  My kids can put away 2 (convection oven sized) panfuls in about 15 minutes.

Snow In Georgia

If you're not from the south, you may not realize that snow in the south is a crippling thing. We don't own many snowplows, there's never (somehow) enough salt, and roads become impassible.  Which means school gets cancelled, work gets cancelled, and everyone's cold and hungry.

I've been working (more than) full time for a few months now, and it has definitely cut into my blogging time. But due to request, I am going to make it a priority to be more diligent.

Two days ago, I was looking at 4 people here in the house, 2 under the age of 10 who run and therefore eat constantly.  So I got up that morning at 5 resolved-- I will use ALL of my crockpots and make all my meals in them.  I almost succeeded.

Breakfast-- I used my new, latest, great toy, a itty bitty crockpot to make oatmeal.

My recipe:
1 cup goat's milk
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cup rolled oats
1 pink lady apple
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. cinnamon.

Wash and chop the apple. Dump everything in and cook on high for about 2 hours.  Even the child that "doesn't like" oatmeal ate it up.

Lunch-- I pulled a frozen meal out of the freezer .. honey lentils that I made a while back.  I threw the ziploc bag, still frozen in a sink of water for 30 minutes.  Then pulled it out, loosened it, and stuck in a mid size crockpot on low until lunch time.  I made rice to accompany it.

Dinner-- I washed the small crockpot from breakfast and made spinach dip.
Spinach Dip:
1 block cream cheese
1-2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
2 tbsp. sundried tomatoes, chopped finely
1/2 bag frozen spinach
1 dash tabasco
Dump all in small crockpot and cook on high for about an hour.  Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.

The kids wanted spaghetti.  We make SEVERAL versions around here, but here's my latest:

1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped finely
olive oil
basalmic vinegar
1 cup frozen spinach
1 cup mushrooms (I used frozen)
1 lb. ground turkey
1 jar ragu (I used Barilla)
2 tsp. rosemary
2 tsp. basil
2 tsp. oregano
4 tsp. parsley
1 tsp. black pepper


Throw all ingredients in the crock pot and turn it on low.  Cook as long as possible... the longer you cook it, the better it will taste.  I throw the meat in still frozen, and then wander by a few hours later to chop it up with a spatula down in the pot.
To serve, cook some noodles and dump the sauce over.  I use rice noodles, because we're gluten free.  Regardless, when you boil your water, before you add the noodles, add a tbsp or so of olive oil and a pinch of salt. It helps keep the noodles from sticking together and makes it all taste fabulous.

All this took less than an hour prep time, I also made kale chips, and everyone enjoyed cheap, healthy (ish) hot food all day long!