Ian's Huevos Rancheros

For Mother's Day, my husband took the helm in the kitchen and I was like YESSSSSSSSS.

He cooked, he cleaned, and did I mention that he'd also shopped for all of the ingredients? 

He made his version of huevos rancheros, a traditional Mexican breakfast dish. One of our favorites. Last night I told him I wanted to blog about it today, so he gave me the run-down:

H U E V O S    R A N C H E R O S

Ingredients:

Corn tortillas

Eggs

Refried beans

Salsa verde (green)

Sausage (chorizo is the traditional choice)

Avocado

White cheese (cotija is traditional and can be found at most grocery stores)

Black olives, sliced

Sour cream

Lime wedges

Cilantro, for garnish

He started off by warming up some refried beans on the stovetop in a pot. Then he heated some olive oil in a pan and browned the corn tortillas on each side. Onto a plate they went. Next he fried some eggs. I don't love a gooey runny yolk, so he fried mine over hard -- his was over easy. If you're adding sausage, you can throw this into the pan now to start warming it up. He used some leftover sausage we had from a meal earlier in the week, but chorizo is the traditional sausage choice.

Once the beans were heated and the eggs were cooked, he topped the corn tortillas with the beans, a fried egg or two, and poured salsa over top. He then added the sausage, avocado slices, some sliced black olives, crumbled white cheese, a hearty dollop of sour cream, and two lime wedges. We have cilantro growing in our raised cedar bed outside, so we garnished with that.

As we were devouring this breakfast, we also agreed it would make a perfect dinner as well! Full of protein from the beans and eggs, especially if you add sausage, too.

Weekend Breakfasts: Monkey Bread Recipe

We had a can of biscuits in our fridge drawer that was just begging to be made into monkey bread. Like seriously, I'd open the refrigerator and hear, "Hey, hey! You there! Coat us with cinnamon and sugar and butter and brown sugar ... mmmmkay?!"

Who am I to turn that down?

So on Saturday morning I made monkey bread for us, and it was too darn delicious not to share here.

Ingredients
+ 1 12oz can refrigerated biscuits
+ 1/3 cup white sugar
+ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
+ 1/4 cup butter
+ 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
+ almonds and raisins, if desired

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray your loaf pan with some non-stick spray. Mix white sugar and cinnamon in a plastic bag. Cut biscuits into quarters with a sharp knife. Shake 4 biscuit pieces in the sugar cinnamon mix at a time. Arrange pieces in the bottom of the prepared pan. Continue until all biscuits are coated and placed in pan. If using nuts and raisins, arrange them in and among the biscuit pieces as you go along. In the microwave, melt the butter with the brown sugar, about 45 seconds or 1 minute. Pour over the biscuits. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a plate. Do not cut! The bread just pulls apart.

Now, tell me that doesn't look amazing?

That can of biscuits is calling you from your fridge, too. 

Our Easter Brunch Menu

As I mentioned on Monday, my parents will be here in Charlotte for Easter Sunday. I have promised Ian not to stress myself into a tizzy over making The Brunch Of The Century (... does anyone elses' husband beg them to keep things simple? Maybe they're actually on to something. Maybe.)

Last night as I lay awake in the middle of the night (ugh), I did some menu planning for this weekend. I want to do as many things ahead of schedule as I can, so I'm pretty happy with this brunch plan.

Easter Brunch 2016

Ham Delights

Fruit Salad with Pineapple, Grapefruit, Mint and Shredded Coconut

Deviled Eggs

Cold Asparagus Dish - TBD

Ham delights are an easy way for us to get in the traditional ham serving for Easter. I can't recall off the top of my head how many carbohydrates are in each piece of bread, so I need to check that out at the store. That will help me determine (due to my gestational diabetes) how many little sandwiches I can eat since I will have some fruit, too. HERE is my go-to recipe for these tasty bites. Easy and classic.

via

Fruit salad will go together beautifully the night before, and I am remembering now that I have some apples in the produce drawer of the fridge that I also may chop up to add in. My mint has already sprung up in a container outside, so that's an easy add-in.

The deviled eggs are Ian's favorite, a great protein source for my diet these days, AND an easy way for us to use the eggs that we plan to dye with Camille on Friday or Saturday. Win-win. I have a vintage milk glass deviled egg platter that I always use for these, but if you don't have a platter like this, there are plenty HERE on Amazon Prime that can reach your doorstep by Saturday.

Wilton platter

And for the last dish, I think for a green I will do some sort of cold asparagus dish. I haven't yet looked up a recipe for this ... do you have any suggestions? I am thinking I will roast it and then toss it with some sort of lemon vinaigrette, maybe a little feta added in, too? Maybe some walnuts?

I'd love to hear what's on your menu for this weekend. Do share!

Overnight Blueberry French Toast Casserole

On New Years Eve I was up to my elbows in food prep ... so I was happy as a clam. Seriously, as spastic, frazzled, and short-tempered as I can sometimes get in the kitchen, I just really love the process of preparing meals. So, taking on the extra little task of prepping a French toast casserole for New Years Day breakfast was definitely something I was willing to take on.

I recently learned about this recipe from a local recipe group I am a member of on Facebook. No need to recreate the wheel here -- I'm just going to point you in the direction of the original recipe. I didn't make any major tweaks except for using the French bread I had on hand and cutting the recipe in half. I also didn't use as much cream cheese as they called for, but this is something you could eyeball. Oh! And I used frozen organic blueberries that I thawed in the sink. Everything else I kept the same.

Overnight Blueberry French Toast

Recipe HERE from allrecipes.com

A quick note on halving the recipe like I did -- it fit perfectly into an 8x8 glass pan, and it fed us for three mornings (two adults and a toddler). So, unless you're feeding a much larger crowd, I feel very confident you could easily halve the recipe and have plenty!

Girlfriend-to-girlfriend note: if you don't have an 8x8 glass dish with a coordinating lid, then check HERE for the deal of the century. This is Prime eligible on Amazon, a great brand, so inexpensive too. I love cooking entrees, side dishes, or casseroles in mine and then just being able to slap the lid right on the leftovers and stick it in the fridge ... no messing with Saran wrap or trying to find a lid to the only Tupperware in your house that will fit your leftovers!

Recipe Repost: Refrigerator Oatmeal

Three years ago, I posted this recipe for overnight oats. This is still one of my very favorite breakfasts to whip up in bulk for the week! You can add in whatever you may have in your fridge or pantry: berries, coconut flakes, chia seeds, honey, a spoonful of peanut butter ... mix and match to your heart's content! Enjoy this repost from July 2012, and happy breakfasting!

- April

+++++++

We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day ... but when it's time to run out of the door in the morning, it's sometimes all too tempting to just grab a quick cup of coffee and call it a meal.

I've always been a breakfast lover, but I am also a bit of a procrastinator.  In the morning, every minute counts when it comes to getting ready -- and I hate being late to work.  I want a breakfast that is simple, healthy, and quick to grab.

Refrigerator oatmeal is an easy concept that you prepare the night before, and the best part is, preparation only takes a minute or two.

While there are many variations out there, I choose a pretty simple mixture of 1/4 cup uncooked steel-cut oats and 1/2 cup vanilla-flavored almond milk.

I vary the add-ins based on what I have on hand.  Frozen banana slices are an easy add-in, and these diced apples were tasty.  Other favorites have been diced peaches and blueberries.  Tomorrow I'll try adding in strawberries that I picked up at the farmer's market on Saturday.

Cinnamon is always a good add-in for me, and sometimes I add in a half or full packet of a sweetener.  Honey would be a great substitute.

Top it with a lid and give it a good shake ... into the fridge it goes overnight!

The next morning, this can be enjoyed cold with a spoon right out of the jar.  It has a consistency like muesli -- very good for a warm summer morning.

Have you tried this recipe yet?  What quick weekday breakfast do you enjoy most?

Sausage & Egg Breakfast Enchiladas

We made a commitment for 2015 to be a year of cleaner and healthier eating.

And today I will be sharing a recipe for gooey, cheesy breakfast enchiladas.

Yep.

SAUSAGE AND EGG BREAKFAST ENCHILADAS

1 lb. breakfast sausage (I just removed the casing)

4 eggs

6 flour tortillas (soft taco size)

1 can red enchilada sauce

Mexican shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet, cook the sausage until it is crumbled and browned. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Pour off some of the sausage grease, reserving some to scramble the eggs. Pour 1/3 of the red enchilada sauce into the bottom of a small baking dish. Load each tortilla with sausage, scrambled egg and some shredded cheese. Lay the enchiladas in the baking dish seam side down. Top with the other 2/3 of the enchilada sauce and sprinkle with more cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is golden and melted, about 10-12 minutes.  

Worth the gym trip.

The Perfect Homemade Latte

I'm so, so excited about this.
We are making world-class lattes at home!

Some amazing genius put a milk frother in my husband's stocking. Okay, okay, it was me. This is basically a way of justifying December purchases to yourself ... buy it, then gift it to your husband, then start using it yourself.

I bought this milk frother for a few dollars at World Market. Online they are selling them in 3-packs, so if you don't have a World Market close by or if you just prefer to buy in bulk, here's the link. They are selling 3 for $8.97 -- a total steal!

Making a latte using these is so easy. And at 6:45am, easy is good.

We start out by pouring about 1" of milk in our mug. (If you want to add sugar, you can do so before microwaving.) Heat in the microwave for one minute, until steaming hot but not boiling. Using frother, touch tip to the top of the steamed milk, then turn on for about 5-10 seconds to create the frothed milk. Then, just pour your hot coffee right on top of it -- we have a Keurig so we just brew a small mug size right on top of the milk.

There are certainly many "fancy" brands of frothers out there, maybe some that will outlast this one, but so far it's been awesome. It's battery powered so not good for the dishwasher but is cleaned with a simple rinse of the metal part in the sink.

  

We've been loving our weekend lattes, and the past two mornings I've made a chai tea latte with the frother, some milk, and the boxed Oregon Chai latte mix. Delicious!

It's not too early to purchase stocking stuffers for next year ... would this be a hit in your house?

Breakfast In Bed

Yesterday's avocado toast recipe has me on a bit of a breakfast kick, so hang with me! I am curious - do you make big breakfasts? On the weekdays, I'm more of a grab + go girl ... favorites of mine are as follows:

+ Sliced up fruit (apples, oranges, grapefruit, pears)
+ Solo cup with 3/4 cup cereal and almond or soy milk
+ Instant oatmeal jazzed up with chia seeds and Craisins
+ Refrigerator oats (recipe) with chia seeds, flaxseed, cinnamon, and banana pieces

The weekends call for a little bit more fanfare, and I'll totally divulge that I'm spoiled rotten on Saturdays and Sundays -- Ian's the one lacing up the metaphorical apron and frying up our eggs and bacon and toasting the English muffins. I just love it.

I do keep a Pinterest board called Breakfast In Bed where I capture all of my fun breakfast inspiration. You know, for that time if and when I ever decide to grab the apron from Ian in the morning. Here are some of my must-makes!

Berries & Cream Cheese Monkey Bread

Pumpkin French Toast Bake

Banana Bread Bars with Brown Butter Frosting

Crockpot Pumpkin Spice Lattes

Coconut Crusted Stuffed French Toast

Maybe it's time that I give one of these a whirl. If I had to choose one to start with, hmm.... this is a toughie! I'd probably go with the blueberry monkey bread.  I mean, does that look yummy with a cup of coffee or what?!

Which one of these would you want to make first?

PS: Five On Friday tomorrow -- hope you will join us!

Avocado Toast

Some mornings I am just in the mood for a savory breakfast.  I do love my sweets (just yesterday you heard me waxing poetic about this past Sunday's Frosted Flake coated French toast), but if I can sneak in a veggie or two to a breakfast, I love to do so.

On our girls trip to New York in March of 2012 (recap here), I first tasted avocado toast and was head over heels.  I recreated this the other morning and it was delicious -- and healthy to boot!

Avocado Toast

One slice bread (I used sourdough)

One half of an avocado

Fresh lemon juice

Red pepper flakes

Kosher salt

In a small bowl, mash together avocado with lemon juice to taste.  I left mine slightly chunky but you could mash into a finer texture if so desired.  Toast bread; top warm toast with avocado-lemon juice mixture.  Sprinkle generously with red pepper flakes and some kosher salt flakes.

If you want to get extra wild and crazy, I think a little sprinkle of feta would be over-the-top fantastic on this toast!  What do you think?

How do you incorporate veggies into your breakfasts?  I'd love to hear some of your go-to ideas.

Easy Breakfast Turnovers

With my family in town this weekend, I decided to step it up for breakfast.  In baby steps. 

{Background: Ian fixes all of our breakfasts over the weekend.}

{Yes, I am spoiled rotten.}

To prove to the fam that I can hold my own in the kitchen -- can't let a hubby show me up now, can I? -- I gathered three little ingredients to create an impressive gourmet breakfast.  I know that sounds contradictory, but bear with me.

Three ingredients is all you need for this one.  And I even added in an "extra credit" fourth ingredient ... I know you are impressed.  Right?!

Start out with regular crescent rolls.
Ingredient one.
  

Roll them out.  Prepare yourself; I told you this was very complex.
  

Separate them down the middle and lengthwise; you'll end up with four perforated rectangles.  Score the seams together to create solid rectangles.
 

My fillings of choice: softened cream cheese, peach preserves, and {drumroll} diced apple for an extra credit ingredient.
 

Place your rectangles on parchment paper on a baking sheet.  Place a little bit of each of your toppings into the bottom of each rectangle.
  

Fold down the tops of each.  (Confused yet?  I know this recipe is way intense ... expert level)

   

Using the tines of your fork, seal the turnover around the three open sides.
  

Brush the tops with egg whites for that perfect Martha-ish finish.
  

Bake according to crescent roll package directions.
 

Let cool slightly, serve on an overly prissy saucer, and in mid-1990s fashion, throw some flour on your forehead.

DONE.

  

Fun fact -- I used to make these for Ian when we first started dating.  I'm pretty sure he thought I was going to to this every weekend of his life and therefore, he proposed.  Just guessing.

Happy (fancy) breakfasting this weekend to you and yours!