Spinach, Mushroom, and Turkey Bacon Scramblers

I know I have posted before about Saturday Morning Scramblers that we enjoy on the weekend- but I thought I would also post this second recipe, because it has been very popular in our house (for breakfast OR lunch!) lately, and is a great change up to regular (and sometimes boring!) scrambled eggs and get some powerful greens at the start of the day.

Ingredients:

4-6 eggs, scrambled

2-3 mushrooms, chopped

2 slices turkey bacon, chopped

1 chive, chopped

1 large handful of spinach, chopped

jack or cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

I like to saute my green onion, mushrooms, turkey, and spinach for a few minutes with a sliver of butter, then I set it aside on a plate. I add my scrambled eggs to the pan with a spot of Coconut Oil, then when they are almost finished, I quickly add everything else back, finish cooking them and to them off with a little shredded cheese. I like this dish because it's high in protein (with eggs, cheese, and turkey bacon) and it adds some great greens right off the bat in the beginning of the day. I love that it all melts together and my toddler eats it by the "shovel full" without picking anything out! Great way to start the day or a great "last minute" lunch when there isn't anything else in the fridge! Enjoy!

Last Minute Valentines Dessert...

So I was debating whether or not to post this because it was a last minute jester over here for our Valentines Day dinner tonight, but I just talked to my sister who inquired about what I was doing... and when I answered, she responded with "Great idea... I am going to whip some up too!" You most likely have the ingredients on hand, if not you could improvise--- or run to the store... or better yet- super surprise them tomorrow, they'll never see it comin'!

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries & Blueberries

Ingredients:

Strawberries

Blueberries

You favorite Chocolate

White Chocolate*** optional

Wax Paper

NOTE: If you are without a favorite chocolate, I will let you borrow mine: Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Pounder Plus.... umm, I could become a "Pounder Plus" if I let my obsession get the best of me- it's that good! :)

Super Simple:

Wash and pat dry your berries, melt your dark chocolate in a glass bowl for 30 second increments in the microwave or use a double boiler on the stove. Dip your strawberries or swirl your blueberries around the bowl with the help of a spatula (remove the blueberries with a toothpick) and place them on a plate lined in Wax Paper. Then melt your white chocolate, spoon it into a small ziplock, cut off the corner and use it as a pastry bag, making swirls on your berries. Pop them in the fridge to harden!

"Sweet Search"- For added fun, package up your sweets and make a scavenger hunt to find them! Make it a tradition, for you and your honey or the kids! Have fun and have a Happy- lovey-dovey-Valentines Day!

Valentine's French Toast

For the Little ones you love...

and the big ones too!

So, here's just something fun you might want to surprise your Valentines with this year... a little love-shaped breakfast! So simple and fast, and something different than all the other days of the week!

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp vanilla

4 slices of dense bread

butter

Toppings:

Fresh berries

Real Maple Syrup

Directions:

In a large flat dish (I use my Pyrex dish) whisk together your eggs, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla. Then soak your dense bread (or day old french bread) in your mixture until it softens- not until the point that it's soggy, but until it softens. Then heat a sliver of butter in your pan on medium heat until it melts, spread it around, and lay your toast in your pan, allowing it to brown on one side before you flip it to the other. Once it's done, lay it on a plate and use a cookie cutter to get your heart shape. Serve both pieces of the toast, sprinkled with fresh berries and real maple syrup! YUM! Happy Valentines Day to your taste buds!

Note: I use Ezekiel bread for this and it works great because it is such a thick bread... but day old french bread works wonderfully too! This recipe will make approximately 4 slices.

Chicken, Basil, & Bell Pepper Quinoa

So for those of you lucky enough to live by a Trader Joe's you can take a peek at the back of their Quinoa Box for this recipe that I have slightly modified... for the rest of you- here is a scrumptious meal, quick to make, and great for leftovers! Thanks Lisa for reminding me of this simple and scrumptious meal that takes only 15-20 minutes to prepare!

Ingredients:
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup Quinoa
2 chicken breasts, washed and chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup sweet onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely diced or minced
1/4 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
1/4 cup parmesan
s & p to taste

Directions:
Get your chicken broth boiling, then add your Quinoa and cook per instructions. In a large skillet, add a drizzle of grape seed oil, then your chopped chicken breasts- season those with your s & p. Once they are browned on one side, flip them and let them begin to brown on the other, in the mean time, add your onion and bell peppers and let them cook for 2 minutes. Add your garlic and give that a good stir and let it cook for another minute. Once your quinoa is done, add that to the pan, toss well, and at the last minute add your parmesan and your basil. Serve this as the main dish and enjoy!

** This is a gluten free meal!

NOTE: If you want to stretch this meal even farther or if you prefer more quinoa to the mix, add an extra cup of broth, and another half a cup of Quinoa when cooking. I think I will make it that way next time- it could definitely be stretched in that way for larger families or to get more leftovers out of it!

Personal Tortilla Pizzas...

Here's a QUICK fix for dinner, kid friendly, and great when there's not a lot left in the fridge. Super perfect for lunches, it makes a great personal pizza, and its fabulous if you have a leftover chicken breast from the day before... here we go!

Ingredients:

** There are no measurements because it is a matter of personal preference (as to how "loaded" you like your pizzas--- as well as how many you are making!***

Brown Rice Tortillas (I get mine at Trader Joe's)

BBQ sauce

grated cheese

cilantro, chopped

red pepper, chopped

red onion, chopped

cooked chicken, chopped

Directions:

Warm up your oven to about 400. Lay your tortillas on a cookie sheet, spread some BBQ sauce on top. Then add your toppings, I used red onion, red pepper, some cilantro, a left over chicken breast, and topped it off with some cheese I had on hand- Monterey Jack, but you could also use Mozerella or your favorite. Then cook them for about 10-12 minutes until the edges of your tortilla are crispy and the tops of your pizzas are golden brown. If you have two cookie sheets in the oven at the same time, switch their placement half way through the cooking time. Cool them for a minute, cut, and serve! I made these for dinner one night and the adults ate between 1 to 1 and a half tortilla pizzas per person- just to give you an idea! You could really get creative with your toppings, I think I am going to try a mushroom, zucchini, chicken pizza next! Stay tuned!

Gluten Free: These pizzas are gluten free because of the tortilla choice, the brown rice tortillas crisp up really well and are sturdy enough to hold the toppings. I haven't tried these with any other kind of tortilla, but if YOU do, let us know how they turn out! Thanks!!

Superbowl Snack

Bean Tacos (or Burritos or Nachos)

Don't forget about this tasty option for the Superbowl this weekend! It is so, so good and only takes about 15 minutes to make!!! I am going to serve it in a bowl along with corn chips and let people snack on it like a dip- it's healthy and filling and will be the newest addition to my Superbowl cravings!

Here's another great recipe, super easy, passed on to my from my sister. Honestly, this meal has such little prep and comes together so quickly it's a great last minute choice. You can prepare your own beans from scratch (by soaking them over night and boiling them the next morning) or you can used canned.

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked pinto or black beans

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 cup salsa (I used Trader Joe's chunky jarred salsa)

1/2 cup onion, diced

1 cup frozen corn

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp fresh cilantro, chopped

corn tortillas

Directions: Chop and dice your onion and green pepper, throw them in a pan with a little grape seed oil and saute them for about 3-4 minutes. Then add in your beans, salsa, cumin, and corn. Stir and cook for about 3 more minutes. Remove your pan from the heat, add your chopped cilantro, give it a final stir and scoop a portion into a warmed tortilla! Easy as can be and as tasty as all get out!

*** Make sure you use a salsa that you like, jarred works better than fresh, but use your favorite because it will make or break the recipe. Also, this makes great left overs "nacho style"- scoop it up with a crunchy tortilla chip for your lunch or a quick snack!

Sweet Balsamic Dressing

OK, so the other night I went to find my recipe for sweet balsamic and I realized I never posted it individually, just with the Pomegranate Salad. But, truth be told, I use this dressing when ever I make a "sweeter" salad- like one that involves apples, pears, crans, or candied nuts. It doesn't have as much "zip" as my other favorite balsamic dressing (I tend to use that one with more veggie oriented salads), so it brings a different flavor and milder element to any great salad. It also works well on spinach salads.

Ingredients

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/8 cup olive oil

1/8 cup honey

1/2 tsp soy sauce or Braggs Liquid Aminos (for gluten free friends)

1/2 tsp yellow mustard

Directions:

Two choices, either whisk it together or put it all in a jar and shake, shake, shake! Store in an air tight container if there is left overs.