150 Calorie Caliente Breakfast Sandwich

I love simple, healthy, low-cal, grab and go breakfasts in the morning. These sandwiches can be pre-made, refrigerated, and reheated in the morning. This recipe makes 4, so you'll have one Monday through Thursday. However, they take right under 10 minutes to make, so if you want them fresh, it won't ruin your morning.

Grocery list (4 sandwiches): 

• 4 English muffins

• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 cup egg whites

• 1 cup baby spinach - chopped fine

• Kosher salt and pepper

• 1/2 avocado - sliced thin

• Sriracha or hot sauce, to taste

Directions:  

Cut English muffins in half. Using your hands, scoop out and discard some of the bread on the inside (this is not compeletely necessary but will save you calories and carbs). Toast the muffins in a toaster until golden.

Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over low heat, and swirl around until the bottom of the pan is covered in the oil and glistening. Add the egg whites and sprinkle the spinach over top with a dash of salt and pepper. Scramble eggs, pressing down flat, so when they're done cooking they all stick together. Turn off the heat and using a spatula, cut eggs into 4 equal servings.

Place eggs on the English muffins, folding over to fit the sandwich, if needed. Top with the avocado and sriracha or hot sauce.

CHEERS TO HAPPY EATING!!!

Vanilla Bean Whisky French Toast with Cream Maple Syrup

French toast was the first thing I ever learned to cook as a kid. With a lot of practice and tweeking over the years, I've created the best French toast ever: this recipe.  

Grocery list:  

Syrup  

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Toast

• 1 loaf challah bread

• 3 tablespoons flour

• 3 eggs, plus 2 yolks

• 3/4 cup half and half

• 1/4 cup heavy cream

• 1 tablespoon honey bourbon or regular bourbon

• 2 teaspoons vanilla paste

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions: 

Make the syrup in a small saucepan by whisking together the maple syrup, sugar, butter, and cream until smooth. Keep warm.  

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium. Slice bread into 8 - 1/2 inch pieces. In a large shallow bowl, whisk together the flour, eggs, half and half, heavy cream, bourbon, vanilla paste, sugar, cinnamon, and salt until smooth. 

Dip bread pieces in the mixture and turn, completely soaking on both sides. The pieces should be completely soaked - I let mine sit in the mixture for about 10 minutes. Butter the skillet and cook the bread for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden but stil slightly squishy soft in the middle. Serve with the cream syrup. 

Christmas Tree Pizza Bar

A few weeks ago, I was eating pizza when I looked down at one piece and a thought occurred to me that is never had before: upside down pizza looks like a Christmas tree. So of course, I had to turn it into a recipe. This is so much fun to do with friends and family, and I bet kids would love it! the toppings are all up to you, but I stuck to red and green ones to make it extra festive! Because this recipe is very freestyle, I've included plenty of pictures to inspire y'all! 

Grocery list (makes 24 trees):

• 3 pizza dough balls (store bought or homemade)

• Vodka Sauce

• Marinara

• Basil pesto

• Shredded Mozzarella

• Freshly grated Parmesan

• Crumbled Goat cheese

• Shredded Smoked Gouda

• Pepperoni

• Proscuitto

• Cooked ground sausage or mini meatballs

• Cooked bacon - crumbled

• Sun dried tomatoes - chopped

• Banana peppers - chopped

• Roasted red pepper - chopped

• Basil - chopped

• Jalapeno - sliced

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• Balsamic vinegar

• Solid wrapping paper or table cloth - optional

• White or black paint pen or Sharpie - optional

Directions:  

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Roll out each dough ball into a 12 inch circle. Slice each circle into halves, then fourths, then eighths to make 8 "tree shaped" triangles out of each circle. You should have exactly 24. Using a pairing knife, one tree at a time, cut 2 slits at the base and trim the extra dough to make a "trunk." Line the trees onto olive oil greased baking sheets and partially bake the trees for about 3 minutes. Place the trees on a platter or pizza peel to serve. 

2. Line a table, buffet, or bar with solid color wrapping paper or a plastic table cloth. Prep ingredients by placing each one in a bowl, glass, board, or platter - get creative, you can display them however you'd like. Place them on the lined table starting with the sauces, then the cheeses, then the meats, then the extras. 

3. Once they're all in the exact place you want to display them, label each ingredient by writing on the wrapping paper or tablecloth with the marker. Place the platter of pizzas at the start of the pizzas bar. Let everyone build their pizzas then place them back in the oven for about 4 more minutes. 

 CHEERS TO A HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!! 

Perfect Lobster Rolls

The fall of our first anniversary, Tres and I visited New England, and I was introduced to what is now one of my favorite foods on earth: an authentic lobster roll! I'm a "when in Rome" kind of traveler, so whatever I'm supposed to eat, drink, or do in a city, I do it! We visited Portland, Cape Cod, Salem, Plymouth, and Boston. Between those five cities, I may have had 20 lobster rolls.. No joke! So I had to recreate it, and I tried to make it as authentic as possible! 

SEE THE VIDEO HERE!! 

Ingredients (makes 8 rolls)– 

Homemade Mayo:

• 2 large egg yolks

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar

• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

• Dash of salt

• Dash of sugar

• 1-1 ½ cups vegetable oil (or any oil neutral in flavor)

Rolls:

• 3 large lobsters – meat removed from tails and claws and chopped into large pieces

• 1/3 cup homemade mayo

• 2 stalks celery – diced small

• 2 tbsp fresh chives – minced, plus extra for garnish

• 1 tbsp fresh dill – minced

• ½ tsp salt (to taste)

• 8 hot dog buns

• ½ cup butter - melted

Directions:

1. Make the mayo. In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk together the eggs yolks, lemon juice, vinegar, Dijon, salt and sugar until thoroughly mixed. ON high speed, slowly drip the oil into the mixture, drop by drop. Once it starts to come together and become light in color, stream the rest of the oil in slowly. This does take a good bit of time, but it’s worth it in the end. When the mayo comes together and is light in color, spoon it into a container or jar and set aside on the counter. (Homemade mayo makes all the difference in this recipe)

2. In a large bowl, combine the lobster meat, homemade mayo, celery, chives, dill, and salt. Stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed. (Cook’s note: I like to use live lobster for this recipe. You don’t have to but if your food is alive hours before you eat it, I promise it will taste better.)

3. Heat a grill pan to high heat. Brush the inside of the hot dog buns generously with the melted butter. Place on the grill cut side down for about 1-2 minutes or until charred. Fill each bun with the lobster mixture. Top with extra chives.

Muffaletta Crostini

Being so close to New Orleans, it's no surprise Muffalettas are a regular tailgate food at LSU games. When I travel to New Orleans, I always make sure to eat a Muffaletta at some point on the trip -- there's just nothing like a delicious olive salad stacked with some of the best meats that exist, squished in between two pieces of bread. I thought for gameday it may be fun to do Muffalettas with a twist. Small bites are great for tailgating and parties, so I took the well-known sandwich and turned it into bite sized crostinis! 

Grocery list: 

• 1 french loaf

• Olive oil

• 1 cup pimento stuffed olives - chopped

• 3/4 cup kalamata olives - chopped

• 1/2 cup pepperoncini - chopped

• 1/2 carrot - peeled and minced

• 1/2 celery stick - minced

• 2 garlic cloves - minced

• 1 1/2 tsp oregano

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 1/4 tsp pepper

• 15 salami deli slices

• 15 proscuitto deli slices

• 8 slices provolone cheese

Directions: 

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut french bread into about 30 slices and place on a baking sheet. Brush bread with olive oil and bake for about 6-8 minutes. 

2. In a medium bowl, add the pimento stuffed olives, kalamata olives, pepperoncini, carrot, celery, garlic, oregano, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. Mix together well. Refrigerate until ready to use - at least one hour to get full flavor. 

3. Cut the salami and proscuitto deli slices in half and cut the provolone slices into fourths - you should have 30 pieces of each. Take each crostini and top with the proscuitto, then the salami, then the provolone. Spoon some of the olive salad over the top and serve. 

CHEERS TO FOOTBALL FOOD!!! 

Pizza Trio

Pizza makes me think back to all times I've ever had friends over to play around in the kitchen with me. With pizza, you can mix and match ingredients and everyone can have fun coming up with their own pizza combos. I love having friends over for homemade pizza parties, and these three pizzas happen to be my favorite flavor combos I've discovered! 

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL VIDEO!!!!! 

Grocery List (4-6 people for 3 pizzas)

Pizza Dough (makes 3 medium pizzas):

• ¼ cup dry white wine

• 2 packages of Pizza Crust yeast (no rise necessary)

• 1 tbsp honey

• 1 tsp Kosher salt

• 4 tbsp olive oil

• 3 ½ cups flour (plus extra for kneading)

Apple, Smoked Gouda, & Bacon Pizza:

• ¼ cup good quality extra virgin olive oil

• 1 small onion – sliced thin

• Kosher salt

• 1 small Granny Smith Apple – sliced thin

• 6 oz smoked gouda 5 slices bacon – fried and crumbled

Fig, Burrata, & Prosciutto Pizza:

• ¼ cup good quality extra virgin olive oil

• 10-12 dry black mission figs – chopped

• 8 oz burrata cheese (or mozzarella) – sliced

• 4 oz prosciutto – sliced

BLT pizza:

• 2 tbsp sour cream

• 1 tbsp mayo

• 1 lemon – juiced

• 1 tsp garlic - minced

• 2 tbsp chives – chopped

• Kosher Salt

• Pepper

• 2 medium Heirloom tomatoes – sliced ½ inch thick

• 8 slices of bacon – fried

• 2 cups arugula

• 2 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

Pizza Dough:

1. Combine the wine with 1 cup of water and heat in a microwave until it’s 100-110 degrees. Add it to a stand mixer with the yeast, honey, salt, and 3 tbsp of the olive oil. Stir with your hand to combine.

2. With a dough hook attached begin mixing at medium-high speed, slowly adding 1 cup of flour at a time until dough begins to form and is slightly sticky. If it’s too sticky, add more flour. (Cook’s Note: You don’t have to use a stand mixer to make pizza dough. You can just as easily do it manually by putting the wet ingredients into a bowl and slowly incorporating the flour with a wooden spoon until it all comes together).

3. On a well-floured surface, bring dough together in a ball and knead for about 3-4 minutes or until smooth and elastic, adding flour to the board if it sticks. Pour the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil into a bowl and spread around with your fingers so the oil completely covers the inside of the bowl. Put the ball of dough in the bowl and roll around, covering in olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside until ready to use.

4. When ready to use, flour your board again so dough doesn’t stick. Cut the dough into three even pieces. One at a time, using a rolling pin, roll each piece out into an oval/rectangle shape and place on a baking sheet covered with a thin layer of olive oil. Get ready to build your pizzas! (Cook’s note: you should have your ingredients ready to go once you roll your dough out. If dough sits in open air too long, it can become dry and crack).

Apple, Smoked Gouda, & Bacon Pizza:

Heat oven to 475 degrees. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a sauté pan. and sauté onions with a sprinkle of salt until soft and light brown in color. Pour olive oil mixture over prepared pizza dough and spread evenly. Top with smoked gouda, apples, and bacon. Bake for 10-12 minutes until crust is light brown and crisp.

Fig, Burrata, & Prosciutto Pizza:

Spread olive oil evenly over prepared pizza dough. Top with figs, burrata, and prosciutto. Bake for 10-12 minutes until crust is light brown and crisp.

BLT Pizza:

In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream, mayo, juice of half the lemon, garlic, chives, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and spread evenly over prepared pizza dough. Top with sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Bake for 10-12 minutes until crust is light brown and crisp. Toss arugula in a medium bowl with the juice of the other lemon half, olive oil, and a dash of salt and pepper. Top cooked pizza with arugula salad.

Truffle Sliders

Once upon a time, I took Tres to the Pearl Jam concert at Wrigly Field in Chicago, and since then we have become Chicago summer regulars. In addition to an awesome concert scene and perfect weather, Chicago has easily become one of my favorite food cities. I had the best sliders of my entire life at Sable Kitchen and Bar in this great city! We found out about the place from a local, and the cocktails and food did not disappoint. When visiting a city with tons of great restaurants, we rarely go back to the same restaurant more than once, but we ended up at Sable three times for their truffle sliders!! So of course, I had to recreate them when I got home, and I have to say, mine are pretty close to the real thing! 

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE!!! 

Grocery List: 

• 2 tbsp oo

• 2 tbsp butter

• 2 onions - sliced thin

• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

• 2 tsp salt

• 1 tsp pepper

• 1 lb Ground Chuck (80 lean/20 fat)

• 3 oz truffle butter - room temperature

• 4 oz Taleggio or Havarti cheese

• 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp honey

• 10 mini burger buns or rolls

• 1/4 cup mayo

• 1 tsp truffle oil

Directions: 

1) Heat grill to medium-high. On your stovetop, heat olive oil and butter in a large sauté pan over medium-low. Add onions, balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Put the lid over the pan and let onions cook, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and let onions continue to cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. When ready they should be soft, brown, and caramelized. 

2) While the onions cook, prep the sliders. In a medium bowl, add ground chuck, 2 oz truffle butter, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Mix ingredients together lightly with a fork - just enough to combine. Be careful to not over mix or the meat will get tough. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, shape the meat into 10 patties. In the center of each patty, make an indention with your thumb (this will keep sliders from puffing up too much when grilling). 

3) Add 1 tbsp of honey to the leftover 1 oz truffle butter and mix together. Open each burger bun and spread the mixture on the inside of each bun. 

4) Place buns on the grill, cut side down and toast for about 1 minute. Grill sliders for about 2 minutes on each side. When you flip the burgers, top each one with a slice of cheese and close the lid the last minute. 

5) In a small bowl, add the mayo, truffle oil, and 1 tsp honey and mix together. Build burgers by spreading the mayo mixture on the buns. Top with the cheesy burger and the caramelized onions. 

CHEERS TO HAPPY EATING!!! 

Quick & Easy Pumpkin French Toast

I always love to wake up on a weekend morning, make myself a cup of coffee, and sit outside on the balcony and enjoy the day. Sometimes, I like to make myself a quick breakfast before. This morning was one of those mornings. I woke up starving, but I didn't want to waste the beautiful day away cooking for hours. I found a few things in the pantry and created something I think we can all agree to like this time of year: Pumpkin French Toast! Y'all, this took 15 minutes and the enjoyment it gave me will last me all day!

Grocery list (2 people):

3 eggs

3 tbsp cream

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp honey

2 heaping tbsp canned pumpkin

Pinch of salt

Butter Bread (I like a fresh loaf but you can use any you have on hand)

Directions:

Step 1:

In a shallow dish combine the eggs, cream, spice, vanilla, honey, pumpkin, and salt with a fork until smooth.

Step 2:

Over medium heat, add butter to a griddle or pan.

Dip sliced bread into egg mixture.

Step 3:

Fry bread for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden.

CHEERS TO HAPPY EATING!!!

Berry Vanilla French Toast

French toast is one of the first meals I ever remember cooking. I've always heard that most kids learn to cook for the first time by making breakfast, and in my case, this proves to be true. French toast was always one of my favorite make-at-home breakfasts, and I remember when I got old enough, it was just the easiest thing in the world to jump in the kitchen early in the morning, mix up some eggs with milk, add a splash of vanilla, some sugar, some cinnamon, and dip whatever bread we had in the pantry into the mix and fry it up in butter. That was the quickest, easiest way to make French toast, and as a youngun, I always felt like such a great cook making this meal! Here's a fancier version of one of the simplest breakfasts in the world: Berry Vanilla French Toast. Fruity and fabulous.

Grocery list (4 people):

1/3 cup blueberries

1/3 cup blackberries

2 tbsp sugar

5 eggs

1/2 cup cream

1 tsp vanilla

1 vanilla bean scraped

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1 tbsp honey

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 loaf Challah bread

Step 1:

Mash the blueberries and blackberries in a bowl with a fork or potato masher, add sugar and stir together. Set aside.

Step 2:

In a shallow bowl or pan, lightly whisk together the eggs, cream, vanilla extract, vanilla bean, ginger, honey, and salt. Add half of the berry mixture and whisk until combined.

Step 3:

Make the syrup. In a small saucepan, add the reserved mashed berries, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat.

Step 4:

Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cut bread into 1/2 inch slices. Dip bread into the egg mixture on each side. Make sure each slice has plenty of egg mixture on it. Fry slices until golden brown on each side. Top with the warm berry syrup.

CHEERS TO HAPPY EATING!!!

Fig Toast

One of my favorite things to do on a Saturday or Sunday morning is tip-toe out of bed without waking Tres and have breakfast made for him before he gets up. I make my coffee, pull out whatever ingredients I picked up from the market during the week, and create something with whatever I have on hand. I never turn on the TV or listen to the radio. I just simply enjoy the silence I have in the kitchen. It's so relaxing. I did this very thing yesterday and loved the recipe I made so I wanted to share it with you. We've all heard of Avocado Toast but for a much "sweeter" version, try Fig Toast!

Grocery List (for 2):

2 pieces thick cut bread

2 tbsp butter

4 ripe figs - chopped

1 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp salt

1 inch honeycomb (or more honey)

Balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Step 1:

Toast and butter the bread.

Step 2:

With a fork, smash the figs together in a bowl with the honey, cinnamon, and salt. Spread the mixture thickly and evenly over the bread.

Step 3:

Slice and crumble the honeycomb over top of the mixture. If you don't have honeycomb, no problem! Just drizzle a little more honey over the top.

Step 4:

Drizzle the toast with balsamic.

CHEERS TO HAPPY EATING!!!