Fruity Baked Oatmeal

 I have wanted to try making baked oatmeal for a while now. This recipe from Taste of Home, caught my eye because it looked so easy.  When I'm making breakfast on a weekday, I'm always looking for something easy.  This was really good, but as suggested in the comments of the recipe, I used a lot less brown sugar (I think only about a 1/2 a cup) and used more fruit than listed.  I used frozen strawberries instead of an apple, because, to be honest, it was easier than peeling and chopping an apple at 5 in the morning.  I also added some ground flax seed for some extra goodness.  This was also great reheated in the microwave for the next couple breakfasts.

NOTE:  I have a banana in this picture, not sure why, I used Blueberries, not a banana.

Fruity Baked Oatmeal
From: Taste of Home

Ingredients:
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup fat-free milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup chopped peeled tart apple or frozen strawberries
1/3 cup chopped fresh or frozen peaches
1/3 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon Add 1-2 Tbsp ground flax seed if desired.

2. Combine the eggs, milk and butter; add to the dry ingredients.  Stir in fruit. (I defrosted the peaches and strawberries, but did not thaw the blueberries).

3. Pour into an 8 in. square baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cut into squares and serve with milk.

Corn Chowder

I love corn. I love corn chowder. However, I have not found a corn chowder recipe that I have used more than once.  They either tend to be overly creamy, have no flavor, have too many exotic ingredients, or are too much work. Then, I saw this recipe from My Baking Addiction and knew it would be a good one to try.  I didn't follow her exact recipe, since i didn't have the exact spices, and I chose to leave several elements out, but it turned out to be just what I was looking for! One of the reasons I really liked this soup is that I didn't have to do anything to the corn before adding it other than cutting it off the cob.

Note: If you like bacon in your soup, you should definitely use the original recipe.  I don't really like the smell of bacon grease when I cook it, and in fact I'm not really big on eating it either, so I modified my soup.  I know it is an ingredient that people are big on right now, so I don't want to keep you from using it if bacon makes you happy. :)  I also only used 1 cup of cream instead of 2, and only 1 potato, I liked the thinness of the soup (especially for a summer soup), but both could be added to thicken it up a bit more.

Corn Chowder
From: My Baking Addiction


Ingredients:
2-3 Tbs vegetable oil
1 sweet onion, diced
2 carrots peeled and chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/8 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (more if you like some heat)
5-6 cups chicken stock (I actually did 4 cups and 1 cup water)
1 cup heavy cream
1-2 Potatoes, peeled and diced
6-8 ears of corn



Directions:
1. In large pot or dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic and cook until the veggies are soft (8-10 min). 

2.  Dust vegetables with flour, chili powder, smoked paprika, thyme, and crushed red pepper flakes; stir to coat well.  Cook vegetables, flour, and seasoning for 2 minutes; stir frequently

3. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Add the cream and potatoes, bring to a rapid boil.  Allow soup to boil hard for about 7 minutes, until the potatoes break down.  This process will help thicken the soup.

4.  Cut the corn kernels off the cobs and add to the soup.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer until the corn is soft and  about 10-12 minutes.

5.  Stir in parsley and ladle soup into bowls.  Garnish with green onions if desired.

Additional Notes: Optional ingredients that I did not add but might try next time I make the soup
2 cups cooked and shredded chicken from a rotisserie chicken
green onions, sliced for garnish (I forgot to buy these, so we didn't use them)

Buffalo Chicken Bites

I saw this recipe on Friday from Pennies on a Platter blog, and I knew I needed to try them when we were watching football on the weekend.  These were just perfect for football snacking.  They aren't nearly as messy to eat as wings,  and they are baked instead of fried which is a plus. I used the least amount of hot sauce directed, and it was very mild, I will definitely step it up next time.  Also, some of the balls were a little large, next time I might make them a smidgen smaller. Overall, I strongly suggest trying them this football season you won't be disappointed!

Buffalo Chicken Bites
From: Pennies on a Platter


Ingredients:
3 cups shredded cooked chicken or I used 1 rotisserie chicken (can be shred in a food processor)
1/4 to 1/2 cup hot sauce (I would do 1/2 cup next time - 1/4 cup is very mild)
4 oz cream cheese, softened (1/2 1 brick)
1 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1 cup all purpose flour
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3-4 cups cornflakes cereal, crushed

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix chicken, cream cheese and hot sauce until combined.  Stir in cheddar cheese and green onions (I forgot to buy green onions, so I just used what I had and still turned out great).

2. In 3 separate bowls, set out the flour, eggs, and cornflakes.  Using a small cookie or ice cream scoop (next time I will use a Mellon baller), spoon out the chicken mixture.  Create a ball and then dip each ball first into the flour, then the egg, and ending with the cornflakes.

3.  Place on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes.  Serve warm with ranch or blue cheese dressing and celery.

Note:  The balls can be made the night before and refrigerated until use. The balls can also be frozen by placing the dipped and uncooked chicken balls onto the parchment lined baking sheet and flash freeze for 15-20 minutes.  Transfer to a freezer bag and store in freezer.  To bake them, place frozen chicken balls on backing sheet and baked at 350 for 25-30 minutes, no need to thaw first.

Brussels Sprouts with Sweet and Spicy Maple Glaze

Brussels sprouts. When I think of them it evokes thoughts of a mushy, blah vegetable. Recently, I have seen them in the farmers market and that has made me want to find a recipe that would change my mind about the sprouts.  I found this recipe and thought "if this recipe can't do it for me, then I might just have to give up on Brussels sprouts."  Fortunately, I really liked the glaze. I also really liked the carrots in the mix.  You can see from the picture that my Brussels sprouts and potatoes were a little large.  It think next time I would use smaller of both so I can get a better glaze to veggie ratio in each bite! :)  It went great with some baked salmon and fresh made bread! 

Brussels Sprouts with Sweet and Spicy Maple Glaze
From: Low... and behold!

Ingredients:
1 cup brussels sprouts
1 cup baby golden dutch potatoes
1/2 cup carrots - sliced
 salt
1 Tbsp vegetable oil

for glaze:
1/2 cup Pure Maple Syrup
1 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 tsp (or more) Red Pepper Flakes

Directions:
1. Wash veggies, trim ends from brussels sprouts and remove outer leaves.  Slice potatoes in half and place in salted boiling water.  Boil for 8-10 minutes, until fork tender.

2. Meanwhile - Combine ingredients for glaze in a small bowl and whisk to combine

3.  Strain brussels sprouts and place in a bowl of ice-water.

4. In a saute pan, heat oil over medium heat and add brussels sprouts, potatoes, and carrots.  Pour in glaze and bring to a slow boil.

5. Reduce to medium-high heat and cook until glaze begins to reduce - about 15 minutes.  Serve.

Killer Marinated Tomatoes

 My mother-in-law has a bunch of tomato plants in her yard and while she was gone for 2 weeks I ended ended up with a lot of tomatoes.  I saw this a for Killer Marinated Tomatoes on Tasty Kitchen.  I'm not a huge fan of bread, but when Ashley posted that she served it over couscous, I knew I needed to give it a try.  I really liked it and ended up making it twice in the last 2 weeks.  Definitely try it this tomato season!

Killer Marinated Tomatoes
From: ButterYum via Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp Fresh Parsley, Chopped
3 Tbsp Fresh Basil, Chopped
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Garlic Salt
1 1/2 tsp Season Salt
3/4 tsp Dried Thyme
1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
3/4 cups Oil
1/2 cup Red Wine Vinegar
3 Whole Scallions, Sliced
6 whole Tomatoes, cut into wedges

Directions
1. Wisk together all the ingredients except the tomato wedges.

2. Add the tomatoes and toss to coat.  Allow to marinate at room temperature for a couple hours, stirring occasionally.

3. Serve over bread or couscous.

Stuffed French Toast

Stuffed French toast always sounds delicious, but I always think it will be too rich or be to time consuming to make.  This Recipe from Tasty Kitchen (one of my favorite places to find recipes) was sweet, but not overly sweet, and was not very difficult at all.  The fresh fruit made it feel light and fresh! It was fun to try and would be a great for company!

Stuffed French Toast
From: manda2177 via Tasty Kitchen

 
Ingredients:
1 loaf French Bread
3 Tbsp Any Flavor Preserves (You Can Also Use Jam, Jelly ,Or Fresh Fruit - I used preserves and Fresh Fruit)
½ package Cream Cheese (4 Oz), Softened
2 Eggs
1 Tbsp Cinnamon
½ cup Skim Milk
2 Tbsp Butter

Directions:
1. Heat skillet on Medium- High heat (or electric griddle to 325 to 350 degrees)

2. Cut french bread into 2-3 inch wide slices. Then, cut halfway into each slice, in the center, creating a ‘pocket’ that your fruit mixture can be stuffed into.

3. In a bowl, place the room temperature cream cheese and three tablespoons of fruit spread of your choice and fresh fruit if you choose. Combine well.

4. In a separate bowl, add eggs, cinnamon, and milk and combine well.

5. Take fruit mixture and stuff into the ‘pockets’ of your french bread slices. When done stuffing each piece of bread, completely coat each piece in egg mixture. Make sure all sides are covered.

6. Put 2 tbsp of butter into a hot skillet and melt completely. Add bread to the skillet and cook roughly about 3-6 minutes on each side, until it reaches a nice golden brown. You want to make sure the cream cheese mixture heats through.

7. When done cooking, serve immediately with butter and syrup if desired.