Foodie Friday: C’est Magnifique French Toast

Sit back and savor this delicious dish as breakfast or dessert! Be sure to wear loose fitting clothing because you will not want to pull away from the table!

-1 Loaf - Day old French or Italian Bread
-4 - Large Eggs
-6- Large Egg Whites or ½ cup of Egg Beaters- This will reduce calories and the final product will be just as good. Your family or guest will never know the difference, and I wont tell if you don’t.
-¼ Cup- Granulated Sugar

-2 Tsp- REAL Vanilla (not imitation)
-1 Tsp- Ground Cinnamon
-Pam or Non-Stick Spray or Butter
-Whipped cream (canned or fresh whipped)
-Assorted Sprinkles (if you have kids)
-Maple Syrup or Honey
-Flat griddle or non stick frying pan

Heat Griddle or frying pan to 350 degrees

Cut Bread into ½ inch slices and set aside.

Lightly beat eggs until smooth and well combined.

Add sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon mix until sugar is dissolved.

Place bread into egg mixture and allow bread to soak for about 1-2 minutes.

Place on hot griddle or in frying pan and cook on each side for about 2 minutes.

Remove from pan and place on a plate. Pour syrup or honey on French toast. Top with whipped cream and sprinkles (if desired) and serve hot.

This is great for breakfast or for dessert after a meal. If using for a dessert I suggest that you cut the bread with a cookie cutter and make small round pieces and stack them up and decorate them with a chocolate covered strawberry.

VOILA (there it is)! Trouver Bon (enjoy)

Foodie Friday: Chicken Stock

Well, we got our first snow fall! It's time for comfort food! Why not make a hearty soup? You should start with homemade stock. Here is a can't miss chicken stock recipe.

The bones of one whole chicken (either raw or cooked)

1 medium onion large dice (use the peel)

1 stalk of celery rough chopped (use the whole stalk)

2 unpeeled carrots large dice

1 Tbsp of peppercorns

2 tsp of thyme

2 bay leaf

4 quarts of COLD water (cold water is the key helps extract the flavor from bones slowly)

Place all ingredients into a large stock pot cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Once the liquid reaches a hard boil turn down the heat to a low simmer and cook for about 4-6 hours.** As the stock cooks the liquid will evaporate, so just add more water but just enough to keep the bones covered. After the stock is finished cooking strain with a sieve to remove all the vegetables and spices. Place stock in a container once its cooled down and put in freezer until ready to use. This would be great as a soup starter or any recipe you might have that requires chicken stock.

** If using the bones of a cooked chicken, you will need to add some chicken base to give it some flavor. The cook time will be 1-2 hours if using left over cooked chicken bones. Also if using left over bones leave some of the meat on the bones for added flavor.  

Foodie Friday: Oven Fried Chicken

Trying to save your calorie overload for the upcoming holidays, but still want a taste of down home southern cooking? Why not try this recipe for oven fried chicken. It saves you the calories but not the taste!

-1 Whole Chicken cut into 8 pieces

-4 Cup of All Purpose Flour
-1 Tbsp of Salt
-1 Tbsp of Black Pepper

-1 tsp of Granulated Garlic

-1Tbsp of Paprika
-1 tsp of Dried Thyme Leaves
-1 tsp of Dried Basil Leaves
-1 tsp of Dries Oregano Leaves
-2 cups of Milk
-4 cups of Vegetable oil

Directions:

Use a frying pan or Cast Iron Skillet (best results)

Rinse Chicken and pat dry with a towel.

Combine next 9 items (hold back 1 cup of flour) together and set aside.

Start by dredging chicken in unseasoned flour.

Place chicken in milk and allow the milk to soak into the flour (about 3-4 minutes).

Remove chicken from milk and place into seasoned flour and coat. Seasoned flour should stick to all surfaces of chicken.

Place oil in skillet and warm to 350 degrees.

Very carefully place chicken in oil (always place product in oil going away from you body). Brown on all sides. Place on paper towels to drain excess oil (the purpose of this recipe is to reduce calorie count).

Place on a baking sheet and place into a preheated 400 degree oven. Cook until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Serve hot and crispy.

** a quick word about cast iron. A well seasoned cast iron skillet is one of the best tools you can have in a kitchen. DO NOT ever use soap on a cast iron skillet. Scrub with a metal scrub pad and wipe dry. After many uses you will notice a shinny build up, that is the seasoning of the pan and the flavor of your food will be enhanced. Again do not use soap**

Foodie Friday: Chicken Lettuce Wrap

 
This Looks like a lot of ingredients but it goes really fast.
1 cup Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce
1/2 cup Cranberry Juice Cocktail
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon grated lime peel
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1 cup Dried Cranberries
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup minced fresh mint
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
12 Bibb or Boston lettuce leaves
1/2 cup chopped salted peanuts

DIRECTIONS:

Combine the first seven ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.The sauce will reduce and become thick syrup, if it get to thick just add a touch of water. The consistency should resemble molasses. Remove from the heat; stir in lime juice and peel; set aside.

Combine the chicken, dried cranberries, carrot, green onions, mint and basil in a small bowl.

Place about 3 tablespoons chicken mixture on each lettuce leaf. Top with 1 tablespoon cranberry sauce mixture and 2 teaspoons peanuts. Fold lettuce over filling. Serve with remaining sauce.

Foodie Friday: White Chocolate Chip and Oatmeal Cookies

Looking to make a sweet treat for your Valentine? Why not try this! A twist on an old classic. You get tartness from the raisins, and sweet from the White Chocolate Chips. This recipe will yield about 3 to 4 dozen cookies, depending on the size.
1/2 pound of Butter (use butter not Margarine, its the holidays)
1 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
2 large Eggs
1 tsp of Vanilla
1/1/2 cups of All Pourpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Salt (I use Kosher)
3 cups of Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
1 cup Raisins
1 cup White Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350 dregrees
Mix the butter and both sugars togeter until light and fluffy.
Add eggs and vanilla, mix until loose.
In a seperate bowl add flour, baking soda, cinnimon and salt and mix or sift well.
Add to egg and sugar mixture, mix until smooth.
Add oats and mix until incorporated.
Remove from mixer and fold in raisins and white chocolate chips by hand. (This will prevent the raisins from getting all mashed up and the chips will keep thier shape)
You can drop onto a baking sheet pan with a spoon or I use a small ice cream scoop (about 1.5 ounces) to form the cookies.
Bake until the edges just turn light brown, about 10 minutes.
Cool on a cooling rack and enjoy with a cold glass of milk or hot coffee.

Foodie Friday: Crock Pot Cooking

Ok, I took these pictures just to text Chef hubby to tell him dinner was looking pretty good- so you will have to forgive me for not giving you some amazing food pictures to drool over. You have to understand- it was ALL GONE WHEN I REALIZED I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN PROFESSIONAL PICTURES OF THIS-- BECAUSE IT WAS BANGIN!!!

You have fast food meals but there are some days when you want to come home to a warm home cooked meal.

That's when you get a wife-- well, if you are the wife-- that's where the crock pot comes in handy.

The other day I made a recipe that was so easy and yet so delicious it would make you wanna slap yo mama! These pictures just don't do it justice- it was great. I got it off the internet and was talking with a girlfriend of mine when I told her that I have a good slow cooker book but the recipes were TOO in-depth and they were intimidating.

She pulled out the book "Crock Pot: The Original Slow Cooker". I'll admit I was hungry when I cracked it open but the next day I kept thinking about some of the recipes.

There are three books in one: chicken recipes, 5 ingredients or less and soups. All of the recipes seem very simple. I hunted it down and now own it myself. $11, Money well spent.

To make this lovely meal:

-brown Italian sausage links whole (we used sweet but you could use spicy too)

-put one can whole tomatoes in crock pot then squish them up

-submerge the whole sausage links and drippings in the tomatoes

-add 1 chopped onion

-add 3 or 4 small potatoes

-season to taste (I used salt, pepper and some garlic)
-let it cook on low for 4 hours

-the last 1/2 hour add zucchini and or squash

When this is done cooking pull out sausage, cut into circles, throw them back in and stir. Sprinkle some bread crumbs on top of served up dish with some cheese on top.

This was such an easy recipe and it was a huge hit in our home!