Month: August 2020

Double Tomato and Mozzarella Salad

Double Tomato and Mozzarella Salad

Double Tomato and Mozzarella Salad features fresh summer tomatoes and sun-dried tomato vinaigrette. It also contains arugula, olives, red onion, fresh mozzarella, and basil. It’s the perfect salad to highlight our delicious August tomatoes. The Equipment You’ll Need A Salad Spinner- This is helpful for 

Triple Blueberry and Arugula Salad

Triple Blueberry and Arugula Salad

Triple Blueberry and Arugula Salad is a tossed salad composed of fresh blueberries, blueberry goat cheese, and a blueberry vinaigrette. It also contains raspberries, bacon, red onion, and pistachios. It’s a great salad to serve with a summer grilled supper. Tonight we had it with 

Blueberry Stuffed French Toast with Creme Fraiche

Blueberry Stuffed French Toast with Creme Fraiche

Blueberry Stuffed French Toast with Creme Fraiche is a special breakfast dish composed of homemade challah that is stuffed with blueberry cream cheese, and topped with blueberry syrup and honey creme fraiche. It will turn an ordinary weekend breakfast into a truly special celebration.

The Equipment You’ll Need

  • A Bread Machine- You’ll need this to make my homemade challah.
  • A Food Scale- You’ll need this to weigh your challah flour for perfect results every time.
  • A Non-stick Skillet- This is the best for frying French Toast.

The Ingredients You’ll Need for Blueberry Stuffed French Toast with Creme Fraiche

  • Blueberries- I used frozen Maine blueberries for the syrup and fresh blueberries for the toast topping and filling.
  • Cream Cheese- Make sure to use full fat cream cheese, and let it soften before using it.
  • Creme Fraiche- You can find this in the gourmet cheese section of upscale supermarkets.

How I Made my French Toast

  • As soon as I woke up, I put all the ingredients in my bread machine to make the challah. If you’re looking to save time, you should of course purchase a challah instead of making it. You could also use brioche or a nice white bread.
  • Later, I took the challah out of the oven, and made the blueberry syrup.
  • Next, I made the filling and honey creme fraiche.
  • Then, I sliced the bread and spread half of the slices with cream cheese.
  • Finally, I fried the toast, and topped each serving with the syrup and honey creme fraiche.
blueberry stuffed French Toast with creme fraiche
Blueberry Stuffed French Toast with Creme Fraiche

I really enjoyed making this dish for my family. It was such a nice change from regular French Toast. Also, I’m on a mission to eat all the berries I can before summer ends, and this recipe used my favorite berry, the amazing blueberry! If you’re looking for a new breakfast recipe, I highly recommend this Blueberry Stuffed French Toast with Creme Fraiche.

Blueberry Stuffed French Toast with Creme Fraiche

Blueberry Stuffed French Toast with Creme Fraiche

Homemade Challah French Toast filled with blueberry cream cheese and topped with blueberry syrup and honey creme fraiche.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Rising Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American, French
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Bread Machine

Ingredients
  

For the Bread Machine Challah:

  • ¾ cup water
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tbsp. sugar
  • tsp. salt
  • 3 cups flour (360g)
  • 2 tsp. active dry yeast

For Blueberry Stuffed French Toast:

  • cups blueberries
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 tsp. cornstarch
  • 8 one inch thick slices of challah
  • 4 eggs
  • 4 tbsp. heavy cream
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 6 ounces softened cream cheese
  • 1 tbsp. brown sugar
  • 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • ½ cup creme fraiche
  • 1 tsp. honey

Instructions
 

For the Bread Machine Challah:

  • Add all the ingredients (except for one of the eggs) in the order suggested by your bread machine's instructions. Set the machine on the dough cycle, and let it run the full cycle.
  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  • Divide the dough into three balls. Turn the balls into ropes and then braid the. Place the braid on a parchment covered baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise twenty minutes.
  • Mix the egg with one tablespoon of water. Brush the challah with the egg wash and bake for 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

For the Blueberry Stuffed French Toast with Creme Fraiche:

  • For the Blueberry Syrup: In a three quart saucepan over medium heat, simmer 1½ cups of blueberries with ¼ of sugar, ¼ of water and the cornstarch. Simmer ten minutes.
  • Mix together the cream cheese, brown sugar, and one tablespoon of blueberry syrup. Spread this mixture on 4 slices of challah. Top each one with a plain slice of challah, so that you have 4 challah sandwiches.
  • Beat the eggs, cinnamon, and heavy cream together.
  • Melt the butter in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Dip each challah sandwich briefly in the egg mixture. You don't want to soak the bread in the egg. Fry the sandwiches on both sides until they're golden brown.
  • Mix together the honey and creme fraiche. Top each cooked sandwich with creme fraiche, blueberry syrup, and the rest of the blueberries.
Keyword French Toast
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Raspberry Almond Muffins with Vanilla Icing

Raspberry Almond Muffins with Vanilla Icing

Raspberry Almond Muffins with Vanilla Icing are vanilla muffins filled with fresh raspberries and topped with sliced almonds, vanilla icing, and more fresh raspberries. The farm stand raspberries are so beautiful this time of year, that I just had to bake my very favorite raspberry 

Pastrami-Spiced Corned Beef Hash

Pastrami-Spiced Corned Beef Hash

Pastrami-Spiced Corned Beef Hash is a classic American breakfast dish with a twist. Instead of using plain, boiled corned beef, this hash features beef spiced with pepper, coriander, garlic, and paprika. It has so much more flavor than the typical American corned beef hash. The 

Filet Mignon, Citrus, Mint, and Cilantro Salad

Filet Mignon, Citrus, Mint, and Cilantro Salad

Filet Mignon, Citrus, Mint, and Cilantro Salad features tender marinated steak with a refreshing Thai inspired salad and dressing. This dish has Thai flavors but uses ingredients found in every supermarket.

The Equipment You’ll Need

  • A meat thermometer- an instant read thermometer, is in my opinion, a necessity for cooking steak. My family likes their steak fairly well done, so I like to cook my steak until it’s 160 degrees in the middle.
  • A cast iron skillet- I feel a cast iron skillet is the best way to get a nice brown and tasty crust on my steak. But, you could use any skillet.

The Ingredients for Filet Mignon Citrus, Mint, and Cilantro Salad

  • Fish Sauce- This comes in a bottle and can be found in the Asian aisle of your market. It smells quite strong and for a long time I was afraid to use it. But, be assured this recipe uses just a tiny bit, and really just imparts a salty flavor. Don’t let the fishy odor frighten you.
  • Filet Mignon- You could use whatever steak you prefer, but I used filet mignon since it’s a family favorite.
  • Fresh mint and cilantro- These add really great flavor to the salad.

How I Made this Salad

  • First, I marinated the steak.
  • Then, I went out to do some shopping and started to cook the steak in my cast iron skillet.
  • While the steak cooked I prepared the salad and the dressing.
  • I actually made one steak earlier in the day (so I could take its picture), and one steak right before dinner. I microwaved the earlier one, to warm it up, and no one even noticed it wasn’t freshly cooked.

This is a really great summer salad, because it’s very cool and refreshing on a hot day. As I said earlier, this salad has Thai flavors, but uses ingredients you can find at any supermarket. A lot of Thai recipes call for lemongrass but I can never find it. So, I instead substituted the lemon and lime zest. I hope you’ll try this delicious, flavorful Thai-inspired Filet Mignon, Citrus, Mint, and Cilantro Salad.

filet mignon citrus mint salad
Filet Mignon, Citrus, Mint, and Cilantro Salad
filet mignon citrus mint salad

Filet Mignon, Citrus, Mint, and Cilantro Salad

Filet Mignon, cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, and red onion all tossed with a citrus mint vinaigrette.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Marinating time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Thai
Servings 4
Calories 540 kcal

Equipment

  • cast iron skillet
  • instant read meat thermometer

Ingredients
  

  • 4 filet mignon steaks
  • cups cilantro leaves
  • 2 tbsp. minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp. fish sauce
  • 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • 1 tbsp. soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1 sliced English cucumber
  • 4 cups romaine lettuce
  • ½ cup sliced red onion
  • 2 sliced scallions
  • ½ cup mint leaves
  • ¼ cup chopped peanuts
  • 1 cup sliced tomatoes

For the Citrus Mint Vinaigrette:

  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup lime juice
  • 1 tbsp. mint leaves, chopped
  • 2 tbsp. honey
  • 1 tbsp. each of lemon and lime zest
  • 1 tbsp. minced garlic

Instructions
 

  • Marinate, for about two hours, the steak in one cup of the cilantro, the garlic, one tablespoon of the fish sauce, cayenne, brown sugar, soy sauce and paprika.
  • Toss together the lettuce, cucmbers, onion, scallions, mint, the rest of the cilantro, the tomatoes, and peanuts.
  • For the dressing, place all the ingredients in a small jar and shake them together.
  • In a cast iron skillet, on medium high heat, cook the filet until it reaches a temperature of 145 degrees for medium rare. Let the steak rest ten minutes, and then toss it with the vegetables. Add in as much dressing as you like.

Nutrition

Calories: 540kcal
Keyword chicken salad, filet mignon
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Chipotle Ranch Summer Salad with Tomatoes and Corn

Chipotle Ranch Summer Salad with Tomatoes and Corn

Chipotle Ranch Summer Salad with Tomatoes and Corn features romaine lettuce, avocados, cherry tomatoes, fresh corn, hard boiled eggs, bacon, and a Chipotle Ranch Dressing. This is a great side salad to serve at a barbecue or picnic, but it’s hearty enough to serve as 

Shrimp Gumbo with Andouille Rice

Shrimp Gumbo with Andouille Rice

Shrimp Gumbo with Andouille Rice is a hearty soup filled with celery, onions, green pepper, andouille sausage, okra and shrimp. It’s topped with an andouille rice pilaf. I served this gumbo for lunch, but it would also make a terrific dinner, accompanied by a green 

Bread Machine Blueberry Bagels

Bread Machine Blueberry Bagels

Bread Machine Blueberry Bagels are sweet, blueberry filled bagels with a cinnamon sugar topping. They are served with Blueberry Cream Cheese and are perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack.

The Equipment You’ll Need

  • A Bread Machine- You will need a bread machine for this recipe.
  • A Food Processor- You will need a food processor for the Blueberry Cream Cheese.

The Ingredients You’ll Need for Bread Machine Blueberry Bagels

  • Bread Flour- You’ll need bread flour to make these bagels. All-purpose flour just doesn’t have enough protein to make chewy bagels.
  • Active Dry Yeast- You’ll need active dry yeast, not quick yeast.
  • Blueberries- You’ll need fresh blueberries for this recipe.

How I Made My Bagels

  • First, I simply put all the ingredients into my bread machine. I went to the mall, and when I got back my dough was all ready.
  • Next, I boiled the water and preheated the oven.
  • Then, I added the blueberries to the dough and formed the dough into balls and then rings.
  • Next, I boiled the bagels and then added the topping and baked them.
  • While the bagels baked I made the cream cheese.
  • Finally, I let the bagels cool on the rack for ten minutes, and then we ate those warm delicious bagels all up.

These Bread Machine Blueberry Bagels are absolutely delicious! We were all craving bagels on this Saturday morning, but I can’t tell you how busy are local bagel store is on weekend mornings . Even with everyone wearing masks, I’m just not comfortable crowding into a small bagel store with 40 hungry people. Using my bread machine made these bagels so easy to make. I just loaded in the ingredients and went to the mall. When I got back I spent about 20 minutes getting them ready to bake, and that was it! If you love sweet bagels as much as I do, I highly encourage you to try these yummy homemade treats!

Bread Machine Blueberry Bagels
Bread Machine Blueberry Bagels
bread machine blueberry bagels

Bread Machine Blueberry Bagels

Blueberry cinnamon sugar bagels made in the bread machine, served with a blueberry cream cheese.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Rising time 1 hour 50 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Course Bread
Cuisine American
Servings 8

Equipment

  • Bread Machine

Ingredients
  

For the Blueberry Bagels:

  • 1 cup water
  • 6 tbsp. brown sugar
  • 3 cups bread flour (360g)
  • 2 tsp. active dry yeast
  • tsp. salt
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp. cinnamon

For the Blueberry Cream Cheese:

  • ½ cup cream cheese
  • ¼ cup blueberries
  • 1 tbsp. brown sugar

Instructions
 

  • For the Blueberry Bagels:
  • In a bread machine add the water, 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar, flour, salt and yeast in the order suggested by your bread machine. Process on the dough cycle.
  • When the dough cycle ends, remove the dough and gently knead in the blueberries. Form the dough into 8 balls and using your thumb, make a whole in the ball and form it into a ring with a 3 inch opening.
  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  • Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar to a simmer, and cook the bagels two at a time for a minute on each side. Remove them with a slotted spoon to a wire rack.
  • Place the bagels two inches apart on a parchment covered baking sheet. Mix together the remaining brown sugar, the white sugar, and the cinnamon and sprinkle it on the bagel tops.
  • Bake for 25 minutes. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes.

For the Blueberry Cream Cheese:

  • Mix all the ingredients together in the food processor.
Keyword bagels
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Tarragon Chicken Stuffed Avocados

Tarragon Chicken Stuffed Avocados

Tarragon Chicken Stuffed Avocados are pretty avocado rings filled with creamy tarragon and lemon chicken salad. This is a pretty lunch to serve to the ladies; for my husband I just smashed the whole thing between two slices of white bread and he was perfectly