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My Mom’s En Croute

I can’t go home for the holidays without having my Mom’s delicious En Croute. It’s a long standing family tradition that I’ve carried on with my own family. 2 eggs 1 T mustard 2 t lemon juice 1 pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained 4 hard-cooked eggs, chopped 1 cup chopped ham 2 oz shredded Swiss cheese 1 sheet puff pastry In large bowl, beat 2 eggs well. Set aside 2 t. Blend in mustard and lemon juice. Stir in remaining ingredients until well combined. On lightly floured surface, roll puff pastry into a 15 x 9 inch rectangle. Brush lightly with some of the reserved beaten eggs. Spoon egg/spinach mixture down center of pastry. Fold both sides over to cover. Pinch to seal edges and ends of pastry. Place seam side down on lightly greased baking sheet. Brush top and sides with remaining beaten eggs. Cut 5 diagonal slashes in top. Bake at 425 until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Brûlée Oatmeal

We’ve been lighting everything on fire over here with my new Brûlée torch. This mornings oatmeal was a favorite! Trader Joes frozen oatmeal Slice bananas and apples, cover in sugar and torch away! Other brûlée favorites: Marshmallows Prosciutto Sweet potatoes Macaroons Oranges Cinnamon sugar toast I bought my torch on Amazon for $19.99 but don’t forget to buy the butane gas too. It’s a great Christmas present and very easy to use. My kids have loved bruleeing everything in the kitchen!

Avocado and Arugula Tartine

Oh my gosh. Christmas music and this Tartine for brunch today is making me so happy! Layer the following: Toasted wheat sourdough bread Smashed avocado with lemon juice s&p Arugula with shaved Parmesan and Maison dressing (evoo, lemon juice, garlic, s&p) Roasted Asparagus Pistachios Poached egg I’ll be eating this for lunch all week!

Banana Egg Nog Bread Pudding

I had a meeting at my house last night and dreamed up this banana egg nog bread pudding to serve that was super easy and amazingly delicious! You can put this in a casserole dish, but I liked serving individual cups baked in muffin tins. 4 large eggs 1 C whole milk 1C egg nog ¼ cup brown sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 tsp kosher salt 6 cups cubed challah bread (½ loaf) 5 ripe bananas, peeled and cut into coins 3 Tb white sugar Mix first 6 ingredients together in a bowl. Add bread, mix together, and put in refrigerator until bread has soaked in all of the liquid (a couple of hours). Spray muffin tins very well. Add 3 sliced bananas and 1 scoop of bread mixture then repeat ending with bread mixture. (My muffin tins were very full and close to overflowing). Bake for 20 minutes at 350 then sprinkle with sugar and put back in for another 15 minutes or until they are golden brown and liquid has been cooked through. I used Mrs. Richardsons…

Fancy Scrambled Eggs

Who feels like cooking tonight? Not me, we’re doing takeout. If you’re home for the night preparing for Christmas, my favorite clean out the fridge/no hassle cooking is “fancy” scrambled eggs. I add leftovers, lunch meat, produce, whatever I can find to make it healthy, filling, and pretty darn tasty! I started with sautéing ham, leftover asparagus, tomatoes, fresh spinach, and green onions. I then added the eggs and topped with parmesan. Dinner and done!

Toasted Coconut Granola Chocolate Chip Pancakes

I think we’ve started a new Christmas morning tradition! MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Use Trader Joes toasted coconut pancake mix (amazing) add in your favorite granola and chocolate chips. Top with maple syrup and extra shredded coconut and granola for crunch.

Avocado Toast with Citrus and Chia Seeds

Light lunch before tonight’s festivities! Avocado Toast: Whole wheat bread, toasted Smashed avocado Citrus cumin salt Chia seeds Olive Oil Fresh squeezed lemon juice.

Tarte with Arugula Salad

This may not be the prettiest picture of food but it is one of the easiest and most delicious! I made it for an appetizer but I’ve also been known to devour one for dinner. Use Trader Joe’s (Maitre Pierre) Tarte D’Alace and top with arugula and parmesan tossed in EVOO, lemon juice, and S&P. Keeping it semi-homemade and delish!!

Blood Orange Chia Seed Pudding

Yum! I just devoured this beautiful bowl of Blood orange chia seed pudding and Greek yogurt! Combine chia seeds and fresh squeezed blood orange juice. Let sit in refrigerator until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add honey if using plain Greek yogurt or as is if using vanilla Greek yogurt. Top with mint (YUM) and slices of blood orange.

Caramelized Grapefruit with Yogurt and Granola

I’m not someone who loves grapefruit but I do love this mid-afternoon snack. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and sour, warm and cool, and soft and crunchy! I post a lot of Greek yogurt but it is one of the healthiest snacks I have come up with. It’s high in protein, low in sugar, no fat, and low in calories. Our favorite is Chobani Plain 0% Greek Yogurt. I will admit I didn’t love it at first. I used to eat 1/2 vanilla flavored yogurt with 1/2 plain but have grown to love it. Skip the midnight bowl(s) of cereal and make this swap. Slice your grapefruit in half. Cut into grapefruit segments but leave in place. I’ve tried topping it with brown sugar which is great but my favorite is honey, a tiny bit of melted butter, and cinnamon. White sugar would be fine too. Use about 1-2 Tb of topping and put under broiler for 3-4 minutes. Eat plain or with yogurt and granola.