Healthy French Toast

This is the perfect breakfast or brunch to spoil yourself with on the weekend, and it's a lot healthier than the versions you usually find in cafes or restaurants!


This makes 1 serve.


Ingredients:
1 large egg
125 ml milk of choice
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, to taste
2 slices of rye bread
100g blueberries / 25g walnuts
125g strawberries, chopped
100% pure maple syrup, to serve
Pinch of lemon zest, to serve

Method:

1. Whisk together the eggs, milk and cinnamon until well combined and pour into a shallow dish.
2. Heat a non-stick fry pan over medium heat and spray lightly with cooking spray. 
3. Dip the bread in the egg mixture, turning to coat both sides evenly. 
4. Cook the bread slices, for 2-3 minutes on each side until lightly browned. Remove from the pan and place on a serving plate.
5. Serve the French toast topped with the blueberries/walnuts and strawberries and drizzle with maple syrup and lemon zest. Enjoy! 

*To toast the walnuts: Heat a large non-stick fry pan over medium-high heat. Add the walnuts to the hot, dry pan and cook for approximately 5 mins until the walnuts start to brown and they smell toasted, stirring frequently.
Remove the walnuts from the fry pan and set aside to cool. Roughly chop the walnuts when cool enough to handle.



Source from Healthy French Toast

Mushroom Soup

Ingredients for Mushroom Soup:
8 cups water
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
3-4 medium potatoes, peeled, diced and rinsed
2 lbs mushrooms, sliced
2 cups half & half (or 1 cup milk + 1 cup heavy cream)
4 Tbsp flour (add 5 Tbsp if you like a creamier soup)
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 large carrot, grated
3 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp mushroom seasoning (or 1/2 Tbsp Mrs. Dash, or vegetable seasoning *see note)
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/3 cup chopped parsley or dill or both

*Note: Olga P., who shared this recipe with me, uses this mushroom seasoning that she purchased at the European market. We knew that not everyone may have access to it, so we tried using Mrs. Dash seasoning instead and it was still very tasty.

How to Make Mushroom Soup:1. Add potatoes to a pot with 8 cups water and 2 cups stock. Bring potatoes to a light boil and continue to cook for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are almost cooked. Meanwhile saute sliced mushrooms over medium high heat until they are lightly browned and softened. Add mushrooms to the soup pot and continue cooking 5-8 min.

2. Meanwhile, heat the same skillet over medium/high heat. Add 3 Tbsp butter along with diced onion and grated carrot, and saute until golden (8-10 min) then add to the soup pot.  For picky eaters who don’t like the onion texture, you can puree the sautéed carrots and onion in a blender or food processor. 

3. Whisk together 2 cups half and half and 4 Tbsp flour until smooth. Add cream mixture to the soup. Add seasonings to taste (If not using mushroom seasoning, we recommend the following seasoning combination: 1 Tbsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and 1/2 Tbsp Mrs. Dash). Stir in 1/3 cup chopped Parsley or Dill or a mix of both. Bring to a boil for a few minutes, check potatoes for doneness and remove from heat.

Prep time: 15 mins   

Cook time: 35 mins   Total time: 50 mins

This mushroom soup boasts 2 pounds of mushrooms, so if you're a mushroom lover like myself, this soup is for you. It uses a light cream broth so you still get some creaminess without the heaviness of cream soups.

Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com

Skill Level: Easy/Medium

Cost To Make: $13-$16

Serving: 8-10 servings

Ingredients

• 8 cups water
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 3-4 medium potatoes, peeled, diced and rinsed
• 2 lbs mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cups half & half (or 1 cup milk + 1 cup heavy cream)
• 4 Tbsp flour (add 5 Tbsp if you like a creamier soup)
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp mushroom seasoning (or ½ Tbsp Mrs. Dash, or vegetable seasoning *see note)
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• ⅓ cup chopped parsley or dill or both

Instructions

1. Add potatoes to a pot with 8 cups water and 2 cups stock. Bring potatoes to a light boil and continue to cook for about 10 min or until potatoes are almost cooked. Meanwhile saute sliced mushrooms over medium high heat until lightly browned and softened. Add mushrooms to the soup pot and continue cooking 5-8 min.
2. Meanwhile, heat the same skillet over medium/high heat. Add 3 Tbsp butter along with diced onion and grated carrot, and saute until golden (8-10 min) then add to the soup pot. For picky eaters who don't like the onion texture, you can puree the sautéed carrots and onion in a blender or food processor.
3. Whisk together 2 cups half and half and 4 Tbsp flour until smooth. Add cream mixture to the soup. Add seasonings to taste (If not using mushroom seasoning, we recommend the following seasoning combination: 1 Tbsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, and ½ Tbsp Mrs. Dash). Stir in ⅓ cup chopped Parsley or Dill or a mix of both. Bring to a boil for a few minutes, check potatoes for doneness and remove from heat.

Notes

*Note: Olga P., who shared this recipe with me, uses this mushroom seasoning
that she purchased at the European market. We knew that not everyone may have access to it, so we tried using Mrs. Dash seasoning instead and it was still very tasty.

Source from http://www.yummly.com/recipe/external/Mushroom-Soup-1024230

Baked Eggs

Serves 2 (Using 5-inch diameter ovenproof ramekins/dishes)

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
½ medium brown onion
1 garlic clove, crushed
½ tsp chilli flakes
2 cups fresh baby spinach
200g canned crushed tomatoes
150g canned cannellini beans, drained, rinsed
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 large eggs
2 spring onions, chopped

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 205C/400F and lightly grease two ovenproof dishes with cooking spray.
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for a further 1-2 minutes, until fragrant and the onion is soft but not coloured.
3. Add the spinach leaves and cook for 1-2 minutes, until the leaves have just wilted. Remove from the heat.
4. Place the crushed tomatoes and cannellini beans into a medium bowl and mix to combine. Add the onion and spinach mixture, some salt and pepper, to taste and stir to combine.
5. Divide the mix among the two prepared ovenproof dishes. Using the back of a large spoon make a small dent in the middle of the sauce, then crack in an egg.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked to your liking.
7. Sprinkle with chopped spring onions, serve and enjoy!

Source from: http://www.kaylaitsines.com/blogs/news/74210115-baked-eggs

Homemade Freezer Garlic Bread

Ingredients

• 1 stick (8 Tbsp) salted butter 
• 2 Tbsp olive oil 
• 4 cloves garlic 
• ¼ tsp salt 
• 1 Tbsp dried parsley 
• 1 16-inch loaf French Bread 

Instructions

1. Allow the butter to come to room temperature. Mince the garlic, then combine it in a small bowl with the butter, olive oil, salt, and dried parsley. Mix the ingredients together until they form a fairly smooth paste.
2. Cut the bread loaf into 16 one-inch slices. Scoop ½ Tbsp of the butter mixture onto each slice, then spread it over the surface with a knife. Arrange the slices on a baking sheet and then place them in the freezer for about 15 minutes to allow the butter to firm up. Once firm, stack the slices two at a time and place in quart sized freezer bags. Store in the freezer up to three months.
3. To cook the frozen slices of garlic bread, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Once the oven is heated, take as many slices out of the freezer as you'd like, carefully separate the stacked slices, and place them on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.*

Notes

*If using a different type of bread, the baking time may change.

Step by Step Photos

Start by letting one stick (8 Tbsp) of butter come to room temperature. Combine it in a bowl with 2 Tbsp olive oil, 4 cloves of garlic (minced), 1/4 tsp salt, and 1 Tbsp dried parsley flakes.

Mix them all up until it forms a fairly smooth paste (a few chunks of butter are a-okay).

Take a 16 inch loaf of French bread and slice it into 16 one-inch pieces. The easiest way to do this is to first slice the loaf in half (2), then slice each half in half (4), then each quarter in half (8), and then each piece in half one last time (16). It’s much easier to eye-ball a “half” than to just start slicing one inch pieces from one end to the other.

 started with 8 Tbsp of butter, so I estimated I’d have about 1/2 Tbsp of the butter mixture for each of the 16 slices. Scoop the butter on to the slices, then…

Spread it out smooth with a knife. Place the buttered slices on a baking sheet and pop them into the freezer for about 15 minutes, just to firm up the butter a bit.

Once the garlic butter is a little more firm, you can stack them two by two and place them in a quart sized freezer bag (6 to a bag). Freeze the slices for up to 3 months for best results. To cook the garlic bread, simply preheat the oven to 400 degrees, then take out as many slices as you’d like and place them on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown (you don’t have to wait for them to thaw first).

Source from: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2015/03/homemade-freezer-garlic-bread/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BudgetBytes+%28Budget+Bytes%29

No Knead English Muffin Bread

Ingredients

• 2¼ cups flour (plus some for dusting) 
• 2 tsp (or one ¼ oz. packet) instant yeast 
• 1 Tbsp sugar 
• ¾ tsp salt 
• 1 cup warm water 
• 2 Tbsp cornmeal 

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of the flour with the yeast, sugar, and salt. Add one cup of warm water and mix with a hand mixer on medium speed for three minutes. Use a timer to make sure it is mixed for a full three minutes.
2. Begin to add the remaining 1¼ cups of flour, a small amount at a time, until you can no longer use the mixer. At that point, use a large wooden spoon to stir the rest of the flour into the dough. The amount of flour needed may be slightly more or less depending on the moisture content of your flour, but you should aim for a very soft, pliable, slightly sticky dough in the end.
3. Coat a loaf pan with non-stick spray, then dust the inside heavily with cornmeal (about 2 Tbsp). Sprinkle a little extra flour onto the dough to keep it from sticking to your hands and mold it into a rough loaf shape. Place the loaf in the pan, cover with a damp paper towel, and let rise for one hour, or until the loaf has risen higher than the top of the loaf pan.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake the risen loaf for 30-45 minutes, or until it sounds hollow when tapped. If the top begins to brown too much before 30 minutes, cover with foil to reduce further browning (I covered mine after 20 minutes).
5. Remove the loaf from the pan and let it cool completely before slicing.

Step by Step Photos

Start by combining 1 cup of flour, 2 tsp instant yeast (or one 1/4 oz. packet), 1 Tbsp sugar, 3/4 tsp salt, and one cup of warm water in a large bowl. Mix the ingredients using a hand mixer set on medium speed for three full minutes. A word to the wise, start the mixer on low then increase to medium once it starts to come together, so you don’t spray flour all over your kitchen. ;) This mixing action partially develops the gluten, which is a substitute for the kneading process.

After mixing for three minutes, begin to add the remaining 1 1/4 cups flour, a little at a time. Once it becomes too thick to use the mixer, use a large wooden spoon to stir in the rest. The total amount of flour you need may be slightly more or less, depending on the moisture content of the flour. The end result should be a soft, pliable, slightly sticky dough (no piles of dry flour on the bottom of the bowl).

Prepare a loaf pan by coating it with non-stick spray, then using about 2 Tbsp of cornmeal to dust the inside. This creates a nice thick crust of crunchy cornmeal on the outside of the bread—just like an English Muffin!

Sprinkle a little flour on the dough and your hands to keep it from sticking, then shape it into a rough loaf. It doesn’t have to be perfect. If you *want* to knead it a couple times, it will make the dough a bit more even and pretty, but it’s not necessary. Place the loaf in the prepared pan.

Cover the loaf pan with a damp paper towel and let it rise for one hour or until it rises up out of the top of the loaf pan. I let mine go for about 1 hour and 15 minutes because it was a tad chilly in my house. Again, the lumpy shape of the top can be eliminated by working the dough just a bit before shaping it into a loaf. 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, then bake the bread for 30-45 minutes, or until it’s golden brown and sounds hollow when you tap the crust. If the top begins to brown too fast (it needs to be in the oven for at least 30 minutes), you can cover it with foil to slow the browning process. I ended up adding foil at about the 20 minute mark and baked for 30 minutes total.

Letting the loaf cool completely before slicing it is one of the hardest things to do, but one of the most important. The bread is soft and squishy when warm and trying to slice it in that state will tear it apart or flatten it completely. Neither is good. So, let that bread cool!

Once it’s cool, slice it, toast it, and slather it up with some butter and jam!

Homemade bread with no fancy machines and no fancy skills needed!

Source from: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2015/02/no-knead-english-muffin-bread/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BudgetBytes+%28Budget+Bytes%29