Tag: cinnamon

French Toast

French Toast

French Toast

  • Servings: 1
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Print

I’m not much of a morning person and so when it comes to breakfast for me it’s usually just toast or a quick fried egg sandwich however for the rest of my family I do things differently.

This particular breakfast was for my wife and I thought I would surprise her with something she has not had in a while….. French Toast.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 3 slices of White bread
  • 4 large Eggs
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Cinnamon

Putting it all together:

  1. In a large bowl mix together the eggs, cinnamon and vanilla.
  2. Soak each piece of bread, one at a time, in the egg mix and fry until brown turning once.
  3. Top with berries and powdered sugar.

There you have it another “Simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time……

                          Bon Appetit

 

 

Advertisement

Mini Banana Bread Loaves

Banana Bread loaves IV

Mini Banana Bread Loaves

  • Servings: 8
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Print

In my ever continuing quest to become a baker I have decided to practice with very easy baking formulas and ones that I have had some success with before therefore I have chosen this one as it is super easy and even I can’t mess it up….. well I can but not this time.

I decided to use my mini loaf pan for this as the results are the perfect after school snack size and they can go in my grandsons lunch for school.

Cooks note: I have referred to this as a “formula” because I was taught in culinary school that Baker’s use formulas and Cooks/Chefs use recipes and it kind of stuck in my mind. 

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 2 cups smashed overripe Bananas
  • 2 large Eggs
  • 2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
  • 3/4 cup Dark Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
  • 1/2 cup Milk
  • 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
  • Pam® Olive Oil spray

Putting it all together:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°.
  2. In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients.
  3. In a separate bowl mix together the bananas, eggs and the remaining wet ingredients.
  4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well.
  5. Spray the loaf pan with the Pam and pour the batter into each loaf slot.
  6. Bake in the oven for 25 – 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the loaves comes out clean.
  7. Remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack.

There you have it another “Simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time………

                             Bon Appetit

Moroccan Chicken Stew

Moroccan Chicken Stew

Moroccan Chicken Stew

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Print

Looking out the window today and seeing the snow swirling about got me thinking of exotic climates where the only thing swirling around is the ice in my glass. Now, as with most of you, I doubt I will ever make it to some of these places so I will settle for visiting them through their food.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 1 1/2 pounds skinless Chicken Thighs
  • 2 tablespoons All Purpose Flour
  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 2 Red Onions quartered and sliced
  • 4 Garlic cloves chopped
  • 2 sweet Green Peppers rough chopped
  • 1 28 ounce can of Diced Tomatoes
  • 1 15 ounce can Chickpeas drained and rinsed
  • 1/3 cup Golden Raisins
  • 1/2 cup chopped Green Olives
  • 12 ounces cooked Orzo pasta
  • 1 tsp ground Cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground Cumin
  • 1 tsp ground Ginger
  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric
  • 1 tsp Cayenne powder
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • Chopped Parsley for garnish.

Putting it all together:

  1. In a bag toss the flour and chicken until coated
  2. Heat the oil in a non stick skillet and sear the chicken until browned on both sides. About 6 minutes and transfer to a plate.
  3. Cook the onion in the skillet for about 7 minutes. Add the garlic, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne and ginger; cook 1 minute.
  4. Stir in the tomatoes and season with salt. Add the chicken; simmer covered, 10 minutes.
  5. Stir in peppers, raisins, olives and chickpeas: simmer, stirring, 15 minutes, until peppers are tender and the chicken is no longer pink near the bone.
  6. Serve over Orzo.

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time……

                           Bon Appetit 

Apple Pie Bread Pudding

20170320_171935

Apple Pie Bread Pudding

  • Servings: 8-10
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

“The greatest dishes are very simple.” 

Auguste Escoffier, the “Emperor of Chefs”

When I was in culinary school I was terrified of my Chef Instructor putting me in Bakeshop with a specific item to bake and giving me a set time it had to be ready by mainly because baking was not at the top of my “interest list” and I didn’t want to screw things up thereby throwing a wrench into the Lunch Menu.

As I have now become completely retired both from my regular job and restaurant kitchens I can take the time to practice baking and by using my family as Guinea Pigs I don’t have to worry about ruining someone’s business…….. just my families stomachs.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 1 19 ounce can of Apple Pie filling
  • 6 1/2 cups of Raisin Bread – cubed
  • 3 Eggs – whisked
  • 2 cups Half and Half
  • 1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
  • 1/4 cup Sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure Vanilla
  • A 9 x 13 Baking pan

Putting it all together:

  1. Pre heat the oven to 350°
  2. Cube the Raisin bread and place in a large bowl.
  3. In a second large bowl mix together the remaining ingredients and allow to sit at room temperature for about ten minutes
  4. Combine the wet ingredients with the cubed bread and mix until well incorporated being careful not to break up the bread.
  5. Grease the baking pan or spray with a non stick cooking spray, pour in the bread pudding mixture making sure it is evenly distributed and bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown.
  6. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time………

                           Bon Appetit

Applesauce and pumpkin loaf

dsc01076

Applesauce and pumpkin loaf

  • Servings: 1 9x3 Loaf
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

As a general rule I don’t do a lot of baking even with a six year old in the house who likes cookies, muffins and cake so when I get the urge to bake it’s quite the surprise to all in the house… especially me. This recipe, then, is from one of those urge moments and with the help of an electric mixer the “prep” time is a breeze.

The baking time on this one is a little longer due to the loaf pan being used however if you wish to use a regular 9×13 cake pan the time will be reduced.

Here is how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 2 1⁄2 cups All purpose flour
  • 2 cups Sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon Baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon Allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Pumpkin spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon Cloves
  • 1/2 cup Vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup Water
  • 1 1/2 cups Unsweetened Applesauce
  • 2 Eggs

Putting it all together:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
  2. Put all the dry ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer and mix on low for about two minutes
  3. Add the remaining ingredients and mix on low for about three minutes then on medium until all ingredients are well blended
  4. Pour the batter into a greased loaf or cake pan
  5. Bake for approximately 90 minutes if using a loaf pan, 60-65 minutes for a cake pan or until a toothpick comes out clean

There you have it “another simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until the next time……..

                           Bon Appetit

 

Sweet Potato Pie

Sweet potato pie

  • Servings: 2 nine inch pies
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

20161011_191256-1

For this recipe I decided to go back to the beginning and make the very first thing I ever learned to bake —- the iconic and oh so good sweet potato pie!

Now when I first heard about this dessert some 20 something years ago I thought “man people were nuts”… I mean really…. potatoes in a dessert? Well I tell you the very first bite had me hooked and the only sad part is I don’t make it nearly enough.

As you can see in the photo (Note to self: Get a different camera) the pie is lacking the one element my family and friends missed and that is whipped cream but seeing as how it was Thanksgiving and I was in the middle of doing about 18 other things I was forgiven. Maybe the next time.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 4 Large sweet potatoes – peeled and diced
  • 1 1/4 cups white sugar
  • 3/4 stick of melted butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon real vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4  teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 nine inch ready to bake pie crusts

Putting it all together:

  1. Boil the sweet potatoes until fork tender
  2. When cooled place the potatoes in a large mixing bowl
  3. Add the remaining ingredients except the milk
  4. Using a hand blender mix all the ingredients until smooth
  5. Add the milk and mix until incorporated
  6. Pour equal amounts of the sweet potato mix in the pie crusts
  7. Place in a 350 degree convection oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the middle clean
  8. Let cool and dig in

So there you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond”.

Until next time……….

                              Bon Appetit