French Breakfast Muffin

Can you say delicious? I just finished off two of these little puppies and wow…a little bite of heaven! If you like cinnamon toast, butter, and perfect melt-in-your mouth muffins then I HIGHLY recommend making these pronto. Chances are you have everything you’ll need already in your kitchen.

2 c flour

2/3 c sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

(Combine above ingredients, set aside.)

1 large egg

1 cup + 2 TB milk

6 TB butter, melted and slightly cooled

1 tsp vanilla

Whisk egg until frothy. Add milk, butter and vanilla and mix together. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon. Bake 15 minutes @ 375, rotate pan and bake an additional 5 minutes.

Melt 2 TB butter in a small bowl with a wide top. Mix 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon in another bowl with a wide top. Dip top of the muffin in the butter then the cinnamon/sugar mix.

I just ate two WARM and they were incredible. I followed this recipe exactly except the nutmeg, I do NOT like nutmeg so I ommitted it. These muffins were in a parenting magazine I read at the library this weekend and it was a suggested recipe to make with your child…but who says a mom enjoying a morning alone can’t indulge herself sans children? Not me.

Enjoy!

Egg Nest

I created this recipe tonight. We all loved it, even the kids. Great for breakfast, brunch or dinner!

6 slices of whole wheat bread
6 eggs
3/4 cup ricotta
3/4 cup pesto
3 TB shredded parmesan
Tomato Sauce

Spray a large muffin pan with cooking spray. Take the crust off of the bread and press into the muffin tin to create a bowl shape. (My tin only has 6 spots, obviously if yours has more only use 6 of them, or you could use ramekins.) Mix together the ricotta, parmesan and pesto in a separate bowl. Spoon equal amounts on top of the bread. Crack an egg onto the top of the cheese mix. Bake 20-25 minutes, until the eggs are set enough for your taste. (My husband likes them VERY done.) Heat the tomato sauce in the microwave and drizzle a few teaspoons over the top. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Red Velvet Cake

 

Ever since O Magazine this month where a photo of a Red Velvet cake made my mouth water I have been waiting to get my hands….er, I mean mouth on some. I planned, I prepared, I anticipated the big day which was, of course, today.

I used a recipe off of the Food Network website which I am not going to post. Why am I not going to post it? Well, because the cake was a huge disappointment. I write this with a pink tongue and a bummed heart.

First, I could not get over the 2 ounces of food coloring. TWO BOTTLES. The cake was beautiful, a deep red that was quite shocking to see, but I’m convinced I could taste the tasteless food coloring. I just couldn’t think of anything else as I ate it.

Second, the cake was dry! There is almost nothing worse than a dry cake. You can even tell it’s dry by looking at the pictures.

The only good part of this not so good cake was the frosting, but it’s hard to go wrong with a package of cream cheese, a stick of butter and a pound of powdered sugar.

All that to say, I didn’t enjoy my much anticipated treat. However, the rest of my family did and asked for seconds. I said no because frankly, watching my kids’ tongues turn shades of pink and red kinda freaked me out. I think I’ll be sending the remainder of the cake to work with hubby tomorrow…

Yumm Bowl

 

This is a Yumm bowl. Cafe Yumm is a local restaurant where I used to live, and I screamed with delight when I found out they are franchising and my new town is getting the first one! Yippee!!

Cafe Yumm’s original sauce is excellent. It goes great with everything from rice and beans to salad to eggs. I usually buy the largest jar possible and then make Yumm bowls for dinner (with beans) at least once a week. The kids love them and so does the hubby. Lately I’ve been making them for breakfast everyday around 10am (with eggs) and I am not hungry again until dinner. Here is how to make a traditional Yumm Bowl:

Brown Rice
Eggs (or black beans)
Tomato
Cheddar Cheese
Olives
Sour Cream
Avocado
Salsa
Cilantro

A few weeks ago my MIL sent me the recipe for the sauce. I have not tried this yet, I still have some sauce left in the fridge, but I plan to make it soon. Here it is:

1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup almonds
1/3 cup brewers yeast
1/3 cup garbonzo beans – drained
1/4 cup soybeans
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp curry powder

Blend nuts, beans and oil in food processor. Then blend in yeast and liquids one at a time. Puree until smooth.

Rice Pudding

Been thinking about rice pudding since seeing this picture. Once I get something into my head I can’t get it out until I make it…hence the fact that tonight after dinner I spent an hour whipping up a batch of rice pudding.

Here’s the recipe I used, I made a few minor adjustments off of this recipe:

3/4 cup arborio rice

1 1/2 cups water

pinch of salt

Bring to a slow simmer, cover, and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.

Add a scant 1/2 cup sugar

4 cups milk

Heat on medium, uncovered, stirring frequently, until milk is absorbed and mixture thickens. This took almost 40 minutes.

Add 1 tsp vanilla and mix well.

We ate it fresh from the stove sprinkled with cinnamon. Whatever you refrigerator, cover with plastic wrap direcly on top of the pudding so it doesn’t create a film.

And what did I learn from this new experience?

That I don’t really like rice pudding, certainly not enough to spend another hour of my life making it.

Orzo Primavera

I made this Friday night. I adapted the recipe from the Vegetable Orzo Primavera found in the Barilla Celebrity Cookbook.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Slice the following into strips: 3 carrots, 1-2 zucchini, 1 yellow pepper, 1 red pepper, 1 medium onion.

Place vegetables on foil lined cookie sheet. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, basil, oregano and thyme. Bake, stirring often, until vegetables soften and begin to brown. Took about 25 minutes in my gas oven. (Personally, I like them brown!)

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add 1 pound of orzo. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but still firm to the bite, about 9 minutes.

Add vegies and about 20 halved cherry tomatoes to the orzo. Mix well. Season with more salt and pepper, sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

I expected this dish to be on the bland side but was shocked at how much flavor it had.

Welcome to Vegie Girl

Yet another blog! I know..I know..I’m crazy.

I’ve been a vegetarian for 4 years now. I love cooking and enjoy adapting recipes to make them my own. Vegetarian cooking is much more than pasta, steamed rice and cold cereal. When done correctly, a vegetarian diet can be full of a variety of delicious, healthy foods.

I’m not hear to preach about vegetarianism or convert anyone. In fact, feel free to take any recipe and add meat if you’d like. I just love sharing recipes when they are a hit for my family, and I love, love, love FOOD.

I do my best to eat healthy in my everyday life, although I do enjoy treats every now and then, especially dark chocolate and just about anything with cream cheese frosting.

This blog will be my place to share recipes, healthy lifestyle tidbits, and cooking tips. I hope it will inspire you to try something new, and as always, all feedback and opinions are greatly appreciated!