Stuffed French Toasts

I'd heard about stuffed french toast a long time ago, but I'd never found a bread that I thought would work so I kinda forgot about it. Then a few weeks ago I was in the grocery store and I found a really nice, plump, soft fresh-baked french bread. I brought one home and made toast and sandwiches, which were great, but once I'd tasted this bread I knew I'd found the bread I'd been looking for. So I went back to the grocery store the next day and got two more loaves and set to work.

I've made regular french toast lots of times so the question was what to use as a filling. I wanted something sweet and creamy  so I decided to combine the organic strawberry preserves I always keep on hand with some cream cheese. It was a perfect combination. Everybody at home went nuts for it and we ended up overeating a bit! It's very rich so I don't do it often, but when I do, it's a major hit at my house and I'm sure it will be at yours too. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 eggs
half and half
Vanilla extract
Ground cinnamon
Strawberry preserves
Cream cheese spread
French bread

Procedure:

Mix the half and half with the eggs.
Add cinnamon.
Mix well.
Cut the bread in thick slices.
Make an incision in those slices.
Fill the incision with preserves.
Then fill with the cream cheese spread.
Heat a pan to medium heat with butter.
Dredge the slices in the mix and place them in the pan.
Once they're golden brown on both sides they're ready to serve.
They're delicious on their own.
But I like them even better with sausages and banana slices. Enjoy!

Mix the half and half with the eggs

Add cinnamon.

Mix well.

Cut the bread in thick slices.

Make an incision in those slices.

Fill the incision with preserves.

Then fill with the cream cheese spread.

Heat a pan to medium heat with butter.

Dredge the slices in the mix and place them in the pan.

Once they're golden brown on both sides they're ready to serve.

They're delicious on their own.

But I like them even better with sausages and banana slices.

Enjoy!!!!

Spinach Sauce Fettuccine

Recently I've wanted to incorporate different foods into my family's diet. My husband agreed with adding a little variety into our meals, specifically eating more vegetables. As for our infant son he eats pretty much everything I give him, but lately he's mostly just asking for fruit. I know that it's normal because children prefer sweet flavored foods, but I want him to eat more veggies. Veggies tend to taste a little bitter, especially when cooked, so I went with the old trick of adding some cheese to make it more appealing. However, that doesn't mean just dumping a bunch of melted imitation cheddar on a few broccoli bits like a lot of our parents did when we were kids!

I wanted to make something healthy with real vegetables and real flavor so I took a look in the fridge. I had some leftover cream cheese and a bunch of fresh spinach so I thought, "yeah, I can work with this." Since my son loves pasta so much it was a no brainer, I'd make a spinach cheese sauce with fettuccine. It's easy to do and so creamy!

Ingredients:

Cream cheese 8 oz
Parmesan Cheese (to taste)
Fresh Spinach 2 - 3 cups
Half and half 1-2 Tablespoons
Salt (to taste)
Fresh Ground Pepper (to taste)



Procedure:

Blanch the spinach. 

Put the cream cheese in a saucepan on a low temperature. 

(You can use the same saucepan you used to blanch the spinach to cut down on dishes.)

Toss in the spinach and start stirring. 

At first it's gonna be a little difficult but with the heat the cheese will slowly start to melt.

(Make sure to keep stirring continuously to avoid burning!)

You'll know the cheese has fully melted when you can stir without feeling any resistance. 

Season with salt and pepper and mix until it's fully incorporated.

Add the parmesan cheese and (surprise!) keep mixing.

You may notice that there are still a few lumps in the sauce, don't worry that's normal.

Add the half and half and keep stirring until you have reached the desired consistency. 

Taste and enjoy!

PS: You can just pour the sauce on top of your plate of pasta, or toss the pasta onto the saucepan combine it before serving. It also works great as a stuffing for pastas like ravioli, lasagna or cannelloni. You could even make the sauce extra thick and serve it as a party dip! 

Pasta after being tossed with the sauce in the pan.

A tasty spinach dip!

Pumpkin Soup

I must say I'm totally in love with this soup; it's easy and delicious. This recipe means a lot to me; it was the first soup I made for my husband back during our first Christmas together as a couple. It gives me an amazing sense of warmth and love every time I make it for him. This is gonna sound a little cheesy, but he and my baby boy are the best thing to happen to me. They complete me.

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons of unsalted butter

1 Tablespoon of olive oil

2 cups of chopped onions

3 cups of chicken stock

2 teaspoons of salt

1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper

1 Cup of half and half

1 1/2 pound of pumpkin

Procedure:

Put the unsalted butter in the saucepan.

Add the olive oil.

Chop the 2 cups of onions.

Cut the pumpkin into cubes.

Set the stove to a medium temperature.

When the olive oil starts to bubble add the chopped onions.

Mix them slowly until it is translucent.

Get the 1 1/2 pounds of chopped pumpkin.

Add the pumpkin to the saucepan.

Add the salt.

Add the ground black pepper.

Add the chicken stock.

Mix everything in the saucepan.

You'll see the soup starting to thicken.

After having it 20 minutes on the stove cooking set it aside.

Use a hand blender to combine everything.

Make sure the soup is uniform and smooth.

Add the half and half.

Then mix it in. 

Pour into a bowl and top with some chopped green onions. Enjoy!

Triple Fudge Chocolate Cupcakes

The same way I love bananas (and if you have been following my recipes you’ll know what I mean) you need to know I’m in love with cupcakes too! So here comes the second cupcakes recipe! I call this one Triple fudge chocolate cupcake. It has a chocolate base mixture, melted chocolate and chocolate chips too! If you, my friend, are a chocolate lover this  amazing cupcake is for you. Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

I box of chocolate cake mix

3 eggs

1 cup half and half

1 cup of semi sweet chocolate (melted)

1 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Start melting the cup of chocolate in a double boiler.

Add the eggs.

Add the half and half.

Mix until combined.

Add the melted chocolate to the mixture. Mix until combined.

Fold in the chocolate chips into the mixture.

Pour the mixture into cupcakes molds.

Bake for 18 minutes.