{originally published in 2013 and updated in 2023}
This smoothie came about as an alternative use for a bag of mandarin oranges I’ve been eating forever. 2 of the 4 of us eat them so they can seem never ending. I figured they’d be a good smoothie addition!
I loved the really orange AND cream flavors. I think frozen mango or frozen peaches add frostiness since the oranges weren’t frozen and tone down the acidity.
Creamsicle Smoothie Ingredients: (serves 2) 3 clementines or orange, pealed 1 cup frozen mango or frozen peaches 1 cup vanilla yogurt 1 cup juice
Directions: Add everything to the blender and blend until totally smooth. Drop in some ice cubes and blend again to make it thicker and more frosty.
I hate peeling oranges so this was perfect! It makes me want to get my hands on some blood oranges! Maybe they’ll be next!
I love a loaded waffle and for this traditional duo, I put the chicken into the waffle for the ease of eating it. The fried chicken balanced on top at a restaurant is beautiful, but this is the way to go when making at home. I topped with maple aioli and arugula.
Chicken IN Waffles Ingredients: (serves 2-4) 2-3 chicken tenders 1 cup waffle mix + 3/4 cup cold water 2 teaspoons hot sauce (optional) 1 tablespoon mayo 2 tablespoons maple syrup 2 cups arugula
Directions: Cook the chicken (according to the package – mine went into the airfryer for ~10 minutes). Mix up the waffle batter adding the hot sauce. Preheat the waffle iron.
Chop the chicken and add 1/4 of it onto the bottom waffle plate, pour waffle batter on top, add another 1/4 of the chicken. Close the iron and flip. While the waffle is cooking, mix up the mayo and maple syrup. Cook the waffles for ~4 minutes (or as your waffle iron suggests).
Repeat for another waffle. Serve waffles with a little maple aioli and greens.
Add another drizzle of aioli and enjoy!
I loved this. Waffles reheat fantastically so make some ahead of time and keep warm in the oven, or reheat in the toaster! It seems so decadent but ~1 chicken tender in each waffle isn’t all that much. The chicken going directly onto the waffle iron keeps it crispy and well distributed. Swap the maple aioli with hot honey for a spicy twist.
Be fully awake before indulging in these breakfast sandwiches. They are flavor packed with a smoky bacon aioli, soft and garlicky Texas toast and some fresh arugula because, well, I can’t help myself. Arugula goes with everything for me.
Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich Ingredients: (for 2 sandwiches) 1 slice of bacon, crumbled (or bits) 2 teaspoons mayo 1 teaspoon maple syrup 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke 4 slices of Texas Toast Garlic Bread 2 eggs 2 slices of cheese 1-2 cups baby arugula (or spinach, or sliced tomato)
Directions: Mix together the crumbled bacon, mayo, maple syrup, and liquid smoke.
Toast the Texas toast- both sides are flavored with the butter & garlic so be sure to flip once. Optional: chop the arugula/greens and dress it in oil/vinegar, if desired. Pan fry the eggs and top with cheese to melt. Assemble with the Texas toast, arugula, egg and cheese, and a spread of maple bacon aioli.
Enjoy! I love the gooey cheese and the crunch from the greens. The Texas toast is greasy from the butter spread so I broke the yolks to keep it from being messier.
Breakfast sandwiches are my love language (just see here) and I made one on Texas toast circa 2016 but this one is majorly upgraded. It is so so good and easy enough to have the Texas toast on hand in the freezer and to mix the up aioli in advance if you wanted to! We had leftover slices with Pizza Beans another night.
Liquid smoke is also great in chili, pulled pork, bbq sauce, burgers, sloppy joes, and anything with a plant-based meat substitute. It lasts forever and you only use a little at a time. Or for this one a substitute of Worcestershire sauce would be good instead!
This spinach strata has a shortcut to pack a flavor punch – creamed spinach gives this so much a salty creaminess and keeps the ingredient list quite short. I made it as I would a bread pudding so while strata means layers, mine didn’t have to soak as long and came together so quickly.
It poofs up like a souffle and then settles a bit. It is less eggy than a lot of breakfasts which was nice for variety. I loved it reheated too. I intended it to be a ready-made, savory breakfast but I needed a handheld one for en route to the bus stop. This became lunch and I was not mad about it. I microwaved on low (try a defrost or reheat setting) and thank me later.
Spinach Strata Ingredients: (for ~6 servings) 1 loaf bread (Italian or focaccia or sourdough) 1 package creamed spinach 3-4 eggs 1/2 cup milk 2 tablespoons dijon mustard salt & pepper 1-2 cups fresh greens (I used baby arugula) 1/2-3/4 cup shredded cheese 3 tablespoons parmesan
Directions: Slice and cube the bread – let it sit out for a few hours to get stale. Warm the creamed spinach according to the package. Then stir and cool.
Mix up the eggs, milk, mustard, salt and pepper – go gentle on the salt since the creamed spinach will likely provide enough salt. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and spray a 9×9 baking dish. Gently mix together the bread cubes, creamed spinach, egg mixture, and fresh greens. Ensure it is all evenly coated.
Spoon half into the baking dish, add a sprinkle of each cheese, top with remaining bread mix and finish with the remaining cheeses.
Bake ~40 minutes. Enjoy!
Let me declare my love for creamed spinach as an ingredient as we never eat it as a side- I love it mixed into pasta to be a sauce, or in a calzone for some cheesiness, or into the ricotta mixture for stuffed shells or lasagna. Also, since it lives in the freezer, that makes it very handy. The salt content is up there, but that is usually based on 2-3 servings and I often use it as ~6 servings.
‘Tis the season for all the apple foods! We apple picked and are eating them in lots of forms. I usually head towards savory breakfasts but this baked oatmeal was an exception and loved the crunch of some slightly cooked apples.
I warmed it to eat it a few different mornings and froze a portion for another time.
Baked Apple Oatmeal Ingredients: 2 cups old fashioned oats 1/3 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder dash of salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 1/2 cups milk 1 egg 1/2 cup applesauce 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons melted butter 2-3 apples
Directions: In a large bowl, mix together the oats, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In another bowl, mix the milk, egg, applesauce, vanilla extract, and butter.
Preheat the oven to 350-degrees. Chop the apples and mix together the dry, the wet, with half of the apples.
Add the remaining apples and put into a 9×9 baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Then pour the mixture into it. Bake for 30-40 minutes.
Enjoy! Or drizzle with caramel sauce or maple syrup. Warm individual servings with a splash of milk.
I like the texture old fashioned oats have – especially when baked. I’m not always into the softness of instant or quick cooking oats but some warm, cooked apples with cinnamon would be a great alternative to a whole batch of baked apple oatmeal too!