Kelly's Awesome Breakfast Smoothies

A great way to get in some fruits and veggies w/out a battle! I usually serve in a non see-thru cup as my kids have a problem with ingesting anything green.

Pour leftovers in popsicle molds, freeze and serve for a treat.

1 banana

Frozen or fresh strawberries ( ½ cp or so) eyeball it

Scoop of almond butter (trader joes has cheapest)

Handful of spinach. Fresh  or frozen

Almond milk (I use unsweetened vanilla)

#2

Frozen pineapple

Spinach

Avocado

Raw unsweetened coconut

Almond milk

#3

Mangos

Pineapple

Banana

Spinach or kale

Almond milk

#4 PB&J

Banana

Blueberries

Scoop of peanut butter

Spinach (optional)

Almond milk

Kelly's Eggplant Parmigiana

EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA

I eyeball the measurements in this so I don’t have accurate measurements but this is how I make it.  You have to judge for yourself how much to make, depending on how many you are feeding.

Here are the basics. 

• 1 Large jar of your favorite marina or spaghetti sauce (you can make your own if you are into it but I find it so easy to just use the prepared stuff).
• 1 or 2 eggplants
• flour – all purpose - for dredging
• 2 eggs
• olive oil
• Italian bread crumb
• Salt and pepper
• Mozzarella cheese shredded
• Grated Parmesan cheese
• Fresh Parsley chopped

Peel and cut eggplant into ½ inch rounds.  Place them on paper towel.  Sprinkle with salt and let them sit awhile.  When they sort of “sweat” wipe them off with a paper towel.  (This takes away bitterness)

*Wisk together 2 eggs and 1 tbl olive oil.

Dredge eggplant in flour and shake off excess. 

then

*Dredge the eggplant in the olive oil mixture

then

Dredge in Italian bread crumbs.

Put the EP slices on a rack and let them dry for about 20-30 minutes. (Important Step)

Put olive oil or vegetable oil in skillet to cover bottom.  Make it pretty hot.  Add the eggplant and cook over medium heat on each side until brown.  ( I drain them as I remove from the skillet on a paper bag, covered with paper towels.)

To prepare for the oven:

Coat a pan maybe 15 x 10 or so with ½ of the tomato sauce.

Arrange the eggplant in the pan overlapping some.

Mix the mozzarella cheese and grated Parmesan cheese together and sprinkle on the top.  (I like a lot of cheese)

Sprinkle parsley on the top

Bake in a preheated oven 425 degrees until bubbly maybe 15 minutes or so.

BINGO! YOU HAVE YUMMY EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA THAT IS NOT SOGGY!

Julie's Broiled Chicken Thighs

Broiled Chicken Thighs

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

6 T. table salt

½ c. sugar

Dissolve the salt and sugar in one quart cold water in a large bowl, stockpot or Dutch oven.  Immerse the chicken thighs in the brine and cover.  Refrigerate until fully seasoned, about one hour.  Remove the chicken from the brine, rinse well, and dry thoroughly with paper towels.  

Meanwhile, adjust an over rack to the lowest position and the other rack to the upper-middle position (the top rack should be about five inches from the heating element and the bottom should be 13 inches away); heat the broiler.  Line the bottom of the broiler pan with foil and fit with the slotted broiler pan top.  

After removing the chicken from the brine, make three diagonal slashes in the skin of each piece of chicken (do not cut into meat).  Season both sides of the chicken pieces with pepper and place, skin-side down, on the broiler pan top.

Broil the chicken on the bottom rack until just beginning to brown, 12 to 16 minutes.  Using tongs, turn the chicken skin-side up and continue to broil on the bottom rack until the skin is slightly crisp and the thickest part of the meat registers 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 15 minutes.  

Move the pan to the upper rack; broil until the chicken is dark spotty brown and the skin is thin and crisp, about one minute.  Serve immediately.

Julie's Chicken Cordon Bleu

CHICKEN CORDON BLEU

double chicken breasts (about 7-ounces each), skinless and boneless
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 thin slices deli ham
16 thin slices Gruyere or Swiss cheese
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup flour
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lay the chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, gently pound the chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. Take care not to pound too hard because the meat may tear or create holes. Lay 2 slices of cheese on each breast, followed by 2 slices of ham, and 2 more of cheese; leaving a 1/2-inch margin on all sides to help seal the roll. Tuck in the sides of the breast and roll up tight like a jellyroll. Squeeze the log gently to seal. 

Season the flour with salt and pepper; spread out on waxed paper or in a flat dish. Mix the breadcrumbs with thyme, kosher salt, pepper, and oil. The oil will help the crust brown. Beat together the eggs and water, the mixture should be fluid. Lightly dust the chicken with flour, then dip in the egg mixture. Gently coat in the bread crumbs. Carefully transfer the roulades to a baking pan and bake for 20 minutes until browned and cooked through. Cut into pinwheels before serving.

Julie's Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp in Lemon Cream Sauce

Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp in Lemon Cream Sauce "This pasta is a Clark family favorite as we grew up in the Bay Area in California and developed a fondness, and some wonderful family recipes, for fresh shellfish. From our house to yours. Enjoy" Marla Clark! 2 tablespoons butter  2 cloves garlic  1 pound peeled, uncooked shrimp (medium or large)  Juice of 2 lemons  1 teaspoon lemon zest  1/2 teaspoon white pepper  1 teaspoon dried oregano  1 cup cream  Freshly grated good quality Parmesan cheese  1 pound angel hair pasta, cooked  Freshly milled black pepper to taste

METHOD In a large sauce pan, over medium heat, melt butter. Lightly brown garlic, 1 - 2 minutes, then add shrimp. Cook for 1 - 2 minutes, then add lemon juice, lemon zest and oregano and continue to cook until shrimp turn pink (another 2 - 3 minutes). Reduce heat to low and gently stir in cream. Heat for 2 - 3 minutes and serve over angel hair pasta with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Add freshly milled black pepper, as desired. Serves 4 - 6

Lemon Wine Cream Sauce

"This is a delicious sauce with fish or chicken. The key is to keep the heat very low and to whisk for a long time." ... Victoria Farmer

Ingredients: 

1/2 stick butter 

1 Tablespoon flour 

1 cup heavy cream 

1/4 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed 

1/4 cup dry white wine 

salt and pepper (to taste) 

In a medium saucepan, place the butter and heat it on low until it is meted and hot. Add the flour and whisk it in for 5 minutes.

Add the heavy cream and whisk it in. Add the lemon juice and wine; whisk them in for 8 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Add the salt and pepper and stir them in.

Makes: approximately 2 cups.

• You found this recipe on 1st Traveler's Choice Internet Cookbook. (www.virtualcities.com) 

Julie's Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes

1 lb. Ground beef

1 - 14 ½ oz. can diced tomatoes

1 c. ketchup

1 med. onion, chopped

1 c. diced celery

1 tsp. dry mustard

3 T. brown sugar

1 T. vinegar

½ tsp. Chili powder

4 T. worcestshire sauce

Salt and pepper

Brown meat; add remaining ingredients.  Simmer, uncovered, for 3 hours until celery is tender.  You can do this on the stove top or in a crock pot.  Serve on buns with shredded cheddar cheese.

Julie's Deep Dish "Pizza"

Deep Dish “Pizza”

1 ½ lbs. ground beef

½ c. chopped onion

1 – 6 oz. Can tomato paste

2 T. grated parmesan cheese

1 tsp. oregano

1 ¼ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

10 refrigerated biscuits

1 tomato sliced

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Brown ground beef and onion; drain.  Stir in tomato paste, 1 T. parmesan cheese, oregano, salt and pepper.  Simmer while preparing crust.  Separate biscuits; arrange in a greased 9-inch pie plate.  Press over bottom and up sides to form crust.  Spoon hot meat mixture into crust.  Arrange tomato slices over filling and sprinkle with mozzarella and remaining parmesan.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.  Cool 5 minutes. 

In place of, or in addition to, tomatoes, you can use whatever other pizza toppings you like:  green peppers, mushrooms, olives, etc.