Buttermilk French Toast

We were feeding the missionaries and one suggested dinner for breakfast.......and who doesn't love dinner for breakfast?!?! Be a rebel why just limit breakfast to mornings!!! First thoughts for dinner was FRENCH TOAST but I didn't have that much milk or cream BUT I did have buttermilk soooooo :) yeah that's what I decided to go with. It was delicious! Tangy and sweet!! Top it with fresh berries and VOILA!!! 

INGREDIENTS:

4 large eggs

1 cups buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 pinch salt

1/4 cup sugar

1 loaf Thick Texas toast

Choice of berries

Honey 

Unsalted butter, for frying

DIRECTIONS

Combine eggs, buttermilk, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk together. Dip bread in egg mixture. In a large frying pan over medium heat, heat a small amount of butter. Cook until golden brown on both sides. Keep warm in oven on lowest setting until ready to serve. When ready to serve top with whipped cream and berries and a drizzle of honey!! 

Brown sugar cupcakes with salted carmel buttercream

I wanted these really good cupcakes from this really spectacular place BUT I didn't have time to go soooo I thought,"Haley you can make those, pshh." So that's what I did!!! Enjoy....and Eat on!!!

Brown sugar vanilla cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 stick of unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk

Preheat oven to 325 °F. Line muffin tin with liners.

In a medium bowl, soft flour, baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each until fully mixed. Add vanilla extract. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients in batches, alternating with the buttermilk, stirring after each until everything is combined.

Pour batter into prepared muffin tin until each is about 3/4 full. Bake for around 25 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted in the center and comes out clean.

Salted Carmel filling:

1/2 cup sugar

3 tablespoons salted butter, cubed

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoons heavy cream, at room temperature

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add only the sugar. Whisk it as it melts and cook it until it turns a deep amber color. Then add the butter and stir until it is melted. Add the heavy cream and whisk until the caramel is smooth. Remove from heat and let cool.

Using a knife, cut a small round piece out of the top of each cupcake. Pour in 1-2 teaspoons of caramel.

Salted Carmel Buttercream frosting:

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons water

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 stick salted butter

1 stick unsalted butter

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and water and cook over medium-high heat. Boil without stirring until it turns a deep amber color. Remove from heat and slowly pour in cream and vanilla, whisking until it is very smooth. Let cool for around 20 minutes, until it’s just barely warm and still pourable.

Beat butter, cream cheese and salt together until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and beat until thoroughly combined. Pour in the cooled caramel and beat on medium-high speed until light and airy. Spread or pipe onto filled cupcakes.

Beef empanadas

World Cup fever is what prompted this impromptu empanada addition to today's menu. Argentina vs Iran was on and my wonderful Argentine friend came over to watch with me sooo I decided to make these delicious meat pies!!! Enjoy....and Eat on!!

Empanada dough:(Allrecipes.com)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 

2 tablespoons melted butter for brushing

Empanada Filling:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound ground beef

1 tablespoon garlic salt

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons vinegar

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

4 boiled eggs, chopped 

Green olives, sliced

Directions:

Whisk together the 2 cups flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl until evenly blended; make a well in the center of the mixture. Whisk the egg yolk and water together in a small bowl until smooth; pour into the well and mix to form a stiff dough. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.

Roll the dough with a rolling pin until thin, sprinkling with flour to prevent from sticking. Brush with melted butter and roll it like a jelly roll. Cut with a sharp knife into 1 1/2-inch slices. Roll each piece into a circle and fill with about 1 tablespoon filling. Fold over into half moons and seal. Fry for 6-7 minutes or until golden. 

Empanada filling Directions:

Heat olive oil on medium heat. Start to brown meat. While meat is cooking add in all your seasonings including tomato paste, but not eggs or olives. Once done stir in eggs. Before sealing empanadas place a slice if green olive in it. 

 

Bananas Foster French toast

For Fathers Day I wanted to make Ben something special.....I know he lives French toast(which is on blog) but I didn't want the same toppings as I usually do. I also know he likes bananas sooo being from Louisiana I think of two things when it comes to bananas: 1. Banana pudding and 2. Bananas Foster.  Knowig that banana pudding probably wouldn't be the greatest topping for French Toast I decided on latter. So enjoy this wonderful recipe....and if you ever put banana pudding on top of your French toast please let me know!!! Enjoy.....and Eat on!!

INGREDIENTS: 

1/4 cup butter

2/3 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 tablespoons rum extract or 3 tablespoons real rum for you 

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 bananas, peeled and sliced 

1/4 cup chopped walnuts or whichever but you prefer

Directions

In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in sugar, rum, vanilla and cinnamon. When mixture begins to bubble, place bananas and walnuts in pan. Cook until bananas are hot, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve over French Toast. 

Grilled Peaches a la Modé

SUMMER TIME equals FRESH PEACHES!!!!!! I can't even deal with it right now....can you tell how excited I am about summer fruit, especially peaches!!!! 

So here it is my summer fruit dessert!!!

Ingredients:

6 ripe peaches

Stick of butter, softened

Cinnamon

Sugar

Brown sugar

Salt

Canola oil

Ice cream

Directions:

In a small bowl add the butter and stir until smooth. Add the cinnamon, sugar, and salt and mix until combined.

Heat grill to high. Brush peaches with oil and grill until golden brown and just cooked through. Top each with a few teaspoons of the butter and top with ice cream. 

Shrimp Stir-Fry

Ingredients: 

1 lb. Shrimp, raw, shelled and deveined

1 medium Onion, sliced/separated into rings

12 spears Asparagus, spears, cut into 1/2 inch pieces 

2 cups Broccoli, chopped into small pieces

4 cloves Garlic, cloves, minced

1/2 cup Soy sauce, light

2 tsp Splenda or other sugar substitute

Dash Crushed red pepper

Directions:

Lightly mist a large skillet with olive oil pan spray and preheat over medium-high heat. Add onion, asparagus, and broccoli. Cook and stir until vegetables are almost tender. Add shrimp, soy sauce, red pepper, garlic and Splenda. Cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until shrimp is pink and opaque.

 

Fried ravioli topped crawfish cream sauce

I had crawfish in the freezer, saw the ravioli also in my freezer and remembered the awesome food I had at The Cheesecake Bistro in Baton Rouge, LA. I can't drive to Louisiana...at least not at this moment, so I had to make myself. Here's my version....

1 package of cheese ravioli (freezer aisle)
2 eggs
1/3 cup italian bread crumbs

Cajun seasoning
vegetable oil

1 stick of butter(melted)
5 cloves of garlic, minced
4 green onions chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper
1 1/2 pounds peeled crawfish tails
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon rosemary
1/8 teaspoon oregano
salt
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
12 ounces half and half
1 1/2 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese 

Mix the cajun seasoning and italian bread crumbs together. Then drop your raviolis in the egg wash, then in the breading and place on a platter to wait to fry. Turn your oil on to heat when you start cooking the sauce, this should give it enough time to heat up.

Place butter in a large pan, when the butter melts add red bell pepper and garlic. Cook until soft but not browned. Stir frequently. Add your green onions, crawfish tails, thyme, rosemary, oregano, and a dash of salt. cook until crawfish are warm. Add in flour making a sorta paste, then start adding your half and half. Stir frequently just so sauce simmers. Cook until the sauce gets thick and creamy. Watch your sauce it can begin to stick if not stirred consistently.  

While your sauce is cooking, start dropping the raviolis in the oil to fry. Once the raviolis are golden, take them out and place them on some paper towels so they don't soak up oil.

When the sauce has thickened, turn the heat off and add stir in the parmesan cheese. Serve and top with a parmesan cheese.