French Toast

This has to be one of the easiest breakfasts to make and my family  loves it.

What You Will Need:
Measuring Cup
Measuring Spoon
Frying Pan
Medium Size Bowl
Whisk
Spatula


Ingredients:
4-Pieces of thick white bread
2-Eggs, cracked and beaten into a large bowl
3/4 Cup of whole milk
1-Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1 1/2 Teaspoon Sugar
1-Tablespoon Butter
Real Maple Syrup
Extra butter for French Toast

Directions:
Set your stove top for Medium heat. Add butter to your frying pan and melt the butter. Whisk-beat your two cracked eggs in a medium bowl.  Be careful not to get shells in the eggs. Add the rest of the above ingredients to the whisked-beaten eggs. Submerge one piece of bread into the egg mixture, make sure to coat completely.  Turn the bread over and repeat.  Put this egg coated bread in to the hot frying pan.  Repeat the same steps with the other 3-pieces of bread.  

Cook each egg dipped piece of bread for about 7-9 minutes or until golden brown, once golden brown flip each of them over until they are also golden brown. Put on plates and serve with butter and maple syrup. I like peanut butter on mine instead of butter. You should try it, it's really good. Served with apple slices and bacon.  Enjoy!

Butter

Peanut Butter

Cast Iron Skillet Jalepeno Cornbread

Here is another recipe that friends and family have requested.  I pair this with my home made New England Clam Chowder.

Time start to finish, about an hour.


Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) Butter, melted, plus more for greasing skillet
1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar
2-large Eggs
2-Cups Yellow Cornmeal
1-Cup All-Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of White Sugar you can use Brown Sugar if you like
1-Cup Whole Buttermilk
1-Cup Sour Cream
1/2-Cup diced Jalapeno Peppers. If you don't want this to be really hot and spicey, remove the seeds and membraines.
1/2 Cup chopped Scallions or Yellow Onions, either work fine.
4-strips of cooked Bacon
2-Tablespoons of Bacon Grease

Note: I will re-season my Cast Iron Skillet and then pull it out of the oven. Let the Skillet cool. I then take soften Butter and rub it along the sides of the Skillet and melt a little Butter on the bottom of the Skillet to coat, about a Tablespoon or so.

Cooking the Bacon:
This is the easiest way to cook Bacon and the least amount of mess, which I try to avoid.
Put your Bacon on an Aluminum Foil lined baking sheet. Don't stretch and pull, just line the strips side-by-side. Put the baking sheet in a cold oven and turn on to 400-degrees. Bake roughly for about 20-minutes or until golden brown. When done, remove the bacon and put it on a plate that is lined with paper towels to absorb the grease. Reseve the grease for gravies, stews etc.,.


Whisk together the melted Butter and Brown Sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the Eggs and whisk until combined. Add the Cornmeal, Flour, Baking Soda, Salt and Brown Sugar and whisk to combine. Add the Buttermilk and Sour Cream and whisk together. Add the Jalapenos, Scallions and reserved Bacon Grease.  Break up your cooked Bacon and add to the mixture.  Use a spatula to stir until just combined. Pour the batter in to your lightly greased Cast Iron Skillet. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30-Minutes.  Lightly Sprinkle the top with Light Brown Sugar or White Sugar. Let cool for about 15-minutes, this helps firm up the Cornbread so it doesn't crumble and break apart. If you don't care about this, then eat it pipping hot, both ways still taste delicious.  You can also drizzle warm Pure Maple Syrup over the top as well.  We eat it this way for breakfast.

Stuffed Peppers With Rice and Ground Beef

I find that using orange or yellow peppers tend to be sweeter and I like the color. You can us whatever color peppers you prefer, ie,. green, red, yellow or orange.  They all taste good in the end.


8-Servings

Preheat your oven on 400-degrees

What You Will Need:
Baking Sheet
Parchment Paper
Baking Sheet
Medium Size Pot
Oven Mitts
Knife
Measuring Spoons
Measuring Cup
Wooden Spoon
Large Spoon
Large Bowl

Ingredients:
8-Large Bell Peppers
3-Cups cooked rice (White, Jasmine, Brown or Wild) you choose.
1-Egg well beaten
1/4 Pound lean ground beef
3-Garlic Cloves peeled and pressed
1-Onion peeled and finely chopped
1/2 Cup of Crackers or bread crumbs.
2-Teaspoons of salt
1/2 Tsp black ground pepper
Dash of Cayenne Pepper *Optional*
2-Teaspoons Basil
2-Teaspoons Parsley
2-Teaspoons Oregano
2-Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1-Pint of spaghetti sauce. *I make mine homemade but you can use jar sauce that's fine*

You can leave out any of the spices and herbs if you don't like them. I like using fresh but dried is fine. You can also increase or decrease the amount for your own taste. I tend to actually add a bit more spices and herbs than I had listed here.

Directions:
Cook your rice first as instructed on the box. Once cooked, set aside and cool. Mix your cooked rice, egg, ground beef, crumbs, spices and herbs thoroughly. I use my hands, you can use a wooden spoon.

Wash your peppers and then dry. Using a paring knife, cut around the stem in a circle and then remove stem.  Scrape the inside of the pepper and remove the seeds and thick flesh, discard all. (Stem, seeds and thick flesh)

Fill each pepper with the meat and rice mixture and place on the parchment paper lined baking sheet. Pour the spaghetti sauce over top of the peppers and around the bottom with a large spoon.

Bake peppers covered loosely with aluminum foil for 15-minutes at 400-degrees.  After the 15-minutes, remove the foil and reduce your oven temperature to 325-degrees.  Cook the peppers until fork tender which is about an hour depending on your oven.  Serve on plates and add the remainder of the spaghetti sauce on top of each pepper.  I served mine with mashed turnips and a mixed green salad on the side.  Enjoy!