Sunday Brunch – Brussels Sprouts with Crispy Bacon and Sunny Side Up Eggs

May 31, 2020August 16, 2020 enbrookshireLeave a comment

Our family had a late night last night, so we opted to sleep in and make a late Sunday Brunch this morning. Nothing hits the spot more than fresh eggs, bacon, Parmesan cheese and brussels sprouts on a lazy Sunday morning! I made my Brussels Sprouts with Crispy Bacon and Sunny Side Up Eggs which always seems to be a crowd pleaser at our house. This recipe is easy to make, easy to clean up, rich, and will leave you feeling full and satisfied all day!

Fresh eggs, bacon, brussels sprouts and a touch of Parmesan cheese is all you need to make this delicious brunch.

My husband is a huge fan of brussels sprouts and he likes them with a dash of salt and pepper, garlic and onion powered and a small drizzle of olive oil. I always cut the brussels down into quarters for the larger one and half size for the smaller ones. I like to cook brussels in the air fryer for a fast and crispy result. I also cook my bacon ahead of time to allow it time to cool and be chopped into fresh bacon pieces. I usually cook my bacon in the oven at 350 degrees F on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper for about 10 minutes or until done. Cooking the bacon on parchment paper makes for a stress free and easy clean up!

It’s also important to get the eggs out of the fridge early, so they come up to room temperature before frying them. I use a pat of butter and I make sure that my pan is nice and hot when the eggs go in to ensure they cook evenly and that the yolk will be perfectly runny. I finish my sunny side up eggs in the oven to get all of the egg whites cooked through. This recipe is easy, delicious and rich! I hope you enjoy it!

Brussels Sprouts with Crispy Bacon and Sunny Side Up Eggs

Ingredients:

4 large eggs; cooked sunny side up
4 strips of thick cut bacon; cooked, drained and chopped into pieces
A bundle of fresh Brussels sprouts; rinsed, quartered/halved, seasoned
Parmesan cheese; freshly grated
Salt and peppper

Directions:

Preheat air fryer to 350 degrees F and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Add brussels sprouts to air fryer and set time for 10 to 13 minutes. Shake basket half way through.
While brussels are cooking, make sunny side up eggs.
Once brussels are done remove from air fryer to plate, top with bacon pieces and eggs.
Shave fresh Parmesan cheese over top and add a dash of salt and pepper.
Enjoy!

This recipe easily feeds 4.

Dinner · Lunch · Recipes

Let’s Get “Saucy”!

May 27, 2020August 16, 2020 enbrookshireLeave a comment

My apologies for the silly title…I’m starting to really feel the effects of the quarantine! But on a more serious note, pizza is a staple at our house and some weeks we eat homemade pizzas two if not three times a week. My husband is the one who cooks this meal for our family and he always makes the most terrific pizzas! Sometimes we make basic margarita pizzas and that’s exactly what we are making tonight. Now if you know anything about pizza (lol) then you know that you MUST have a great pizza sauce to go on a great pizza. Today, I’m going to share my pizza sauce and the best news is that is super easy along with being super tasty and you can make it ahead of time!

All the ingredients you will need to make this tasty, fun and easy sauce.

You will notice in the recipe that you will need to roast your garlic. By roasting your garlic you will get a deep flavor from those little garlic cloves. Here’s a tip that I use…I grab a small amount of tin foil and make a bowl using my hands. Then place your whole/skin-on garlic cloves in the tin foil and lightly cover with a good olive oil. Fold up the sides and make a ball out of the tin foil and wah-lah….you are all set to roast your garlic! I roast my garlic for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees F. You should just start to smell that fragrant smell of roasted garlic at the 15 minute mark; let it go for about 5 more minutes. Allow the garlic to rest in the tin foil for a few minutes to help cool down. That roasted garlic will squeeze out of its skins when it’s time to add it to the sauce. Now let’s talk about the tomatoes and the process of making the sauce!

I like using Tuttorosso Peeled Plum Italian Style Tomatoes. It’s plum tomatoes in their own juices…nothing added…just tomatoes. This allows you to build your own flavor profile with your unique sauce. You will not be cooking this sauce except when it’s on your pizza and the best part is you get to get your hands dirty by squeezing all those tomatoes and garlic, so this could be fun for kids to make as well. I use a large mixing bowl to squish all of the ingredients together, followed by straining the sauce to separate the juice from the actual sauce itself and lastly I reserve my flavorful tomato juice to have with breakfast or a delicious cocktail! Here are some pics of the process and the recipe!

I use a big bowl to get everything mixed together and incorporated. Be careful when you are squishing those tomatoes…the juice can go everywhere!

This is a snap of the sauce prior to draining off most of the juice. I use this handheld strainer to strain the bulk of the juice off. I also use a spatula to push that juice through the strainer.

Pizza Sauce

Ingredients:

1 (28 oz) can of Italian Style Peeled Plum Tomatoes
3 cloves of garlic, roasted with skin on
1 tsp of sea salt
1 tsp of sugar
1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning (optional)
Olive oil for roasting garlic

Directions:

Roast garlic in a 350 degree F oven. (Directions for this above) Allow garlic to cool.
Add tomatoes and garlic to a large mixing bowl and squish by hand until all tomatoes are broken.
Add salt, sugar and Italian seasoning and mix by hand.
Taste to make sure you have a good balance of salt and sugar.
Strain the sauce into a second large mixing bowl and reserve any left over tomato juice for drinking.
Add to pizza! Store any left overs. Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Enjoy!

Dinner · Recipes

Cheesy-Creamy Ravioli Bake

May 26, 2020August 16, 2020 enbrookshireLeave a comment

As a working mom I am always on the hunt for something fast, easy, fulfilling and healthy. Now that my daughter is 3 1/2 years old we run between preschool, dance classes and soccer practice…well at least before Covid-19 we did. With our busy schedules it’s always nice to have meals like this one to turn to. Today, I am sharing a meal that is fast, easy and a great addition to your work week 30 minute meals. It’s rich, filling and pairs well with a small side salad and/or crusty bread…not to mention a nice red wine! This meal had me at spinach, mushrooms, bacon, tomatoes, cheese and garlic! Now let’s get started on this delicious Cheesy-Creamy Ravioli Bake!

Everything you need for this easy Cheesy-Creamy Ravioli Bake. Bacon, tomatoes, spinach, mushroom stuffed ravioli, Alfredo sauce, onion, garlic and a dash of red pepper flakes.

Somehow I forgot to snap a pic of these cheeses that I use in this meal. These are our family favorites for mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

One of my favorite tips that I’ve learned over the years is to always layout all of your ingredients and prep your ‘Mise en place’ before you get started. ‘Mise en place’ is a French term that means having all your ingredients measured, cut, peeled, sliced, grated, etc. before you start cooking. It helps to have all of this prep work done before you start cooking so everything can come together at the same time. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you are busy with a toddler under you feet and also following a new recipe. This tip always helps me out!

Now that you have your ingredients in order, it’s time to get your pot filled with water to boil the noodles and your skillet heating up for the bulk of the meal. It’s very important that if you want yummy pasta of any kind to SALT YOUR WATER! Your pasta water should always taste like sea water to ensure that you get a delicious pasta with lots of flavor.

I like using fine sea salt when I’m cooking and this brand is just from my local grocery store. Always put way more salt in your pasta water prior to boiling…it should taste like the sea! The end result is always full flavor pasta.

I always turn my skillet on to get a good heat on it so that my ingredients will instantly start to cook upon dropping them in. There’s nothing like the sizzle of bacon cooking in a hot cast iron skillet.

This recipe cooks up so fast, it is easy to cleanup and has a delicious taste…not to mention the house smells AMAZING! I hope you and your family enjoy this recipe as much as mine. Now on to the recipe!

Cheesy-Creamy Ravioli Bake

Ingredients:

2 (9 oz) pkgs mushroom stuffed ravioli
1 bag of spinach
4 slices of thick cut bacon, cooked, drained and chopped into bits
2 large cloves of garlic, diced
1 onion, chopped
1 container of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 (15 oz) container of refrigerated Alfredo sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 tsp red pepper flake
Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Parsley, for garnish
Pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook ravioli according to package directions.
Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crispy. Drain, reserving 2 Tbsp drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon into bits.
Add onions and garlic to skillet; cook 4 to 6 minutes or until tender. Stir in tomatoes; cook for 2 minutes. Stir in red pepper flakes and spinach; cook 3 minutes or until wilted.
Stir in Alfredo sauce and add ravioli; sprinkle with cheese. Cover and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until sauce is thoroughly heated and cheese is melted.
Sprinkle with bacon, Parmesan cheese and add a dash of pepper and parsley to taste.
Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy!

Pie · Recipes

Nothing Like A Little Pie!

May 25, 2020August 16, 2020 enbrookshireLeave a comment

This is my first post and I am super excited to share this with you! My family loves sweet treats, but we rarely have them around the house. Usually we treat ourselves to an ice cream or milkshake out, but since Covid-19 struck we’ve been making our sweet treats at home. Since Memorial Day weekend is different this year I wanted to make something easy yet delicious! I decided to try my hand at making a French Silk Pie and the only thing I can say is “WOW”! It’s crispy crust leads to a chewy brownie, followed by a creamy chocolate filling and finished by a smooth topping of whipped cream with little bits of freshly shaved dark chocolate. You get such a rush of dark chocolate in every bite…so rich and tasty!

This pie is so simple and easy and doesn’t require a ton of clean up (which is my favorite part…LOL). It all starts with a pie crust and a dark chocolate brownie, followed by a cream cheese blend of bittersweet dark chocolate and LOTS of whipped cream. How could that not be tasty, right? I have shared some tips and substitution possibilities below as well as the recipe itself.

Some of the French Silk Pie ingredients that I used to make this delicious pie for my family.

I really enjoy the flavors of dark chocolate over milk chocolate, but you could totally use a milk chocolate brownie mix and milk chocolate bittersweet bar if you prefer that over the dark chocolate flavor. I also like using free range eggs and that’s just a preference that I have, but you could use whatever eggs you’re used to as long as they are large eggs. One tip that I have is that if you forget to put your cream cheese out on the counter to soften, you can always take it out of the foil packaging, place it on a microwaveable plate and zap it for 10 seconds on high. This will help it to soften without cooking it. Now on to the recipe!

French Silk Pie

Ingredients:

1/2 (pkg) of a pre-made pie crust
1 pkg dark chocolate brownie mix
1 (8 oz) block of cream cheese, softened
1 (4 oz) bar of bittersweet dark chocolate, melted and slightly cooled (reserve a half of a piece for garnish)
2 (8 oz) containers of whipped topping, thawed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Unroll pie crust and fit to bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie plate.
Prepare brownie mix per the directions on the box and poor onto pie crust. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until brownie and pie crust are done. Cool on wire rack until completely cooled.
Using an electric hand mixer, beat softened cream cheese in a medium bowl until well whipped. Add melted dark chocolate and beat at low speed until well blended. Slowly fold in one container of whipped topping.
Add chocolate cream cheese mixture to top of cooled brownie. Add the other container of whipped topping onto top of chocolate mixer. Shave dark chocolate onto the pie.
Allow to chill at least 4 hours before serving.
This recipe serves about 10 people.

I hope you had fun making this pie and I hope that you enjoy it as much as my family does! Remember if you have recipes or tips that you like for me to try, please share them!