Tomato and Zucchini Tart with Garlic

I originally planned for this tart to be a quick, plain tomato-style to use up some of my garden tomatoes. Instead, I just kept adding things and it turned into an awesome tart with zucchini and garlic. Those combinations are so amazing together!

Zucchini Pineapple Muffins

These. Oh boy. These are some good muffins. It's almost like a little zucchini bread for one. But better. These muffins are good and good for you. You can be very happy while eating them.

We've really been focusing on the healthy lifestyle over here, but that doesn't mean we're not going to enjoy food. I mean, come on...food is delicious! Why would you deny yourself the good stuff? You just have to make sure the good stuff is good for you. And these muffins totally are. They're so moist and there's just enough sweetness to make you feel like you're getting a great little dessert. Or breakfast. Yeah...I think I may have one for breakfast...

**Update**
I have tweaked the recipe slightly by removing baking soda, lemon juice, and some of the sugar. I have also increased the baking powder by 1 tsp. The muffins have a better texture and taste just as good!

Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs (In Only 7 Minutes!)

I've always loved eggs. I think it stems from when I was younger and my Grandma would babysit my sister and I. She would make us scrambled eggs and they were delicious. I've written about my Grandma before so you may remember that she's Polish and therefore cooks like, well, a Polish Grandma would. Those eggs were full of Polish Sausage and butter. I'm pretty sure there were at least a few tablespoons of that butter mixed in with the sausage grease. I've since changed how I make my own scrambled eggs so they don't have all those 'extras' but I've still managed to make them taste just like hers. The secret? Seasoned salt...

Denver Breakfast Cups

Sometimes the tastiest of recipes happen on a whim. That's precisely how this one came about. I had some leftover baked ham and I've been trying to think of ways to use it up. A little egg-type breakfast muffin sounded interesting so I just threw some things together in a bowl. 20 minutes later I had a great, little breakfast bite!

Pumpkin Spiced French Toast

I've been trying to get creative with some of the pumpkin dishes I've been whipping up and I think I've found a real winner. What better way to be inventive than to do the unexpected? I'm talking pumpkin french toast here, people. Have you ever even thought about it as a possible pumpkin-infused meal? I didn't until yesterday morning.

Bacon in the Oven

I am a changed woman. I cooked up my first batch of bacon in the oven and I'm never going back to the pan again. Less clean up, less fat, less wrinkle. It was overall awesome.

Peanut Butter Banana Bites

My kid is weird. I think I may have inadvertently made him skip loving 'kid food' and go straight to the stuff that kids don't usually eat. My sister and I did it when we were little though and I honestly don't really think it impacted anything so it probably doesn't matter in his case either.

Zucchini Feta Frittata

I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, but I don't have any heavy, oven-safe pans. You know, the ones that are perfect for making a frittata. The ones that the Food Network tells you to use. Well, since I don't have those pans, I've created my own little, stove-top version. And you know what? It was awesome. Who says you can't have the good stuff with the easy stuff! All you have to do is cook it in a small pan over low heat and you're eggs will be set in about 15 to 20 minutes. Not that much longer than if you were to use an oven to finish the cooking.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast

I always thought stuffed french toast would be hard to make so I never really attempted it. Well, the other morning, I thought I'd give it a go. Normally the toast comes from a thick slice of bread with a slit cut through the middle. I didn't have thick bread but I've never actually had stuffed french toast and I since had my heart set on it so I just knew I had to improvise.

Melt In Your Mouth Quiche Lorraine

There are few foods in this world that are as good as quiche. I'm not sure what my fascination is, but it's here to stay. My dad used to make quiche quite a lot so I probably just love it because I was started on it early. It isn't something I have very often, so when I do make it, it has to be good. And I mean real good.

The Avocado Topping Experiment #1

I recently came across an avocado recipe on Pinterest that I just knew I had to try. Well, it's not so much a recipe as it is an idea of what to do with an avocado. This particular idea had an egg being cooked in an avocado half. Yum, right? (You can find the Pinterest blog post here: http://foodbeast.com/content/2012/01/13/idea-baked-avocado-and-egg/ and the original post here: http://www.reddit.com/r/food/comments/oettz/baked_avocado_and_egg/) 

When I looked at this picture (to the left) that was pinned on pinterest, I was in love. How could you not be? Avocados are one of the best tasting foods out there and even though they are a fatty food, it's the good fat. How can there be good fat you ask? Well, there is a certain kind of fat that actually lowers cholesterol and is good for your body. I swear. And as long as you eat them in moderation, the benefits far outweigh the negatives. Don't believe me? Check this out: http://www.reddit.com/r/food/comments/oettz/baked_avocado_and_egg/. There are also plenty of other sources out there that will tell you the same.

Back to the dish at hand...

Leftover Ham and Potato Hash

I'm a big fan of a good potato hash. I've posted a sweet potato version before but I'll usually just whip one up with white or golden yellow potatoes for a quick side dish. It's so easy, goes with pretty much everything, and you can add almost anything to the potatoes. 

I baked a ham the other day and since I have a bunch leftover, I'm making a few different things with the rest of it. One of the things I've made so far is a ham hash. Ham and potatoes go very well together so it makes perfect sense to combine them in this simple dish that can serve as a main meal or as a side dish with...oh, let's say some of those leftover Easter eggs! 

Tropical Banana Muffins

I've had the idea for some tropical-inspired muffins in my head for a bit and I finally wrote a recipe last week. Two versions later, I had the best-tasting banana muffins with a hint of tropical flare.

Sweet and Easy Banana Pancakes

Have you noticed how bananas don't seem to last as long as they used to? Mine seem to get mushy way too fast and instead of throwing them out I just throw the whole thing, peel and all, in the freezer for another use. It's pretty funny to just open the freezer and see all those bananas in there! They're great for banana bread but I take it a step further by incorporating the banana bread idea into a pancake.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Muffins are one of life's little treats. Most muffins you buy at the store or the donut/coffee shop are filled with way too many unhealthy ingredients and calories though. Now, I'm not saying that it's not okay to splurge on a muffin every once in awhile, but if you're going to have one, why not have it be one that's better for you! I created this version of an apple cinnamon muffin using ingredients that you don't have to feel guilty about and it's now my go-to recipe.

PB & J Pancake Sticks

Some morning are easier than others in my house. Some are also harder. On those mornings when nothing is going right and I need to get my son settled and get started on some work, I look for an easy breakfast. I'll usually ask the little guy what he would like and I'll almost always get an answer that is actually breakfast food! Every once in awhile I'll get a reply of pretzels or string cheese, but the other morning, my answer was pancakes.

Pizza for Breakfast? You Betcha!

Nothing sounded good for breakfast this morning. I was tired of cereal and I knew my son was also getting bored with cereal and waffles and pretty much everything else. Eggs were a possibility but they just seemed so blah on this rainy, dreary morning that was begging for excitement. Time to see what we had on hand.  Hmmm....box of pizza dough? Perfect!

I had everything I needed so why not make a breakfast pizza!  I already knew it was going to be full of veggies because, as you've probably figured out by now, I always have zucchini in my fridge. It's my favorite vegetable and goes well with pretty much everything.  I also still have a bunch of red peppers from the sale at the grocery store so I threw one on a stove burner to make a quickie roasted red pepper.  I rummaged through the fridge to get a few more ingredients and off I went to prepare a yummy and nutritious breakfast.

Breakfast Pizza

• 1 box pizza dough or refrigerated pizza crust
• 5 eggs
• 1/4 c milk
• 1/2 medium zucchini, sliced into very thin rounds
• 1 red pepper (preferably roasted)
• 2 slices bacon, chopped
• 1/4small onion, diced
• 3 Tb fat-free ricotta cheese
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 c shredded reduced fat cheddar
• 1/3 c shredded mozzarella 
• 1 green onion, sliced (green part only)

Preheat oven according to pizza dough/crust directions and prepare dough/crust as directed.


1. Put whole red pepper directly on stove burner over low heat turning occasionally when the area on burner starts to blacken.
2. Cook bacon until crisp. Drain and set aside.
3. Saute onions in about 1 tsp butter until soft. Remove from pan and set aside. 
4. In same pan as onions, quick saute zucchini to soften slightly and set aside. 
5. In small bowl, mix ricotta with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Spread on bottom of pizza crust.
6. Beat eggs with milk and scramble in about 1 TB butter. Season if desired with salt and pepper. Be careful not to overcook because they will cook slightly in the oven. Spread evenly over ricotta on crust.
7. Sprinkle onions and on top of eggs.
8. When red pepper is black on all sides, place in a bowl (one large enough to hold the whole pepper) and cover with plastic wrap. Let steam in the bowl for 5 to 10 minutes and then, using a cloth, rub off the blackened skin.  Slice half of the pepper and spread on top of the pizza.
9. Put zucchini rounds on top of peppers.
10. Sprinkle bacon on top of zucchini.
11. Spread both cheeses evenly over the whole pizza and then garnish with the green onions.


Bake according to dough/crust directions until cheese is melted and starting to brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. 

Sweet Potato Hash

Tonight's side dish was somewhat inspired by a friend. I had no idea what to make for dinner so I reached out to my facebook community of friends and got some pretty good suggestions.  One said tacos, but I'm not really a taco fan. Another said gyros, but I told him that I had to cook with what I had on hand; gyros was definitely not one of those pantry ingredients. Another friend had the wonderful suggestion of brinner. You know what brinner is, right? That lovely combination of the two favorite meals of the day: breakfast and dinner. I'm not sure how long that word has been around, but it has become a word that equals a nice little break from routine and a pleasant treat at supper time. Brinner sounded good to me because I had some sweet potatoes that needed to be used up and I thought, what better way to use them up than in a sweet potato hash with a cheese omelet! And, well, french toast for the little guy because he refuses to eat eggs unless his grandpa makes them.  Thanks for spoiling my kid with your awesome omelets, dad!

Here's the tasty side dish that will brighten up any breakfast (or brinner):

Sweet Potato Hash

• 1 sweet potato, diced (peeled or unpeeled depending on preference)
• 1/2 red pepper, diced
• 1/3 c sweet onion, diced (i use vidalia onions when in season)
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 TB butter
• 1/2 tsp oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Cook potato in oil and butter for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add onion, pepper, and spices and turn heat to medium-high. Cook for another 7 to 10 minutes or until all ingredients are tender and  starting to brown.