"Stuffed" French Toast

This is a delicious breakfast or brunch item when you have a few extra minutes.
What you'll need:
2 slices of toast (I used whole grain)
1 Egg
Cinnamon
1 Tbs cream or 2% milk
Filling of your choice.. fruit, bacon, whipped cream (don't heat this one.. cool each piece before filling).. etc
French Toast:
Whisk together egg, milk, and a couple teaspoons of cinnamon. When using a fruit filling, you can also add a little fruit juice. Mine have a Tbs of pineapple juice and some juice from a fresh orange.
Dip the toast in on only one side for just a second and transfer to a medium hot pan. Let cook for a few minutes then remove and let cool for a minute or two. Soak the other sides of your bread

for a minute each and transfer to the pan. Top one slice with fresh cut fruit, chopped bacon, or whatever you can think of. Let the pieces cook through then fold one slice over filling. Flip once then serve. Top with whipped cream, maple syrup or honey.

cilantro tuna wrap

Soo this deliciousness came from some delicious fresh ingredients in the fridge.
1 Can of Tuna
Handful of cilantro
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
Garlic powder
S + P
Spinach
Black Olives
Tomato
Avacado
Just mix chop layer and wrap. =) Quick and easy =) yummy yummy.

Protein and Carbo loaded lunch post workout

So I'm on day 2 of P90X Lean. I don't have the nutrition plan, so I'm just sort of winging it. I do know to eat lots of protein and that some carbs help with the energy levels.
This recipe could be really easy if you have some chicken leftover from a previous meal, or some caramelized onions (I always have some in the fridge from extras at dinner.)

Sooo here's how to make my chicken bagel with caramelized onions:

Caramelized onions:
1/2 a sweet yellow onion
1 Bay Leaf
A pinch of thyme
Pinch of s + p
Pinch of Garlic Powder
Olive Oil and a little butter for the pan (just a skinny slice of butter)

Put everything in the pan and cook over med heat until caramelized. Once you've got some onions sticking to the pan use just a teaspoon or so of balsamic vinegar to de glaze. Remove Bay leaf before eating.

Chicken:
1 Chicken Small Breast (however much you want to eat)
S+P
pinch of thyme
pinch of garlic powder
Caramelized Onion
2 tsp Balsamic vinegar
2 tsp lemon or orange juice

Season the chicken with the thyme, garlic, s+p. Top with onions, balsamic, and citrus juice. Cook in a 350 degree oven until cooked all the way through.
Once cooked, pull out of oven to cool then slice diagonally to get some big thin strips.

--Now if you want to keep this a light lunch, stop here and maybe put over a salad with oil and vinegar, or whatever you like.

To put the sandwich together:
Toast bagel ( i would recommend onion or everything) with a slice of swiss, provolone, or mozzarella (whatever your preference) over the center hole. Layer chicken and onions, spinach or romaine, and a little dijon mustard. Voila!

This meal is satisfying and full of good stuff post workout.

Tri Tip!

OK, I'll admit I had never heard of Tri Tip until I moved to the Central Coast in CA. Through a lot of experimentation, we finally got a good meal out of it a few weeks ago.
This recipe is a little kitchen intensive, but can be all put together in about 30-45 minutes if you don't mind looking over a few things at once.
This is also another meal that leaves you feeling super satisfied, but not totally weighed down. It has a very high fiber and protein count, and not a lot of fat so by the end of the meal, you feel full, but not bursting at the seams. It also lasts all night, so you don't find yourself snacking all night.
I do find myself craving a sweet after a big meal like this, but an orange or apple makes and excellent dessert without undoing the day.



So this meal consisted of 3 parts: The Tri Tip, A ChickPea Mash, and Steamed Veggies.

Tri-Tip:
I marinated the steaks in a mixture of:
-Tarragon (1-2 tsp)
-Garlic powder (1 tsp)
-Dried Basil (1 tsp)
-S + P
-Balsamic Vinegar (1 Tbs)

While the steaks were marinating I caramelized a sweet onion with some fresh garlic and a pinch of s+p and tarragon, using a little more balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan. (takes about 20-30 minutes)

To cook the steak I seared them on each side in a very hot cast iron skillet with a little olive oil (About 2 min per side). Then I baked them in a 350 degree oven (just use the skillet and transfer directly to oven) for about 15 minutes (I'm not positive about the time so please check your steaks after about 10 minutes).

Once everything was plated, i topped the steaks with the onions and made a quick pan sauce using a little water (1 oz or a shot glass) and cream (about 2 tsp) and a little flour (1 tsp) and just a tad more balsamic vinegar (1-2 tsp). Mix together in pan and let simmer for a minute before serving.

Chickpea Mash:
1 can Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans)
2-3 Garlic cloves (about 1 Tbs)
S + P
about 1 Tbs Olive Oil
about 1oz Water

"Boil" the chopped garlic and drained chickpeas with olive oil and water. (takes about 5-10 minutes for chickpeas to get soft) then use a fork, masher, or food processor to mash up the whole mixture.
(This dish was excellent with some of the caramelized onions mixed in, but that's optional)

Steamed Veggies:
I used 1/2 a bag of frozen california mixed veggies in a microwave safe bowl covered with a paper towel. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes then pull out and add a little fat free italian dressing(to taste, but I used about 2 Tbs) and stir together. Put back in microwave for another 2-3 minutes and keep covered until ready to serve. May need some s + p or more dressing depending on personal preference.

So that was my tri-tip experience. I don't eat a whole lot of red meat, so don't expect a whole lot out of me on that front. :-)

Bon Appetite!

Mango Salsa and Shrimp Tacos!

I made this dish a few weeks ago and it turned out really great. It is a fresh take on Shrimp tacos with a lot of cilantro, and a good kick of fruity sweetness. Everything comes together with some mellow avacado and rice and beans.


Sorry guys, I'm not good with measuring, I just kinda roll with it until it tastes how I like it...


So for the Mango Salsa:
2 Mangoes
2 Roma Tomatoes
1/2 large Red Onion
1 Pepper (I used yellow because it's all I had. Any color will do.)
handful Cilantro
2 Garlic cloves (about 2 teaspoons)
1 Avocado
1 Lime
1 Lemon
about 1 tbs Apple Cider Vinegar
about 1-2 tbs Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

I diced all my veggies. I would do a layer mango, layer tomato, layer pepper, layer onion, then garlic, cilantro, lemon juice, lime juice, salt and pepper, then repeat the process. Once it was all layered up I added the avocado, oil, vinegar, lemon and lime juice and mixed it all together.
I covered and let sit in the fridge for a couple hours while I prepped everything else.

Shrimp Tacos:

Beans and Rice:
1 C white rice
1.75 C Water
about 2TBS fresh Cilantro
1 Garlic clove (about 1tsp)
S + P
1 Can Drained Black Beans

I cooked the rice as directed on the bag with all ingredients but the beans. Added the beans after rice finished cooking and allowed to warm for just a minute. Added a little more fresh cilantro once it was all done cooking.

Shrimp:
just boiled some medium shrimp with a little S+P.. no big deal.. Then I just removed the tails and did a rough chop.

To put the tacos together:
-warm some tortillas (can use wheat, corn, or flour, or whatever you like) with a couple slivers of pepper jack cheese (or mexican mix would work fine) in a 350 degree oven for just a few minutes (maybe 4-5)
-Pile on a couple spoonfuls of rice and beans.
-A couple spoonfuls of the mango salsa.
-A few shrimps
-A few slices of fresh avocado on top and VOILA!

The best part about this meal is that it's super healthy (minus the white rice and cheese) and once you finish, you feel satisfied without feeling full and bloated. It's got lots of fiber and protein without tons of calories so it's a good dinner that won't leave you feeling like poo before bed.

Hope you like it!

HI Hello and WELCOME!

Bonjour!
My name is Sara. I have absolutely no formal training as a chef, but I love to cook. I'm out to share my experiences with the world and to learn from other aspiring cooks like myself. In this blog I will be posting mostly my own dishes, but also some really great ones that I eat on my journeys through the culinary world.

I hope you enjoy!
Bon Apetite!


P.S. Please feel free to leave me comments and feedback, but please don't knock me or others. This is meant to be a happy environment. Thanks!