Category Archives: Lent

Ricotta Pumpkin Pancakes

These were a huge hit at our house and I just happened to have everything I needed to make them.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 extra large eggs, separated
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices, and orange zest. Set aside.

Separate the egg yolk from the egg white into two separate bowls. The yolk should be in a medium-large bowl. Whisk the yolk together with the maple syrup, buttermilk, melted butter, pumpkin, ricotta, and vanilla extract until completely combined.

Add the dry mixture in thirds to the wet, and gently whisk together until a batter forms.

Using a hand-held mixer, whip the egg whites to medium-firm stiffness. If you dip a beater into the frothy whites, and turn it upside down, the peak should droop just a little and hold. Fold the egg whites into the batter in halves using a spatula. There should be occasional pieces of egg white visible in the batter.

Heat a griddle over medium heat. Melt a little butter on the griddle and pour the batter to form 4″ pancakes. They will spread just a little, and this size is comfortable for flipping. Don’t flip the pancakes until the sides are visibly firming up, and multiple holes appear in the batter, about 3 – 4 minutes. Flip and cook for another minute or until cooked through.

Serve with butter and maple syrup.

What did the family think? Everyone loved these!

Where did this recipe come from? The Wimpy Vegetarian

photo from Glitter and Ganache

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Filed under Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Lent, Vegetarian

Balsamic Pasta with Veggies (and Italian Sausage)

This has been a popular one on Pinterest lately so I had to give it a try. I liked it with the sausage, but it would also be a wonderful vegan dish without the sausage. I think it might even be better without the sausage. Try it either way; it’s good!

Ingredients:
14 oz package penne, cooked according to the directions
4 T balsamic vinegar
2 T olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1 clove garlic, chopped
3 links chicken sausage, sliced
1 1/2 cups sauteed sliced zucchini
Parmesan Cheese or goat cheese, optional but highly recommended

Instructions:
In a large serving bowl combine the vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, garlic and oregano. Whisk to combine. In a large skillet saute the chicken sausage and the zucchini together, until crisp tender, and the sausage is heated through, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper as necessary.

Add the cooked and drained pasta to the serving bowl with the vinaigrette at the bottom. Top with the zucchini (and sausage). Stir to combine, and make sure everything is evenly coated. Serve with cheese if desired.

What did the family think? No one was up for this last night. So I ate this and everyone else just ate their pasta with regular sauce. They missed out. 🙂

Where did this recipe come from? I got it from Dinners, Dishes and Desserts and they got it from Bake Your Day.

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Italian, Lent, Vegetarian

Baked Blueberry Pancakes

We love to have breakfast for dinner and we also love pancakes, but pancakes seem to take forever to make. I also must admit that I was WELL into adulthood before I figured out the finesse of making a pancake that wasn’t burnt on the outside or runny on the inside. This recipe gives you the taste of pancakes without all of the standing around and flipping them. Put these in to bake and get the rest of your dinner or breakfast made while these are doing their thing in the oven.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups milk
2 Tbsp melted butter, slightly cooled
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp sugar
2 cup flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup blueberries (frozen or fresh)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly grease an 8×8 baking dish.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together milk, butter, egg, and vanilla. Add sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. Carefully stir in blueberries. Pour batter into pan.

Bake for 30 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean minutes.

Cute into squares and serve with butter and maple syrup just like you would serve pancakes.

What did the family think? Our youngest who absolutely loves blueberries by themselves doesn’t like them in pancakes, so these didn’t go over well with them. That said, you could probably just make this dish without blueberries.

Where did this recipe come from? adapted from Plain Chicken

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Filed under After School Snacks, Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Lent, Vegetarian

Blueberry Belgian Waffles

It’s that time of year…lots of blueberries and lots of things to cook so you can use them all before they spoil. We had these yummy waffles last night for dinner with some eggs and bacon.

Ingredients:
2 egg yolks
2 cups milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup oil
2 stiffly beaten egg whites
1-2 cups blueberries (depending on how blueberry-ish you want them)

Instructions:
Preheat waffle maker.

Put all ingredients except egg whites and blueberries in large mixer bowl. Beat on low until moistened. Increase to medium, mix until smooth.

Gently fold in beaten egg whites and blueberries with a wooden spoon.

Pour about 1/2-3/4 cup batter over grids. Close waffle maker, bake until steam no longer escapes, about 3-5 minutes. Repeat. Serve hot with your favorite toppings. We like butter and maple syrup!

What did the family think? YUM!

Where did this recipe come from? CDKitchen

photo from Columbus Foodie

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Filed under After School Snacks, Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Lent, Vegetarian

Tuna and Noodles with Basil Pasta Sauce

My kids love tuna noodle casserole so I thought they might like this too. It doesn’t scream “tuna” (as my kids would never consider eating a tuna salad sandwich) but they are still getting the protein and it doesn’t taste too fishy.

Ingredients:
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 28-ounce can of tomatoes, crushed (with or without basil)
Salt, to taste
1 pound pasta shells
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 6-ounce can tuna (may want to use 2 cans depending on your family’s fish likes/dilikes)
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped or torn
A generous 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions:
Melt the butter in a medium pot on medium heat and add the can of tomatoes, including the juice.

Simmer gently, partially covered, for about 15-20 minutes.

Once the sauce is cooking, heat a large pot of well salted water to a strong boil. Add the shell pasta to the boiling water and cook at a vigorous boil, uncovered, until al dente, cooked through but still a bit firm to the bite, which is usually whatever the time specified on the pasta package minus about 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Pour off the excess oil/water from the tuna can and stir the tuna into the tomato sauce. Add the ricotta cheese, and add salt to taste. Turn off the heat. Mix the sauce with the pasta in a large bowl. Mix in the basil.

Pour the pasta into a 2 to 3-quart casserole dish and top with the parmesan cheese. Put under a hot broiler for 4-6 minutes, until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Serve hot.

What did the family think? Our youngest was at a birthday party eating pizza and cake, but the rest of us had this and liked it.

Where did this recipe come from? Simply Recipes

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Filed under Easy, Everybody Ate It, Fish, Italian, Lent

Baked Breaded Shrimp

Every Sunday night in our house is fish night. The problem with this is that our boys aren’t huge fish fans and they especially don’t like salmon which is what we normally have on Sundays. I don’t want to fix two separate meals, but I do want them to at least be eating something that comes from the sea since we are having fish. I also don’t want them eating something that comes from a box. These little tasty shrimp were the solution.

Ingredients:
1 large egg
2 tbsps milk
1/3 cup bread crumbs (seasoned or plain)
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)
1 lb shrimp (peeled deveined medium)
Cooking spray

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk.

In a separate small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and cheese.

Dip each shrimp in egg mixture and then coat with bread crumb mixture.

Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.

Spray shrimp with cooking spray.

Bake shrimp for 7 to 9 minutes or until shrimp are pink and no longer translucent.

What did the family think? They loved them and were disappointed that I hadn’t made more.

Where did this recipe come from? Yummly

photo from FoodBuzz

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Fish, Italian, Lent, Six Ingredients or Less

Hard-Baked Eggs

You have certainly made hard-boiled eggs before, but have you ever made hard-baked eggs? Does it matter if they are baked or boiled? Some benefits of baking them are: you can bake them while you are cooking something else in the oven so it saves energy, they are easier to peel when they have been baked and the yolks don’t come out gray like they do when they are hard-boiled. This has been all over Pinterest, so I had to try it.

Ingredients:
Whole Eggs
Muffin Tin

Instructions:
If you are baking them by themselves: place eggs in muffin tin and bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes.

If you are baking them with something else: place eggs in muffin tin and bake on top rack at 350 degrees.

Let cool and peel.

photo from Alaska from Scratch

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Filed under After School Snacks, Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Lent, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

Lite Alfredo Sauce (with some sneaky cauliflower)

This is not the super rich alfredo sauce you might get at your favorite Italian restaurant. This version is light and has lots of cauliflower in it. If you are trying to get more veggies into your kids (or yourself) and you are a pasta eating family like we are, then this dish might be right up your alley.

Ingredients:
For the topping:
1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
1/3 grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme

For the pasta:
3 cloves garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large head cauliflower, cored, cut in large pieces (or use frozen cauliflower)
water to cover (about 4 cups)
1/2 tsp dried Italian herb blend
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
14-oz box spaghetti, cooked and drained (I used GF rice fettucine noodles)
1/2 lemon, juiced

Instructions:
Combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and 1 tbsp olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, until the mixture is well toasted, and golden-brown. Stir in the thyme; remove from heat, and reserve.

In a medium saucepan, warm the garlic cloves in the olive oil over low heat for a few minutes, or until the cloves begin to bubble. Add the cauliflower, enough water to cover, dried herbs, pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook until the cauliflower is soft.

Turn off the heat. Use a stick blender (or standard blender) to puree the mixture into a smooth sauce. If it seems too thick add a little water or broth, if it’s too thin simply simmer until it reduces and thickens up. Then, stir in the cream, and add the Parmesan cheese. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Cover and reserve.

Boil the spaghetti according to directions and drain well. Return to the pot, add the lemon juice, and pour over the cauliflower sauce. Toss to coat the pasta. Divide into four pasta bowls and serve hot topped with the toasted Parmesan breadcrumbs.

We had this with meatballs and some strawberries on the side.

What did the family think? Everyone LOVED it! Seriously, that doesn’t happen very often so I was super happy.

Where did this recipe come from? American Food

photo from iFood

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Italian, Lent, Not so Easy, Vegetarian

Cinnamon Vanilla Pancakes

My husband wanted to have pancakes for Father’s Day breakfast “if we had a mix”. Are you kidding me? You are married to a food blogger. There are no pancake mixes here. 🙂 We had these instead.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon vegetable oil, or as needed (or cooking spray)

Instructions:
Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Whisk in the milk, egg, 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until only a few lumps remain. Let the batter stand for 5 full minutes for extra fluffiness.

Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat, and brush with 1 teaspoon vegetable oil (or use cooking spray). When the oil shimmers, slowly pour about 1/4 cup of batter into the hot pan. Cook until bottom is browned, about 2 minutes, then flip and cook until the center of the pancake is set and the other side is browned, about 2 more minutes. Keep warm until serving.

What did the family think? Yum! Yum! and more Yum!

Where did this recipe come from? Allrecipes

photo from Allrecipes

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Filed under After School Snacks, Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Lent, Vegetarian

Penne with {Almost} Homemade Pasta Sauce

I like regular marinara sauce, but my favorite types of sauces are ones with a little dairy mixed in with the marinara. (In my book, dairy makes just about everything taste better.) This creamy tomatoey sauce did not disappoint.

Ingredients:
12 ounces whole wheat penne
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
2 medium tomatoes chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 cups fresh spinach
3/4 cup marinara sauce
1/3 cup 0% plain Greek yogurt
Grated parmesan cheese, garnish
Optional add-ins: meatballs, shrimp, Italian sausage

Instructions:
Cook penne according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet with a lid, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add in garlic and red pepper flakes, cook for 2 minutes or until garlic begins to soften.

Add tomatoes, salt and pepper.

Add in spinach and cover skillet. Let spinach wilt for 2 minutes.

Remove lid and place skillet back over low heat. Add the penne, Greek yogurt and pasta sauce. (Add cooked meat in at this time if you are using it.) Stir until sauce is mixed well and all pasta and veggies are coated. Heat until just warmed through.

Divide into pasta bowls and serve topped with parmesan cheese.

What did the family think? As usual, 3/4 of us really liked. There was enough for leftovers today too which is always a bonus.

Did I change anything? The original recipe called for mushrooms, but I left them out since there would have been an uprising if I had put them in the sauce.

Where did this recipe come from? Back to Her Roots

photo from Back to Her Roots

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Italian, Lent, Vegetarian