Breakfast for Dinner: Family-Style-No-Fuss-Rolled-Omelet

• Breakfast for dinner usually happens once a week at the Mollo household because it is fast, cheap, super easy, and doesn't require a trip to the market.  A friend of mine sent me this Martha Stewart recipe and what a fun twist on a breakfast staple: the omelet.  I adjusted the recipe to my taste, in usual "cooking girl" fashion and it was a success!  You can really add whatever filling you like.  The presentation was beautiful (note to self: take. more. pictures.) and would be a great entertaining dish for say .... a breakfast or brunch.  If you follow a few easy steps, you have a new way to enjoy breakfast . . . for dinner!  
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• I know what you are thinking.  Slow down Mollos, you guys are just too adventurous.  And on a Wednesday?!
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• Ingredients
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 
• 8 large eggs (I do a mix of whites and yolks and tonight I only had 5 eggs, so I used 2 whole eggs and 3 whites and just adjusted the other ingredients.  You can't go wrong so don't stress out if you are worried about the measurements.)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (secret ingredient!)
• salt and ground pepper
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• Add-ons/Suggestions: (this is where you can get creative and create a rolled omelet that matches your personal taste.)
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• Sausage/Spinach/Basil/Parmesan Omelet
• Half a bag of spinach (sauteed)
• 2 chicken sausages cut into cubes (sauteed)
• 1-2 tbs. of fresh basil
• 1/2 cup of parmesan

Spinach and Chedder Omelet

half a bag of spinach (sauteed)

• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar 

Caprese Omelet

basil

fresh chopped tomatoes

1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella

Denver Omelet

ham cut into cubes

1 1/2 cups of chedder

Greek Vegetable Omelet

1 onion (sauteed)

1/2 cup of mushrooms (sauteed)

1/2 cup of tomatoes

1/2 cup of zucchini (sauteed)

1 cup of feta

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line bottom of pan with parchment, leaving a 1-inch overhang on the two shorter sides. Spray parchment with cooking spray.

1. In a bowl, whisk together milk and flour. Add eggs, mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, and teaspoon pepper; whisk to combine. Pour into pan. Sprinkle whatever add-ons you like over the top in an even layer.
2. Bake until edges of omelet are set, 10 to 12 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese (if using); bake until cheese has melted, 2 to 4 minutes. Beginning at one shorter end, lift parchment, and roll up omelet tightly, peeling back parchment as you go. Slice and serve!
   
   

You Will Never Buy Dressing Again....

I grew up using bottled dressing like everyone else.  When I started to experiment making my own dressing, it opened up a new world for me and it is very hard for me to go back to the bottled stuff.  Making your own dressing takes about 2 minutes, the taste cannot be compared, and it is economical.  


Many times I whip up a dressing just for the salad we are having that night.  I scale down the amount of dressing I make, add it to the bottom of a salad bowl, top with lettuce, etc. and the salad is ready for me to toss when I am.  This is a great tip and can be put in the fridge for hours this way - it does not cause the salad to get soggy (a cooking miracle!)  But I have started to make a larger batch of dressing in a mason jar or tupperware container (who doesn't want a mason jar filled with homemade dressing in their fridge?  It makes me feel all Martha Stewarty.)  Just add in all the ingredients, put the top on and shake.  You will have a great vinaigrette all week.  


I not only use vinaigrettes on salads, but I marinate chicken, meat, fish, and seafood in them.  Also if you grill chicken breast, broil some fish, or simply saute some veggies, just pour a bit of vinaigrette over before serving and all of a sudden your boring dinner has just turned up a notch.  Making a batch of vinaigrette in a cute jar is also a great house warming gift or something nice to bring to someone's house instead of the obvious bottle of wine.  


Here are my favorite vinaigrette recipes!


Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
3/4 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. of honey
1 tbs. of dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
optional: add minced garlic, shallots, or minced herbs (thyme and rosemary are my favorite)


Favorite Salad: spinach, strawberries, goat cheese, candied pecans/almonds/walnuts


Zesty Lemon Vinaigrette
3/4 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup of lemon juice
1 tbs. of dijon mustard
zest of one lemon
1 tbs. of minced garlic or grate the garlic in for a smoother texture
salt and pepper to taste
optional: add thyme for a nice herb taste


Favorite Salad: arugula, shaved parm


Fruit Juice Vinaigrette
3/4 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup of grapefruit or orange juice
1 tsp. of honey
1 tbs. of dijon mustard
1-2 tbs. of apple cider vinegar or champagne vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
optional: zest of grapefruit or orange, tbs. of poppy seeds.


Favorite Salad:  butter lettuce, grapefruit segments, avacado, and  rotisserie chicken.


*if you don't like honey, just add some granulated sugar and if you aren't a fan of mustard then just leave out (the beauty of vinaigrettes is that you can adjust the ingredients and flavor to your liking.)

Lasagna Get's A Make-Over

I love butternut squash.  I love lasagna.  Years ago when I saw that Giada had put the two together, I had to give her recipe a try.  It really is one of my favorite go-to recipes.  I have made this for a dinner party and it is even a great gift for a family with a new baby since it freezes beautifully and can last days.  I'm sad that I cannot take credit for this recipe, but it is too good to keep it a secret any longer.


Giada's Butternut Squash Lasagna

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 (1 1/2 to 2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes (in a pinch, you can buy the frozen, pre-cut butternut squash lasagna.  It is a time saver and still very good.)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 amaretti cookies, crumbled (this is a secret ingredient and cannot be omitted, but sometimes it is hard to find amaretti cookies.  I have substituted ginger snaps or any kind of almond cookies that I can find.  Adding a cookie to a lasagna sounds crazy, I know, but it just adds another dimension to the flavor that cannot be compromised.)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 cups whole milk
• Pinch nutmeg
• 3/4 cup (lightly packed) fresh basil leaves
• 12 no-boil lasagna noodles or get the regular kind and boil them ahead of time.  (The no-boil lasagna noodles work beautifully and are a time saver.)
• 2 1/2 cups shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan

Instructions

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the water into the skillet and then cover and simmer over medium heat until the squash is tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. If you are using the frozen squash, just heat them up in a large skillet.  Cool slightly and then transfer the squash to a food processor. Add the amaretti cookies and blend until smooth. Season the squash puree, to taste, with more salt and pepper.

Melt the butter in a heavy medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the nutmeg. Cool slightly. Transfer half of the sauce to a blender*. Add the basil and blend until smooth. Return the basil sauce to the sauce in the pan and stir to blend. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste.

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.

Lightly butter a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce over the prepared baking dish. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles on the bottom of the pan. Spread 1/3 of the squash puree over the noodles. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Drizzle 1/2 cup of sauce over the noodles. Repeat layering 3 more times.  You can either continue the instructions below or simply freeze it/ refrigerate for later in the week.

Tightly cover the baking dish with foil and bake the lasagna for 40 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over the lasagna. Continue baking uncovered until the sauce bubbles and the top is golden, 15 minutes longer. Let the lasagna stand for 15 minutes before serving.

*When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

More Paella Por Favor!

• Mid-week dinner parties should not equal stress.  This easy paella recipe was just the trick and inspired by Tyler Florence's search for "the ultimate" paella dish.  I spent a lot of time researching various paella recipes on the world wide web because I am quite a little food nerd and combined them into the following recipe.  I was worried I would have a big old pot of mushy rice.  But using arborio rice (risotto rice) and making sure to fluff with a fork and not stir, really made all the difference.  It may seem like an involved process, but when you make it once, you will have it down to a science.  This is a one-pot meal, which in my mind, is a great way to entertain (only took about an hour and 15 minutes from start to finish.)  Place the paella in the center of the table and serve family style.  You could really create a much more involved menu with sangria and tapas before dinner.  But we decided to keep it low key and it was a hit!  You can really tweak this recipe to your liking by omitting the meat and keeping it just seafood.
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• Ingredients
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads (Trader Joe's has very affordable saffron.  Saffron is a bit pricey, but you need it for paella.)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoons smoked paprika or regular paprika
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 chicken breasts (cut into cubes)
• 4 1/4-inch-thick slices fully cooked smoked Spanish chorizo or any savory sausage you like, such as a garlic/herb chicken sausage
• 20 shrimp (uncooked and cleaned)
• 1-2 onions, chopped onion 
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups arborio rice (aka risotto rice)
• 2 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice or tomato puree
• 1 cup of frozen peas
• 1 lemon cut into wedges
• A bunch of parsley chopped for garnish
• * add any other kind of seafood you like if you wish: clams, scallops, mussels and lobster if you are you feeling frisky.  I wanted to keep costs down, so I just opted for chicken, sausage, and shrimp.
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• Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. 

Mix white wine and saffron threads in small measuring cup; set aside. 

Combine salt, smoked paprika, 2 garlic cloves (minced), a little olive oil, and black pepper in a freezer bag.  Add chicken and marinate for a few hours if you have the time (even 20 minutes will increase the flavor.) 

Heat heavy large ovenproof skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage and sauté until fat begins to render and sausage browns, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Transfer sausage to large plate. Add olive oil to skillet. Add chicken to skillet and cook until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate with sausage.  Add olive oil to skillet.  Add shrimp, season with salt, pepper, and a sprinkling of paprika and cook about 3 minutes.  Shrimp will curl up and turn pink to let you know they are done.

Reduce heat to medium. Add chopped onion and cook until translucent, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and stir 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and stir until mixture has thickened and reduced a bit (make sure to scrape up all the brown bits on the bottom of the dish.  Bits = flavor!) 

Add rice and stir to coat, toasting the rice for a few minutes. Add wine-saffron mixture and chicken broth. Bring to simmer. Stir in browned sausage.  Cover skillet tightly with foil, then cover skillet with lid. Bake paella until rice is almost tender, about 25 minutes.

Add peas, shrimp and chicken to the dish. Fluff rice with a fork; season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and lid. Bake until peas have cooked and rice is tender - about 10 minutes longer.

Transfer to a serving dish or simply serve in the pot family style, with the lemon wedges surrounding the rice.

Muy Bien!

Modify Your Ice-Cream Pie!

We wanted dessert at the end of our lazy weekend, but we had a hard time finding a recipe we both could agree on.  So, we dreamed up an ice-cream pie.  This recipe below was the one we came up with, but it truly can be modified and adjusted to create the flavor profile that you enjoy best.  I recommend sticking with the Oreo crust.  It was the perfect consistency and would go great with a number of different flavors.  As for the filling, I took a basic vanilla ice-cream and added things that sounded good to us.  If you love chocolate and peanut butter, mix snickers, butterfingers or plain old peanut butter into your ice-cream and top with chocolate sauce.  If you love mint chocolate chip, use a mint chocolate chip ice-cream and blend with crushed Oreos.  Even just mash up your favorite cookie and mix into the vanilla ice-cream.  There are so many variations to this dessert idea, so have fun!


Ingredients
1 package of Oreos
2 tbs. of butter, melted
1/2 jar of caramel sauce (I bought the fat free version)
1 tub of vanilla bean ice-cream (I opted for a light ice-cream), softened
2 Skor bars, crushed


Instructions
Add 3/4 of your package of Oreos and the melted butter to a food processor.  Blend until the cookies are a fine crumb texture.  Pack the mixture into a non-stick spring form pan.  I use my fingers to press down and then I move a glass around the parameter of the pan to get about a 1/2 inch border up the side of the pan.


Next, mix the ice-cream in a large bowl with some of the crushed Skor bar, a few spoonfuls of the caramel and about 10 crushed Oreos.


Now start layering!  Add half of the ice-cream mixture to the pan.  Sprinkle with more Skor bars, Oreos, and drizzle some caramel sauce.  Use as much or as little as you want.  Repeat this layer once more.  The top should have the remaining crushed Oreos, crushed Skor bar, and caramel sauce.  I used a fork to help me drizzle the caramel so it looks decorative.  Freeze for a few hours or overnight is even better.  To remove, carefully move a knife around the edges of the pan before you release it.  Cut into wedges and enjoy!

Bellini Bar

A Bellini Bar is a fun idea if you are hosting a brunch, bridal/baby shower, or jazzing up breakfast.  All you really need is a simple syrup and champagne.  Then add your favorite fruit puree.  They are beautiful, easy, and just plain good.

Bellini Bar
Ingredients
Bottle of your favorite Champagne or Prosecco
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 bag of frozen peaches
1 bag of frozen strawberries
1 bag of frozen blackberries or blueberries
1 tsp. of grated orange zest
fresh berries, mint or orange zest twists for garnish


Instructions
To make the simple syrup, simply stir the sugar and water in a small sauce pan over medium heat.  Heat until sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes.  Cool completely.


This is where it gets fun.  Puree the peaches, orange zest, and 1/2 cup of the simple syrup.  Pass through a strainer.  Puree the strawberries with 1/3 of the simple syrup.  Pass through a strainer.  Puree blackberries/blueberries with 1/3 of the simple syrup.  Pass through a mesh strainer.  You will then have 3 different purees for your guest to chose from.  Simply add champagne to a glass with as much or as little of the puree as you wish.  You can make the purees up to a day ahead of time.  I like to have the purees in cool bottles that are labeled so your guests know the choices they have.  If you don't want to set up the whole bar, simply pick a fruit puree and you have a wonderful bellini for any occasion, even a quiet Sunday morning at home! 

Time for Thai: Marinated Chicken/Beef with Thai Peanut Dipping Sauce, Coconut Basmati Rice and Ginger Snap Peas

A dear friend of mine made a meal similar to the one below when I was visiting her in Texas last month.  It was Y.U.M. and a true crowd pleaser.  The marinade works great on chicken and beef, but it would also be quite tasty with shrimp or even marinate tofu for you vegetarians out there.  You can put on skewers and use as a great appetizer as well.  I make the marinade and dipping sauce side by side since both require many of the same ingredients.  Who doesn't love peanut butter?  And if you don't have time to marinate the meat, just making the peanut dipping sauce will turn a regular dinner into a recipe you will be sending your friends.


Thai Chicken Marinade
Ingredients
1 package of boneless, skinless chicken breast (you can use this recipe with flank steak, shrimp or even tofu)
3 tbs. of fresh lime juice
zest of 1 lime
3 garlic gloves, minced
1 tbs minced ginger (remove skin with the back of a spoon and use a micro-plane if you have one, to grate)
1/4 cup of low sodium soy sauce
1-2 tsp. of red pepper flakes (depending on the heat level you prefer)
1 tbs. of brown sugar


Instructions
Place all of the ingredients in a freezer bag and marinade for a few hours or overnight is even better.  Take chicken out of marinade and grill on skewers, on a grill pan, or simply in the broiler.


Thai Peanut Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
1/2 cup of peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
1-2 tbs. of brown sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)
1-2 tsp. of red pepper flakes (again, depending on the heat level you prefer)
juice and zest of 1 lime
1/2 cup of coconut milk
chopped cilantro or scallions (optional)


Instructions
Whisk all of the ingredients together.  This is where you can "be your own chef" and adjust the sauce to your liking.  If you want more of a peanut flavor, simply add a little more peanut butter.  If it needs to mellow out, add more coconut milk.  You don't want the sauce too thick, but you also don't want it watery.  You won't mess it up.  Believe me.


I serve this meal with coconut basmati rice.  This simply means that instead of cooking your rice with water, use coconut milk.  Jasmine rice or white long grain rice work great here as well.  Using the coconut milk creates such a creamy side dish.  I try to find light coconut milk when I can.  Add scallions, toasted coconut and sesame seeds to the rice if you wish.  I also saute sugar snap peas in a little minced garlic, minced ginger and some red pepper flakes.  If you don't like snap peas, apply the same method to sauteed spinach, broccoli, asparagus, carrots, or bok choy.


Thank you Kelli for feeding me this wonderful meal!