Apple and Dried Fruit Winter Oatmeal

I adapted this recipe from a recipe on foodnetwork.  It's perfect for a cold, rainy, winter's day.  It makes enough that you can store the leftovers in the fridge and just add a little milk and heat up each day for a quick, healthy breakfast.

Ingredients:
*3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
*2 Gala apples, cored and diced with the peel still on
*1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
*4 Tablespoons brown sugar
*8 cups water
*2 cups steel cut oats
*1/4 cup dried cranberries (like Craisins)
*1/4 cup golden raisins
*milk
*chopped walnuts (optional)
*extra brown sugar to add at the end
*extra dried cranberries to add at the end
*extra golden raisins to add at the end
*honey to add at the end (optional)

Directions:
1.  Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add the apples and saute until lightly golden brown, about 3 minutes.

2.  Stir in the cinnamon and brown sugar until it is dissolved.

3.  Add the water.  Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil.

4.  Once boiling, add the oats.  Stir well until the water begins to thicken a little.  Turn the heat down (I put mine on 3), and simmer for 30-35 minutes uncovered.

5.  About 3 minutes before the end of the 30 minutes, add the dried cranberries and golden raisins.  Stir well.  They will plump up.

6.  To serve, scoop some of the oatmeal into a bowl.  Stir in enough milk to make it creamy.  Top with some more brown sugar or honey.  Set out extra cranberries, raisins, and walnuts for people to add to their individual bowls of oatmeal if they would like.

Note:  I don't have to add extra brown sugar to my son's bowl, but I do to mine because I like mine a little sweeter.  Honey would be a healthier sweetener option also.

Note:  If you prefer old fashioned quick-cooking oats, then use 3 cups of water and 2 cups of quick-cooking oats instead of the steel-cut oats.  Once the water is boiling, add the quick-cooking oats and the dried fruit all at once.  Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly until the oats are cooked and the fruit is puffed up.

Jenni's Southwest Breakfast Tacos

 I created this dish one Saturday morning.  I wanted something different for breakfast, but still something healthy.  I had some left-over white corn tortillas from making crispy shrimp tacos earlier in the week, as well as some left-over green bell pepper and yellow onion.  This dish is great served with fresh fruit on the side.

Makes 2 tacos

Ingredients:
*I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray
*cooking spray
*1/8 cup green bell pepper, finely chopped (or 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, and finely chopped)
*1/4 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
*1 egg or 1/4 cup Egg Beaters (egg white egg substitute)
*salt
*black pepper
*1 splash of low fat milk
*3 Tablespoons tomatillo salsa (I buy HEB brand tomatillo salsa in a jar)
*2 white corn tortillas
*2% shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Heat a small saute pan over medium heat.  Once hot, spray several sprays of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray into the pan.  Saute the bell pepper and onion for several minutes until tender.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat the egg with a fork.  Add salt and black pepper to taste.  Add milk, and beat until combined.  Spray the pan with the bell peppers and onions in it with cooking spray.  Stir.  Pour egg mixture into the pan.  Scramble the eggs.

When the eggs are almost done, add the tomatillo salsa to the pan.  Stir well.  Let cook for a minute or until the salsa is hot, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat.

Wrap tortillas in paper towel.  Heat in the microwave for 15 seconds.

To assemble tacos, place cheese on tortillas.  Top with egg/salsa mixture.

Ham, Egg, and Cheese Croissants

My husband loves to cook, especially breakfast.  It's his favorite meal.  Sometimes on Saturdays he will cook a big brunch for the family.

Makes 8 croissants

Ingredients:
*1 can reduced-fat crescent rolls
*1 Tablespoon canola oil
*1 pkg. Canadian bacon (6 pieces)
*5 eggs
*dash of black pepper
*1/4 cup non-fat milk
*cooking spray
*2% shredded cheddar cheese (2-3 teaspoons per croissant)

Directions:
Preheat oven following package directions on crescent roll can.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Once hot, add the oil.  Coat pan well.

Add Canadian bacon and fry for 10 minutes, stirring and turning occasionally.  Use a splatter guard to prevent grease from popping.

Meanwhile, crack eggs in a small bowl.  Add milk and black pepper.  Whisk.  Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Once hot, add egg mixture and scramble until done. 

To assemble croissants, separate dough into triangles.  Cut each Canadian bacon piece into thirds.  Use 2/3 per croissant, placing on the wider part of the triangle.  Top with scrambled eggs, dividing evenly among the crescent rolls.  Top with cheese.  Mush down.  Roll up carefully, stuffing back in whatever falls out the ends.  Place on a cookie sheet.  Bake according to package directions.

Breakfast Tacos

Breakfast tacos for breakfast or dinner is always a good idea!  These are the breakfast tacos we make on mission trip every year also.

Makes 8 tacos

Ingredients:
*4 baking potatoes, scrubbed, skin on,
and chopped into cubes
*1 large yellow onion, chopped
*at least 6 Tablespoons
margarine
*10 slices thick-cut
bacon (2 1/2 slices per person)
*cooking spray
*1 lb. lean, low-fat, pork sausage
*8 eggs (2 per person)
*salt
*black pepper
*1/4 cup fat-free milk
*8 flour tortillas (2 per person) (at home
we use HEB fresh baked wheat tortillas
from the tortilla bakery)
*shredded 2% cheddar cheese
*salsa

Directions:
Prepare home fries.  This is my husband's specialty.  I have tried to make these before, and because I have to stir the potatoes instead of flipping the potatoes in the pan, they end up mushy. They still taste great, but they're not as crisp as when my husband does it.  To make home fries:  Heat 3 Tablespoons of margarine in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Heat the other 3 Tablespoons of margarine in another large skillet.  (Using two skillets will help keep the potatoes crispier.)  Once the margarine is melted and hot, add the potatoes.  Cook until a little over half-way done, stirring the potatoes frequently by flipping them in the pan.  Add more margarine or a little water if the potatoes start to stick.  You want them to be a little brown, though.  Add the onions.  Continue flipping and cooking until the potatoes are cooked through and the onions are browned.  Keep warm.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400.  Spray a large cookie sheet with shallow sides with cooking spray.  Place the bacon on the cookie sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes.  (Cooking bacon this way will give you just as crispy bacon as frying it in the pan, if not better.  It's less messy also.)  Place the cooked bacon on a plate lined with paper towel to help get the grease off.

Meanwhile, brown the sausage in a skillet over medium heat.  Drain.  Place on a plate lined with paper towel.  Place a paper towel on top.  Dab to get the extra grease out.  Keep warm. 

Beat the eggs in a medium bowl.  Add a couple dashes of salt and black pepper.  Pour in milk.  Whisk.  Scramble eggs in a skillet on medium heat, stirring continuously once they start to cook.

Warm flour tortillas in the microwave by wrapping them tightly on all sides with paper towel to retain moisture.  Heat for 15-20 seconds.   Or wrap tightly in foil, and heat in the oven on 350 until warmed through.

To assemble tacos, place cheese, eggs, sausage, bacon, home fries, and salsa in a flour tortilla.

Chocolate Crescents

I love making these on a special Saturday morning for brunch with some fresh strawberries or for a special treat for a baby or wedding shower.  They are so simple and yummy.

Makes 8 crescents

Ingredients:
*1 can reduced-fat crescent rolls
*1 small bag milk chocolate morsels (I always prefer dark or semi-sweet over milk chocolate, except for when making these.  The milk chocolate has a creamier texture when it melts.)
*powdered sugar (optional)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to the temperature designated on the crescent roll can.  Meanwhile, separate the dough into 8 triangles and lay them on a cookie sheet.  Put about 2-3 Tablespoons of chocolate morsels on each triangle, starting near the straight edge to about half way down the triangle.  Press down.  Roll up, starting with the straight edge.  If some morsels try to fall out the ends, just pinch the dough to keep them in.

Bake according to the package directions.

Optional:  Every now and then if it is a really special day, I'll sprinkle a little bit of powdered sugar on top of the hot crescents once they are done baking.

Note:  My friend, Melinda, uses Nutella instead of milk chocolate morsels, and those are tasty as well.

Quick and Fruity Crescent Waffles

This is a family favorite that we make on an occasional weekend as a special treat.  This recipe is a variation of the recipe in the Pillsbury Bake-Off Prize-Winning Recipes Collector's Edition, Volume 2 magazine.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:
*1/4 cup sliced almonds
*1 can (8 oz.) refrigerated reduced-fat crescent rolls (8 rolls)
*1/2 jar of Smucker's strawberry Simply Fruit (spreadable fruit substitute for jelly)
*1 container (6 oz.) Yoplait Original 99% fat free strawberry yogurt
*1 banana, sliced
*aerosol can whipped cream
*ground cinnamon
*fresh strawberries, sliced
*cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat oven to "warm" setting or 200 F.  Heat a square or rectangular waffle maker.  Spray with cooking spray.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, toast the almonds over medium heat 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly browned.  Remove from skillet; set aside.

Separate crescent dough into 8 triangles (this is how they come).  Place 2 triangles at a time on the waffle maker, making sure that the triangles do not touch and stay separated.  Close the lid of the waffle maker.  Cook 2 minutes or until golden brown.  Place cooked waffles on an oven safe plate or a cookie sheet, and keep warm in the oven.  Repeat with the remaining triangles.  Each time, put the plate or cookie sheet back in the oven to keep them warm while you are cooking more waffles.

Meanwhile, in a 1 quart saucepan, heat the spreadable fruit and yogurt over medium heat, stirring frequently, until hot.*

To serve, stack 2 crescent waffles on top of each other, slightly overlapping.  Spoon 1/4 of the fruit sauce over each serving of waffles.  Top each serving equally with banana and strawberry slices.  Top evenly with toasted almonds.  Top with a squirt or two of whipped cream.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.

*Note--you can also use Smucker's blueberry Spreadable Fruit paired with Yoplait Original 99% fat free mountain blueberry yogurt, or any other flavor of spreadable fruit paired with a similar flavored yogurt.  We usually do the blueberry version, and this was our 1st time with the strawberry version.  We use the bananas no matter what flavor we do, though.