Daniel-Fast Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients: 

1 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
¼ cup chopped dried apricots
¼ cup chopped dates or raisins
¼ cup chopped pecans or walnuts
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put all ingredients in a large bowl and stir well. Transfer to an 8 by 8-inch baking dish that has been lightly rubbed with olive oil. Pour oatmeal mixture into dish and bake 45-50 minutes or until slightly browned and crispy on top.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 squares)

Recipe Credit: http://www.ultimatedanielfast.com/too-yummy-for-my-tummy/

Cheesy Tortellini-Spinach Bake

Ingredients:
1 12 oz. cheese or cheese and spinach tortellini
3 tsp. minced garlic
2 Tb flour
2 cups milk
3/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. dried basil
2 cups chopped, fresh spinach
3/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. lemon juice

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add tortellini and cook as directed on the package.
3. Add garlic to some oil in pan and cook for a minute or two. Add flour to the pan and whisk for a minute. Add milk and mix until smooth. Add salt, pepper, lemon juice and basil and bring to a simmer.
4. Drain tortellini and add back to the pot. Turn to low heat and add spinach and most of the mozzarella, Parmesan cheeses and bacon. Add sauce and stir until well combined.
5. Add to an 8x8 or 9x9 dish. Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and bacon.
6. Cover your dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
7. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Credit: http://lilluna.com/cheesy-tortellini-spinach-bake/#comment-46207

Swedish Pancakes

Ingredients: 

4 extra large eggs, separated
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons sour cream
4 egg whites
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:
1. In a medium-size mixing bowl, beat yolks until thick. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt and sugar. Add the sugar mixture and milk into the egg yolks incrementally. Stir in the sour cream,
In a medium-size mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold the egg whites into the batter.
2. Heat skillet or griddle to a high temperature. Place a small amount of oil on the skillet and pour about 1 tablespoon of batter onto the skillet, and spread the batter out evenly. Brown the pancake on one side. Flip pancake over when bubbles appear on surface. Brown on the other side. Repeat process with remaining batter.

Recipe Credit: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/swedish-pancakes/detail.aspx

Pad Thai

1 (12 ounce) package rice noodles
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-sized pieces (or for vegetarians, I use a bag of frozen Asian-style vegetables instead of chicken)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons white sugar
1/8 tablespoon crushed red pepper
2 cups bean sprouts
1/4 cup crushed peanuts
3 green onions, chopped
1 lemon, cut into wedges


Directions:
1. Soak rice noodles in cold water 30 to 50 minutes, or until soft. Drain, and set aside.
2. Heat butter in a wok or large heavy skillet. Sauté chicken (vegetables) until browned.  Remove, and set aside. 

3. Heat oil in wok over medium-high heat. Crack eggs into hot oil, and cook until firm. Stir in chicken (vegetables), and cook for 5 minutes. 

4. Add softened noodles, and vinegar, fish sauce, sugar and red pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste. Mix while cooking, until noodles are tender. Add bean sprouts, and mix for 3 minutes.

Recipe credit: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pad-thai-2/detail.aspx

Marinated and Grilled Salmon

I'm not a big fish eater, but I do love this marinated fish recipe.  It is the perfect mixture of sweet and salty and tastes delicious when served with mashed potatoes.  

Ingredients: 

1 - 1/2 pounds salmon fillets
lemon pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
salt to taste
1/3 Cup Soy Sauce
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
1/3 Cup Water
1/4 Vegetable Oil

Directions:
1. Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper, garlic powder, and salt.

2. In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and vegetable oil until sugar is dissolved. Place fish in a large resealable plastic bag with the soy sauce mixture, seal, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

3. Preheat grill for medium heat.
4. Lightly oil grill grate. Place salmon on the preheated grill, and discard marinade. Cook salmon for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.


Recipe Credit: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/grilled-salmon-i/detail.aspx

Roasted Vegetables

This is one of my new favorite things to do.  I learned this trick from a friend: buy a lot of vegetable you've never really eaten and roast them all together.  It is amazing.  This is a great way to eat vegetable that you wouldn't normally try.  I don't think I had ever eaten a brussel sprout and I had probably not ever heard of a parsnip before this.

Recipe for Roasted Vegetables

Note: These directions are for the roasted vegetable in the picture above, please add or subtract things as you feel necessary.  I have made several varieties of vegetables, and they are always good.

Ingredients:
Brussel Sprouts
Parsnips
Beets
Carrots
Onions
Artichokes
Garlic

Directions:
1. Cut up all vegetables into bite-sized pieces
2. Put in large pan with 2-4 Tbsp olive oil
3. Add any spices you like (for example, pepper, lemon pepper, salt, oregano, basil, etc.)
4. Bake for 1 hour in 375 degree oven, or until soft all the way through and as blackened as you prefer.

Recipe Credit:
Nicki!

Buttermilk Breakfast Cake

This breakfast cake is absolutely amazing.  It is rich, thick, creamy, and a little fruity.  Delicious.

Recipe for Buttermilk Breakfast Cake

Ingredients:
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tsp. lemon zest or more — zest from 1 large lemon
7/8 cup* + 1 tablespoon sugar**
1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour (set aside 1/4 cup of this to toss with the blueberries)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups fresh blueberries
½ cup buttermilk***

* 7/8 cup = 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons
** This 1 tablespoon is for sprinkling on top
*** To make homemade buttermilk, place 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup. Fill cup with milk until it reaches the 1-cup line. Let stand for five minutes.

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cream butter with lemon zest and 7/8 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with ¼ cup of flour, then whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the blueberries.
4. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan (or something similar) with butter or coat with non-stick spray. Spread batter into pan. Sprinkle batter with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 35 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. If necessary, return pan to oven for a couple of more minutes. (Note: Baking for as long as 10 minutes more might be necessary.) Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Recipe Credit:
http://cookbook-recipes.org/buttermilk-blueberry-breakfast-cake/