Honey Spiced Brussel Sprouts

These days, being in grad school, I need things that are fast an easy that I can make while soon other things. In an attempt to make cooking brussel sprouts easier and also copy some of the best brussel sprouts I’ve ever had from Michael’s On Main in Capitola I came up with this ridiculously easy method.

Ingredients

Brussel Sprouts
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of honey
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
handful of roasted pecans

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 F
Chop the brussel spouts into quarters, making sure to remove the bottoms
Coat the brussel sprouts with olive oil and then season with salt and pepper
Bake for 20-30 minutes total, stirring half way through
Meanwhile, melt the butter, honey and cinnamon in a sauce pan 
Once the brussel sprouts are done cooking, pour the honey butter over them
Top with chopped up pecans
Enjoy!  

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Spinach, Black Bean, Pesto Sausage & Egg Breakfast

Here’s an easy recipe for busy mornings… pre-make individual serving egg dishes! Here’s what we used, per person:

3 eggs
1/4 cup chopped spinach
1/4 cup black beans
1 chopped up sausage (optional)

Mix everything together in individual oven-safe dishes

Bake at 350F for 45-60 minutes
(or until egg has cooked through)

Let cool.
Refrigerate if you’re going to eat them in the newt couple days, freeze if longer.
To reheat, place cold dishes in oven
Reheat at 250F for 30-60 minutes (cover with foil to prevent additional browning)
Now you have time to go for a run or get the kids out the door while your breakfast cooks!
Or simply microwave if you’re in a hurry!

Lemon Cheesecake with Honey Topping

Last minute invite to a party, currently without a functioning oven, still needed to make a yummy dessert… wanted to make the Fresh Blueberry Pie, but couldn’t find blueberries at my local supermarket. So… no-bake cheesecake to the rescue! Stirred up the crust as instructed but added lemon zest, added 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to the filling and refrigerated for an hour. Mixed up some greek yogurt and honey to spread over the top, drizzled with a bit more honey and decorated with lemon slices! Fabulous last minute dessert!

Steak fajita bowl with taco

Dinner time! Grilled up some chunks of steak from trader joe’s, sautéed the onions and bell peppers, layered all that on top of black refried beans and quinoa. Served it up with a taco filled with sour cream, avocado, cheese and bell peppers. Easy, yummy dinner!

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Hummus

Ingredients:
1 16 oz can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans
1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas
3-5 tablespoons lemon juice (depending on taste)
1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
2+ tablespoons olive oil

Caprese Salad

Slice the 3-4 large beefsteak tomatoes into 1/2 in slices
Slice the 3-4 large fresh mozzarella balls into 1/2 inch slices as well
Layer the mozzarella on top of the tomato slices
Layer with fresh basil leaves
Sprinkle with extra virgin olive oil and season with saltpepper

Mindless Monday: Spinach Frittata

Our newest idea: Mindless Monday! What’s deal with that? Well… we’ll be the first to admit that some of our recipes are a little time consuming. So we thought we’d highlight some of the easier, quicker, less time-intensive options. This also means that the recipes are open to interpretation. Think of Monday recipes like the Pirate Code “they’re more like guidelines.”

Saute the spinach and onions in an oven proof pan until spinach is wilted and onions are translucent
Whisk the eggs (8) together with some milk (1/2 cup), salt and pepper
Add sun-dried tomatoes, and chopped up sausage to the spinach in the pan, if you want
Pour the egg mixture over all of it
Pick up the spinach with your spatula to let the egg seep under
Cook on medium until egg is about half way done
Layer on as much goat cheese as you want (or not!) 
Pop into the preheated oven (400F) for about 15 minutes
Done when the egg is cooked through!