Caramel Apple Oatmeal

Good Morning :)

I like to make a hot breakfast for my son. His favorite is porridge aka cream of wheat. I make it with milk, vanilla and a touch of brown sugar. But he also really enjoys a creamy oatmeal. I accomplish this by grinding the oats into a flour consistency.

I decided to try adding a topping to his oatmeal.

INGREDIENTS

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1 Apple, cord and diced

1 Tablespoon maple syrup

2 Tablespoons Light brown sugar

2 Tablespoons Apple butter

1/4 cup warm water

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon grated naval orange peel

2 teaspoons pure Vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon apple pie spice or ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg

Note: if you have a picky eater, peel the apple, as the skin leaves a slight bite to it.

DIRECTIONS

Core and dice Apple

Zest orange

Melt butter in saucepan over med heat.

Add diced apples, sauté 15-18 minutes. Or until desired tenderness is reached.

Mix cornstarch with warm water, then add apple butter and vanilla.

Followed by the Apple pie spice and nutmeg. I used pumpkin pie spice (what I had on hand) it was good.

Add the brown sugar and maple syrup to the sautéed apples.

Simmer until thickened. Serve over oatmeal, pancakes, waffles, etc. I severed over a creamy spiced oatmeal. Recipe below.

For the oatmeal

I pretty much cook the oatmeal according to the directions on the packaging. With the exception of adding all milk, no water.

I also add 

1 Tablespoon light brown sugar

A pinch Apple pie spice

A splash Pure vanilla extract

No salt, doesn't need it.

I ❤ Seafood

A Facebook friend posted the photo below of this lovely "Michael Symon" seared scallop dish she prepared for Valentine's day.

Well... I absolutely love seafood, especially scallops.

I looked up the recipe and watched the video of him preparing it on the chew. Below is my version of his fantastic dish. My son commented it looked and tasted like something they would serve in a 5 star restaurant. Hubs and I agree. After all he is a celebrity chef. ;)

I added screen shots of his recipe below.

All three of these recipes turned out so well. We thoroughly enjoyed them.

I added garlic to my sauteed spinach.

I also roasted cherry tomatoes and added them to the dish as well.

Another love of mine is mushrooms. I made a creamy whole wheat mushroom pasta as a side. I will post the recipe in a separate post.

I wasn't sure if my son would like scallops. So, I baked a beautiful tilapia fillet for him. 

I rinse the fish, placed on a nonstick pan, then seasoned it with old bay, lemon pepper and sweet basil, then topped with 3 pats of unsalted butter.

Baked at 400° for about 18 minutes.

Below is Michael Symon's recipe for seared scallops, and photos of his creation on the chew. 

Note:

I can tell you from my experience, you need to have the heat very high and the scallops very dry to get a sear like his.

Even though I dried my scallops, they almost instantly leaked juices into the pan.

Note:

I did not use the Orange (zest and juice)

I had it on hand but forgot to use it. Honestly, it did not need it. But I will definitely make this again with the Orange and update this post.

Happy Valentine's Day

Taking time to acknowledge one another.

Social media has taken so much emotion out of our interactions with one another.

Remember the good ole days when we took pen to paper to show those we cared about that we were thinking of them? I'm grateful that my dear friend Dianna reminded me. It's almost a lost art.

I want to send a very warm thank you to Dianna for the beautiful Valentine's day card.

You know the saying... God works in mysterious ways. Well, sometimes God works through us.

                    Perfect timing! ☺

Dianna, 

I know you can no longer comment here because you have closed your Google account. But I really wanted to acknowledge your kindness and share with others. 

I agree with you about pen to paper. It still holds so much importance.

You never know just how much someone might need that surprise letter, note or card in the mail.

Yours came with precious timing Dianna, I truly appreciate you.

Much love to you dear friend, May God bless you for all the kindness you share.

Smithfield Pork Tenderloin

I'm not usually one for precooked or pre-marinated but hubby brought home this Rosemary & Olive Oil Pork Tenderloin by Smithfield. The whole meal was super simple to prepare and done in less than 30 minutes.

The pork tenderloin are available in the following flavors

Garlic & Herb

Golden Rotisserie

Mesquite

Peppercorn Garlic

Portobello Mushroom

Rosemary & Olive Oil

Teriyaki

I baked the Rosemary & Olive Oil

I added a drizzle of French's Worcestershire sauce and a sprinkle of Spice Islands Garlic Powder.  

I heated some evoo then seared the tenderloin on all sides.

I placed the tenderloin in a Pyrex casserole dish then topped with some fresh sprigs of thyme.

I baked it uncovered for 22 minutes at 425°F.

I allowed the tenderloin to rest for 10-12 minutes before slicing. It was very moist, tender *&* flavorful.

I also roasted some broccoli and carrots. 

I added...

evoo

Grated parmesan cheese

Garlic powder

Sea salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

into a gallon zip loc bag.

I added the broccoli, tossed to coat all. Then placed the broccoli into one side of a divided pyrex dish. I repeated the process with the carrots.

I baked them uncovered at 425° F until fork tender but still had bite. About 20-22 minutes.

I sent a plate home with my foodie brother, but I forgot to send dessert. 

I sent him the following text.

His reply was priceless 😃 

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

Original recipe from BHG

Ingredients

2 cups dried elbow macaroni

2 tablespoons land I lakes sweet cream butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup whole milk1 cup Fontina cheese, shredded

1 (15 ounce) canned pumpkin

1 tablespoon snipped fresh sage, finely chopped or 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf sage, crushed

1/2 cup soft bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans, ground into crumbs

1 tablespoon corn oil

Additional whole Sage leaves for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook pasta in a large pot following package directions. Drain cooked pasta, then return to pot.

2. For cheese sauce, in a medium saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Add whipping cream and milk all at once. Cook and stir over medium heat until slightly thickened and bubbly. Stir in cheese, pumpkin, and sage until cheese is melted. Stir cheese sauce into pasta to coat. Transfer macaroni and cheese to an ungreased 2-quart rectangular baking dish.

3. In a small bowl combine bread crumbs, Parmesan, walnuts, and oil; sprinkle over pasta. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until bubbly and top is golden. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. If desired, sprinkle with sage leaves.

A very good morning to all

Sweet on Italian...

Sausage Frittata

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 onion, chopped (approx. 2 tbs)
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 green bell pepper, chopped (approx. 2 tbs)
2 handfuls of baby spinach
1/4-1/2 cup baby portabella mushrooms
1/8 cup hunts petite diced tomatoes
2 sweet Italian sausage links, casings removed
1/2 teaspoon Sweet Basil
1 tablespoon minced Parsley
2 sprigs of fresh Thyme
1/8 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
6 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3-4 slices provolone cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter and 1 tablespoon of the oil in a skillet.
Add the green pepper, spinach, mushrooms, garlic and onion.

Cook until the vegetables are tender, add the diced tomatoes. continue to cook for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.


Remove from pan and place into a bowl, toss in the parmesan cheese, and set aside.
 
Combine the eggs, cream, basil, parsley, thyme and pepper, then add the egg mixture to the vegetable mixture.
 
Add the crumbled sausage to the hot skillet, cook until brown, then drain. Add the cooked sausage to the vegetable and egg mixture.
Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil in the skillet.
Pour in the egg mixture and cook very slowly over low heat, pricking the top with a fork and lifting the bottom gently. Cover and cook 2 – 3 minutes until the bottom is brown and set. It will be cooked about half way at this point.

Slide the frittata from the pan onto a large plate, then invert into a well oiled glass pie plate. Bake until completely set, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove from oven turn oven up to Broil.
 
Top with provolone cheese and place the frittata under a preheated broiler until the top is golden brown. Leave the oven door open so you can keep a close eye on it.


Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley.

Allow to slightly cool before slicing.

 

Pictured below is a Ham and Cheddar version

 

So glad you have stopped by

I love to read comments from folks visiting me in blogland.

 

I look forward to new ideas, suggestions, requests

and even any alterations you may have made to one of my recipe posts.

 

So please leave me a comment and I will buzz by your blog and do the same for you.

 

Come Back Soon

*&* Often

You're Welcome Anytime!

Aim ♥ 

Have The Best Day Ever