Recipe: Sausage & Apple Breakfast Casserole

Feed your kids' sweet tooth with a healthy breakfast option with this delicious, sweet and savory casserole. Plenty of protein, together with apples, cinnamon, and whole-grain bread make this a breakfast that will stick to your ribs, and keep your kids alert and energized until lunchtime.

Sausage and Granny Smith Apple Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:

(Photo credit: stevendepolo)

1 package natural pork sausage roll
6 cups whole grain bread, cubed
3 cups whole milk
10 eggs (free range/organic if possible)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped 
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups cheddar cheese, divided 

Directions:

1. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish while preheating oven to 325 degrees.
2. In a large skillet, brown the sausage and drain. Set aside. 
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla and salt. 
4. In another large mixing bowl, mix together the apples, cinnamon and sugar. Make sure the apples are well coated. 
5. In the prepared baking pan, layer half the bread crumbs on the bottom and then half the sausage, half the apples and then 1 cup of cheese. Continue to repeat layers until ingredients are gone. 
6. Take the egg mixture and pour evenly over the layers. 
7. Bake for 1 hour or until hot and bubbly.

Recipe: Bayou Country Chicken Pot Pie

Down-home cooking is the way to go if you're looking for comfort food! This recipe brings the flavors of the South to you wherever you may be cooking today, with classics like bell peppers, sausage, chicken, and tomatoes all baked under a dumpling-like crust (make your own crust from scratch for a more authentic flavor).

Bayou Country Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz chicken thigh meat, chopped
1 (14 oz size) can stewed tomatoes
8 oz cooked smoked sausage, diced
dash or two of hot pepper sauce
2 1/4 cups buttermilk baking mix
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp black pepper
2/3 cup milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Heat oil in 10 inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
3. When hot, add the onion and bell pepper and cook for 2 or 3 minutes or until veggies soften.
4. Add the garlic, stir, then add chicken meat and cook, stirring until chicken is no longer pink, about 1 or 2 minutes.
5. Pour in the tomatoes, add the sausage and hot pepper sauce, stir, reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes.
6. While that cooks, get out a bowl and mix together the buttermilk baking mix, the dried thyme, black pepper, and the milk, stirring until just combined - don't over mix.
7. Drop this buttermilk batter by big tablespoons in piles over the chicken mixture in the skillet.
8. Bake in preheated oven (in the skillet) until biscuit top is golden brown and the chicken mixture is bubbling hot, about 15 to 18 minutes.
9. Remove and let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before cutting to serve.

Recipe: Easy Walnut Cookie Squares

Mmmm-mmm-mmmm! Nothing like using superfoods as an excuse to eat cookies, right?  :-)  This recipe incorporates lots of heart-healthy walnuts, and fresh eggs full of Omega 3's - and it's fast and easy, and really tasty! Try this one to satisfy your sweet tooth without feeling too bad about it.

Easy Walnut Cookie Squares

Walnuts (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
2 cups shelled walnuts, chopped
2 eggs (from pasture-raised hens)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

•  Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and baking soda.
• Add the brown sugar and walnuts and mix until blended well.
• In separate bowl, whisk eggs together with vanilla extract.
• Stir egg mixture into dry mixture and stir until combined.
• Press dough onto bottom of baking sheet.
• Bake in preheated oven at 325 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until browned lightly.
• Remove and let cool on rack, then cut into squares.

Recipe - Baked Salmon With Balsamic Reduction

Here is a delicious, and easy recipe for fresh salmon. One of the great things about fish is that it's generally really fast and easy to cook, plus it's really good for you! This tasty recipe doesn't take long at all, and only requires a few simple ingredients, so it's great for novice cooks - or just those in a hurry!

Image via WikipediaBaked Salmon With Balsamic Reduction
(Serves 4.)

Ingredients:

4 salmon fillets
1 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp fresh squeezed lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees.
• Evenly season salmon, both sides, with salt and pepper and put in baking dish.
• Bake in preheated oven, uncovered, about 10 to 15 minutes.  Salmon should be solid color throughout.
• As fish is cooking, take out a small saucepan and pour balsamic vinegar in. Place saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring frequently until liquid reduces by about a third.  This should take about 10 minutes.  The more it reduces, the thicker and sweeter it will get.*
• Remove the saucepan from the heat when it is reduced and add the oil, whisking as you add, then add the lime juice, and continue whisking until color gets lighter.  Taste and add salt and pepper if desired.
• Spoon the balsamic reduction sauce over the salmon when it comes out of the oven.  Serve salmon while still warm.

Image via Wikipedia* This is a great way to get a sweet and savory glaze for salmon without adding any brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, or other sugary ingredient.  Use a good balsamic vinegar and be sure to check the label.  Most good ones will have very limited sugars and carbs.

Salmon is considered a powerhouse of nutrients.  The trick in most diets is finding ways to serve salmon with sauces and glazes that fit a healthy diet - like this one.