Sausage and Pepper Egg Noodles

Sorry I've been MIA for a while. Wedding planning took precedence and now that I'm finally settled back into normal life, I thought it was time for The Spotted Fig to make a reappearance! So, with that said, let's get to it!

As far back as I can remember, family dinners in my family were a huge deal. They happened every night around 6pm and if you didn't have sports or school activities to participate in, you were expected to be there. My mom planned the upcoming weeks meals out every Sunday. Of course there were the favorites that frequently appeared on the menu, but there were also "experiments" that were given a shot. I'll have to admit, not all of them were hits, but mom usually has a good eye for food so the ratio was more winners to losers. The recipe below was one of those experiments that turned into a favorite really quickly! Enjoy!

Sausage and Pepper Egg Noodles
(serves 6)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. hot Italian turkey sausage, removed from casing
Olive Oil
2 bell peppers (orange, red, or yellow)
1 large onion
1 bag of No-Yolk egg noodles
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/3 cup milk

Directions:
1. Fill large pot with water, and heat to a boil. Cook noodles according to package directions.
2. Slice pepper and onion into thin slices. Heat oil in large skillet and add peppers and onions, cooking for about 5 minutes.
3. Add Italian sausage, breaking up into chunks along the way, and cooking until browned.
3. Add noodles, Parmesan cheese, and milk. Stir until cheese is melted and serve.

10 Layer Slow Cooker Casserole

Granted February is the worst month of the year (with the exception of my birthday!), I do like being able to use the slow cooker to dish up some healthy, hearty meals! It doesn't get much better then prepping everything the night before, putting it in the slow cooker in the morning, setting it to the correct time, leaving for work, and then coming home to your house smelling of goodness and a meal waiting for you - as if someone was slaving in the kitchen ALL day!! Meet: The Slow Cooker (also known as: The Crock Pot)!

When I was in college (Ohh Denison......), I bought myself a Slow Cooker Cookbook that has treated me very well. It has hundreds of great recipes, that are easy to make, and easy on the waistline!! I came across this one the other day, and thought it sounded delicious! Sure enough, it was. Of course I altered it a bit, but it came out great! :)

10 Layer Slow Cooker Casserole
(serves 6)

Ingredients:
5 medium potatoes, thinly sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
salt and pepper
1 15 ounce can of corn, undrained
1 15 ounce can of peas, undrained
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 pound ground turkey/beef, browned and drained
2 10 3/4 ounce cans reduced fat cream of mushroom soup

Directions:
Layer 1: In a large slow cooker mix 1/4 of the potatoes with 1/2 of the onion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.,
Layer 2: 1/2 can of corn
Layer 3: 1/4 potatoes
Layer 4: 1/2 can of peas
Layer 5: 1/4 potatoes mixed with celery
Layer 6: remaining corn
Layer 7: remaining potatoes
Layer 8: remaining peas
Layer 9: ground turkey/beef
Layer 10: 1 can of soup

Cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 6 hours.
Mix remaining can of soup with 1/2 cup water, and use as "gravy".

Enjoy! 

Reader Recipe of the Week: Blueberry Cottage Cheese Pancakes

One thing that I never knew about my BFF Meg? That she LOVES to cook breakfast on the weekends! She has been telling me about this little concoction she adapted from an online recipe for 4 months now. She finally found the courage to submit it, and I am so happy she did!  I am always looking for healthy, quick breakfast options and this certainly fits the bill. Gary and I seem to be stuck in this rut of ham and egg breakfast sandwiches lately, so this will be a nice option when we are looking to mix things up a bit. Thanks Meg! 

If you are a breakfast person, make this recipe your go-to on weekend mornings. I promise you won't be disappointed!

Blueberry Cottage Cheese Pancakes
(Serves 2 very hungry people)

Ingredients:
1 cup old-fashion oatmeal
1 cup cottage cheese
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup blueberries
pinch of cinnamon sugar

Directions:
1. Melt 1 teaspoon of butter in large skillet.

2. Put everything (except the blueberries) in blender and blend until
smooth.  

3. Fold in blueberries.

4. Pour 1/4 batter into skillet for each pancake, cooking until golden brown on both sides!

*Tip: Not sure when to flip your pancakes? Look for the little bubbles on the top of the batter to start popping. This means it is time to flip!

Serve with butter and syrup, and enjoy!!

Banana French Toast

Sorry to break the trend of football snacks this week, but I personally needed a change! ;) Plus, being stuck home on Wednesday due to the 2011 Blizzard that hit Chicago the night before inspired me to make a good brunch  - something that I rarely find time to do, even on the weekends!

Enjoy!

Banana French Toast
(serves 2)

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons applesauce
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
6  slices of whole wheat bread
1 ripe banana
maple syrup
powdered sugar (optional)

Directions:
1. In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, applesauce, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and salt. Whisk well.
2. Heat non-stick skillet/griddle over medium high heat.
3. Dip each slice of bread into the egg mixture, making sure to coat both sides.
4. Place on skillet/griddle, flipping after 2 minutes, or until golden brown. Do the same for the other side.
5. Meanwhile, slice up a banana, heat maple syrup, and set aside.
6. When bread is browned on both sides, transfer to a plate, sprinkle with bananas and powdered sugar (I was out!!!), and then cover in maple syrup.

close your eyes. take a bite. and smile. :)

Fresh Salsa - A Dravis Speciality!!

Sometimes simple is good. This time, simple is GREAT! Thank you Jessie and Justin for this one too!

Do you sense a trend yet with the theme this week, besides the fact that J and J have submitted 50% of the recipes???

Who do YOU want to win Sunday's game??

Fresh Tomato Salsa
(serves 3-4)

Ingredients:
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Cilantro to taste
Salt
Pepper
1/2 tsp garlic, minced

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl. To allow the flavors to mix and set, this salsa is best made the day before you want to use it!

Simple.As.That!

Antipasto Platter

Favorite part about planning a wedding so far? Picking the food!! :) As you know, Gary and I both LOVE to eat, and we have been looking forward to choosing the menu for our wedding for quite a while now. Well? The time has finally come!

Looking at countless blogs to find inspiration, I came across a slideshow from a wedding that took place at the Union League of Philadelphia that was absolutely stunning. I quickly forwarded to Gary to get him excited, and he responds back with: "I want that table 1:33 minutes into the slideshow!". Curious to see which part of the video spiked his interest that much, I quickly went to 1:33 and pushed pause only to find  the largest Antipasto spread you have EVER seen. Should I have expected anything less from him?

Needless to say, I was inspired to make one of my own. The great thing about an Antipasto plate is that it doesn't require a set recipe. For the above platter, I used:
3 blocks of assorted cheese
Assortment of cold cuts, rolled
Marinated artichoke hearts
Marinated mushrooms
Blue Cheese stuff red peppers

If you want to make things really easy, visit your local supermarket's olive bar where you will find an assortment of olives as well as marinated vegetables, cheeses, etc.

Add this to your Super Bowl spread - your friends will thank you! ;)

Reader Recipe of the Week: Rosemary Lamb Sliders with Arugula and Garlic-Dijon Aioli

Thank you to Jessie and Justin for introducing me to these little bites of heaven. I first had these at our engagement party earlier this year. It was love ever since. For weeks Gary was talking about them. To lazy to make them again, we invited ourselves over (kinda!) to Jessie and Justin's last weekend and sure enough - they were on the menu!!

Hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

Rosemary Lamb Sliders with Arugula and Garlic-Dijon Aioli

(serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

Burgers

3/4 lb ground lamb

3/4 lb ground chuck

3/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons dijon mustard

2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

3 tablespoons minced red onion

2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

Garlic Dijon Aioli

3/4 cup mayo

1 1/2 tablespoons whole grain mustard

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

Accompaniments

mini buns

sliced red onions

arugula

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, make aioli and set aside.

2. In large bowl, mix all burger ingredients. Divide into 24 portions - about 1 tablespoon each. Form into 2 inch diameter patties.

3. Heat large, non-stick skillet over med-high heat. Cook about 2 minutes per side.

If serving at a party, place cooked patties on a large platter, with accompaniments on the side. This will prevent the buns from getting soggy!