French Toast

Ingredients 

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• Pinch kosher salt
• 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar, honey or maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon banilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 8 slices Trader Joe's French Brioche bread 
• Butter

Whisk together eggs, milk, salt, sugar, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon in a flat-bottomed shallow baking dish. Place bread slices, one or two at a time, into the egg mixture and flip to make sure both sides are well-coated (*coated by dipping; avoid soaking).

Melt butter in a large skillet or on a griddle. Place bread slices in skillet on on griddle and cook on medium heat until golden brown on each side, about 2-3 minutes. 

Serve immediately or keep warm in oven until ready to serve, but no longer than about 30 minutes. 

Enjoy! 

Pepperoni Pizza Rolls

 Ingredients 

• 1 package refrigerated pizza dough, or homemade
• 1 jar pizza sauce
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 package pepperonis
• Add ins: Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, onions, Italian sausage

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. and grease a 9 x 13 baking dish. 

Roll out pizza dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll it to about 1/3 inch thick. (You want it to bake through, so don't keep the dough too thick.)

Spread the pizza sauce all over the surface of the crust. Do a thin coating of sauce. 

Add a generous layer of shredded mozzarella cheese to the sauce. 

Top with pepperonis, or other toppings of your choice, and roll it tightly like cinnamon rolls. (Roll it length-wise so you have a long log. Start at one long side and roll the pizza dough until you reach the other long end.)

Slice the pizza log into 1 inch slices and place in your prepared pan. (Use a sharp serrated knife for this since it can be difficult to cut the pepperonis.). Cut slowly and hold dough log together with your free hand. 

Place in your preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the tops are golden and the rolls are cooked through. 

Enjoy! 

Tip: If you find that the pizza roll is difficult to cut, store it in the refrigerator until the dough gets firm. Then use the serrated knife to cut it into slices. This helps to keep the dough from falling apart.

Tunacado Bagel

 Ingredients (for two) 

• 185 grams can tuna in olive oil
• 1 large avocado
• 2 Tbsp mayo
• 1/4 large red onion, finely diced
• 1/4 cup dill, finely chopped 
• 1 tsp chili flakes
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 of a lemon, juiced

• Bagel
• Tomato
• Sliced Swiss or Provolone cheese

Drain the oil from the tuna and mash in a bowl with the mayo. Then add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. 

Scoop onto a toasted bagel with cheese and tomato. 

Enjoy!

Baked Okra

 Ingredients

• 1 lb. baked okra
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp paprika
• Salt to taste
• A pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. 

Rinse the okra, and dray with a paper towel. Trim away the stem ends, and then cut it into 1/2 to 3/4 inch pieces. Spread the okra on a sheet pan in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil, paprika, salt, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Stir.

Bake the okra for about 15 minutes. The okra should be lightly browned and tender, with a nice seared aroma. Serve immediately. 

Enjoy!

Rustic Tuscany Chickpea Orzo Salad

 Ingredients

• 2 cups (16 oz pkg) orzo
• 4 cups (32 oz carton) chicken broth
•  2 cans (15.5 oz) Bush's Rustic Tuscany Chickpeas
• 1 carton (10 oz) cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 medium red onion, diced
• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional toppings: Feta or parmesan cheese

In a saucepan, add broth and orzo. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook until orzo is firm but tender. About 7 minutes.

Drain the orzo and transfer to a large bowl. 

Mix in chickpeas, tomatoes, onion, peppers, lemon juice, salt and pepper. 

Serve warm or chill for pasta salad. Top with cheese.

Enjoy!