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easy recipes

Overnight Baked French Toast — Dairy Free

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Yesterday was THE day — Mother’s Day! And I’m sure most of us were hoping for a nice, relaxing, day… but didn’t get it! Because, well, life with kids AND stay-at-home orders can be tricky!

Having three kids ranging in age from one to 7, I knew not to expect a relaxing day. Instead, I prepped our breakfast for Sunday morning on Saturday. That way I was in charge of cleanup and be rest assured at no-mess and no-fuss Sunday morning.

PIN ME - The BEST Overnight Baked French Toast - DAIRY FREE

I don’t usually eat breakfast because of my intermittent fasting schedule, but Mother’s Day is a special occasion. Also, Overnight Baked French Toast is a great excuse to eat breakfast! I picked up a loaf of our favorite bread from The Blue Door Cafe and Bakery just up the street. The owner and pastry chefs make all of their artisan breads daily and it is well worth a special trip! Any bread will do, but I would definitely suggest fresh bread if possible.

If you haven’t had or made overnight French toast, you may be wondering what makes it so different. Well, it’s basically like a cross between traditional French toast and a sweet quiche! It’s incredible. My kids, of course, drenched their in syrup, but I actually preferred it without syrup! It’s sweet enough on its own, thanks to the vanilla and brown sugar.

Yield: 6

Overnight Baked French Toast

Overnight Baked French Toast

Delicious, dairy-free overnight baked French toast! Perfect for lazy Saturday mornings.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 loaf of artisan / homemade bread (a brioche, challah, or swiss braid bread are perfect)
  • 8 eggs
  • ¾ of a Cup of Ajoyo Unsweetened Almond Milk
  • ½ Cup of brown sugar, tightly packed
  • 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
  • Powdered Sugar (optional)

Instructions

  1. Use coconut oil to grease the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Slice bread into ½ inch pieces. Arrange the bread slices in an overlapping pattern in the pan. Set aside.
  2. In a bowl, beat together the eggs, Ajoyo Unsweetened Almond Milk, brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon until well-mixed.
  3. Pour egg mixture over bread, evenly coating all pieces. Cover the pan with tinfoil and refrigerate overnight (8-10 hours).
  4. In the morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake, covered, for 25 minutes. Uncover and finish baking for another 10-15 minutes (until baked through).
  5. Remove from the oven. Sprinkle powdered sugar on top. Serve + enjoy with or without syrup!

I think this recipe is going to be a weekend staple in our house! I’ve also made it with pre-sliced, store-bought bread, but we all prefer the fresh bread. Either way, it’s delicious!

What kind of breakfast recipes are your favorite?

Instant Pot Dump + Start Creamy Ziti

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Oh, hi! Just Martha freaking Stewart over here! I have some other content in the works, but I’ve honestly been cooking and creating recipes nonstop. It’s hard not to share such delicious (and easy!) recipes.

I created this recipe for the big kids. We’ve been eating so much pizza — from frozen to takeout — and I’m kind of over it. Knowing that they LOVE pizza, I decided to basically make “pizza pasta.” And, oh my gosh!, it was a huge hit.

My 4-year-old, Remy, was super excited about this meal because I let her help. Thankfully, it’s basically a dump-and-start meal, so it was easy to get her involved in the process. Plus, when she helps, it encourages her to eat something new and different. She’s so picky about food lately so I’m desperate for anything I can get.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy this recipe. It’s SO not healthy! Ha! But it is incredible. It’s hearty, it’s fulfilling, and it’s just super yummy

Yield: 8

Instant Pot Dump and Go Creamy Ziti

Instant Pot Dump and Go Creamy Ziti
Prep Time 8 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 cups of chicken broth
  • 2 cups of heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tsp of garlic powder
  • a pinch of salt
  • 16 ounces of ziti
  • 2 cups of pasta sauce
  • 1.5 cups of shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1.5 cups of mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  1. Dump all of the ingredients (minus the pasta sauce and cheese) into the Instant Pot. Make sure pasta is covered with liquid!
  2. Turn on your Instant Pot to Manual - high - for six minutes.
  3. Let naturally release for an additional 6 minutes, then quick release.
  4. Pour pasta sauce into cooked pasta mixture. Then slowly add cheeses until melty, ooey, and deliciously gooey.
  5. Serve immediately and ENJOY your delicious "Pizza Pasta"!

The before pictures? They aren’t so pretty. Dump and cook meals are not always pretty — but they ARE delicious!

So tell me this — what’s your trick for making kids eat what you make?!

PIN ME! -- EASY INSTANT POT CREAMY ZITI

Easy Whipped Coffee

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Social distancing and stay-at-home orders mean changes to all our everyday routines. But one of the things that I did, nearly everyday, was get a delicious, cold brew coffee from Starbucks. Sure, I’d make my own brewed coffee at home in the mornings. But there’s something extra yummy about coffee that you didn’t brew yourself, am I right?!

It turns out I’ve had a LOT of time on my hands to play around with different ways to make my daily coffee. I’ve done cold brew, drip brew, and making coffee over ice. And then the whipped coffee trend hit Instagram. And my life has changed forever.

PIN ME - The most perfect Whipped Coffee Recipe - Instagram-worthy Coffee!

Whipped Coffee, which is also known as Dalgona Coffee, combines instant coffee, granulated sugar, and hot water to make a delicious — and STRONG! — caffeinated treat! When I first heard about whipped coffee, I heard warnings of “Be careful, it’s very strong!” and I would scoff and think, “I can handle strong coffee.“

I’m here to say this — I was wrong. As someone who can handle strong coffee, this is whole other level of strong coffee. A friend described her post-whipped coffee, caffeine-high, as ‘being able to hear colors.’ It made me laugh, but I’m not sure I’d go that far. However, it is very, very, strong.

Easy Whipped Coffee

Missing your fancy coffee? Try this Easy Whipped Coffee at HOME!

Tips for the perfect ‘whip’

It’s rich. It’s so very rich! And I have some tips for whisking that would have been helpful for me, had I known!

Use a large bowl.

Seems like you wouldn’t need a big bowl, right? Wrong. On my first attempt, I used a small bowl. I figured it would be large enough to whip together 6 Tablespoons. But that whisk moves really fast. So use a large bowl to avoid splatter!

At first the consistency is … odd — but don’t worry!

It may seem like you are doing it wrong, but I assure you — you are doing it right! The instant coffee mixture is so dark at first. The more you whisk it, the lighter — and fluffier! — it gets. I promise it will get peak ‘peak’ness! 😉

Add ice and Ajoyo Almond Milk!

Again, I am a pro at strong coffee. I mean that! My parents raised me to drink strong, dark, black coffee. But this? This is a whole different beast! There is no “black” whipped coffee. Instead, it pairs perfectly with Ajoyo Vanilla Sweetened Almond Milk. Check out more about Ajoyo’s mission and about where you can purchase it here.

Yield: 2

Easy Whipped Coffee

whipped coffee with Ajoyo Almond Milk
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons of instant coffee
  • 2 Tablespoons of near-boiling hot water
  • 2 Tablespoons of granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ Cups of Ajoyo Sweetened Vanilla Almond Milk 
  • ice

Instructions

      1. Heat a mug of water in either the microwave or a kettle until a near-boil.

      ​2. Add 2 tablespoons of instant coffee, 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, and 2 tablespoons of hot water into a medium sized bowl. 

      3. Use a hand mixer with whisk attachment or immersion blender to whisk ingredients together at a medium-high speed until instant coffee mixture develops peaks. 

      4. Pour 1 ½ cups of Ajoyo Sweetened Vanilla Almond Milk over ice. Spoon whipped coffee on top. Mix together before drinking. Enjoy!

So tell me — if you’ve tried it, what did you think?!

Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta (Dairy-Free / Vegan)

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In moments of craziness, it’s important that we try and keep some sense of normalcy in our lives. I’ve been trying to create new recipes to try that the whole family can enjoy. Being mindful of the fact that our youngest still needs to avoid dairy, so I’ve had to kick my creativity up several notches!

Getting Creative With Kids

Well, thanks to being super resourceful, the kids and I have discovered one of our newest favorite meals! This recipe for Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta is incredible. Don’t be put off by the idea of roasting red peppers. It’s super simply and a lot faster than imagined. Also? You can double this recipe, freeze half of the sauce, and reheat later if you’re in a pinch!

CREAMY ROASTED RED PEPPER PASTA

I was able to get my kids involved by helping me measure out the dry ingredients, pouring the Ajoyo Almondmilk into a measuring cup, and stirring the combined pasta and sauce at the end. Finding little ways to keep them involved not only makes them feel important during this time, but it also can be considered “math” and “science!”

ROASTED VEGETABLES

Who knows! Maybe by the end of this whole extended Spring break, I’ll want to be a homeschool mom! Ha!

Try this recipe and tell me what you think! It’s so creamy, so cheesy-tasting, but totally dairy-free! If you haven’t picked up nutritional yeast yet, try grabbing some off of Amazon here. It gives all of my dairy-free recipes a cheesy flavor.

pasta with red sauce in skillet

Also, if you’re currently in the market for a food processor or blender, I highly recommend a Vitamix! It can do everything and perfectly mixed the wet and dry ingredients with my roasted veggies.

Yield: 6

Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

pasta with red sauce in skillet

Dairy-Free / Vegan

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 red bell peppers, large
  • 1 medium red onion
  • 5 cloves of garlic
  • 1 Cup of Ajoyo Unsweetened Almondmilk
  • 4 Tablespoons of Nutritional Yeast, heaping
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons of paprika
  • 1 teaspoon of oregano
  • 16 oz pasta
  • 1 teaspoon of cornstarch
  • 1 sprig rosemary for garnish (optional)

Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 375.
    2. While the oven heats, slice peppers and onions into strips and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Separate 5 cloves of garlic, peel, and place on baking sheet. Toss the vegetables on the baking sheet with olive oil.​ Roast in the oven for 20 minutes.
    3. While vegetables roast, cook pasta according to box instructions. Strain, return to pot.
    4. Put 1 Cup of Ajoyo almondmilk into the blender. Add roasted vegetables, nutritional yeast, salt, paprika, and oregano. Blend until smooth.
    5. Add to the pan with cooked pasta. Mix thoroughly and add cornstarch to thicken. Garnish as desired.
    6. ENJOY!
Category: easy recipes

In the meantime, stay safe, healthy, and sane! I’ll keep you updated with more recipes and activities.

PIN ME - CREAMY ROASTED RED PEPPER PASTA

Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

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Y’all know how much I love my Instant Pot. Well, back when I was an IP newbie, a friend mentioned how she made spaghetti in the instant pot. I remember saying “but why…?” to her.

A serious question, right? Cause spaghetti is basically the easiest meal as it is.

She assured me that it tastes different. Not just different, better! So I looked up a few different recipes and I gave it a shot.

The moment I tasted this pressure cooked spaghetti was truly the moment that changed things for me. I was no longer on the fence about my Instant Pot. I was a full-fledged convert. When I told my husband how I couldn’t believe how much better it tasted, he basically scoffed at me and said “Well, yeah. Of course it does.”

See, he’s been a long-time proponent for pressure cooking foods. I, however, was on the fence. He told me that the reason simple foods, like pasta, just taste better when cooked under pressure is that the food absorbs all of the flavors. The pasta is chock full of the rich and creamy flavors from even the most simple of red sauces.

On a personal mission to completely perfect the IP Spaghetti, I took note of several recipes and modified accordingly. I’d love for you to try it! I truly think is the perfect Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meat Sauce recipe!

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What’s your favorite

Instant Pot recipe?!

 

No-Bake Nutella Cups

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Confession: I do not like chocolate. I don’t hate it, I just don’t go out of my way for it. And, nine times out of 10, if offered chocolate, I will decline. But hey — good news! That means more for you!

Oh – and I don’t really like cake either.

But guess what?! Like so many of you, I DO love Nutella! I try to avoid having it in the house because I just cannot stay away. In fact, when I was pregnant with Ari seven years ago, Nutella was one of the foods I craved the most. Shortly after I gave birth, my aunt brought me these delicious No-Bake Nutella Cups.

Not only are they absolutely delicious, but they are easy to make and can be frozen and enjoyed later. But enough of the babbling — let me get to the good stuff so you can try them for yourself.

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See? Easy peasy! They can be enjoyed immediately, or return them to the fillo cup container and re-freeze for later! I usually freeze them and pop them out one (or 5!) at a time for a snack.

What’s your favorite make-ahead dessert?