Kneader's French Toast and Caramel Syrup

Years and years ago when I was watching Good Things Utah, Kneader's came on and made french toast. I copied the recipe down...but I didn't know if I would ever make it because I wasn't a french toast fan. Remember, I don't like soggy bread?!? Fast forward until about a year ago. My friends have raved about Kneader's french toast. Since that is one of our favorite spots to go to for breakfast, I finally dared to try it. Oh. My. Gosh. It was so good. So I pulled out the old recipe and decided to make it for my family. They were all big fans too! Hope you like the recipe as much as we did!

Ingredients:

1-2 loaves of Kneaders Chunky Cinnamon Bread (cut into 8 slices)

(if you don't have a Kneader's by you, use any sort of cinnamon bread)

8 eggs

3 cups milk

1 tablespoon brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vanilla

butter

Butter baking dish generously. Slice bread. Whisk together eggs, milk, brown sugar, salt and vanilla. Dip each piece of bread into the mixture (the recipe calls for you to actually pour the mixture over the top of the bread when it is in the dish, but I was worried that it would make the bread super soggy). Cut butter into pieces and place a piece over each slice of bread. Refrigerate for an hour. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes. 

Kneader's Caramel Syrup

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup Karo syrup

1 cup heavy cream

Whisk ingredients together and heat on the stove until smooth.

Serve french toast with syrup, whipped cream and berries. 

Pesto Cream Sauce

****REPOST!!****
This has been our top recipe for the past 30 days...I figured since we have so many new readers, you won't want to miss this one!

We love pesto in our family. The kids even love it. There is nothing better then a creamy pesto sauce...and it goes perfect with gnocchi (which we will be posting the recipe for that on Thursday). It also works with any other pasta as well...and it is super easy! 

Start by making the regular pesto sauce.

2 cups basil

2 cups Parmesan cheese

1 medium garlic clove

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

1 1/2 -2 cups of olive oil

Mix all the dry ingredients in a food processor until finely chopped. Mix in the olive oil while blending on high speed until completely Incorporated and the consistency you like.

Then for the cream portion.

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 cup Parmesan cheese

Pesto

Melt the butter, and then add flour. Once the roux is created, add the cream. Stir until warm. Add cheese. Once the Parmesan cheese is all melted, add the pesto. Stir  and keep warm until ready to add to pasta.  

Grilled Polenta with Sausage and Pepper White Sauce

We have used this sauce before on Pasta, but this time we mixed it up on some polenta triangles.  You may not like polenta, or think you don't, but this is worth a try.

Ingredients:

Polenta:

1/12 cups yellow corn meal

1 cup milk

1 cup water

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Sauce:

1 lb. Italian sausage 

1/2 of green and red pepper sliced 

1/2 of a red onion sliced

1 garlic clove minced

1 teaspoon basil

red pepper flakes (just a dash)

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

1 cup heavy cream

2 cups milk

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1 tsp salt and pepper

Start by boiling your milk and water for the polenta in sauce pan.  Stir in the corn meal, salt and pepper and cheese.  Cook until thick like grits or cream of wheat.  In a cake or lasagna dish lined with plastic wrap, pour the mixture and cover.  Refrigerate until completely cooled and solid.

While cooling, cook the sausage and strain the oil.  Then add the peppers, onion, garlic and spices in a pan.  Add the butter, and flour into a sauce pan and cook for a few minutes, add the milk and the other ingredients and let cook over medium high until thick.

Remove the polenta from the fridge and cut into small squares or triangles.  On a very hot skillet, or grill pan, spray some non-cooking spray, and grill the squares or triangles until they get a nice crispy outside. Do this on both sides.

Serve the polenta with the sauce over top.  It is a great alternative to pasta, and actually this polenta will work with any sauce.  Try it as a substitute, and you will get a round of applause.  

Fry Sauce

Never heard of fry sauce? It is a staple here in Utah to go with your fries. If you go outside of Utah, and some places in Idaho and ask for fry sauce, they think you want ketchup. Nope, it is more than ketchup, it is fry sauce...

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon pickle juice
1 teaspoon hot sauce
salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients together and serve with your fries...or spread on a burger!

Pan Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Horseradish Bearnaise, Confit Potatoes and Aparagus

You may have noticed that we don't do much with steak.  It just so happens that Lindsay doesn't like it, and I love it.  Of course we see who rules the roost.  However, we also see that in Canada we learned how to cook the most marvelous steak.  They showed us the difference in marbling with a local beef and Kobe beef (amazing). We learned the way to properly butcher a tenderloin.  We also learned just how delicious a perfectly cooked steak tastes... or at least I did!    

Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 6 ounce beef tenderloins
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
salt and pepper
12 fingerling potatoes
6 1/3 cups olive oil or canola oil
thyme
24 spears asparagus
2 tablespoons olive oil

Horseradish Bearnaise Sauce
2 shallots sliced
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon tarragon
1 cup white wine
3 egg yolk
2/3 cup clarified butter
1/2 teaspoon grated horseradish
salt and pepper

Begin to confit the potatoes. In a pot, add oil-either olive or canola. Do this instead of water. Seriously the taste of the potatoes with the oil is AMAZING! Then put the potatoes and thyme. Simmer on low until tender. Remove from heat and let cool.
Blanch the asparagus in hot boiling water for 1 minute. Then plunge into ice cold water to ensure the bright green color. Half the potatoes and set the asparagus and potatoes aside.
For the bearnaise, bring a pot of water to a boil. In a separate pot, reduce the wine with the shallots, peppercorn and tarragon by half.
In metal bowl, place egg yolks and wine reduction and whisk together over the top of the boiling water. This is called a bain marie. Whisk vigorously until the yolks become pale, making sure not to heat too much and scramble the eggs. At this point, slowly drizzle the warm clarified butter into the egg mix and remove from heat. Add horseradish and salt and pepper. Keep warm.
In an oven safe pan, over high heat season beef with salt and pepper. Sear beef on both sides and place in the oven at 400 for 4-6 minutes.
When the meat is done and resting (you want to let it rest before serving), saute up the potatoes and asparagus in a little bit of butter and salt and pepper. Add some fresh herbs if you want to season. Plate, and top beef with bearnaise sauce.
Enjoy!    

Pancetta Pink Sauce

This sauce is super easy, and will work on almost all pasta types.  We used with Gnocchi on one night and ravioli the next night.  This was a sauce that I learned while in a small city in central Italy.  There was a lady by the name of Mama Lucia who gave us food often, of which there was always cubed pancetta.



Ingredients
1 1/2 inch slice of pancetta cubed
1 tblsp olive oil
4 Roma tomatoes sliced.
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup of water
1 tblsp fresh basil chopped
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper


In a large sauce pan, heat up the oil on medium heat. Fry the pancetta until crispy. Add the garlic and blonde it until it just begins to turn golden.  Add the tomatoes and water and let reduce on medium low heat.  Stir often to break down the tomatoes.  Once the tomatoes begin to turn into a sauce add the cream and basil.  Let it continue to reduce until nice and thick.  Add the salt and pepper.  Now eat up, it's fantastic.  Grazie Mama Lucia!

Bolognese

I am always looking for a quick and easy-but yummy pasta sauce recipe. We love trying new things, and this one was great!


1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion-finely chopped
1 celery stalk-finely chopped
1 carrot-finely chopped
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1 teaspoon basil-dried
1 teaspoon oregano-dried
salt and pepper
1 pound hamburger-fried up

Saute up the celery, onion and carrot in olive oil until soft. Add tomatoes, tomato paste and seasonings.  Let simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes, or until sauce thickens. In another pan, fry up your hamburger-make sure to salt and pepper the meat. Then add to the sauce for the last 10 minutes of simmering. Serve with your favorite pasta.

Chicken Bacon and Blue Cheese Rigatoni

This was a pantry clearer that turned out fabulous.

Ingredients:

1 package rigatoni (you can use penne as well)

2 large chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces

2 tblsp olive oil

salt and pepper

1/2 lb bacon crumpled

1/4 cup blue cheese

1/2 cup cream

1/2 cup milk

1 tblsp butter

1 tblsp flour

While bringing your pasta to a boil, crisp up and crumple the bacon. Cook the chicken in a skillet with the olive oil and season with the salt and pepper. In a sauce pan, melt the butter and add the flour to make the rue. Then add the milk and cream. Let simmer for 5 minutes whisking constantly until it begins to thicken. Stir in the blue cheese. Remove pasta from water and stir in the bacon, chicken and sauce. Top with some Parmesan. Don't you just love when an unplanned dinner turns out so good? Enjoy.

Pasta Al Forno

This is a classic Italian pasta bake, and it is spectaculare!!!

Ingredients:

1 package of penne or rigatoni pasta cooked for 3/4 of the time suggested

3 large cans whole peeled tomatoes

2 garlic cloves minced

1/2 yellow onion chopped

1 lb Italian sausage

2 tbslp olive oil

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

2 tblsp dried basil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

3 cups shredded mozzarella

3 cups bescemella

1 package of Genoa salami

1 cup grated Parmesan

Bescemella :

You make this by melting 3 tblsp butter, and adding 3 tblsp flour, then whisk together with 3 cups of milk. Cook until it begins to thicken stirring often, and add 1/2 tsp nutmeg. Gravy is essentially the consistency you are looking for)

In a large sauce pan brown the Italian sausage and remove and strain leaving 1/3 of the drippings. Add the olive oil and heat. Add minced garlic an chopped onion and cook 3-4 minutes, making sure not to burn the garlic. Add the tomatoes. Hint; (I squish the whole tomatoes in a separate bowl before I add them to help break them down quicker). Add 1 tblsp of the dried basil, and crushed red pepper and salt and pepper. Let boil for 15 minutes at a hard boil, and then add the sausage. Let cook another 10 minutes until sauce starts to thicken. Add the cooked pasta too the sauce, and leave on low heat for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.

In a lasagna pan, you layer the pasta with the cheese, bescemella, and salami. Start by covering the bottom of the pan with the pasta and sauce, then spread 1 cup of the cheese, and 1 cup of the bescemella over the pasta, top with 1/3 of the salami. Repeat 3 times topping the salami with the cheese and bescemella on the last layer. Sprinkle over the top the Parmesan and the remainder of the basil. Bake in 375 oven for 20 minutes. Let stand for 5-10 minutes and serve. Cin Cin!

Pesto Crusted Pork and Pesto Cream Sauce

We absolutely LOVE pesto, and are always trying to think of new things to do with it. If you don't want to make your own pesto, Costco has a great pre-made pesto that is good to always have on hand!

1 pork loin

1 cup pesto (recipe under sauces)

Cover pork with pesto. In pan put about 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil, brown each side for about 2 minutes each. Then bake at 375 in oven until temperature of meat reaches 175.

Remove pork from baking pan and with the drippings in the pan add 1 tablespoon of pesto to thicken it up. It is great to drizzle over the pork when serving. The flavor is AWESOME!

Then for the Pesto Cream Sauce

3 tablespoons pesto, start to cook in a pan

add 2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour stir

and add 2 cups Milk

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Stir until reduced.

Serve with favorite pasta.

Chicken Pesto and Alfredo Pizza

A great alternative to Pizza Night! Domino's eat your heart out!

Pizza Dough:

1 Tablespoon Yeast

1 Cup 2 Tablespoons warm water

1 Tablespoon Sugar

Set aside and let grow.

2 Tablespoons Shortening

1 Teaspoon Salt

1 Teaspoon Sugar

3 Cups flour

Combine, and then add yeast mixture.

Once mixed well, let rise for twenty minutes.

Pesto:

Pesto: (you can buy this pre-made as well)

2 cups basil

2 cups Parmesan cheese

1 medium garlic clove

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

1 1/2 -2 cups of olive oil

Mix all the dry ingredients in a food processor until finely chopped. Mix in the olive oil while blending on high speed until completely Incorporated and the consistency you like.

White sauce:

2 tablespoons of butter

2 tablespoons of flour

2 cups of milk

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

In sauce pan melt butter, add flour to make roux. Then add milk, nutmeg and Parmesan. Stir over medium heat until thick.

Toppings:

1 rotisserie chicken (plucked from bone-no skin needed)

3 cups of shredded mozzarella

1 teaspoon dried basil

Top pizza dough with 1/2 of the white sauce. Spoon 1/2 of pesto on top and spread evenly. Then 1/2 of cheese, then all chicken, then the other 1/2 of cheese. Sprinkle with dried basil and bake 400 for 8-10 minutes or until lightly brown.

Serve with the remainder of white sauce and pesto sauce.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

This is a classic Italian dish. I am not going to lie-it tastes better when it comes from the home of the Zarrelli's in Napoli, Italy. But until we can go back, this will do!

1 lb Italian Sausage

1 lb ground beef

1 egg

1 cup bread crumbs

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, until completely incorporated (use your hands, but don't smash meat between fingers).

In a pan preheat 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil on medium high heat. Roll the meat mixture into golf ball sized balls and brown in Olive Oil until all sides are brown. Remove from heat and strain on paper towel.

For the Sauce:

To the oil and meat drippings add 1 clove minced garlic and one half of an onion chopped. Cook until onion is translucent. Make sure to not burn the garlic. Add two cans of crushed tomatoes, and 1 can of tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, and put meatballs back in the sauce. Reduce heat and let simmer for 10-15 minutes.

While simmering, follow directions on your spaghetti pasta box, and serve with sauce and meatballs, top with Parmesan cheese.

*hint* For perfect al dente pasta, remove pasta from water 1 minute shy of what instructions on pasta box gives. Add pasta to the hot marinara sauce and let stand for another minute before serving, so the sauce finishes cooking the pasta.

Homemade Marinara Sauce

So if your garden is bursting with tomatoes (ok, I don't have a garden, but my Grandpa does, and he totally hooks us up), there is nothing better, or easier then to make homemade marinara sauce. It is so good, and it is perfect for freezing! I just put mine in freezer zip lock bags because there is no way that I have room for 20 jars of marinara. Your house will smell like an Italian kitchen for days, and the best part is when you want spaghetti, lasagna, manicotti, (really anything Italian) you will have sauce ready!!

25 tomatoes

4 garlic cloves

1-2 yellow onions (I usually use 1 and 1/2)

fresh basil (i just buy those packets at the grocery store and use one of those-is says .66 oz)

1 zucchini

1 green pepper

4 large carrots

3 cans tomato paste

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup salt

1 tablespoons pepper

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons parsley flakes

Chop up the tomatoes and throw in the pot. I use a food processor for the basil, carrots, green pepper, zucchini, garlic, onion in a food processor and chop them all up. Then throw those in the pot. Then add all seasonings. I use a potato masher and mash the tomatoes so they are not so chunky-you can always use one of those food puree things too. Let simmer for 2-4 hours on low-sauce will reduce a little. Let cool and then put in freezer bags. Yum!

Zucchini White sauce

Go to the garden, grab a zucchini, and enjoy.

Ingredients:

1 large zucchini grated (food processor, or a knuckle buster)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 large clove of garlic finely chopped

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

2 tbsp flour

1 cup milk

1 cup heavy cream

salt and pepper

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (If you buy fresh parm, save the rinds and use them for great Parmesan flavor. Just substitute in place of the cheese and let it melt in the sauce)

Over medium heat, add the oil and butter in a sauce pan, and brown the garlic and crushed red pepper. Add the Zucchini and let sweat for about 2 minutes. Add the flour and stir until it is dissolved. Add the milk and cream and reduce heat. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes until sauce begins to thicken. Add the Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste.

You can serve this sauce with any pasta, we used penne and topped with slices of grilled chicken. It is a great fall meal, warm and fresh!

Sausage Penne Arrabiata

Arrabiata translates as Angry! Make this dish and the reaction will be exactly the opposite!

Ingredients

1 package (5 links) Italian Sausage

2 medium garlic cloves minced

3 tblsp olive oil

1/2 large yellow onion diced

2 oz cans of diced tomatoes

1 small can tomato sauce

2 tsp dried basil

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (use this according to your spicy tolerance)

1/4 up of water

In a skillet over medium heat, grill up the sausage links, whole until they are browned on all sides. Remove them from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. In a sauce pan over medium high heat, add the olive oil and let heat until it begins to smoke. Add the garlic and onions and brown, making sure not to burn the garlic (bitter garlic is not good). Add the red pepper flake and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, sauce, and water and boil over high heat. Cut the sausage links into 1/2 inch pieces on a bias. Add the sausage to the sauce, and continue to boil until the water has mostly evaporated. This should take 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in the dried basil.

Serve over penne pasta, and top with Parmesan cheese. Sounds simple, and tastes complex. Enjoy!

Creamy Pesto Ravioli and Garlic Bread

This is a pretty simple recipe that will impress even the toughest of food critics, like your mother-in-law .

Garlic Bread:

1 loaf of your favorite artisan bread

3 tbsp melted butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tsp salt

thinly sliced fresh mozzarella cheese

Cut a piece of artisan bread into 1 inch slices. This was a sourdough roll, but you can use whatever your heart desires. In a bowl combine the butter, oil , and the spices. Brush the butter on the pieces of bread, and place on a baking sheet butter side up. In a 400 degree preheated oven, cook the bread until golden brown on top. Should only take a few minutes. Remove from the oven, and place two or three slices of cheese on the bread. Place back in the oven for 2 more minutes, or until cheese is melted and begins to brown slightly. You are ready to serve

Parmesan Crisps:

2 cups of Parmesan

In about 3 inch diameter portions, place a thin layer of the cheese on a baking sheet. Space out and do ruffly 4 or 5 of these cheese piles. In a 400 degree preheated oven cook the cheese until it is golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes, and remove the cheese crisps. I cut them into triangles to match the ravioli we had, but you can serve the in whatever shape you want. They add great saltiness and texture to any meal.

Pasta:

Sauce: (your favorite white sauce will do fine)

3 tbsp melted butter

3 tbsp flour

3 cups milk

1 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp salt

1 tbsp garlic powder

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Melt the butter in a pan, and add the flour to make a rue. Once the butter and flour are completely combined add the milk. Whisk until all lumps have dissolved. Add the rest of the dry ingredients. Cook over low medium heat until the sauce is the thickness you desire.

Ravioli:

Buy them at the store! I can show you how to make them but these dandy's were purchased at Costco. They were money. We got the chicken and cheese ones, and they were very good. Follow the instructions on how to cook them.

Pesto: (you can buy this pre-made as well)

2 cups basil

2 cups Parmesan cheese

1 medium garlic clove

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

1 1/2 -2 cups of olive oil

Mix all the dry ingredients in a food processor until finely chopped. Mix in the olive oil while blending on high speed until completely Incorporated and the consistency you like.

Combine the ravioli with the cream sauce, until all the pasta is coated evenly. Serve individual servings of the ravioli with 1-2 tablespoons of the pesto on top, and the Parmesan crisps for garnish. Serve with a piece of the garlic toast. This is so pretty, and so tasty, you are sure to look like an Italian stallion.

Alfredo Sauce

This sauce is perfect on pasta, pizza, or just for dipping!

3 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons flour

1 quart Heavy Whipping Cream

1 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon chicken bouillon

pepper to taste

Melt the butter and then add flour. Once roux is created add the cream. Once warm, add cheese and chicken bouillon. Stir on low until thick.

Pesto

We love pesto in our family. So easy and perfect on pasta, pizza, or crustini! 

1/2 cup pine nuts

1 large garlic clove

2 cups fresh basil

1/2 grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

pulse in food processor

then add extra virgin olive oil until right consistency