Everything Bagel Donuts

I know it's almost the end of January but I might change my New Years Resolution to eating these bagel donuts every weekend. There is a restaurant in NYC called Flex Mussels... that serves them. I've always seen them on Instagram and have to wipe the drool off of my chin. And since I'm unfortunately not filthy rich, I can't jet up to New York to give them a try. So what's a girl to do? Make them myself of course. These take about 10 minutes total to put together. Be warned, they are intensely addictive.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 package biscuit dough (I used Pillsbury Grands)

• 1 package cream cheese

• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted 

• Everything bagel seasoning 

• Oil for frying

• Chopped chives for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oil in a high rimmed pan to 350 degrees 

2. place dough into oil 2 at a time and fry for 30-45 seconds a side until golden brown

3. place on paper towel to drain

4. poke a hole in each donut

5. fill with cream cheese

6. Brush outsides with butter and coat with everything bagel seasoning

7. Top with chopped chives

Blueberry Chia Jam

(UPDATE 2/9 : if you are looking for the pancake recipe, you can find it here )

Feelin' like a #healthkween right now. This blueberry chia jam takes all of 15 minutes to make, is naturally sweetened, and satisfied my morning sweet tooth. Which is saying something… I usually wake up craving some form of chocolate/candy.

The best thing about this jam is that you can use basically any fruit you have on hand. I happened to have blueberries in the fridge… and you know the rest.

It doesn't have the same consistency as jam, but i promise it satisfies all of the same tastebuds. I hope you guys like it! Let me know what you think. 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups blueberries

• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice

• Zest of half a lemon 

• 2 Tbsp. honey (or agave nectar)

• 2 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. chia seeds 

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat blueberries in a pan on the stove over medium heat until mostly broken down and slightly thickened- About 10 minutes. Smash the blueberries with the back of a rubber spatula as you go. (You can choose how chunky/smooth you want it.)

2. Remove from heat & stir in lemon juice, lemon zest, and honey. Taste and add more honey/lemon juice/zest as needed. Keep in mind the lemon flavor will get stronger over night.

3. Stir in the chia seeds. Wait about 15 minutes and if you would like your jam to be thicker, add more chia seeds 1 tsp. at a time.

I ate mine on Ezekiel break with vanilla Siggi's yogurt. Like I said, #healthkween 

Bacon and Egg Cups

I am a breakfast girl, through and through. I wake up hungry and generally don't like to speak to anyone until I've had at least half of my breakfast. And I love cooking breakfast. To me, there is nothing better than waking up early, making a pot of coffee, and cooking yourself a nice, substantial breakfast.

The thing is… I don't have that luxury every day anymore. In college, I would mosey out of bed whenever I wanted and make a fresh stack of pancakes, skip my first class, and call it a success. But now that I'm in the so called "real world" I find myself more and more pressed for time each morning. It's a vicious cycle. I wake up late, so I don't have time to eat a decent breakfast, rush through the shower, slap on some make up, and snag a granola bar on my way out. Cue Grumpy Kate. Total chaos.

But I'm saying death to the prepackaged, crappy granola bars that my mornings have become a slave to, and saying hellooooooo to Egg Cups.

You can bake these on a Sunday night and have them ready in the freezer all week long for a quick yet satisfying work-week breakfast. I saw the idea on Instagram from @ahealthylifeforme and immediately know I had to try them. And you know what? I haven't seen Grumpy Kate all week. Great success. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 dozen eggs

• 12 strips COOKED bacon

• 8-10 stalks of asparagus, cut into medium sized pieces (make sure they'll fit in your muffin tin)

• Salt & Pepper (Duh.)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray 

3. Press a strip of bacon down into each muffin cup

4. Crack an egg in every muffin cup 

5. Place asparagus (about 2-3 pieces) in each cup, making sure not to break the yolk

6. Season with salt and pepper

7. Bake for 12-15 minutes for soft/medium eggs and 15-17 for hard eggs 

8. To reheat, place on a microwave safe dish and microwave at half power for 30 seconds

P.S. I love putting tons of hot sauce on these! Happy work week! 

Cast Iron Baked Eggs

You guyssss, it's freezing outside and I can not take it anymore! Brb, moving to Miami. 

(wishful thinking)

Since I can't pick up and move to some place tropical, I'm settling for making a warm and cozy breakfast. And what says 'cozy' more than a cast iron skillet?? I'm not sure if I find them cozy because my Nama (Grandma) always cooked with them, or if in fact they are just the epitome of cozy pans. What do you think? (Can a pan be cozy? Am I insane? Help me out here.) 

I found the perfect recipe on Cookie + Kate, and I'm pretty sure it's destiny that we share a name as well as a love for dogs. Kate, if you and Cookie want to be best friends with Tuck and me, hit me up. Her recipe for Baked Eggs in Roasted Cherry Tomatoes satisfied all my needs for a warm + cozy + easy weekday breakfast. I modified the recipe just a little bit… mainly because I didn't have all the ingredients on hand. I used green onions instead of basil and it was a pretty fantastic substitution . 

This recipe was such a breeze- and it's impressive! So you can cook it for yourself or wow your guests because this dish is truly a beauty. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups (about 16 ounces) sweet cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved

• ¼ cup grated Parmesan

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 Green Onion, chopped (White and green parts )

• 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

• Sea salt, preferably of the flaky variety (like Maldon)

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 4 eggs, at room temperature

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Arrange the halved tomatoes in an even layer in a medium-sized baking dish (mine was a 9-inch by 9-inch square) or oven-proof skillet. Sprinkle with 3/4 of the green onion. Bake the tomatoes for 12 minutes, then remove the dish. 

3. Top the tomatoes with all of the Parmesan, drizzle on the olive oil, sprinkle with remaining green onions and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle garlic powder over mixture. Gently crack an egg over the tomatoes, keeping the yolk intact. Repeat with the remaining eggs, dispersing them somewhat evenly over the dish.

4. Return the dish to the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Check at 8 minutes—you're done when the egg whites have set but the yolks are still soft. They should still jiggle in the centers when you shimmy the pan. (Keep in mind that they'll continue cooking after you pull the dish out of the oven.) Sprinkle the cooked eggs with salt, pepper.

5. Serve right away in shallow bowls with toast