Monthly Archives: December 2024

There’s a fantastic little surprise between two pieces of French toast—it’s NUTELLA® hazelnut spread!

Tis the season! My kiddos LOVE French toast and they are obsessed with Nutella, so we plan on making this for Christmas Morning!

Enjoy and embrace this time with your family <3

Happy Holidays! xoxo Coach Jen

HOLIDAY PEEK A BOO FRENCH TOAST

Ingredients:

• 8 slices of whole grain bread
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 3 eggs • pinch of salt
• ¼ cup milk
• 4 tbsp NUTELLA® hazelnut spread, 1 tbsp per serving

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla and pour into a shallow container.
2. Place 4 slices of bread on a cutting board. Using a holiday-shaped cookie cutter, cut a shape out of the center of each slice of bread. Leave the other 4 slices whole.
3. Dip all bread pieces in the egg mixture.
4. In a non-stick skillet, cook each piece until golden brown, then flip to cook the other side.
5. Spread NUTELLA® hazelnut spread on the 4 whole slices of bread.
6. Top each with a cut-out slice to reveal the NUTELLA under.

Ohhh the Italian wedding soup… I LOVE IT! But… I made it a few months ago and rolled every gosh darn tiny little pain in the booty meatball only for my husband and kids to tell me they don’t like it …

But… at least I got to share with my friend and neighbor Megan! Haha

This recipe is a healthier version of the traditional Italian wedding soup and I loved it!

Enjoy! Xox jen

Italian Wedding Soup

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/4 pounds ground turkey or chicken
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus the parmesan rind
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley (or 2 tablespoons dried parsley)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano (or 2 teaspoons dried oregano)
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 8-12 large cloves of garlic, smashed (use to your taste)
• 6 carrots, chopped
• 4 celery stalks, chopped
• 8-10 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 4-6 cups fresh baby spinach
• juice of 2 lemons (or to taste)
• 1-2 cups dry acini de pepe or orzo pasta, use more for leftovers

STOVE TOP DIRECTIONS:

1. To make the meatballs. Add the chicken, egg, parmesan, parsley, oregano, paprika, and a pinch each of salt and pepper to a bowl. Coat your hands with a bit of olive oil and roll the meat into small, 1-inch size meatballs, placing them on a baking sheet as you work.
2. To make the soup. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the onion and smashed garlic cloves and cook 5 minutes, until golden. Add the carrots, celery, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook another 5 minutes. Add the broth, reserved parmesan rind, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Stir in the meatballs. Simmer over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through.
3. Stir in the spinach and lemon juice, cooking another 5 minutes. Remove the parmesan rind. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to packaged directions, until al dente. Drain.
5. Divide the pasta among bowls and pour the soup over top. Top each bowl with extra parmesan, if desired.

This is a labor of love but it’s SO GOOD!

Winter quinoa salad

Ingredients
* 1 cup quinoa uncooked
* 2-3 cups butternut squash cubed
* kosher salt for sprinkling on squash
* 2 medium onions thinly sliced into rings (approximately 2 cups)
* approximately ⅛ teaspoon salt
* ½ cup dried cranberries or more to taste could also use dried cherries
* 2-3 tablespoons EVOO divided plus extra for roasting squash
* 1-2 tablespoons fresh sage chopped
* ½ cup salted cashews more to taste
* 2 tablespoons lemon juice
* 1- 1 1/2 cups packed baby spinach
* salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Make Quinoa
* Rinse quinoa
* In a medium saucepan, add quinoa and 2 cups of water.
* Bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and set aside.
Caramelize Onions
* Meanwhile, heat 1-2 tablespoon oil to cover the base of a large skillet over medium heat.
* Add onions, sprinkle with salt and cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally until soft and golden brown, approx 20-25 minutes.

Roasted Butternut Squash (roast while quinoa cooks and onions caramelize)
* Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
* Gently toss cubed squash with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil or neutral oil of choice, place in a single layer on baking sheet and sprinkle with kosher salt.
* Bake 30 minutes, or until tender with crispy edges.
* Set aside.
Make Dressing
* Mix together remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and lemon juice.
Assemble
* Add cranberries to the dressing and let sit for a minute or two.
* Add dressing along with cranberries to cooked quinoa and toss to combine.
* Add onions and sage to the quinoa mixture and toss to combine
* Add squash and spinach to warm quinoa mixture and gently combine and let spinach wilt from warmth of quinoa and squash. Pro Tip: If quinoa and squash not warm enough, you could saute spinach for 1 minute or two to get it a little wilted.
* Add in cashews. Pro Tip: if not eating the entire salad at once, hold out some of the cashews and add in when serving. That way they will stay crunchy and salty.
* Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the extra brown bits from the caramelized onions skillet as desired. Add more lemon juice as desired. Stir well and enjoy!