Real Mom Recipe Takeover: Rachelle Hartigan

Cuban Style Wrap: yields 1 wrap
1 medium flour tortilla
1 tsp mustard
1 slice Swiss cheese
2 slices ham
1/4 cup cooked and shredded pork
1 Tbsp relish

Spread mustard on flour tortilla.

On one side, layer cheese, ham, pork, and relish.

Roll tortilla tightly, as you would a burrito.

Heat, seam side down on a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Allow to brown, and turn to repeat on opposite side.

Strawberry Cardamom Mini Muffins
1 cup chopped strawberries
1 banana
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup apple sauce
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cardamom

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, mash strawberries and banana together with a fork.

Add remaining ingredients and stir until combined.

In a mini muffin tin, coated with cooking spray, drop 1 Tbsp of batter into each well.

Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Spatchcock Chicken

Whole chicken
Olive oil
Aromatics (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

To prepare chicken, remove spine using kitchen shears. Remove breast bone and lay chicken flat, tucking in wings and allowing legs to fall 'knock kneed'.

Rub chicken with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Arrange a wire rack on a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil. Place aromatics underneath if desired.

Transfer chicken to wire rack and back in oven for 35-45 minutes, until an internal temperature of 165 degrees is reached. Allow chicken to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

(Google spatchcock chicken for a better visual of the bird if needed.)

Simple Biscuit: yields 8
1.5 all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
3 tsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
6 Tbsp cold butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup milk, reserving 1 Tbsp

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl.

Cut in butter until flour mixture resembles coarse sand.

Pour in milk and mix until just combined.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface and form into a rectangle, roughly 4x8 inches in size.

Divide dough into 8 smaller rectangles, forming individual biscuits.

Brush with reserved milk and bake on a parchment paper lined sheet pan for 17-20 minutes, until golden brown.

Stuffed French Toast: yeilds 2 sandwiches
4 Tbsp cream cheese
Cinnamon (optional)
4 slices sandwich bread
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk

Combine eggs and milk in a shallow dish and mix well.

Spread cream cheese onto bread and sprinkle with cinnamon if desired, creating two sandwiches.

Dip sandwiches into egg mixture, turning to coat each side and allowing the liquid to absorb.

In a nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook sandwiches until browned as you would traditional French toast.

Cool slightly before cutting.

BBQ Pork Sandwich
Boston butt (desired weight)
BBQ sauce

Trim fat from pork and place in a slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 10 hours.

Remove cooked pork and allow to cool slightly. Shred pork, removing excess fat as you go. Place shredded meat in a 9x13 pan.

Heat pork in oven at 350 degrees until parts begin to crisp and brown. Add desired amount of BBQ sauce and return to oven. Again, allow pork to cook until a slight cartelization forms.

Coleslaw
1/2 green cabbage, shredded
2 carrots, shredded or cut into thin strips
1 cup kale, chiffonade cut
1/2 cup mayo
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/16 tsp celery seed
salt & pepper to taste

Combine cabbage, carrot, and kale in a large bowl.

In a smaller bowl combine remaining ingredients and mix well.

Pour dressing over cabbage and toss to combine. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

Blueberry Cornbread Waffles: yields 3 waffles
8oz cornbread mix
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter, melted
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp whey protein powder (optional)
1 cup blueberries

Mix all ingredients, expect blueberries, together until batter forms.

In a preheated waffle iron, coated with cooking spray, pour 1/3 of batter. Top with 1/3 of blueberries and cook until browned.

Remove waffle and set in a warmed oven.

Repeat process with remaining batter and blueberries.

(To make egg and cheese sandwich variation, cut 1/4 of finished waffle in half. Place scrambled egg, topped with shredded cheddar between the two waffle slices, and serve.)

(The batter also makes for a fabulous pancake!)

Recipes by Rachelle Hartigan  @harti.and.healthy