Eggs

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Spinach and Feta Quiche with Quinoa Crust

 Adapted by Lyn from Cooking Light Jackie Plant

 

We enjoy a good Quiche every once in a while and this one turned out great. Lyn grabbed some roasted vegetables and added to this but topping off with some freshly roasted red bell pepper to me was one of the best tastes to this make it again dish. Lyn likes her cauliflower cake better and someday I’ll be there when she makes it so I too .

 

CRUST:

  • 2 cups cooked quinoa, chilled – Lyn used red quinoa thought it would look better
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • large egg, beaten
  • Cooking spray

FILLING:

  • teaspoon canola oil
  • 1/2   onion, thinly sliced
  • (5-ounce) bag baby spinach
  • 1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 4   large eggs
  • large egg whites
  • 1.5 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
  • Some chopped leftover oven roasted vegetable

IMG_20141207_162258623

How:

1. For the crust, preheat oven to 375°.

2. Combine quinoa, pepper, and egg in a bowl, stirring well. Press mixture into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes; cool.

3. For the filling, heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add oil and onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add spinach; sauté 3 minutes. Remove from heat; cool.

4. Combine milk and next 5 ingredients in a bowl; stir with a whisk. Arrange spinach mixture in crust; pour egg mixture over spinach. Sprinkle with feta. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes; cut into 4 wedges.

 

IMG_20141207_165942330_HDR

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Ratatouille Frittata
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Ratatouille Frittata

Frittatas – so much you can do with them and I like to cut up left overs into single servings so I can pop out of the Freezer and into the microwave for a quick meal.

You need a 10” oven proof nonstick skillet and a little time.

Ingredients

  • medium potato cute into ½ inch cubes
  • 6 large eggs
  • 5 Egg whites – I used packaged
  • 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon salt divided in two
  • 1 egg plant or 2 small Italian eggplants – cube in ½ inch pieces
  • 2 plum tomatoes cube in 1/2″ inch pieces
  • 1 medium zucchini cube in ½ inch pieces
  • 2-3 tablespoons slice black olives
  • 6 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
  • Small handful of grated pizza cheese – or cheddar
  • About 1 tablespoon or less of olive oil

ingredients

 

How

Preheat oven to 350

In a steamer cook the potatoes about 5-7 minutes until fork tender

Meanwhile in blender combine eggs, tarragon, pepper, half the salt – Using the blender made a fluffier airier frittata.

In a large nonstick oven proof skillet heat oil over medium heat

Add zucchini cook about 2 minutes until it begins to soften

zucchini

Add eggplant and the remaining salt cook about 3 minutes

add eggplant

Add the tomatoes and olives stir to combine cover and cook about 3 minutes until the eggplant is mostly tender and the tomatoes have given some liquid.

 

Add potatoes and toss to combine

add tomatoes and olives

Add the egg mixture (I gave it a very short quick pulse to combine again) and cook about 2 minutes or until the edges start to set.

add egg mixture

sprinkle with cheeses

cook unitll sides start to fiem sprnkly with cheese

Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the frittata is set, puffed and browned.

bake

Let set for 3-4 minutes before serving

serve

 

Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai
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Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai

Another Lyn free meal that she found on Pinterest. We love spaghetti squash there is just so much you can do with it. It is wicked easy to prepare then you just get inventive. This recipe is adapted from Dr. Mark Hyman site. Just a few additions and some substitutions and there we had it, one of my favorite meals but no noodles

In this classic Thai dish you can maximize your nutrition by trading carbohydrate-rich rice noodles for low-glycemic and vitamin-A- rich spaghetti squash. You’ll find Thai fish sauce in your local Asian or natural food market, or in the international aisle of most large supermarkets.

 

Ingredients

Ingredients

1 Large spaghetti squash halved and seeded

1/4 Cup peanut oil – I substituted with Canola oil normally I would have used peanut but my cupboards were bare.

1 Tablespoon thai fish sauce .  I can’t get past the smell of fish sauce so I used Hoisin sauce instead.

2 Teaspoons reduced-sodium, gluten-free tamari sauce – used low sodium Soy sauce

1/2 Teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 Large egg beaten

2 Cloves garlic minced

4 Ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts roughly chopped

1 Pinch sea salt

4 Ounces raw shrimp peeled, deveined, and roughly chopped – did not have the shrimp so doubled up on chicken

2 Large carrots peeled and shredded

2 Cups mung bean sprouts – or any bean sprouts you have on hand.

6 scallions finely chopped

1 lime halved

1/4 Cup roasted peanuts chopped, for garnish – I also added the zest of  one lime to the peanuts

incredients prepared

How

Preheat the oven to 400°F

Brush the cut sides of the squash with 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil. Place the squash, cut sides down, on a baking sheet and roast for 30–40 minutes. The squash is cooked when a knife easily pierces through the skin and flesh. Let cool, use a fork to shred the flesh into spaghetti-like strands, and set aside.

109px-Spaghetti_Squash_Prepared_500

In a small bowl stir together the fish or hoisin sauce, tamari, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large wok or large cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Add the egg and cook until scrambled, 30–60 seconds, breaking it up. Transfer to a plate and reserve

Pour another tablespoon of the oil into the wok and stir-fry the garlic until aromatic. Season the chicken with a little salt and add it to the pan. Stir-fry the chicken until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Push the chicken to the side and add the shrimp in the center of the pan. Stir frequently until the shrimp are pink and firm, about 3 minutes

stir fry chicken and garlic

Toss in the carrots and stir-fry them for 1 minute. Transfer the contents of the pan to a platter.

Add carrots stir fry and put aside

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the wok, spread the squash strands out in the pan, and cook for 1 minute without stirring. Flip the pile of strands over and brown them for 2 minutes on the other side.

pan fry spagetti squash

Pour the sauce into the wok and add the chicken-shrimp mixture, egg, bean sprouts, and scallions. Gently toss to heat through, and squeeze the juice of one lime half over all. Garnish with the peanuts and serve with the other half lime available for table-side squeezing. Any leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.

add other ingrediants combine and squeeze limeand

 

 

 

Spaghetti Squash

spagetti squash

The spaghetti squash (Cucurbita pepo) (also called vegetable spaghetti, noodle squash, spaghetti marrow, and squaghetti) is an oblong seed-bearing variety of winter squash. The fruit can range either from ivory to yellow or orange in color. The orange varieties have a higher carotene content. Its center contains many large seeds. Its flesh is bright yellow or orange. When raw, the flesh is solid and similar to other raw squash; when cooked, the flesh falls away from the fruit in ribbons or strands like spaghetti.

Spagetti Squash Pad Thai

Spaghetti squash contains many nutrients, including folic acid, potassium, vitamin A, and beta carotene. It is low in calories, averaging 42 calories per 1-cup (155 grams) serving.[2]

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Nothing Special except the Person I made it for, Sunday Breakfast in Bed.
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Nothing Special except the Person I made it for, Sunday Breakfast in Bed.

She was still sleeping, the paper had been delivered and I thought to myself this would be nice.

Ingredients

  • Eggs
  • Feta cheese
  • Sliced green yellow and red bell pepper
  • Canadian bacon
  • Vita English muffin
  • Strawberry jam
  • Fresh organic strawberry

sunday breaskfast

How

Dice the bell peppers and Canadian bacon

Sauté in a small amount of unsalted butter until the peppers slightly soft remove and set aside

Scramble the eggs with some salt and pepper and to the sauté pan let set sprinkle the peppers, bacon and feta.  Fold in half let sit for a second or two and flip. Cook until done and slide onto a plate.

Meanwhile toast the English muffin – butter and spread some jam. Slice a strawberry or two

Garnish with a little feta and some cilantro, arrange the strawberry and muffin on the plate grab the newspaper, egg and coffee and serve with a smile. Guaranteed to get me that smile and a kiss.

100_1398

sunday newspaper
Crispy Potato Latkes
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Crispy Potato Latkes

Hey it’s the season and PK got me going, she asked if we still celebrated Xmaschunak or something like that. My answer not really.  Since Mikie has grown up and out of the house we have kind of slipped away from Jewish traditions.  Now Lyn’s eyes light up Xmas, Hanukkah, Birthday, Easter ………. I was not the religious one in my family but there were some things I loved and still do.  Patti asked don’t you miss latkes? I do, but I can’t or should not or don’t eat like I used to, I’m sort of a good boy now, do you have a good recipe, she had peaked my interest! She replied Baked!! She is working on one for me. Then today I got an email from America Test Kitchen and the second one down Crispy Potato Latkes. Does PK have that much influence?

Latkes: Every now and then I will cheat and these would be something nice to do it with. I used to love tator tots and while growing up, these to me was like giant squished tator tots.

Published November 1, 2012. From Cook’s Illustrated.

How to Video here

Latkes come in all shapes and sizes. But the goal is always the same: lightness throughout, with a creamy interior encased in a crisp shell. To re-create this traditional Hanukkah dish, we selected high-starch russet potatoes and discovered a simple technique that yielded perfect texture, both inside and out.

Why this recipe works:

We wanted latkes that were light and not greasy, with buttery soft interiors surrounded by a shatteringly crisp outer shell. To achieve all of these goals, we needed to remove as much water as possible from the potato shreds by wringing them out in a kitchen towel and to minimize the release of what remained by microwaving the shreds briefly to cause the starches in the potatoes to form a gel. With the water taken care of, the latkes crisped up quickly and absorbed minimal oil.

Serves 4 to 6 as a side dish

We prefer shredding the potatoes on the large holes of a box grater, but you can also use the large shredding disk of a food processor; cut the potatoes into 2-inch lengths first so you are left with short shreds. Serve with applesauce and sour cream.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds russet potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed, and shredded
  • 1/2 cup grated onion
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
  • Vegetable oil

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 200 degrees. Toss potatoes, onion, and 1 teaspoon salt in bowl. Place half of potato mixture in center of dish towel. Gather ends together and twist tightly to drain as much liquid as possible, reserving liquid in liquid measuring cup. Transfer drained potato mixture to second bowl and repeat process with remaining potato mixture. Set potato liquid aside and let stand so starch settles to bottom, at least 5 minutes.
  2. Cover potato mixture and microwave until just warmed through but not hot, 1 to 2 minutes, stirring mixture with fork every 30 seconds. Spread potato mixture evenly over second rimmed baking sheet and let cool for 10 minutes. Don’t wash out bowl.
  3. Pour off water from reserved potato liquid, leaving potato starch in measuring cup. Add eggs and stir until smooth. Return cooled potato mixture to bowl. Add parsley, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and potato starch mixture and toss until evenly combined.
  4. Set wire rack in clean rimmed baking sheet and line with triple layer of paper towels. Heat 1/4-inch depth of oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking (350 degrees). Place 1/4-cup mound of potato mixture in oil and press with nonstick spatula into 1/3-inch-thick disk. Repeat until 5 latkes are in pan. Cook, adjusting heat so fat bubbles around latke edges, until golden brown on bottom, about 3 minutes. Turn and continue cooking until golden brown on second side, about 3 minutes longer. Drain on paper towels and transfer to baking sheet in oven. Repeat with remaining potato mixture, adding oil to maintain 1/4-inch depth and returning oil to 350 degrees between batches. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately.
  5. TO MAKE AHEAD: Cooled latkes can be covered loosely with plastic wrap and held at room temperature for up to 4 hours. Alternatively, they can be frozen on baking sheet until firm, transferred to zipper-lock bag, and frozen for up to 1 month. Reheat latkes in 375-degree oven until crisp and hot, 3 minutes per side for room-temperature latkes and 6 minutes per side for frozen latkes.
Spinach, Cheddar and Rice Pie.
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Spinach, Cheddar and Rice Pie.

Continuing theme a night dinner plan it was vegetarian night again. We have fallen very nicely into the flow and I don’t have to peek at the calendar as much to figure out what tonight brings theme wise.

We love the taste of spinach and cheese but can’t say that I have tried this combination. The best thing was that I came home from work and the house smelled soooooo good. Lyn worked from home and had everything ready for me including a nice glass of wine with cheese and crackers. How lucky am I!

 Ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed , and squeezed dry
  • 3 cups cooked brown rice (small grain)
  • 1 cup diced extra sharp cheddar cheese
  • ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • 4 large eggs
  • ¼ cup nonfat milk (we use lactose free)
  • 1 roasted red pepper cut in strips

How

Make sure your wife is working from home 🙂

Preheat the oven to 4250. Generously coat a 9 inch pie pan with cooking spray.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.

Add Onion and cook. Stirring frequently until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Transfer to a large bowl. Add rice, cheese, pepper and salt to the bowl and stir to combine.

Note: We thought after that some red-hot pepper flakes would be a nice touch if you wanted a little more heat.

Whisk eggs and milk in medium bowl then stir in rice mixture. Transfer to the pie pan and smooth the top with a spatula and arrange the roasted red pepper on top.

Bake the pie until lightly browned in spots about 25 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting into wedges.

Spinach, Cheddar and Rice Pie   Spinach, Cheddar and Rice Pie

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Eggs, does size matter?

I always wonder if I was right or wrong and I guess my instincts were correct. What is he talking about ?? you’re saying just about now? Well eggs of course, I look at recipes that call for 5 large eggs but I have jumbo or medium no large to be found do I just use 5 eggs or do I make a judgment call and increase or decrease.

Eggs

Eggs

Don’t get me going on sizes that’s a whole other story what they call large eggs nowadays I tell you….Anyway thanks to Cooks Illustrated I have been vindicated I was right to make adjustments see their chart below. See 5 large eggs would be 4 Jumbo or 4 ½  Extra- Large. Does it make a difference in the end probably not at least not enough to ruin a dish. But then there is baking and you know I really don’t bake because it is too exact you have to measure everything out so is that the catch 22 baking and measuring eggs who knows? I know sometimes I just like to over think things keeps the mind boggled and sharp.  So checks out the chart, officially eggs are really measured by weight not size.

Egg Sizes and Weights

Size Weight
Medium 1.75   ounces
Large 2.00   ounces
Extra-Large 2.25   ounces
Jumbo 2.50   ounces

Chart is from Cooks Illustrated

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Potato, Canadian bacon, and Spinach Frittata

Eggs for dinner are great and I don’t mean scrambled you got to make a meal of it something that will fill you up. We had been running around all day first time in about 2 weeks that we could spend time on us and we got home from restocking our wine cellar, actually it’s a shelf. I looked at Lyn and she looked at me and she said do you think you could make something like this as she fluttered her eyes, I’m just a sucker for those eyes. I took a look, thought about what I had on hand and soon after we had Potato, Canadian bacon, and Spinach Frittata

Took about 15 minutes prep time and 15 minutes cooking.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil split 2 for cooking 1 for dressing
  • 2 small russet potatoes (about 3/4 pound), peeled and thinly sliced
  • The whites and some greens of 6-8 scullions sliced thin
  • 9 large eggs
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • About 10-ounce frozen chopped spinach (you could thaw and drain of excess water but I did not I was hungry)
  • 4 ounces white Cheddar, grated ( about 1 cup)
  • 6 -8 slices of Canadian bacon cut in quarters or eights.

 Dressing

  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 head red leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces (6 cups)

How

Heat oven to 400° F. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large oven proof nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the potatoes and scallions and cook, tossing occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt and pepper to taste. Mix in the spinach, Cheddar, and ham. (Make sure you break up the spinach so no chunks)

Add the egg mixture to the skillet, shake the pan to settle, and transfer the skillet to oven. Cook until the eggs are set, 12 to 15 minutes.

While that is cooking make your vinaigrette in a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, the remaining tablespoon of oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the lettuce and toss to coat. Serve with the frittata. If you want to make it spicy try Trader Joe’s Dijon mustard makes Chinese mustard seem mild.

       whoops forgot to take picture in pan  

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Leftover Night Frittata

Frittata 1

kind of like an egg pizzza

Omelets and frittatas are eaten not only for breakfast, but also as a main dish.  Breakfast for dinner is common at our house at least a few times each month. This is a tough one to write down it has a lot to do with what I have on hand or the craving I am having. I have often wondered what the difference between an omelets and frittatas is, I saw nothing beside a fold and that most of my frittatas end up with a crisp golden brown potato bottom crust.

Thanks to a quick Google search my thinking has been validated.

Google: What is the difference between omelets and frittatas?

Answer: In the strictest sense, the difference boils down to a matter of folding in a filling rather than mixing it in. Omelets traditionally have the egg mixture cooked and folded around a filling, while a frittata just mixes it all up, cooked in a mishmash combination all at once. Frittatas are often served at room temperature, making them perfect for brunches or larger groups.

Omelets or frittata hmmmmmm…

I will start with the basic frittata that I usually make – my wife calls it an omelet.

Leftover Night Frittata

Prep Time: 15-20 minutes maybe slightly more if you par cook the potatoes

Cook Time: 30-40 minutes

 Ingredients:

  • 3-4 potatoes julienned or chop finely – you can blanch the julienned or par boiled the chopped if you want.
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 1 small red, green, yellow pepper or a mix of what you have on hand.
  • 3-7 raw mushroom minced or chopped roughly (How many depends on size)
  • 1-3 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley leaves or cilantro (save some for garnish)
  • Cheese – you have to eyeball, you will want enough to sprinkle over the omelet but not too heavy.  Usually around ½ cup or so grated.
  • Whatever left over main course you might have meat, fish etc. (optional)
  • 4 Tablespoons butter or olive oil  divide in two
  • 5 or 6 eggs
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

How:

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Chop or mince the onions, peppers, mushroom and parsley. Julienned or chop finely the potatoes.

Place 2 Tbsp. butter of oil in a medium-to-large ovenproof skillet, preferably non-stick, and turn the heat to medium.

Add the onions, peppers sauté about 3-5 minutes add the mushroom for another 2-3 minutes.  Remove from pan and set aside.

Reheat the pan adding 2 Tbsp. of butter or oil (I like a mix it browns the potatoes better.) Add the potatoes in a single layer loosely covering the bottom of the pan and cook until they are browning on bottom  this is not covering the bottom like a pie crust  but is giving a good base.

While it’s heating, beat together the eggs, salt, pepper and parsley/cilantro and then mix in the onions, peppers, mushroom.

Gently pour the eggs into the skillet and turn the heat to medium-low. Top with the cheese of choice.  Shake the pan gently over the burner for a minute or to. Cook, undisturbed, for about 8-10 minutes, or until the bottom of the frittata is firm.

Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake, checking every 5 minutes or so, until the top of the frittata is no longer runny, 10 to 20 minutes more.

Garnish and serve hot or at room temperature.

Options

Try without the potatoes cooking the same way, try with different type of potatoes, chopped up meat, bacon pretty much anything you like it is all good.  See great for leftover night.