Bake With Bizzy -- Mini-Spinach & Avocado Quiches

I had leftovers from the holidays for tonight's dinner but I came across this recipe on That Skinny Chick Can Bake and on Jovina Cooks Italian and I must have been programmed to make it because I did, despite the fact, I had no need to cook tonight.




I have no regrets. These little muffin like quiches are delicious and go with almost anything. I did make some changes to make these kosher (no meat and dairy at the same meal). I also had no mushrooms so I subbed avocado




Individual Spinach and Avocado Quiches



1 small onion, diced
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
Olive oil
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 avocado, chopped
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
A few gratings of fresh nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 container (15 ounces) whole milk ricotta cheese
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 12 muffin pan cups with nonstick cooking spray.

In a skillet, cook and stir onion and red bell pepper for a few minutes or until tender. Add avocado, spinach, pepper, nutmeg and salt. Cook and stir over medium heat about 3 minutes or until liquid evaporates. Remove from heat.

Combine ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses in large bowl. Add eggs and mix well. Add cooled spinach mixture; mix well.

Divide mixture evenly among prepared muffin cups. Bake 25 minutes or until filling is set. Let stand 10 minutes. Run a knife around perimeter of quiches to help release. Serve .

Makes 12 small "muffins".

Time to look back: This is ALL DESSERT WEEK

Rumanian Cheese Cake - Winnie of Something Sweet

Tiramisu  from Don't Waste the Crumbs

Flourless White Chocolate Macadamia Almond Cookies - Fox in the Kitchen

Whatcha Whipped Up? Bring your own to our Linky.  Remember, both sweet and savory are appreciated.

Curried Rice Pilaf

I like making rice pilaf because they are easy to make, yet maintain a delicious flavor.  I usually cook mine in a broth but the alternative is to spice up the rice, in the pan and cook in water.  This recipe can be changed around, easily.  You could select any dried fruit, cranberries, apricots, apples or the nuts can be varied, pistachios, pecans, cashews, pine nuts.


The option of fresh fruit is open, also, but should cooks with the rice for at least 15 minutes.  Add a little cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.  If you like heat, chili powder or chili peppers should make a difference.  I put Mexican chili which I have been adding to some dishes and that works well.


I like the almonds and raisins so I stayed with them.

Curried Rice Pilaf  --- adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients :

1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain rice
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
3 cups organic low-salt vegetable broth
1 cup broccoli florets
1/4 cup sliced yellow pepper
1/2 cup sliced red pepper
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped almonds, toasted


Method:

In a large skillet, saute 1/4 cup onions and garlic in butter until tender.


Stir in rice and curry powder. Saute for 2-3 minutes or until rice is lightly browned.

In a saucepan, heat broth and salt. Pour over rice mixture; stir. Cover and simmer for 35-40 minutes or until rice is tender. 


In a separate pan, saute broccoli and bell pepper for 5 minutes and add to the rice mixture.

Remove from the heat; stir in raisins, almonds and additional green onions.


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Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream

I have been thinking about a dessert for the Eggland's Best Brunch and I decided that homemade ice cream is simply the best.  I made some for the holiday and it was a treat for everyone.  I am about to make another batch.  I love the idea, I can stick it, in the freezer, ignore it completely and remove it for the brunch.

I made my ice cream recipe and added some dark cherries, halved .

You can cut the cream even more and use 1 cup whole milk and two cups cream.  I only keep the one percent milk, in the house.

Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream 

Ingredients :

1/2 cup one percent milk

2 1/2 cups heavy cream

3/4 cup sugar

pinch of salt

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 - 2 cups halved cherries

Method:

Pour 1 cup of the cream into a 2 quart saucepan.

Add the sugar and salt and stir mixture until the sugar dissolves.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the vanilla extract.  Then add the milk and remaining cream.

Chill for 30 minutes and pour into ice cream maker and follow the directions from the manufacturer.

In the last two minutes, add the cherries which will spread throughout the ice cream.

I cooked some berry jelly and put it on top but it hardened rather than stay syrupy.

Hash Brown Cake

This may be a new badge to you as it was to me.  It is group with a great idea.  Each month they randomly select a letter and each individual picks a food that begins with the designated letter and bakes and shares the results.  It can be savory or sweet.

It is hosted hosted on alternate months by Ros from The More Than Occasional Baker and Caroline from Caroline Makes.

If you are interested, head over to one of the listed blogs and introduce yourself.  This sounds like lots of fun.  Join me.  On the first of the month, you can check out who has baked what.  This month, let's look for the H's.

I discovered them, not too long ago, and promptly forgot about the letter for this month, which is H.  When did I remember?  After work, today.  The deadline is the 25th which means, I could participate.  With the holiday coming, where is there time to make something for an event?  There isn't but I was not going to be beaten.

Dinner would be the solution although I had no ideas for an H dinner.  Baked hamburgers? Honey coated chicken?  Hazelnut torte?  Heavenly Hash.   Aha - hash.  I decided to make Hash Browns in the oven and then in the kitchen, I changed that to a Hash Brown Cake.  It reminded me of Potato Kugel but it was softer inside than the kugel.  The top was crispy and the interior was soft and delicious.

 Hash Brown Cake

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, cut into chunks
3 medium potatoes, peeled, and shredded (I used a food processor.)
1/2 cup whipped cream cheese or block cream cheese, slightly softened

3 eggs, beaten
1/4 red pepper, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt,
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
spray olive oil

Method:

Preheat oven to 425°F. 

Spray an 8 inch cast iron pan.

Place onion and potatoes in the food processor, and shred with the appropriate disk.

Place potato mixture into a bowl. Add cream cheese, salt and pepper.

Add eggs and mix thoroughly.

Put 1 tablespoon of olive oil in bottom of cast iron pan.

Spoon potato mixture into pan and let cook for one minute.

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F; bake until cake is crisp around edges, about 30 minutes longer.

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Individual Baked "Caprese" Eggs

 I am sure, I have said this before ---- Kristi of Mother Rimmy's Cooking Light Done Right never fails to have a recipe, for me, to make immediately.  That is what happened, this morning.  I went over there, looking for something for dinner and ended up making myself breakfast.

Kristi has healthy recipes and proves that healthy eating is also good and tasty eating.  Flavor abounds in her dishes and at this point, I have made a number of them. - thanks to Kristi-

As Kristi says, "Caprese salad is a favorite in this house, so why not add those big flavors to eggs?"  This fits my feelings about this recipe, perfectly.  After making it, I changed my mind to say, "this is even better than Caprese salad and that is high praise to the dish.

 
Baked Eggs Caprese Style (adapted from Mother Rimmy) Ingredients:

2 large eggs, sliced 

1/4  large tomato, thinly sliced
1/4 cup shredded Mozzarella
½ cup fresh spinach leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Spray one small single serving sized baking dish with olive oil cooking spray.
Beat the eggs in a small bowl, 

Layer tomatoes evenly into each baking dish, then top with mozzarella cheese and then basil leaves. Pour eggs evenly over the top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  (I used 3 thin slices of tomato.)

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until egg is set. Don't bake too long, or the eggs will be rubbery.

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Bake With Bizzy --- Cheesy Broccoli Triangles for Brunch

This was based on a crustless quiche with spinach and Cheddar but it didn't turn out close to the original recipe so I thank Spark for the inspiration but not really for this recipe.  It is wonderful how looking at recipes brings out our creative "genius" (yeah sure, genius).  It does bring out new combinations, mix and match recipes, daring trials and both successes and failures.

It is noted that many foodies don't share their failures and frankly, I wish they would.  I learn a lot when I goof and I would learn from others, as well.  I also admit, I feel better when someone else, leaves out the sugar from a cake recipe.  Oh yes, I have done it and didn't know it until my husband was on the second piece and mentioning that the cake was the least sweet one, he has eaten.  Then, I turn my head, to the counter, and discover the measuring cup filled with sugar, hidden behind the flour canister.


I am auditioning recipes for the Eggland's Best Brunch, the first Sunday, of June.  After making this, I realized, it probably could be frozen although, I am not positive and can't take chances on messing up the brunch. I guess, we will just have to eat this now.  Drat.  :)

Please check out the fabulous contest, Eggland's Best is having.

Enter your best egg recipe in the Eggland's Best "Your Best Recipe" Contest! You can enter up to 2 recipes in each of these 4 categories:
Breakfast
Appetizer
Main Course
Dessert

One winner in each category will be awarded $1,000. One grand prize winner will be selected from those 4 winners to receive $10,000!

Remember, each recipe must contain at least 2 EB Eggs.
Good luck to all of you.

Cheesy Broccoli Triangles


Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
3 eggs
1 cup gluten-free flour mixture
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups shredded Gouda
2 cups frozen broccoli florets, defrosted and chopped roughly
1/2 cup onion, chopped

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place butter in 12 inch round, shallow baking dish and heat in oven. Remove when melted, approximately 3 minutes. (it will sizzle if you don't get it out of that oven)

In large mixing bowl, beat eggs well. Mix in flour, milk and baking powder.

When the dough is well combined, mix in cheese, broccoli, garlic and onion. Add mixture to melted butter and bake for 35 minutes until lightly browned and cooked through.
Enjoy.

Looking Back:

Green Chili and Golden Cornbread

Cabbage UnRoll Casserole

Fresh Cranberry Lemon Scones

I love that this is posting both savory and sweet baked goods.  We can lose sight of the deliciousness of the savory because the sweets are so tempting.  I love both.  Please do share with us.




Real Food Wednesdays     Creative Juice     Whole Food Wednesdays     Allergy Free Wednesdays     Gluten-free Wednesday    We Are That Family    Frugal Follies   Sweet Saturday       Momnivore’s Dilemma        Allergy Free Wednesdays    Cast Party Wednesday 

Red Peppered Corn Bread

If you look carefully, you will see little bits of red from the red pepper dip which makes this a super corn bread.


Recently, I have been buying one or to dips to use, in different recipes, such as this one.  I add tomato dip to pasta dishes or meat.  I love dill and sneak it, into anything. I think, though, this red pepper dip is the best to cook with.


Red Peppered Corn Bread (adapted from Taste of Home)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Canola or Hazelnut Oil
3 eggs
1-1/2 cups low fat milk

1 tablespoon red pepper dip
2-1/3 cups gluten-free flour
1 cup cornmeal
4-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Spray two square pans with olive oil.
In a large bowl, mix oil and sugar.

Combine the eggs and milk. 

Combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.

Add to creamed mixture alternately with egg mixture.

Pour into two 8" square baking pan. Bake at 400° for 17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cut into squares; serve warm.

Tuesday Confessional     Hearth and Soul      Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays 

Cranberry Orange Mini Bundt

 This is really a recipe for a quick bread.  I am hosting a brunch in conjunction with Eggland's Best.  More to come about this special brand and hopefully, my special brunch. The brunch explains why I fancied up the bread into mini bundts.  I hope to post recipes for the brunch, over the week.  I am freezing them, as much as, I don't want to.  I see no way, to bake and cook all the food, the day of the brunch.  I will have to make such items as omelets or pancakes, at that point so baked goods are being hidden, in the freezer to be brought out and hopefully devoured.


I do want to mention that Eggland's Best is having a contest with cash prizes.  Check here and why not send in your favorite recipes.  You could be the winner.  I would be happy if anyone of you did win. 

I posted a muffin, last week for this Muffin Monday, so I thought, it was appropriate to make a quick bread, in place of a muffin, today.  In my plans for the brunch, I decided to bake three different kinds of  quick bread, either muffin, a loaf or a corn bread.  This afternoon, I made all three the loaf turned into a mini bundt and the muffin turned into a baked mini rose and the corn bread remained corn bread with an ingredient which brought it, over the top.


The following is a recipe for Cranberry Orange Bread which I am calling:

Cranberry Orange Mini Bundt


Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups gluten-free flour mixture
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons canola or walnut oil
1 cup sugar
2  eggs
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped in a food processor
1 tablespoon grated orange zest (the aroma from this was inspiring)
1/2 cup orange juice
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray 6 mini bundt pans. Dust with flour.

2. In a large bowl, combine GF flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. Combine oil and sugar.  Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until incorporated. Gradually add half of the flour mixture, until just blended. Add the cranberries, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla. Mix until just blended. Add the remaining flour mixture and the walnuts. Stir until just blended.



4. Pour batter into mini bundts and bake until a sharp knife, inserted into the center, comes out clean, about 30 minutes.  Cool and sprinkle powdered sugar on top of each mini-bundt.

Hearth and Soul   

Sweet Treats and Swanky Stuff

Egg Pickle Potato Salad Plus - Food Network Magazine Cookbook

 I am wondering if I ever posted a potato salad recipe.  I did a search and it brought up all kind of potato recipes but no salad.  It is hard to believe, somewhere along the line, I had not made one to post.  Then again, I rarely make potato salad.  I appreciate potatoes hot and as a result, a salad of potatoes doesn't usually appeal unless it is made of sweet potatoes.

I am not sure, what got into me, but I made a potato salad from the Food Network Magazine 1,000 Easy Recipes.  I was looking through the book which is pure fun to do. Actually, I was sitting in the dentist chair, midstream of a root canal and whenever the dentist left, I checked out pages of the book which is where I saw the salad recipe.  I guess, it was in my subconscious and came out, when making dinner.

You should not have to go through a root canal to look at this book.  Curl up in a chair and be prepared for an onslaught of ideas.  There were 41 potato salad recipes on about six pages.  The recipes are brief and leave much to the cook, although I don't think this is intentional.  I found that if you did not know the meaning of certain words, you were left in the dark.  

It is unusual, in that a full recipe takes a few lines of print and at times,  amounts are not included.  I made a casserole that gave no measurements for the ingredients except for 3 cups of shredded cheddar.  Everything else was left up to the reader.  Would a new cook be able to make that recipe?  I doubt it.

On the flip side, I found this to be a delightful book, an opportunity to mix and match recipes, taking the best elements of a few and concocting your own creation.  If one wanted to follow the recipes, it is easy, if you are acquainted with the terms.  "Boil, peel and cube 2 pounds of russets,"  That is the first line of my potato salad recipe.  I do know how long it takes to boil a potato and I decided to cube it before cooking.  I also peeled it first although the order here is to boil, peel and cube which I would guess is the order, the cook had in mind.  If you know what a russet, all is fine.  If not, chances are the recipe gets ignored.  I used Idahoes, anyway.

These are Food Network recipes so there is an interest in what ingredients are included and how it is presented.  I had a great time, going through the book and found lots of recipes to make, although,  I might choose another source with more complete directions, for some of them.

Egg-Pickle Potato Salad (as printed in book)

"Boil, peel and cube 2 pounds russet potatoes; toss with 2 tablespoons cider vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix 2 cups mayonnaise, 2 finely chopped scallions, 1 finely chopped celery stalk, 3 chopped hard boiled eggs, 1/2 cup finely chopped red pepper, 1/4 cup diced pickles with 1 tablespoon of pickle juice and1 tablespoon each Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon sugar, and salt. Toss with the potatoes."

My notes:  I put the eggs through a ricer and it sprinkled through the potatoes perfectly.  

I cut the mayo to a little more than 1 cup and used Canola mayo.

I added one tablespoon of curried sauce and marinade, something I spotted in the food store, last week and couldn't resist getting.

Passionately Artistic    Fit and Fabulous Friday    Di's Kitchen-a Seasonal Event

Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash

Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients:

2 acorn squash
Spray olive oil
2 cups brown rice
1/4 cup minced onion
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup  regular pecans
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and  pepper, to taste

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice acorn squash in half and remove the seeds.

Spray inside of squash with olive oil and place on a baking sheet, cut-side down.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until soft.

 Cook rice, according to package directions.

Add diced onion during the final 5 minutes of cooking time.

Remove  from heat and mix in the raisins, pecans, balsamic vinegar and olive oil . Season generously with salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste.

Fill the acorn squash halves with rice mixture.

* Next time, I would add a teaspoon of honey to the rice.

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