Southwestern Egg Rolls

I made these for our New Year's Eve celebration.  I found them on Pinterest and have been wanting to try them for a while.  These were easy to make and really delicious.  The flavors were really good and I was able to throw them in a freezer bag for good eats later on.

My plan for these is to incorporate them into Mexican nights and freeze batches for easy weekend meals.  I also think these would be great to make if you're bringing a meal to someone.

I served these with guacamole and salsa for dipping. 

Southwestern Egg Rolls:
(Emily Bites)

Ingredients:
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups reduced fat shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
4 scallions, chopped
1 (4 oz) can of green chiles, drained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
24 egg roll wrappers (1 package)


Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425. Lightly mist two baking sheets with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the egg roll wrappers and stir to thoroughly combine.

Pour some water into a small dish and set aside. On a flat surface, place an egg roll wrapper, corner facing toward you (like a diamond) and put ¼ cup of the mixture from the bowl on the center of the wrapper. Spread the mixture in a horizontal line from the left corner to the right corner of the wonton wrapper, leaving ½ inch or so of space on each side. Fold the bottom corner closest to you up over the ingredients and give it a 90 degree roll. Fold the side corners in and tuck them as you give the filled section another 90 degree roll. Dip your finger in the dish or reserved water and lightly wet the edges of the remaining top corner of the wrapper. Finish rolling the filled egg roll over the wet corner so that it adheres. Place wrapped egg roll onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

When all of the egg rolls are wrapped and on the baking sheets, lightly mist the tops with cooking spray. Bake for 14-15 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until the wrappers are golden brown. Serve with salsa for dipping.

Jalapeno Popper Chicken

I love jalapeno poppers.  There is just something about the pepper and the cheese that is amazing.  This recipe came from Skinnytaste, which is an amazing source for healthier recipes.

I made some changes to this recipe like not rolling the chicken up.  It's hard and I can never get my filling to stay inside... so I gave up.

Also, forgive my pictures.  I need a new camera like no one's business. (Santa, are you paying attention?!)

Jalapeno Popper Chicken:
(adapted from Skinnytaste)

Ingredients:
2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 jalapeños, seeds removed and chopped
3 oz reduced fat cream cheese, softened
4 oz reduced fat shredded cheddar jack
8 thin sliced skinless chicken breast cutlets
1/2 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions:

Wash and dry chicken cutlets, season with salt and pepper.  Preheat oven to 450°. Lightly spray a baking dish with non-stick spray.

In a medium bowl mix together the cream cheese, cheddar, jalapeños, and bacon.

Lay chicken cutlets on a working surface and spread 2 tbsp of cream cheese mixture on each cutlet.  Place the breadcrumbs in one bowl and the olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper in a separate bowl.

Dip chicken in lime-oil mixture and then in breadcrumbs.  Cover both sides of the chicken with the bread crumbs and bake 22-25 minutes.

Bacon & Caramelized Onion Quiche

I love quiche.  It's delicious and is a great holding vessel for all types of wonderful things. I love quiche for breakfast and lunch.  It makes me feel fancy.

Since I love bacon and had an onion laying around I decided to make a quiche with those.  I cooked the onions low and slow until they were nice and caramelized to add a nice sweet flavor to the quiche.

Bacon & Caramelized Onion Quiche:

1 pie crust
4 eggs
1 cup half and half
1 teaspoon corn starch
3 strips bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/3 red onion, diced
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup swiss cheese
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1 large tablespoon greek yogurt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat melt the butter.  Add the onion and let slowly cook until it is translucent and a caramel color.  It'll take a decent amount of time, I think mine cooked about 15 minutes... but I should have let them go for 20.

Fry the bacon and hold the cooked bacon off to the side until the onions are finished and the custard it finished.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place your pie crust in a pie pan.

In a bowl beat the eggs.  Stir the corn starch into the half and half, making sure it is incorporated well, and add that to the eggs along with the greek yogurt, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Mix well and add the cheese, bacon, and onions.

Pour the egg mixture in the pie shell and make sure the bacon and onions are spread around evenly.  Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top of the quiche starts to turn golden brown.

Chicken enchiladas with Chili-Yogurt Sauce

It's Mexican night!  It's our favorite night of the week.  This is another Pinterest recipe find.  (I'm so glad that website was invented)

I made some changes to the original recipe to cut a couple of calories and use what I had at home.  The Greek yogurt worked really well in this.  I really didn't feel like I was missing out  

Chicken enchiladas with Chili-Yogurt Sauce:

(inspired from Joyful Momma's Kitchen)

10 soft taco shells (I used whole wheat)
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 jalapeno, diced
1 small onion, diced (or 1/2 a large onion)
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
2 tablespoons hot sauce
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup greek yogurt
1 (4 oz) can diced green chillies
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika


To make the shredded chicken:


Place a package of chicken breasts in a crock pot.  Add 1 teaspoon cumin, paprika, chili powder, and garlic power.  Cover with water and cook on low for 8+ hours.  Remove chicken from water and shred with a fork or tongs.


To make enchilidas:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 pan with non stick spray.  Mix the shredded chicken, corn, diced jalapeno, onion, hot sauce, and 1 cup of shredded cheese.  Fill and roll up in tortillas and place in pan, seam side down.

(I had some extra chicken/corn mixture so I just plopped it on top)

















In a sauce pan melt the butter and stir in the flour. Cook about 1 minute, until a light golden brown color.  Add the chicken broth and whisk until smooth.  Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly, stirring occasionally. 

Add the Greek yogurt, chilies, and spices.  Keep stirring until everything has come together and is warm.  Do not let the mixture come to a boil, it will cause the dairy to curdle. 

Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.

Bake 22 min and then under high broil for 3 min to brown the cheese.

Lighter Eggplant Parmesan

Happy Meatless Monday!!

This is the recipe that led me to pick up some eggplant at the farmer's market.  I figured that if I was going to try eggplant I should dump a bunch of cheese on it.  How bad can that be?  It was pretty dang good.

The one thing I was missing in this recipe was some different texture.  I think in a traditional Eggplant Parmesan the fried eggplant adds some crispiness to the dish.  Since I don't need to eat fried eggplant covered in cheese I'll stick with this lighter version.

Lighter Eggplant Parmesan:
(adapted from Skinnytaste- 8 WW pts)

1 large eggplant (2 lbs)
1 tbsp olive oil
12 oz fat free ricotta
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp Pecorino Romano
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 medium egg
2 cups reduced fat mozzarella
3 cups tomato sauce
1 yellow tomato, seeded and roughly chopped or a hand full of small tomatoes
1 small white onion, diced
salt

Slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch thick slices. Lightly salt the slices and put in a colander to release excess moisture for about 1/2 hour. Lay on paper towels to soak up any extra moisture.























Preheat oven to 450°. Brush eggplant lightly with olive oil on both sides and place on cookie sheets. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning half way through until eggplant is golden brown.

In a medium bowl combine ricotta, egg, parsley and 1/4 cup of grated cheese.

In a 9x12 baking dish, put a little sauce on the bottom of the dish and put a layer of eggplant to cover the bottom of the dish. Top with 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture, mozzarella cheese and sauce. Add 1/3 of the chopped tomatoes and onions.  Repeat the process twice with more eggplant, vegetables, and cheese.  Top with sauce and the mozzarella cheese and the remaining grated cheese.

Cover with foil and bake until cheese is melted and everything is bubbling, about 30 minutes at 400°. Remove foil and bake an additional 8-10 minutes. Take it out of the oven and let it sit about 10 minutes before cutting.

Stuffed Mushroom Marinara

I made stuffed mushrooms a couple of weeks ago for Meatless Monday.  While we were eating them Mr. T said that he'd love to try them with some red sauce.  We talked it out and this is what we came up with.

These were delicious!  The stuffing would also make a great stuffing for pasta (I'm thinking stuffed shells might be in my future).  Here's my advice on how much marinara sauce to actually use.  You don't want the spinach mixture to be floating around in sauce but everything still needs to be moist.  Start out with half a cup or so of sauce, mix it all together and add more if you need to.

If you're looking for a vegan option leave the cheese off.  It's still good.

Stuffed Mushroom Marinara:

4 large portobello mushrooms, gills removed
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus some to drizzle
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced

1 box frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed as dry as possible
1 cup marinara sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano

salt and pepper
4 slices provolone cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat.  Add 1 tablespoon olive oil.  When the oil is hot add the onion.  Once the onion starts to brown add the garlic and carrots.  Let everything cook for about a minute and add the spinach.  Let the spinach mixture cook for an additional minute or so (I let them cook while I took the gills out of the mushrooms) and add the marinara sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried oregano.  Stir to combine.


Brush each mushroom cap with a little olive oil and begin to stuff them.

Once each mushroom is as full as you'd like it to be place them on a baking sheet and place one slice of provolone cheese on top of each mushroom cap.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is nice and bubbly.

Lighter Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

I have a soft spot for pasta with alfredo sauce on it.  It's so good.  Pasta dishes are great ways to get vegetable into people too.

This is a lighter pasta dish but it was delicious.  The broccoli was tasty and the alfredo sauce got soaked up in all of the little nooks of it and the pasta.  This also makes a great lunch the next day.

Broccoli Chicken Alfredo:

Ingredients:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, grilled and cut into chunks (about 2 cups)

2 cups roasted broccoli florets

8 ounces whole wheat pasta, I used rotini
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup fat-free, low sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/4 cup skim milk

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 pinch ground nutmeg

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is golden, 1 to 2 minutes.

Whisk in the flour until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, Greek yogurt, milk, pepper and nutmeg. Bring to a low boil, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring gently, until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Stir in 3/4 cup Parmesan.

Add cooked chicken and broccoli to sauce mixture, followed by the cooked pasta. Toss to combine and serve with more Parmesan, if desired.

Mexican Lasagna

It's Meatless Monday!!

I made Mexican Lasagna this week and it was delicious!  I was a little nervous going into it because I was kind of winging this one.  I didn't really do much research and used it as an excuse to clean out the refrigerator.  It worked out.

Mexican Lasagna:

12 corn tortillas
1 can reduced sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can reduced sodium pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
1 large bell pepper, diced
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 red onion, diced
1 cup fat free salsa
1-2 cups reduced fat shredded Mexican blend cheese


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut each tortilla in half and layer 6 halves in a casserole dish or lasagna pan.  Top with a third of the beans, corn, onion, bell pepper, salsa, and cheese. 

Continue layering the ingredients.


Bake for 30-45 minutes or until everything is hot and the cheese has melted.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream or Greek Yogurt.

Spinach Cheese Enchiladas

It's Meatless Monday!  It is yet another week of Mexican food for us but at least this time it's not tacos.  I'm branching out a little bit.

I beefed up this recipe a little bit by adding some red bell pepper, cumin, garlic powder, and some extra salsa.  The brand we buy is zero points, so why not.  The filling of these enchiladas was very much ricotta (it was the texture).  It was almost like eating lasagna filling in a tortilla with salsa.

I like the idea of these but I want to figure out how to take away some of the ricotta cheese and make them with something else.  Mr. T and I both really enjoyed the flavor and it was nice to have something different for Meatless Monday.

Spinach Cheese Enchiladas:
(adapted from Weight Watchers, 7pp+)

Cooking spray
10 oz chopped frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed to remove water  
1 red bell pepper, diced
15 oz part-skim ricotta cheese  
1/2 cup(s) (shredded) reduced fat mozzarella cheese  
1 teaspoon dried oregano  
1 teaspoon onion powder  
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon table salt  
1/2 teaspoon black pepper  
8 fajita size whole wheat flour tortillas
2/3 cup(s) fat free salsa  
1/4 cup(s) shredded reduced-fat Mexican-style cheese
 
Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 7 X 11-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Take the dry spinach and chop it.  Just enough to get rid of the stringiness that sometimes happens with frozen spinach.

Combine spinach, bell pepper, ricotta, mozzarella, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper in a large bowl; mix well. Spoon 2 tablespoons (roughly) of spinach mixture onto center of each tortilla.

Roll up tortillas and place side-by-side in prepared baking dish. Spoon salsa over tortillas and sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon of Mexican cheese.

Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is golden brown, about 10 minutes more.

Broccoli Mac and Cheese

Macaroni and cheese is a staple dish in many households.  It's always an option in a "Meat + 3" or on a veggie plate.  While it's fantastic it's not the healthiest option.  I found this recipe online through Weight Watchers and substituted whole wheat pasta.

While it wasn't the most amazing mac and cheese I've ever had it was pretty good.  I loved the broccoli and the whole wheat pasta was delicious.

Broccoli Mac and Cheese:
(adapted from Weight Watchers, 7 pps+)

2 spray(s) cooking spray  
12 oz uncooked pasta, I used whole wheat (about 2 1/2 cups)  
1/8 tsp table salt, for pasta cooking water  
10 oz uncooked broccoli, small florets (about 2 1/2 cups)  
1 tsp salted butter  
1/3 cup(s) fresh bread crumbs  
3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, divided  
2 1/2 cup(s) fat-free skim milk  
1/3 cup(s) all-purpose flour  
1/2 cup(s) (chopped) uncooked onion(s), diced  
1 cup(s) low-fat shredded Cheddar cheese, sharp-variety  
1 tsp Dijon mustard  
1 1/2 tsp table salt  
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground  

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Coat a shallow 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.

Cook pasta in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water according to package directions, adding broccoli to water 3 minutes before pasta will be done; drain pasta and broccoli and return to pot.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; add bread crumbs and cook, stirring often, until light golden, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer crumbs to a small bowl; stir in 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese and set aside.

In same saucepan (wipe clean if necessary), whisk together milk and flour until blended; add onion. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking frequently. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and whisk in cheddar cheese, mustard, salt, pepper and remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. Pour over cooked, drained pasta and broccoli; toss to mix and coat.

Transfer to a baking dish and sprinkle top evenly with bread crumbs. Bake until bubbly at edges, about 20 to 25 minutes. Divide into 8 pieces and serve. Yields 1 piece per serving.

Mini Spinach Quiche

Quiche is so tasty and everyone seems to love it.  Making a mini version is just as easy as the large one and the tiny size is perfect for appetizers.

I like to go ahead and make them a day or two early and just reheat them quickly before it's time to serve. (A toaster oven works great)

Mini Spinach Quiche:

2 eggs
1 cup half and half
1 cup shredded swiss cheese
1 tablespoon corn starch, blended with the half and half
salt and pepper
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
pie crust, store bought is fine

In a bowl blend the eggs, half and half, salt, pepper, and mayonnaise together.  Add the spinach and swiss cheese, mix well.

Take the pie crust, roll it out, and cut small circles out (I used a shot glass).  Spray a mini muffin pan with some non stick spray and place the circles of pie crust into the muffin tins.  Fill each little pie crust with the quiche mixture and bake at 350 until nice and golden, 20-30 minutes.

Rib Roast with Blue Cheese Chipolte Sauce

In our house Turkey is served on Thanksgiving and a beef roast is served on Christmas.  This year we found rib roasts for a really good deal and decided to try something a little different.

Our weekly Publix advertisement had this recipe and a picture of the finished product on the front page and it just looked/sounded amazing.  It turned out really well.

Rib Roast with Blue Cheese Chipotle Sauce:
(Publix Apron Meals)

Ingredients:
8 celery ribs
1 standing rib roast (4–5 lb)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely ground pepper
5 oz Deli soft-ripened blue cheese, cubed
1/2 stick herb garlic butter, cubed
1 cup yogurt blue cheese dressing
2 teaspoons chipotle pepper sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat medium-size roasting pan with spray. Cut celery into 7-inch ribs; lay across center of pan. Place roast on top of celery; sprinkle salt and pepper over roast.

Bake 20 minutes or until roast has browned.

Reduce oven to 350°F; cook 2 more hours or until roast is 145°F (medium-rare). Use a meat thermometer to accurately ensure doneness. Transfer roast to cutting board; let stand 10–15 minutes before slicing.

Cut cheese and butter into small cubes. Place both in medium saucepan on medium heat; cook and stir 2–3 minutes or until melted. Stir in dressing and pepper sauce; remove from heat when sauce is bubbly. Serve roast with sauce.

Chicken Rollatini with Spinach alla Parmigiana

I'm trying new recipes!  Yay for me. 

This is a recipe from Gina's Skinny Taste blog.  I didn't wrap my chicken because I didn't get any chicken cutlets this week.  I just cut into a regular chicken breast and stuffed it with the spinach.  It probably made a difference as far as the points are concerned so take that into account when shopping/making this. 


















Chicken Rollatini with Spinach alla Parmigiana:
(Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes)

Servings: 8
Points: 4 pts • Points+: 5 pts

8 thin chicken cutlets, 3 oz each
1/2 cup whole wheat Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
6 tablespoons egg whites or egg beaters
5 oz frozen spinach, squeezed dry of any liquid
6 tbsp part skim ricotta cheese
6 oz part skim mozzarella
Olive oil non-stick spray
1 cup pomodoro sauce or your favorite marinara sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Wash and dry cutlets, season with salt and pepper.  Preheat oven to 450°. Lightly spray a baking dish with non-stick spray.

Combine breadcrumbs and 2 tbsp grated cheese in one bowl and 1/4 cup egg beaters or egg whites in another.

Shred or finely chop 1.5 oz of mozzarella cheese and combine with remaining grated cheese, spinach (make sure you squeeze it dry), 2 tbsp egg beaters, and ricotta cheese.

Lay chicken cutlets down on a working surface and spread 2 tbsp of spinach-cheese mixture on each cutlet. Loosely roll each one and keep seam side down.

Dip chicken in egg mixture, then in breadcrumbs and place seam side down in a baking dish (no toothpicks needed). Repeat with the remaining chicken. When finished, lightly spray with olive oil.

Bake 25 minutes. Remove from oven, top with sauce then cheese.

Bake until cheese is melted and bubbling, about 3 more minutes. Serve with additional sauce on the side and grated cheese.

Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

This is the sauce that was served with the chipotle steak with gorgonzola cream sauce.  I wanted to go ahead and post it in another section alone so that it was easy to find.

Gorgonzola Cream Sauce:
(Queen of Points)

1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
2/3 cup 2% milk
1 oz. (1/4 cup) gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1 teaspoon unsalted butter


Directions:

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute for a minute. Add the garlic and saute for another minute. Add the flour and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the milk and bring to a low boil.

Cook until reduced by half. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese and butter. Keep warm, but don’t let it boil.

Chipotle-Rubbed Flank Steak with Garlic Gorgonzola Sauce:

Mr. T loves steak and chipotle.  Thanks to Devon over at Confections of a Food Bitch I found this recipe that combines them both (along with my love of gorgonzola cheese)!

I made a couple of changes to the recipe tonight because I wanted to use things that we already had in the house.  I used fajita steak instead of flank steak, regular smoked paprika, and skim milk... along with some other things.

Chipotle-Rubbed Flank Steak with Garlic Gorgonzola Sauce:
(Queen of Points)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon ground chipotle chile pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 lb. flank steak
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
2/3 cup 2% milk
1 oz. (1/4 cup) gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1 teaspoon unsalted butter


Directions:

Make sure you’ve got all the ingredients for the sauce prepared before you start. The steak only takes 15 minutes, and you’ll want to make the sauce while it’s broiling.

Preheat your broiler on high

The steak: Combine the chile pepper, paprika, and salt. Rub the mixture on both sides of the flank steak. Place the steak on a broiler pan and broil for 5 minutes on each side, then let it stand for 5 minutes.

The sauce: Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute for a minute. Add the garlic and saute for another minute. Add the flour and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the milk and bring to a low boil. Cook until reduced by half. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese and butter. Keep warm, but don’t let it boil.

Pour the sauce over your steak and enjoy!

Crustless Spinach Bacon Quiche

I took a step out of my comfort zone the other day.  I made a quiche without the pie crust.  I love bread and carbs... however I don't need to eat a ton of them all the time so i'm trying to find simple ways to cut back on them, like using wraps instead of bread, cauliflower instead of potatoes, and trying out this crustless version of a classic.

Crustless Spinach Bacon Quiche:
(inspired by Joy the Baker)

1/2 bag of spinach leaves, stems trimmed
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
3 large eggs
1 cup half and half
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
3 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a pie pan.


In a saucepan cook the spinach and garlic over medium heat.  Cook until the spinach is wilted.  Take the spinach and garlic and squeeze dry.  Let sit for a minute and squeeze again.

In a large bowl whisk together the eggs until they are a light color, add the half and half.  Add the spinach, garlic, bacon, cheese, and salt and pepper.  Stir together with a spoon and pour the mixture into the buttered pie pan.

Bake the quiche for 35 minutes or until golden brown.

Beef and Spinach Lasagna

So, I had a cooking flop last night.  I was going to make spaghetti and meatballs last night but got kinda impatient and they ended up getting all smooshed and I gave up.  It ended up being some hard core meat sauce.  So today I used it to make some meat lasagna. It worked out pretty well.  If at first your don't succeed, try try again.

I made this with beef because that's what we had but a lot of times I'll make lasagna with turkey.  This makes fantastic leftovers, by the way.

Beef and Spinach Lasagna:


Meat Sauce:
1 pound of ground beef
1 jar tomato sauce
1 onion, chopped into small pieces
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
Salt & pepper

In a skillet on high, heat up the olive oil.  Add the onion, let cook for a minute then add the garlic.  After another minute add the ground beef.  When the beef is brown add the jar of tomato sauce and Italian seasoning.

Reduce the heat to medium and let cook for 10 minutes.  When finished use for lasagna or store in the refrigerator to use for another pasta dish.

Lasagna:
1/2 box lasagna noodle, cooked per package directions
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 package frozen spinach
Prepared meat sauce

Spoon some of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the lasagna pan.  Top with 3 noodles.  Spoon on more sauce, shredded cheese, spinach, and ricotta cheese.  Repeat until your lasagna pan is full of wonderful goodness.  Sprinkle some more cheese on top and bake at 375 for 30-45 minutes or until everything is bubbly.

Southwest Cheddar Steak Fries

I made steak fries the other night.  I usually make ranch fries but in my quest to try new recipes  I decided to go with this recipe from Clean Eating Magazine.  They were great and the red bell pepper really added flavor to the steak fries.

















Southwest Cheddar Steak Fries:(Clean Eating Magazine)

Ingredients:
1 lb red or yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch wedges
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 oz reduced fat shredded cheddar
1/2 cup finely minced red bell pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Place the potatoes in a ziploc bag.  Add the olive oil, paprika, and garlic.  Toss inside the bag until all of the potatoes are covered.  Arrange the potatoes in a single layer. Bake in the center of the oven for 10 minutes, then flip and stir, baking for 7 more minutes or until lightly golden brown and tender when pierced with a fork.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the cheese, pepper, and salt. Bake for 2 more minutes or until slightly melted.

Mushroom Cheese Bread

I would like to thank Publix for this idea.

Mushroom Cheese Bread:

1 loaf crusty bread, cut in half

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup italian cheese shredded cheese blend

1 cup of baby Portabello mushrooms, sliced

Preheat the oven to 350.  Brush olive oil on both pieces of bread (on the cut side, not the crust side).  Lay the mushroom slices on top of the bread and sprinkle with garlic and cheese.

Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Mom's Cheese Spread

My mom has a go-to cheese spread that she makes whenever she has to bring a dish.  It's super easy and takes almost no time.

Cheddar Cheese Spread:

1 package of cream cheese

1 package of cheddar cheese spread

1 package of powdered Italian dressing

Mix everything together and serve with pita chips.