Moist and Crispy Baked Chicken

Tessa frequently asks me to make this chicken to accompany the fresh produce we get from our organic CSA. It's crispy from the panko breadcrumbs and amazingly moist on the inside thanks to the yogurt coating, and is baked, not fried, so it has very little fat/oil to boot.

I modified what I make from a dinner we had at Tessa's uncle's house, using whole wheat panko breadcrumbs, and substituting yogurt for most of the butter. It takes a while to bake, admittedly, but doesn't require any monitoring, really, so you can focus on the rest of the meal while the oven does all the work. (Also, it takes about the same amount of time to bake as it takes whole grain brown rice to cook... just saying...) I like it with broccoli, roasted carrots, summer squash, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, potatoes...

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
6 oz low-fat, plain yogurt
1 cup whole wheat panko breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)
sea salt, to taste
1 tbsp butter or extra virgin olive oil, divided

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place yogurt in a bowl or on a plate and stir until smooth.
3. In a separate shallow dish or bowl, combine the bread crumbs, seasoning, and parmesan cheese.

4. Lightly oil or butter a 9x13 baking dish.

5. Dip each chicken breast in the yogurt, then into the breadcrumb mixture, coating completely but not heavily. 

6. Place each coated chicken breast in the baking dish, topping with a drizzle of olive oil or a small piece of butter.

7. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until internal temperature of chicken is 165 degrees and the coating is golden brown.

8. Allow chicken to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Serves 4-8, depending on the size of the chicken breasts.

Warning: Breading your kitten may result in adorable pictures.

Cheesy Quinoa Bites

I've had some quinoa in my pantry that I've been meaning to put to good use, so when Tessa found this recipe on Pinterest, I went to work. I actually made them the first time as a side dish for some Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos. We ate them all week as snacks, and the next time, I just made them for lunch.

They're packed with nutrients from the veggies and the quinoa, and filled my salty snack craving perfectly. I've made them both with green onions and leeks, and both are delicious. As far as numbers go, the original recipe, made in mini-muffin tins, reportedly made about 28 bites. I don't have a mini-muffin tin, so I just scooped mine. I apparently make big scoops (2-3 tablespoons), so I ended up with 15 big bites (shown above). Original recipe here.

2 cups cooked quinoa
2 large eggs
1 cup shredded carrot
2 stalks green onion or one small leek, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or about 1 tbsp dried)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together all the ingredients.
3. Distribute mixture into a greased mini-muffin tin, filling each cup to the top (1 heaping tablespoon each) or place heaping tablespoons onto a greased cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Serves two to four.

That's not what I meant...

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos

We found this recipe a few weeks ago, and I decided to make it for lunch today. It was pretty refreshing, and I enjoyed it even though I'm not the biggest sweet potato fan. It's also vegetarian, and vegan if you go cheeseless.

I didn't have fresh poblano, so I just seasoned it with paprika and a dash of cayenne, which took out a bit of the bright crunch that would have taken the dish to another level, but it was still delicious. I subbed in whole wheat tortillas for health and green onions instead of yellow onions to suit my tastes. I also added a bit of carrot I had left over from the cheesy quinoa bites I made as a side dish, and they added a nice crunch. Make sure you drain the black beans, or the taco filling will become more of a paste instead of a medley. Original recipe here.

1 large sweet potato

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt, fresh ground pepper, chili powder, and cumin, to taste
1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup green onion, minced
4 whole grain tortillas

1/3 cup diced poblano pepper
Hand-shredded cheese

Optional garnishes:
Shredded lettuce or cabbage
Sliced avocado
Lime wedges for squeezing.
Cilantro
Sour cream

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Dice the sweet potatoes, leaving the skin on, and toss on a baking sheet with the olive oil until lightly coated. Season to taste with the salt, pepper, and chili powder, and cumin. 

3. Roast the sweet potatoes for 15-30 minutes (depending on size of dice), stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown.
4. Meanwhile, saute the green onion for 5 minutes. Add the poblano and saute for an additional 3 minutes. Stir in the black beans until heated through. 

5. Stir in the sweet potato, taste, and adjust seasoning.

6. Spoon onto the tortillas and top with shredded cheese and your choice of garnishes. (I used shredded lettuce and cilantro.)

Serves two to four.

Don't forget to roooooooll it up!

Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette

Trying to start the new year off right? Start with salad. Salads are supposed to be good for you, but some salad dressings (like my old favorite, Caesar) can make a burger look healthy. So, I've started making my own, which is surprisingly delicious and easy to customize. I think it even tastes better than most restaurant dressings, and it's way better for you.

I like to make my dressing fresh every time, so the recipe below is only enough for four (dinner) salads at a time. However, I know that my mom (who we both just found out uses a strikingly similar dressing) like to pre-make her dressing about a cup at a time, and then refrigerate it until needed. If you're of that vein, just follow the ratio of 2 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. For instance, 2/3 cup oil to 1/3 cup vinegar, with increased seasoning.

The recipe also includes my current favorite salad to dress with this vinaigrette.

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/8 tsp garlic powder
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

1 head fresh lettuce or equivalent, washed by you
3 small carrots, shredded
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries
parmesan cheese, to taste

1. Mix the oil, vinegar, and spices in a small bowl, then set aside.
2. Make sure the lettuce is dry, then chop and place it in a large serving bowl. Pour the dressing over the top and toss until evenly coated.
3. Using two forks or tongs, divide the salad among four plates or bowls. Sprinkle each salad with shredded carrots, chopped walnuts, dried cranberries, and a dusting of parmesan cheese.

Serves four as an entree.

Kitten not included.

Homemade Pizza

I love pizza. But I'll admit it. I thought I didn't have time to make my own pizza dough, especially a tasty whole wheat dough. Then I saw this video by Fabio (from Top Chef, not romance novels), and I had to try it for myself, especially because we were getting tired of frozen and (expensive!) delivery pizza. (Plus, it's the best crust for breakfast pizza!)

What takes the most time is actually letting the dough rise, but it's just wait time, so you can watch an episode of 30 Rock or walk the dog or whatever you need to do while it rises. I modified the crust to include whole wheat flour for the health benefits, although some all-purpose is necessary to keep the crust from petrifying.

The first time I made it, I used all of the dough to make a single crust, but the pizza came out way too bread-like. The second time, I split the dough into two balls before letting it rise, and had the perfect amount to make two large pizzas. Fabio says to make it in a mixer with a hook attachment, but since I have no such luxury, I used a spatula to mix and then my hands to knead the dough.

1 packet (or ¼ oz.) dry active yeast
1 ½ cups water, warm but not hot
1 tsp. sugar
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (plus a few pinches for dusting)

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Toppings:
16 oz. can whole plum canned tomatoes or 8 oz. can tomato paste
1 cup fresh mozzarella 

3-6 fresh mushrooms, sliced

3-4 fresh or canned artichoke hearts

1 clove garlic, chopped
10-12 fresh basil leaves
Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
sprinkling of onion powder and/or oregano (optional)

1. In a stand mixer with the hook attachment (or a large bowl with some elbow grease), mix the yeast, water and sugar.
2. Add the flour in small amounts, mixing well between each addition.
3. When the dough is mixed well and not too sticky use a little oil to help remove it from the bowl. Form it into two balls, and place each on a lightly floured surface (I left one in the bowl) and cover with a dry towel. Let the dough rise for 30 minutes.
4. After the dough has rested, use one ball per pizza. I like to freeze one, then thaw and use it later. Transfer the ball of dough to a sheet tray or pizza stone, and use your hands to shape the dough (no rolling pin necessary).

5. Top with tomatoes crushed by hand, chunks of fresh mozzarella, basil leaves, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and sea salt. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
6. Bake in a 400-degree oven until the crust around the edge is golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Serves two to three.

Your kittens may be sad at first...

...But don't worry; they'll find new box hangouts in no time.

Vegetable and Three Cheese Stuffed Shells

Tessa is getting really good at finding recipes she wants me to make for dinner. (Original recipe here.) This one I thought might have a similar taste profile to my favorite lasagna recipe. However, it has its own unique flavor. I served it with a mixed green salad dressed with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette, feta crumbles, and chopped walnuts.

It's also chock full of veggies (and cheesy goodness), which I like, and was pretty quick to make (30 minutes start to finish). My only regret is that I couldn't find whole wheat jumbo shells, so I had to settle for regular ones.

16 jumbo shells (from a 12-oz box, and whole wheat, if you can find them)
2 cups marinara sauce
2 handfuls of fresh, organic spinach
2 cups organic broccoli florets
1 15-oz container of part-skim ricotta
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup part-skim mozzarella, shredded
1/4 tsp garlic powder
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Cook the pasta 1 minute less than package directions (it will finish cooking in the oven). Drain and leave in a colander to cool. Do not rinse.
3. Spread the sauce onto the bottom of a large broiler-proof baking dish.
4. Finely chop the spinach and broccoli and place in a large bowl. Stir in the ricotta, Parmesan, 1/2 of the mozzarella, the garlic powder, and about 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper.
5. Spoon the mixture into the shells (about 1/4 cup each) and place on top of the sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and bake until the shells are heated through, 10 to 12 minutes. 

6. Increase heat to broil. Broil the shells until the cheese begins to brown, 2 to 3 minutes.

Serves four to five.

Wait. You... eat...?

Easy Homemade Cheese Crackers

Tessa directed me to this excellent "real" food blog recently, and the recipe that intrigued me most was one for homemade cheese crackers. I get hungry very frequently, so I snack a lot. Nine times out of ten, I'm a salty snack craver, so I rummage for chips and salsa, hummus, nuts, etc., and this seemed like a much less processed way to get my cheesy-salty-crunchy fix.

They actually came out looking a little like butter cookies, but they tasted exactly like Cheese Nips. It's amazing. And they only have three ingredients. For my cheese, I used Seaside English Cheddar, and the crackers are delightful.

I'm reproducing the Leake family's recipe below, with a couple quick notes, because it was so fantastic and conscientious already that there wasn't much I wanted to change. There is a large amount of butter in them; however, they're the kind of snack you can eat four or five of and feel sated, so I don't see it as a problem, at least not for us. (To give you some perspective, a box of organic cheese crackers lasts about three days in our house. The single batch of crackers I made have been around for three full days already, and half of them are still sitting in an airtight tupperware container.)

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

5 tbsp cold butter, cut into tablespoon-sized chunks

4 oz. of cheddar cheese, hand shredded or finely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine all three ingredients in a food processor and blend. The mixture will eventually turn into one big ball chasing itself around the bowl.* Be patient because it can take a few minutes.
3. Roll the ball into a log about 1 ½” in diameter. At this point you could refrigerate the dough until later.
4. With a sharp knife or waxed dental floss slice ¼” thick pieces off the log and place each one flat on an ungreased baking sheet. Try to rotate which side you are cutting down on because the top of the log does start to flatten a little. It is like your very own homemade slice and bake!
5. If you want your crackers to look a little fancy take a fork and gently mash down the top of each one before baking.
6. Bake for 12 – 14 minutes** or until golden brown.

*I have a three cup food processor, so my mixture did not become a ball or chase itself, because it wasn't physically possible. I just watched until the ingredients seemed to be uniformly mixed, then I scooped it all out onto my cutting board and rolled it into a log.

**I ended up baking mine for 20, even though my oven usually runs hot, to achieve a more cracker-like crunch on the bottom. They were not burned.

Serves six (4 crackers each).

Om nom nom

Turkey Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie (of the ground beef/potato/cheese variety) was a staple dinner in my family growing up. Apparently when I was in pre-school, the chef there made it and I fell in love so deeply that my mom acquired the recipe from my school.

Since I have been recently cutting red meat and pork out of my diet, and have not cooked with them since I began cooking for Tessa, I've been looking for a tasty alternative using some sort of poultry. I found it.

This recipe originated from an allrecipes.com post, but I overhauled it significantly, and it was a satisfying, delicious dinner. I used ground turkey because is significantly more heart-healthy than ground beef (though ground or shredded chicken would also work well), made a gravy for the turkey that closely resembles my pot pie filling, adjusted the spices and veggies to suit me, and poof! Deliciousness.

On a dish-y note, I boiled the potatoes, browned the meat, and made the gravy all in the same 3-quart sauce pan because I don't like dish duty. For those who eat with their eyes, yes, it is a little monotone, but trust me, the flavors are dynamic.

7-8 fist-sized Yukon Gold potatoes
6 tbsp butter, divided
1 cup milk, divided
1 medium head garlic

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup chicken stock or broth
1 pound ground turkey
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp dried thyme (1 tbsp fresh, chopped)
1/2 tsp rosemary (1 tbsp fresh, chopped)
1 bell pepper, diced
1 leek, cleaned and chopped
1 cup Cheddar cheese, hand shredded

1. Cut the head of garlic in half and drizzle it with olive oil. Wrap in foil and bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.
2. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees (you may want to save this for later).
3. Chop the potatoes into 1 inch chunks and boil them until tender. Drain, then mash potatoes. Add 4 tbsp of the butter, 2/3 cup of the milk, roasted garlic, salt, and pepper, and mix in. Set aside.
4. Brown the turkey in a little olive oil, and set aside. 

5. Melt the remaining 2 tbsp butter in a sauce pan over medium heat and add the leek and bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for about 2 minutes, then whisk in the flour. Remove from heat and add remaining 1/3 cup milk and the chicken stock or broth. Return to heat, stirring constantly until mixture reaches the boiling point. Remove from heat and add the turkey, rosemary, and thyme. 

6. Pour the turkey mixture into the bottom of a casserole dish, distributing evenly. Spread the mashed potatoes on top, then sprinkle with the cheddar cheese.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until sauce begins to bubble up around the edges.

Serves six.

I herded this sheep for you. 

Stuffed Acorn Squash

This recipe was inspired by one of Tessa's favorite dishes from the Dream Cafe in Dallas, unfortunately no longer on their menu because they changed chefs. The other day, Tessa asked me to make something like it, and so I did.

I got as close as I could, and she said, had I used a difference cheese (parmesan was all I had-- I recommend goat cheese or feta), it would have been better than the Dream Cafe's. Quite a compliment! It takes some time to cook, but most of it is just baking time, and trust me, it's worth it. It's also quite filling (as a complete meal), acorn squash is in season, and, in honor of Halloween, shaped like a pumpkin! You can swap out the veggies if you'd prefer something else; I just used, again, what I had on hand. Plus, if you omit the cheese, it's vegan.

2 whole acorn squash
2 cups cooked whole grain brown rice
1/4 cup chopped carrot
1/4 cup peas (or vegetable of your choice)
1/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/8 cup goat cheese crumbles
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp chopped sage
1/8 tsp garlic
sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper
1 cup broth or stock, divided

1. Cut off the top inch of each acorn squash. Keep the top, but scoop out and discard the seeds. If the squash won't stand up on its own, cut off a piece from the bottom to flatten it. Set the squash, including the top, aside, on a baking sheet.
2. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the vegetables and spices, and saute until the begin to soften. At this point, mix in the cooked rice, then add 3/4 cup of the stock/broth a little at a time, so that the rice absorbs it.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
4. Once all but a few teaspoons of the stock has been incorporated, stir in the walnuts, cranberries, and parmesan. Remove from heat, and spoon into each squash. Place the tops back on the squash, and the remaining rice mixture in an oven-safe dish.
5. Bake the squash for 1 hour. When 20 minutes remain, pour the remaining stock/broth over the leftover rice mixture, cover, and put it in the oven with the squash.

Serves two.

Happy Halloween!

Butternut Squash Risotto

This was my maiden voyage making risotto, a food I'm actually not as familiar with as I'd like to be. The recipe, apparently originally by Gordon Ramsey, Tessa got from a tweet by her friend Christina (@t0astbandit) and emailed to me so that I would make it. We both love butternut squash, so I gave it a whirl. I also found the most perfect local butternut squash I have ever seen. It was beautiful.

I usually post recipes with fairly quick/easy preparations, but this one is a little more complex. It took me about an hour and a half, start to finish, although about half of that time all I was doing was roasting the squash and prepping the rice.

It turned out lovely, though-- on the sweet side but still savory, nicely spiced, bright, complex flavor. It was also filling-- really stuck to my ribs-- and the cheese added a touch of richness that filled it out perfectly. Tessa will tell you, I was still remarking on the flavor of dinner two hours after we were done eating it. The only thing I would modify is that I would add the lemon juice more slowly, mixing and tasting as I go-- the batch I made yesterday was a tiny bit too lemony.

I've made two modifications to the recipe-- it calls for shallots, I used leeks instead, and I used whole grain brown rice as my base. The brown rice is for nutrition; the leeks are because I love them. Definitely a good fall dish. Vegetarian, too.

3 cups vegetable or chicken stock/broth.
1 1/4 cups whole grain brown rice
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large leek, finely chopped (or 2 shallots)
1 butternut squash
1 bunch of thyme sprigs

4 tbsp butter
1 cup dry white wine
2 tbsp mascarpone cheese
4-5 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly ground sea salt and black pepper
12 sage leaves, finely sliced
Juice of 1 lemon

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Lay it on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the thyme springs evenly on top and place in the oven. 

2. Roast for about 45 minutes, until they are fully cooked, soft so that a knife can easily go through the squash. If they start to colour too much, cover with aluminum foil and return to oven. 

3. Once the squash is cooked, it remove from the oven set aside and allow to cool. Scoop out the baked flesh of the butternut squash, discarding the skins, and puree. (I used a hand mixer to puree since I'd made smoothies in the food processor-- this worked fine and the puree was still velvety.)
4. Pour 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock/broth in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the rice, return the stock to the boil and cook for 4 minutes, adding more broth/stock if necessary so that the rice is covered. Drain well.
5. In a medium saucepan, gently sauté the leeks/shallots in the remaining olive oil until soft. Add the wine, and cook until the alcohol has evaporated and the liquid has almost completely reduced. 

6. Heat the remaining stock to the boiling point. Add the rice to the shallots, then begin to add the stock, a ladleful at a time, making sure that each addition has been absorbed before adding any more. Continue until the rice grains are tender.
7. Add the cold butter, then quickly stir in the butternut squash puree and allow to heat through. Then turn off the heat and add the parmesan, mascarpone, chopped sage and lemon. (Be careful with the lemon-- as I said above, mine came out a little overpowering.) Stir until all the dairy is incorporated, so that the risotto is creamy. If it becomes too dry, add a spoon or two of water, and adjust the seasoning. 

Serves four, topped with fresh-shaved Parmesan.

Gordon Ramsay Kitten says: "Shut it down!"

The World's Best Mac and Cheese

You may have heard of the original version of this recipe-- Beecher's "World's Best" Mac and Cheese-- and it truly does live up to its name. In fact, it should be a crime to visit Seattle, WA, and not stop by Beecher's for some fresh mac and cheese and a hunk of their Flagship Cheddar to take home.

This cheesy, cheesy recipe is going to get away with a "healthy alternative" label for a couple of reasons. I don't know anyone who doesn't like macaroni and cheese, and I don't even think I know anyone who doesn't crave it from time to time. So instead of reaching for that blue box of processed, powdered cheese and limp noodles, reach for this recipe. I've switched the flour and the pasta to whole wheat, to add some goodness to the dish, and cut back the amount of cheese a tiny bit, as well. I am a huge cheese enthusiast, and I put at least twice as much on my spaghetti as Tessa does, so trust me when I say that my version is plenty cheesy.

Also, you might consider buying a hunk of cheese and grating it yourself, because apparently shredded cheese has wood in it.

World's Best Mac and Cheese
12 ounces penne pasta
4 cups Beecher's Flagship Sauce (recipe follows)
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Oil or butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
3. Cook the penne 2 minutes less than package directions. (It will finish cooking in the oven.) Drain and set aside.
4. Combine cooked pasta and Flagship Sauce in a big bowl and mix carefully but thoroughly. Scrape the pasta into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the top with the chile powder. 

5. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Beecher's Flagship Cheese Sauce
(Makes about 4 cups)

1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3 cups almond milk
12 ounces semihard cheese, such as Beecher's Flagship, shredded (about 3 1/2 cups)
2 ounces shredded semisoft cheese, such as Beecher's Just Jack
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat and whisk in the flour. Continue whisking and cooking for 2 minutes. 

2. Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly. Cook until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. 

3. Remove from the heat. Add the cheese, salt, chile powder and garlic powder. Stir until the cheese is melted and all ingredients are incorporated, about 3 minutes. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to three days.

Serves four as a main dish, or eight as a side dish.

Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesy.

Breakfast Pizza

This recipe is Tessa's. I have to admit, I was a little skeptical. Cracking an egg into a pizza crust on a convex pizza stone didn't seem like the most practical idea. But it turned out alright, and was delicious.

I used Yukon Gold potatoes because Tessa and I love potatoes, and they are one of the most nutritious varieties, along with the Peruvian Purple. I also went whole wheat on the crust, and always use free-range eggs. They always seem to have far superior yolk color.

Next time, I'm going to add in some spinach under the potatoes to amp up the health factor and break up the color monotony, but we didn't have any on hand yesterday. I might also add some fresh goat cheese after baking instead of using cheddar.

1 12-inch whole wheat pizza crust, room temp (they sell them at Whole Foods)
3 large free-range, organic eggs
3-4 small Yukon Gold potatoes
3/4 cup cheddar cheese (enough to cover the top of the pizza)
1/8 tsp garlic powder
sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper
3/4 cup baby spinach (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Place pizza crust on cookie sheet or pizza stone. If adding spinach, spread an even layer across the pizza crust.
3. Thinly slice the potatoes (skin on for more nutrients) and lay a single layer, slightly overlapping, covering the surface of the pizza.
4. Scramble the eggs with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, then carefully pour the egg mixture over the top of the potatoes. (Resist the urge to add a fourth egg. It will expand as it cooks.)
5. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese across the top.
6. Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese begins to brown and visible egg is cooked.

Slice and enjoy. Serves two very hungry people.

It's too early... but it smells like deliciousness.

Vegetarian Lasagna

My dad is the oldest of seven, so when his side of the family has reunions, they're quite large. Luckily, his brother Pete makes this killer lasagna that feed lots of people. This is my version of his recipe.

It's vegetarian, and is the basic building block to which you can add ingredients of your choice. For example, if you're a meat eater, you can add a layer of cooked ground turkey, italian sausage, or shredded chicken. If you're a vegetarian, you can add in a layer of eggplant, mushrooms, sliced summer squash, broccoli, etc.

1 jar tomato sauce
1 container part skim ricotta
1 1/2 cups fresh baby spinach, shredded
1 egg
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 bag grated mozzarella cheese (at least 12 oz; 16 is better)
1 box oven ready lasagna noodles ("no boil" noodles-- whole grain if you can find them!)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
5-6 leaves fresh basil (optional)
9x13 baking dish
Oven preheated to 375

1. Start by mixing the ricotta and the egg and 3/4 of the parmesan cheese in a bowl. Add the garlic powder, then mix in the spinach and (optional) basil.
2. Spray the baking dish with nonstick spray, then put a few ounces of the sauce in the bottom of the pan, and spread it around. This prevents your lasagna from sticking.
3. Place a layer of lasagna noodles across the bottom. If you need to break one in half, go ahead, the idea is to cover then entire bottom of the pan. Spread some of the ricotta mixture in, then a layer of anything you might be adding (meat or other veggies), then about a third of the sauce and then some mozzarella. Layer some more noodles, and repeat. You should get three total layers.
4. After the last of the noodles are on top, pour any remaining sauce on, and top with mozzarella and parmesan.
5. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 45 minutes (55 if using whole grain noodles). Let stand ten minutes after it's out of the oven before serving.

Serves approximately six.

Enough said.

Easy Veggie Quiche

This recipe spawned from one of my mother's which she calls "A Tale of Two Quiches." My recipe is more like "A Tale of ∞ Quiches," because the possibilities are endless. Personally, I've made this quiche with spinach, broccoli, and cauliflower so far, all of which are packed with nutrients.

Notes: I make this quiche with swiss cheese because it melts without too much fuss or oil-- I tried it once with cheddar and got an excessively moist product. As to the question of whether eggs are healthy or not, my aunt is on the Egg Board, and she touts them as a healthy source of protein, but you can make up your own mind, and opt to use egg beaters or egg whites only.

6 large eggs
1 1/4 cup milk (I use almond milk)
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
1/8 tsp garlic and onion powder (optional)
2 cups (approx.) vegetable of your choice (spinach, broccoli, and cauliflower work well)
8 oz. shredded swiss cheese
1 9-inch pie crust

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Beat eggs and milk vigorously until uniform. Add seasonings.
3. Meanwhile, layer pie crust, vegetable, and cheese in the bottom of a 9" pie pan.
4. Pour egg mixture over the top.
5. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the egg mixture has set.
6. Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Serves four.

You're going to have to fight me for a slice.