Crustless Leek, Kale & Herb Quiche

Original Recipe

Ingredients:
2 T bread crumbs
1 leek, white and green parts halved and sliced 1/2" thick (put in a bowl of water and mix around to get all the dirt/sand off)
2 c chopped kale
1/2 c egg beaters (or 4 egg whites)
3 whole eggs
1/4 c milk (1/2%)
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp tarragon
1/2 tsp basil
2 oz mild cheddar cheese, shredded (or anything you like)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat bottom and sides of 9-inch pie pan with non-stick cooking spray. Scatter breadcrumbs over the bottom.
2. Bring 4 cups salted water to a boil in large pot. Add leeks; boil 3 minutes. Remove pot from heat, add kale, and let stand 30 to 45 seconds, or until greens are wilted. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again, squeezing out excess water with hands. Set aside.
3. Pour egg beaters into a bowl. Whisk in eggs. Whisk in milk and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper, if desired. Whisk in tarragon and basil.
4. Scatter leeks and kale over breadcrumbs in prepared pie dish. Put cheese on top. Pour egg mixture into pie pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown on top. Cool 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Serves 4. (It could easily serve only 2. I had 2 servings.)

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 163
Fat: 8.5
Saturated Fat: 3.5
Carbs: 8.5
Protein: 13

Ratings:
Kristen: 4
Dave: 3.5

There is no picture on account of the fact that I TOTALLY BROKE MY CAMERA tonight. :( Wish me luck at Huron Camera tomorrow. :(

Herbed Summer Squash and Potato Torte

I adapted this slightly (mostly the amounts) from this recipe.

Ingredients:
1 potato (mine was 282 g)
1 small yellow squash (149g)
1 small zucchini (131g)
1/2 c shredded swiss
1 T flour
Seasonings to taste: I used salt, pepper, thyme and oregano
1 T EVOO

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F.
Slice the potato, squash and zucchini. Mix the cheese, flour, and seasonings together.
In a small baking dish (sprayed with non-stick cooking spray), place a layer of potatoes, a layer of squash/zucchini, drizzle with 1 tsp EVOO, and then a layer of the cheese mixture. Repeat. Finish with a layer of potatoes, EVOO, and cheese.
Cover with tin foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking another 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Serves 4.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 150
Fat: 7.5g
Saturated Fat: 3g
Carbs: 17g
Protein: 6g

Ratings:
Kristen: 4.5*
Dave: 3.5

*This was a LOT better than I thought it was going to be. I'm usually not a big fan of squash but this was REALLY good. I'll definitely be making it again.

Roasted Rhubarb

I love rhubarb. I just discovered this a couple years ago at Allison's parents house in the UP. Their neighbor had made some sort of rhubarb dish. It was really good. Since then I've become a fan of rhubarb, and especially strawberry-rhubarb, pie. So when I saw this recipe today, I added rhubarb to my grocery list!

Ingredients:
1 lb rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 3-inch lengths
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c white wine
1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Set a rack in the lower third of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350°F.
Put the rhubarb in a small baking dish. Add the sugar, wine, and vanilla, and stir to mix. Bake (uncovered) for about 30 minutes, or until very tender, giving it a gentle stir about midway through to ensure that the rhubarb cooks evenly.
Serve warm, with strawberry ice cream if you like!

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 155
Fat: 0.3g
Carbs: 33g
Protein: 2g

Ratings:
Kristen: 4
Dave: is unsure about rhubarb. He couldn't decide.

Asparagus Omelet with Polenta Crust

This recipe came to me in a Runner's World email! Here is the original recipe.

Ingredients:

Crust
3 cups vegetable broth
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal (coarser is better)
1 T fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dry*
1 tsp fresh pepper

Filling
3/4 lb fresh asparagus (7.5 oz after trimmed)
1/2 green pepper (80g)
Most of 1 zucchini (225g)
4 large eggs
1/2 c low-fat milk
1/3 c grated onion
1-1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
3/4 c shredded swiss cheese

Directions:
Bring broth to a boil, whisk in cornmeal slowly. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes; stir frequently the first four minutes, then mix every few minutes, always stirring in the same direction. When the polenta pulls away from the side of the pot, it's done. Add pepper and dill* and mix. Spread polenta evenly in a pie pan.

Snap off the bottoms of each asparagus. Cut into two-inch pieces and blanch for three minutes in boiling water. Clean and cut green pepper and zucchini. Whisk together eggs and add milk, onion, salt, and pepper. In bottom of shell, place peppers and asparagus. Top with cheese. Pour egg mix over all and bake at 375F for 45 minutes.
Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 223
Fat: 11g
Saturated Fat: 5.5g
Carbs: 18g
Protein: 15g

Ratings:
Kristen: 4
Dave: 4
*Note: The original recipe lists dill in the ingredients but not in the directions. So the dill in ours was sprinkled over the top, but it would be even more delicious in the polenta where it is supposed to be! :)

Hungry Girl 'Bella Asada Fajitas

Here is the link to Hungry Girl's recipe.

Ingredients:
1/2 T EVOO
8 oz. baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
3/4 c green bell pepper, sliced
3/4 c red onion, sliced
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt, divided
1/8 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp cumin
Dash black pepper
1/2 c tomatoes, chopped
1/4 c roughly mashed avocado
2 T chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 T lime juice, fresh
6 corn tortillas, 6" (Don Marcos)

Directions:
In small bowl, combine tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, lime juice, and 1/8 tsp salt. Mix well and set aside.
Drizzle a large skillet with oil and bring to medium-high heat on the stove. Add sliced mushrooms, bell peppers and onion, and sprinkle with garlic powder, 1/8 tsp salt, chili powder, cumin and black pepper. Stirring occasionally, cook for 6 minutes, or until veggies are tender.
Place tortillas on a microwave-safe plate and warm slightly in the microwave. Top each tortilla with about 1/2 c fajita veggies and a spoonful of the tomato-avocado mixture. Fold and chew!
Makes 2 servings.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 362
Fat: 8.5g
Saturated: 1g
Carbs: 58g
Protein: 11.5g

Ratings:
Kristen: 3.5
Dave: 3.5 He said it would have been a 4.5 if they had been on wheat tortillas. Apparently he doesn't care for the corn ones so much.

Blueberry Pancakes

http://www.joyofbaking.com/breakfast/Pancakes.html

Ingredients:
1 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 T sugar
1 egg
1 c milk, 1%
2 T butter
4 oz blueberries

Directions:
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Add the egg, milk, and melted butter and whisk until just combined. The batter should have some small lumps. Make sure you do not overmix the batter or the pancakes will be tough.
Other than that, I am not going to tell you how to make pancakes. :) Add the blueberries before flipping.
Makes 4 servings.


Nutritional Information:
Calories: 236
Fat:7.3g
Saturated: 4.3g
Carbs: 36.2g
Protein: 6.7g

Ratings:

Kristen: 4.5

Dave: 4

Mediterranean Pizza

I got this recipe from the Nasoya website.

Here is what I did:
Ingredients:
Whole Wheat Pizza Crust Dough:
**This makes one thick, or two thin crusts. I divide it in half, use one half for a thin crust and save the other half for the next pizza!
1 c warm water
2 T oil
1 T sugar
1 tsp salt
1 c whole wheat flour
1-1/2 c bread flour
1 package yeast

Toppings:
2 tsp EVOO
1/2 small red onion
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 12-oz jar marinated artichoke hearts
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
3 svgs (237g) Nasoya Extra Firm Tofu, drained and then cubed
3-4 Chipotle peppers in adobo, rinsed

Directions:
Marinate the tofu ahead of time. Drain the artichoke marinade (reserve artichokes) into a resealable container and add the balsamic and red wine vinegars, oregano and salt. Add tofu and shake to cover. Put in refrigerator for at least a couple of hours, but preferably overnight.
I make the pizza dough in my bread machine. When it is done, I pierce it all over with a fork and bake at 400F for 10-12 min. Take it out of the oven and top first with olive oil, then onions, peppers, artichokes, and finally tofu (drained).
Bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.
Makes 6 servings.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 193
Fat: 7g
Saturated: 0.5g
Mono: 0.5g
Poly: 2g
Carbs: 23g
Fiber: 2g
Sugars: 1.5g
Protein: 8g

Ratings:
Kristen: 4
Dave: 3.5

Notes: I used chipotle peppers because I had some leftover that I needed to use, but if I made it again I'd go with the suggested roasted red peppers instead.

Spaghetti and No-Meat Balls

I got this recipe from Food Network. Here's how I made it tonight:

Ingredients:
Meatballs:
2 tsp EVOO
1/8 c finely diced red onion
Salt and pepper
1 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 garlic clove, chopped
Dash of red pepper flakes
1 svg (79g) Nasoya extra firm tofu, drained and crumbled
1 T egg beaters
1 T dry bread crumbs
Fresh chopped herbs, I used oregano and cilantro
1 T whole wheat flour

Tomato sauce (I used 1/2 c Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Crushed Tomatoes, put through the blender)
2 oz spaghetti, prepared

Directions:
In a medium skillet over medium heat, warm 1 tsp of EVOO. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook until softened. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Raise the heat to high and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms have given off their juices and are lightly caramelized.

Transfer the vegetables to the work bowl of a food processor. Add the tofu, egg and another pinch of salt and pulse to combine. Add the bread crumbs and herbs and pulse to combine again. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and season with plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
Spread the flour on a plate. Form the tofu mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls. Lightly coat the balls in flour. (Mine made 6.)
In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the remaining 1 tsp EVOO. Add the balls and cook them until browned all over, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side.
Add the tomato sauce to the pan and simmer until the balls are firm and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Serve over pasta. Makes 1 serving.

Nutritional Information: 

(No-Meat Balls only, not including sauce or pasta)

Calories: 240.2
Fat: 14g
Saturated: 1.9g
Polyunsaturated: 3.8g
Monounsaturated: 7.6g

Cholesterol: 0g
Carbs: 16.7g
Fiber: 3.1g
Sugar: 1g
Protein: 12.9g

Ratings:
Kristen: 3.5
Dave: 4 (I made him the same thing but instead of the no-meat balls I cut up and cooked a Jennie-O hot italian turkey sausage link to put in the sauce)

Island Quesadillas

The original recipe (from Kraft) is here. I forgot to take a picture, but if you look at the site, that is what it looks like! Here's how I made it:

Ingredients:
1-1/3T Olde Cape Cod All Natural Olive Oil & Basil Sun Dried Tomato Dressing
1 garlic clove, minced

1 whole mango, peeled, chopped (82g)

1/2 medium green pepper, chopped (77g)

1/3 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 svg (75g) Nasoya extra firm tofu or 4 oz chicken

4 Don Marcos Stone Ground Corn Tortillas, 6"

2 wedges Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss Cheese

1 oz Ilchester Applewood Smoked Cheddar, shredded

Directions:

Heat dressing in medium skillet on medium-high heat. Add garlic, mango, pepper and cinnamon; cook 3 min. stirring often. Add chicken or tofu; cook 10 min. or until cooked through for chicken, or 5 min for tofu, stirring often. Remove mixture from skillet; keep warm. Spread 1/2 of the Laughing Cow wedge cream on each tortilla. Spoon warm chicken/tofu mixture evenly on half of each tortilla; top each evenly with cheese. Fold in half.
Heat skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat. Place quesadillas in skillet; cook 2 min. Turn over; cook 2 min. or until cheese melts and edges are lightly browned.
Makes 2 servings (2 quesadillas each).

Nutritional Information: (For tofu, which is 80 cal/svg, 4g fat, 2g carbs, 8g protein.)
Calories: 327.4
Fat: 12.9g
Saturated Fat: 5.1g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.3g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.5g
Cholesterol: 28.5mg
Sodium: 455.5mg
Potassium: 71.8mg
Carbs: 38g
Fiber: 3.9g
Sugar: 9g
Protein: 14.7g

Ratings:
Kristen (with tofu): 4
Dave (with chicken): 4

Moroccan Vegetable Couscous

Feel free to add some chicken (or sausage would be good) to this dish to make it non-vegetarian. Dave had chicken in his. I got this recipe from epicurious. Here's how I made it:

Ingredients:
1/6 c almonds, chopped
1/2 T EVOO
1-1/2 c mixed cut-up vegetables, such as red onion, carrots, zucchini and cauliflower (I used 1/2 c each of green pepper, zucchini and carrots)
1-1/2 tsp ground cumin
1-1/2 tsp ground coriander (I didn't have this so I left it out)
1/2 c white wine
1/6 c raisins
3/8 c vegetable broth
salt and pepper, to taste
1 c couscous (Casbah Organic Whole Wheat)

Directions:
Toast almonds in the microwave (I do this in a stoneware dish, in 30 second intervals). Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add vegetables and spices; saute until vegetables just begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add wine and raisins. Boil until wine is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add broth. Partially cover skillet; simmer until vegetables are tender, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, prepare couscous according to package directions. (I prepared it with vegetable broth.)
Plate the couscous. Spoon vegetable topping and juices on top, and sprinkle with almonds.
Makes 4 servings ( I made it into 3 but that was too much!)

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 258.9

Fat: 4.4g

Saturated Fat: 0.4g

Polyunsaturated Fat:  0.3g

Monounsaturated Fat: 1.3g

Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 248.6mg
Potassium: 255.8mg
Carbs: 48g
Fiber: 7.2g
Sugars: 6.3g
Protein: 6.9g 

Ratings:
Kristen: 3
Dave: 3 (with chicken), 2 (without chicken)
It was kind of bland, some more spices and/or garlic would probably help!