Spinach Quiche

I love making quiches...so easy, so fast! The hardest part is waiting for it to bake and not digging in too soon!! Unfortunately, since a quiche almost always involves some kind of cheese, it's not exactly the healthiest meal in the world. Oh well, we can't eat right every night!

I find all my quiche recipes on line...Here's the lates attempt:

You will need to pick up:

1 pkg cream cheese, softened

4 eggs

1 cup of evaporated milk (I used 2% evaporated milk)

Dash of ground red pepper (I only had flakes)

1 pkg of frozen, chopped spinach thawed throughly (I used leaf)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 prepared deep-dish pie crust, frozen

**Be sure you thaw the spinach the night before. Of course, I did not, and I spent some time squeezing out the water/ice with a paper towel. It needs to be as water free as possible or your quiche will not settle properly (YUCK).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and preheat the baking sheet too!

In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until creamy. You may need to add a few drops of the milk to help the process. Then, beat in the eggs, evaporated milk and red pepper. I also added black pepper...Sleem says I never follow directions :)

Squueze the spinach between paper towels until as dry as possible!!!!!!!!!!! Then, stir the spinach and onions into the egg mixture and add salt and pepper to taste (kinda hard since you can't really taste it)! By the way, I'm eating it right now and it could TOTALLY use more salt!

Pour into frozen pie crust, which of course, I had it sitting on the counter for like 15 minutes!

Bake for 60 minutes, or a little more, like I did ;-)

I think it needs more cream cheese...or maybe I should have used the full fat cream cheese. Other than that and the lack of salt, it's pretty tasty and very filling. Not nearly as good as my Crab Quiche...but it will do. Enjoy!

Bistro Salad

On one of the many rainy days this season, I stayed home from work and decided to enjoy a nice lunch on my own. I don't usually dine alone, but I figured it would be relaxing! I ventured into Highland Park..such a cute little town....and decided on The Dish, a small joint open for breakfast and lunch. I was trying to be really good about what I chose off the menu. French toast, panini sandwiches, wraps, eggs, pancakes....so much to choose from. Alas, I ordered their Bistro Salad... all the way assuring myself I (and my waist) would be thankful I did!

The salad was delish and very filling and I made a mental note of every ingredient so that I could recreate for dinner one day! I don't have amounts, I just used more of what I liked and less of other things...eyeball it and see what happens!

Go to the produce section and purchase the following:

1 bag of Spring Greens

Strawberries, sliced

Canteloupe, cubed

Grape tomatoes, halved

Grapes, halved

Gorgonzola cheese crumbles

Walnuts. halved

Dried cranberries

Chicken cutlets, sliced thin, browned, cut in short strips

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Mix all of this healthy stuff together and top with crumbles of the gorgonzola cheese! All I have to say is that Sleemy cannot get enough of this salad!!

Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes and Cheese

I really should stop eating so much pasta...but I just CAN'T!!! It's so affordable, easy to make and quite delicioso!! I found this receipe in my Cooking Light magazine. I guess it's "light" because it calls for canned diced tomatoes instead of jarred sauce..

You will need to purchase:

1 box of ziti

1 pound of Italian sausage (I used sweet, but the recipes calls for hot)

1 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon tomato paste (I ended up using more)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 cans petite-diced tomatoes, undrained

1/4 cup chopped basil (I used dried basil)

cooking spray

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray. Cook the onions and minced garlic over medium heat, add the sausage.

Cook until browned.

Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Add pasta and basil to the tomato and sausage mixture.

Coat a casserole dish with cooking spray. Place half the pasta mixture in the dish and top with half of the mozzarella and half of the parmesan. Repeat layers. Bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly.

This meal was great the next day...there were plenty of leftovers. I think I would forgo the diced tomatoes and use jarred sauce instead. It was too white and plain for my taste. We made some fancy artisan cheese bread to go with it!

Panko Mustard Chicken

First, let me apologize for the delay in updates! I have been so busy! I am still cooking..just don't always have the time to sit and write it and upload the pictures. Here I am though..figured that updating my blog would make me feel productive and all good inside...

I have a new affinity for panko bread crumbs...they give everything a nice crunchy and yummy taste. This is a simple recipe that doesn't require much but that will make the taste buds quite happy. Pair this dish with anything you'd like. I happen to have made some spanish rice and beans, which I will not provide a recipe for. My mom taught me how to make it and I don't have measurements..I just add a little of this and include a little of that and Voila: Black beans and rice ala Dominican style.

Be sure to have handy:

6 chicken cutlets, rinsed and patted dry

1 cup of panko bread crumbs (or more if needed)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 cup of butter, melted

1/4 cup dijon mustard

2 tbsp parsley flakes

3 tbsp parmesan cheese

salt, pepper & garlic powder

*Heat oven to 450 degrees.

*Mix the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and parsley in a bowl.

*In another bowl, combine the melted butter, mustard and garlic.

Dip each chicken breast in the butter mixture, coating well. Then, coat the chicken in the panko mixture. Lay in a square baking pan. Repeat until all pieces are breaded. Lay them close together!

Place in the oven for 15 minutes.

Check often since the temperature is so high.

Let the chicken brown nicely.

The meal was a complete hit :)

No Bake Lasagna

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!!!

Having my sister and her two kids over for lunch!! Yipee!! I could not bring myself to make a real lasagna because I ALWAYS make that and my other sister who is joining us would kill me if she had to eat it again. Last week, I had dinner at a friend's house and she made this delicious meal which I am going to try to replicate. She may have mentioned something about it being a Rachel Ray recipe, but I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that....

What you need to buy:

1 box of linguine
1 jar of spaghetti sauce (your favorite one will work)
1 1/2 pounds of ground turkey
1 cup of of ricotta cheese
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 cup green pepper (sliced into thin strips)
1 bag of shredded mozarella cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
sprinkle of red pepper flakes
basil to taste
garlic powder to taste
olive oil

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Boil the linguine for 9 minutes, drain in a strainer.

Crumble the uncooked turkey in your hand and place in a sauce pan with olive oil. While it's in the pan, season with the salt, pepper basil and garlic. Let the turkey brown on low to medium heat about 15 minutes.

While the turkey is cooking, saute the peppers in a

separate pan, also in some olive oil and a little garlic powder.

Heat the jar of spaghetti sauce. Put the pasta back in the large sauce pan with the sauce and add the ground turkey and the peppers. Mix together well. Add the ricotta cheese, and most of the bag of mozarella. Mix together again, adding more cheese if necessary.

Serve in a large bowl or in a square serving dish. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese.

My sister and her kids LOVED this dish. It hit the spot perfectly. Everyone loves pasta and cheese, and they didn't even realize it was ground turkey!! Next time, I will add more spaghetti sauce because I think it was a little dry. Was great for leftovers as well ;)

Roast Chicken with Orange Mustard Glaze

So, I had a yummy little baby chicken sitting in the freezer waiting to be cooked... I finally found the recipe I thought was worthy of this baby chick!

Get on over to the grocery store and get this:

1 roasting chicken- about 4 pounds
2 tablespoon cold butter
1 clove garlic, finely minced
Salt & Pepper to taste
Fresh basil leaves
Sprigs and leaves of fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, basil)- optional

For the Glaze:

2 tablespoon orange juice concentrate
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon melted butter

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Wash chicken and pat dry. My mom always rinsed her poultry with lemon juice...I do that now when I'm preparing my own meals.

If you don't have a roasting pan with a rack, line the roasting pan with foil.

Now...to work on the chicken!! Sprinkle the chicken with plenty of salt and pepper- don't be afraid!! Rub it all in ;)

Slide your fingers under the skin to loosen the skin over the breasts and legs. Mix the butter with the minced garlic; spread the butter as evenly as possible under the skin.

Tuck basil leaves under the skin and sprinkle other herbs over the chicken and in the cavity of the chicken.

Place the chicken in the oven for 15 minutes per pound.

While it's cooking, make the glaze:

Combine the orange juice concentrate, mustard, brown sugar and melted butter. Be sure the butter is fully melted or it will clump. Set aside, you won't need it til chicken is fully cooked!

When the thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, the chicken is ready for glazing.

Brush the glaze on the chicken- unless you're like me and don't have a brush, in which case you can simply spread the glaze on the chicken with a spoon.

Return to the oven for 10 minutes. Glaze other side, and bake another 10 minutes. Be sure to let the poor chicky rest for 10 minutes before slicing ;)

I made some jasmine ginger rice to go with it, but honestly, that was awful. Go with a veggie or some potatoes! The chicken was quite tender and "surprisingly moist"- direct quote from Sleem!! I wish it had tasted a lot more like the glaze, but honestly, only the skin had that flavor to it. Next time, I might make the glaze into a dip, so the chicken can be dipped in it or poured over generously. I'd say it was a successful meal!

Chicken Pot Pie

I swear...I've never, ever, everrrrrrr even had a bite of a chicken pot pie (CPP)! I'm Dominican, remember??? Not exactly on the menu at my mom's dinners. I can't even say CPP has ever seemed at all appetizing to me... Nope! It wasn't calling my name like cookies and lasagna do. When my boyfriend ordered it at Boston Market, I was surprised. I knew I had to try making one myself. No way my CPP could be worse than anything served at Boston Market!

I searched for recipes online as I usually do and found a million extra-complicated ones that I didn't feel like trying after a long day at work. I even looked in my cookbooks- and brace yourselves- no CPP recipes in ANY of them!!

Don't fear. Campbell's soup is here!
Tear off the Cream of Chicken Soup label and you're on your way to making CPP!

Go buy this:

1 can (10 oz) Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup
1 pkg (9 oz) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 cup cubed cooked chicken or turkey
1 cup all purpose baking mix
1 egg
1/2 cup milk

First of all, it doesn't say it anywhere, but PLEASE season your chicken after you've cubed it. I used pepper, dried basil, sea salt, dried parsley, and a little thyme. Mmmmm... Cook the chicken in butter to give it some flavor... Who likes bland chicken?? Not me!

Once the chicken is browned, add the bag of veggies to the chicken.

Then, pour the can of Cream of Chicken over it and mix all that good stuff together. The pan will be quite full, mix carefully so it doesn't all spill on the stove ;)

In a separate bowl, mix the milk, egg, and the baking mix. I hope baking mix is a synonym for flour, because that's what I used. This mixtures is going to be very thick. You'll wonder, as I did, if you did something wrong. I added some half and half to the mix, but I didn't thin it out too much, just in case it was supposed to be the consistency of concrete mix.

Line a glass pie dish with a pie crust. Trim to fit the pie dish. I used the store brand version of the Pillsbury pie crust and it worked out great and was much cheaper.

Pour the chicken mixture into the pie dish.

Then, spoon the (thick) milk mixture over the chicken.

Cover the mixture with the other pie crust sheet and trim again. I tried to make it look pretty like in the pictures, but alas, no luck. I pressed the crust all the way around the dish with my thumb and this is as good as it got.

Place in the oven- no cookie sheet necessary. Bake for 40 minutes, or until golden crisp!

Verdict:

Not as good as Boston Market. Despite seasoning the chicken the pie was still somewhat bland and flavorless. Not something I would eat again, but it was easy enough to make. I might give it one more try and add more salt and perhaps some nutmeg. Something was definitely missing because it didn't exactly taste fabulous! Oh well, thank goodness for Boston Market!