Spinach & Mushroom Breakfast Quiche

I made this for a ladies brunch and it was so delicious! This would also be a good addition to any Easter breakfast or brunch! We served it with fresh fruit and some sticky buns and the combination of the entire meal was just wonderful. The spices really added a nice subtle depth.

Spinach & Mushroom Breakfast Quiche
Serves 8

• 6 slices of bacon - broken into 1 inch pieces
• 6 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk (I used whole)
• 1/2 t nutmeg
• dash of cinnamon
• S & P to taste
• 1 large (9 or 10 oz) bag fresh spinach
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms (I used baby bella tops)
• 1 c onion - diced fine
• 2 c cheese - shredded. I used CoJack, but Swiss would be good, or a white cheddar.

--Beat eggs and add milk, spices, bacon, and cheese.
--Saute mushrooms and onions until almost all soft, add spinach and saute until wilted and bright green.
--Add vegetables to egg mixture.
--Pour into a lightly greased 9x13
--Bake uncovered for 35 minutes at 350. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Sauteed


All mixed up

Turkey Meatball & Spinach Soup

While my mother was here we went through my recipe box and I let her pick and choose what we were going to eat. This was one of the recipes she picked and it was one I had never made before. Gotta like that, right? It originally called for Escarole, but since I had spinach on hand, and the recipe even said to substitute spinach if escarole wasn't available, that's what we used and we both really enjoyed it. It's a perfect light Spring dinner! Also, because it was made in the crockpot, it was so fast to throw together! If you're going to make it on the stove, though, boil the meatballs in a shallow dish in the microwave then plop them on in!

Turkey Meatball & Spinach Soup

• 3 large carrots - chopped (as you see, I just used an entire small bag of baby carrots)
• 10 c chicken broth
• 1/2 lb Escarole or Spinach chopped into bit size pieces
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 small onion minced
• 2 large eggs - beaten
• 1/2 c plain dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan (plus more for garnish)
• salt and pepper to taste

--In large slow cooker, combine carrots and chicken broth. Stir in the escarole. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
--In a medium bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Shape into 1 inch bowls and carefully plop into the crockpot. Cook on low for another 4 hours.
-- Serve with additional cheese on top with some crusty bread on the side.

Hummus Coated Chicken with Lemon and Rosemary

I made this for Drew's first birthday and it was great! I followed the directions to a tee and it turned out a little too lemon-y for us, so the directions below are what I will do next time. I think the extra drizzle of lemon juice at the end was a bit unnecessary as well as cooking the lemons on the chicken. Otherwise, it was a fabulous meal. The hummus was crusty on the outside and smooth and creamy underneath. The chicken was moist and tasty, and oh, and the rosemary, how could I forget!? It blended everything together beautifully! Serves 4

Hummus Coated Chicken with Lemon and Rosemary

• 4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
• 2 or 3 lemons
• 1 cup hummus - pre-made or homemade.
• 4 T dried rosemary
• generous drizzle of balsamic vinegar

--Coat chicken (I used some of Scot's latex gloves because using your hands is the easiest, if grossest, way) with hummus about 1/4 inch thick and place in baking dish.
--Cut lemon's in half and squeeze lemon juice on each coated chicken breast. I did almost an entire half on each breast.
-- Sprinkle the rosemary on and then generously drizzle the balsamic vinegar. Yes. Generous is good. Go on. Just let it flow....
--Bake for 30 minutes at 450.
--Garnish with slices of lemon.

(If this is not lemony enough for you, then bake the chicken with the lemon slices on)

Rigatoni with Eggplant Puree

This meal was served to our family over at a friends house and since I like eggplant in pseudo non-traditional ways, I requested the recipe. The taste was not overly eggplant, but a wonderful blend of deep flavors with just enough heat. It was originally served with roasted pine nuts, which is a very nice addition, but if you don't have them on hand, which I don't typically, the meal is just fine without them. I have done roasted slivered almonds as a less expensive substitute and that worked very well, too.

Rigatoni with Eggplant Puree
Serves 4-6

• 1 medium-large eggplant, cubed into 1 inch pieces
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 3-4 big cloves of garlic - peeled
• 1 medium onion - peeled and quartered
• Drizzle of red wine vinegar
• 1 lb Roman (large) Rigatoni - or regular is fine, too. (use whole wheat pasta to make this heart healthy)
  
• 1/4 c pine nuts/almonds - roasted
• 3 T EVOO
• 1 t salt
• 1 t crushed red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
• 1 t ground pepper
• 1/2 c grated Parmesan

--Put cut up eggplant, onion, cloves in a bowl with 2 T of the EVOO, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes and toss to coat.
-- Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper and pour veggies so they are even.
--Roast for 35-40 minutes at 400 until veggies are soft and golden.
--Meanwhile - roast your pin nuts (or almonds) if you're using them
-- Boil water and cook pasta according to package. Reserve about a cup of pasta water.
--When veggies are done, pulse/puree them with 1 T EVOO and some of the pasta water (about 1/2 cup to start and then just go from there) You want the sauce to be thick and chunky so be careful how much you pulse and how much you water you add.
--Add just a splash or two of the red wine vinegar to the sauce and then combine the sauce with the drained pasta. Mix well 'til pasta is fully coated
--Serve with cheese on top (and nuts if you have them)

Miss Bev's Meatloaf

This is the meatloaf I grew up with. It's your traditional home-style comfort food in the form of tasty meatloaf and I love it. My mom got the recipe from my childhood best friend's mom, Bev. Which is why we've always called it "Miss Bev's Meatloaf" -- in fact, it is this meatloaf that I requested for many a birthday dinners. That's just how much I enjoyed eating it. I tried it for the first time myself this past week and and it was as good as I remembered. I love it with sweet potatoes and a salad.

Miss Bev's Meatloaf

• 1 lb beef
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1 T brown sugar
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 t dry mustard
• dash or two of pepper
• dash of cayenne
• 1/4 c ketchup
  
• 2 T lemon juice
• 2 T water
• 2 t Worcester sauce

-- Combine all well and place in loaf pan
-- Bake for 45-50 minutes at 350