Tag: vegetables

Italian Breakfast Quiche

WhyILoveFoodLeave a comment

So I woke up in the morning, starving, and hadn’t gone to the grocery store in almost a week. There wasn’t much to put together in the fridge but I pulled it off! I’m definitely going to make this quiche again but I would add a bit more parmesan cheese (because I ran out) and add some mozzarella (which of course I didn’t have at all). All in all, this is a keeper!

Full disclosure: I did not make the crust, it was store bought and left over from something else I made earlier in the week. There are some good quality pre-made crusts out there so if you don’t have the time, like a lot of people I know, save yourself some hassle and just buy one.

What you’ll need:

  • 1 pie crust
  • 14 eggs, divided
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • 2 cups baby kale
  • Small handful parsley, chopped
  • Small handful basil, sliced thin
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • Spray olive oil
  • S & P
  • What to do:
      • Preheat the oven to 375, prep you vegetables and spray your pie dish on he bottom and sides.
      In a sauté pan on medium heat, spray the pan and add the red pepper and cook for 2 minutes.
      Next add the parsley and basil, then the kale and S & P. Cook another 2 minutes or until the kale is wilted. Set aside.
      Put the pie crust in your baking pan and layer the bottom with cheese.
      Whisk 8 eggs with S & P and garlic powder. Fold in the sautéed veggie mixture.
      Add the eggs to the dish.
      Gently crack the remaining eggs into the dish scattered throughout it.
      Add a little more salt to the top and place it in the oven to bake.
      I didn’t pay attention to how log this baked but it was at least 20 minutes. Make sure the middle of the dish is cooked and not loose. Also, the tips of the crust will be golden brown.
      Enjoy!
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    Coconut Curry Cod and Vegetable Noodle Bowl (Dairy and Gluten Free!)

    WhyILoveFoodLeave a comment

    It’s been far too long since I last posted! I shouldn’t make a habit of that.

    So I have an obsession…bowls! Ramen, udon, rice noodle, curry, you name it; I want to make them or try them all. This whole thing started when I found Terakawa in Philadelphia and it’s been bowls galore since then. I honestly can’t get enough of them! I even got my mom hooked so she’s testing out her own skills with these as well lol. Keep it up TJ! You’re doing great and we’re learning from each other!

    What you’ll need:

      8oz large rice noodles
      2 Tbls coconut oil
      1/2 red onion, chopped
      2 carrots, chopped small
      4 cloves garlic, minced
      6oz baby Bella mushrooms, chopped
      1 squash (green, yellow or patty pan your choice)
      10 leaves kale, chopped
      4 leaves bok choy, chopped
      3 eats corn, boiled and cut off the cob (or one small can drained)
      1 lb cod filets, no skin and deboned
      2 tbls better than bouillon chicken base
      2 tsp red curry paste
      2 tsp turmeric
      2 tsp ground ginger
      12 oz evaporated coconut milk
      8 cups water
      Fresh ground pepper
      Himalayan people no sea salt
      Fresh cilantro, optional

    Here’s what to do:

    1. Heat the oil over medium heat until melted

    2. Sauté the onions and carrots with a couple dashes of salt for 2-3 minutes

    3. Add the mushrooms and squash with a couple more dashes of salt for another 2-3 minutes

    4. Add the garlic, curry paste, turmeric, ginger and chicken base and sauté for about 2 minutes, or until fragrant, stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn

    5. Add the water, corn and cod with a couple more dashes of salt and turn the heat up to medium high

    6. Bring the pot to a bubbling simmer until the fish is completely cooked and flaky

    7. While it is heating up, cook the rice noodles according to their package. Set aside.

    8. Add the bok choy and kale and stir to combine while breaking up the fish into pieces if it didn’t already do that on its own. Turn off the heat.

    9. Serve in a bowl with chop sticks (or fork) and a spoon. Add the soup in first, then the noodles off to one side and garnish with a rough, small handful of fresh cilantro.

    Enjoy!

    P.S. My awesome husband got me special ramen bowls for my birthday because I made it so much these days 😊

    Teriyaki Chicken Stuffed with Napa Cabbage, Eggplant & Shiitake Mushrooms

    WhyILoveFood1 Comment

    I’ve been feeling a bit creative in recent days but I’m not an artist by any means, except when it comes to food. I decided it was time to come up with a new original recipe and so here is where I landed. 

    I’ve learned that fabulous tasting food takes time…sometimes. This is sometime. There are several steps and it takes a good amount of time and patience to make this dish but I promise it will be worth it. I wouldn’t be able to make this on a work day simply because it would mean we would eat dinner about 8pm and my toddler wouldn’t be to happy with that. This is on top of the prep the day before.

    I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!!

    I also served this with a Cucumber & Cabbage Slaw that I found on Pinterest.

     

    What you’ll need:

    • 6 chicken breasts, pounded thin and/or butterflied 

    Teriyaki Marinade…

    • 1/2 cup soy sauce
    • 2 Tbls rice wine vinegar
    • 4 Tbls sesame oil 
    • 1 Tbls brown sugar
    • 1 Tbls quality honey (see P.S. below)
    • 1 tsp ginger, minced
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • ground black pepper 

    Stuffing…

    • 1 medium eggplant, cubed small
    • 1/2 Napa cabbage, sliced thin
    • 8 oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced thin
    • 2 small chilies, your choice of how spicy, diced very small 
    • 1 medium onion, diced
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 Tbls ginger, minced
    • 1 tsp olive oil
    • 1 Tbls butter
    • ground coriander
    • dried oregano 
    • S&P

    Coating…

    • 6 rice paper wraps or spring roll skins
    • 2 eggs, beaten
    • panko bread crumbs, white or wheat 
    • fresh ground pepper

    Topped with…

    • Roasted red peppers, diced
    • green onions, diced
    • cilantro, optional

    What to do:

    1. Prep the marinade by whisking all ingredients in a bowl. Place in a freezer bag to which you will add the chicken. 
    2. Butterfly and/or pound the chicken and add to marinade. Put in fridge for at least 6 hours and up to 24 hours. 
    3. Later on or next day, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 
    4. Sautée all the ingredients in the “stuffing” by first heating the olive oil, then onions, mushrooms and eggplant for 5 minutes. Next add the chiles, garlic and ginger for 2-3 min ties stirring constantly. Next add the Napa cabbage (you may need to add a little water to stem for a bit) and cover for 2-3 minutes. Set aside for next step. 
    5. Prep to stuff and wrap the chicken. Take out the chicken marinade, put some water in a shallow plate to rehydrate the rice paper, layer a sheet tray with foil and spray with oil. 
    6. Lay out each chicken breast and layer 1/2 with the stuffing. Hydrate one wrap in water. Fold over the chicken and, once limber but not mushy, wrap with the rice paper. THIS IS DELICATE! Take your time and don’t rip the wrap. Place on the sheet tray. Repeat for each breast. 
    7. Prep the rest of the coating and lay it out. Starting with the breast you wrapped first, dip each breast in egg and then in panko. (The wrap needs time to set and stick to itself. If you do this step too soon the rice paper will come off.)
    8. Bake for 30-40 minutes depending on the size of the breast. The liquid should be clear when done. 
    9. Plate and put on the toppings. 

    Enjoy!


    P.S. This is great quality honey!!!

          Spaghetti Squash “pasta” with sausage, onions, peppers, mushrooms and spinach

          WhyILoveFoodLeave a comment

          Spaghetti squash is one of the easiest vegetables to make. It’s also versatile and can be used as the star of the meal, as a side by itself or mixed into any kind of dish. This dish is simple and easy but does take a bit of time. Well worth it though!

          A tip if you want to do it this way, prep the squash ahead of time and store it in the fridge until your ready to make the dish.

          What you’ll need:

          • 1 spaghetti squash
          • 1 medium onion, sliced
          • 2 sweet bell peppers, sliced
          • mushrooms, chopped
          • fresh spinach, about 2 generous handfuls
          • 2 cloves garlic, minced
          • 1 lb ground sausage
          • 1 cup beef broth
          • 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
          • S & P
          • Olive oil
          • Grated Parmesan cheese, optional
          • Green or yellow squash, optional

          What to do:

          1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
          2. Slice the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds. Season with salt and pepper and lightly brush it with olive oil.
          3. Roast the squash for 1 hour until soft.
          4. Take the squash out of the oven, shred it with a fork out of the shell and set aside. It should look like spaghetti.
          5. While the squash is in the oven, in a cast iron skillet (or your choice of sauté pan), brown the sausage and set aside.  
          6. Add just enough olive oil to coat the bottom and heat on medium.
          7. Add the onions and peppers and sauté for 5 minutes.  
          8. Add the garlic and mushrooms and sauté another 2-3 minutes.
          9. Add the broth and red wine vinegar and simmer for 10-15 minutes.  
          10. Add the squash and sausage and simmer another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
          11. Add the spinach, stir to incorporate and simmer until spinach wilts.  
          12. Serve on a plate or a bowl topped with Parmesan cheese.

          Enjoy!!

          Veggie and Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini

          WhyILoveFood4 Comments

          Do you have an abundance of vegetables from your garden and not sure what to do with them?? Well, find the biggest zucchini or yellow squash you have and stuff it with a mix of vegetables, quinoa and little cheese and call it a day!  This will take about 1/2 hour to prep and 1/2 to cook. 

          I can’t take credit for this coming from my own garden; it actually came from my sisters. Great job Em! I was unsuccessful this year, however, I did benefit from others 🙂

          In my version, I used a number of vegetables and white quinoa. You can honestly use whatever you have available if you don’t have exactly what’s in this ingredient list. 

          What you need:

          • 1 large zucchini
          • 1 orange pepper 
          • 1/4 sweet onion
          • 4 cloves of garlic, minced 
          • 1 tomato
          • 3 carrots
          • 5 collard green leaves
          • 1 cup quinoa
          • 1 cup vegetable broth
          • 1 cup water
          • 2-3 Tbls olive oil
          • Grated Parmesan cheese
          • Sea Salt and Black Pepper
          1. Chop the carrots, onion, pepper, collard greens and tomato. 
          2. Heat the olive oil in a large sautee pan on medium high heat. Preheat the oven to 375. 
          3. First add the carrots and let simmer for 3 minutes. Then add the onion, garlic, pepper, and collard greens and simmer another 5 minutes (or until veggies are soft) stirring every minute. Add the S&P also. Lastly, add the tomato.
          4. Add the broth, water, and quinoa. Mix well and reduce to medium heat. Simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes. 
          5. While that’s cooking prepare the zucchini. Slice in half lengthwise, remove the skin and scoop out the center. 
          6. Remove the lid, stir and simmer another 2 minutes or until the liquid has been dissolved and the rings show on the quinoa.
          7. Stuff the mixture into the zucchini, top with parm and bake for 20-30 minutes. It really depends on how big your zucchini is. It will look and feel soft.   

          Enjoy!